* Do cats automatically remember where they live to find their way back ? No, cats dont automatically KNOW their way back home, if you watch a cat when it first goes outside, it hangs around its home learning scents and gathers visual cues as it wanders farther from home it will stop and gather more information. * IS there an average time they stay away ? No, every cat is different * Do they make a fuss to go out side ? Some do some dont * Does being fixed matter if they want to go out ? YES ABSOLUTELY - the urge to mate in an intact animal - any animal is huge. They will forgo food to mate and when the urge hits they are flooded with hormones - it is all they think about. * Is there something they like to eat outside ? Yes, Birds, lizards, insects and some types of plants. Unfortunately a cat is not out to just eat when it goes outside, it has a hunting instinct and will kill just to kill negatively impacting the natural resources in its environment - endangered or not. * Is it just for exercise - to keep from being bored ? A cat can get just as much exercise inside as outside. Bored is a term people use for not being stimulated enough and while a pet may not have enough stimulation I dont think bored is the correct term. Humans have a way of thinking animals think and feel the way we do. It is how people and pets get into trouble. * Do you worry if they don't return within a certain time ? Since the dangers to house cats is high once they do go outside in any environment, to avoid becoming worried cats should remain inside * What if they didn't come home ? Pets have alot of possible reasons why they dont come home. Illness, being stolen, getting killed by native animals, cats being killed by dogs, getting trapped or suffering an injury where nobody can hear or see them in order to rescue them, being poisoned, shot at or run over. * Do you worry about someone else thinking it's feral and keeping it ? Feral cats and domesticated cats act very differently. I know at least 3 people who have gained a cat as a pet by finding it wandering by where my friends worked or lived, and they kept it as an indoor cat. One was a beautiful Seal Point Siamese - probably cost the original owner a pretty penny to purchase the cat originally and I can not imagine the anxiety they felt when their cat did not come home. They will never know if their cat lived or died. * Are you worried if it comes home with fleas or ticks ? Any pet allowed to roam without constraints can come home with a dozen problems, healthy fleas being the least of the lot. Ticks - which may carry Lymes or Rocky Mountain Spotted fever, Distemper, Rabies, Feline leukemia, an injury, Hanta Virus or plague infested fleas. I saw a television program on tranferrable diseases and one episode was about how a young girl had suffered a serious illness she got from her cat who had been outdoors for a couple of days, the cat came home and the little girl had the cat sleep with her and apparently the illness came from having the infected cat breathing close to the little girl. Scary. The thing I wrote about happen everyday somewhere in America, they are real problems that cat owners may face when letting their cats roam.

Good tip! I got a recipe for liver treats, and considering all the disgusting revolting and harmful crap that goes into the base for pet food and treats, I have decided to start making my own treats as well. As for the regular food, I switched to Natures Variety after much research and my dog and cat loved it from the start. It is a little more expensive but much healthier so could save in vet bills in the long run. If you email Natures Variety and say you would like some samples, they send you a coupon for a FREE 5lb bag. (valued at around $9 depending on where you buy it) Anyway, here is the recipe for liver jerky Cook some calves liver in water, till done (don't overcook, look for timing on poached liver either in a cookbook or online) Add some chopped garlic to the water for extra flavor Remove liver and cut into bite size chunks appropriate for your dog's size. Place on cookie sheet and into a 200 degree over for 2 or 3 hours, till dried. Store in a container in the fridge. The whole point is to turn it into "jerky" and some new ovens, like mine, have a food dehydrating setting, but the low heat/long time setting in a regular oven should work fine. If you try it, I would love to hear how it works out. I have finals this week, but will have more time next week and plan on making a huge batch to give as xmas presents to dogs of friends and family and to the rescue group where I got Oobi. Now, Ms minnamouse, I wonder if I add lemon juice to the liver at some point if it would help it to keep longer, so it won't have to go in the refridgerator...any suggestions on when to add it? Although, jerky is supposed to keep forever, AND these treats are so delicious that they won't last long!

Hi Mellie... I get asked that question soooo often from other GW people..I got it at Bed Bath and Beyond..but I haven't seen it there lately. Your best bet is to look online for something similar...Good Luck! KA:)

@KBSpider - Our island isn't that much different from a peninsula with seating. It is a row of regular cabinets with a knee wall behind it and then 12" deep cabinets on the back (well, one is actually 15" deep). The knee wall made things easier for supporting the granite overhang with "hidden" brackets. There is not a big isle between the counter seating and our nook table, but we never intended to have both seating areas used at once. This shows how the aisle between the island and the kitchen table. Wide enough that someone can get by when a person is seated at either the table or the island. Here's a drawing of the island. This post was edited by gpraceman on Fri, Aug 23, 13 at 17:45