Invisible Fences Cruel? Also, New Kitten Questions (long)

Hi everyone, I have a 13 week old kitten (Snuggles - named by my 3 year old) and my husband and I are in 'disagreement' about whether to eventually let the cat go outside. My husband grew up with cats that were allowed outside to use the bathroom. I have read all the books that say that a cat is healthier and safer if kept indoors, so I was leaning that way. However, if we could confine the cat to our backyard then I wouldn't have a problem with letting the cat outside occasionally. We have about 1/3 of an acre in our backyard all fenced in with a 6 foot wood privacy fence. However, we have small trees such as dogwoods that a cat could easily climb and jump the fence. So, I was wondering if an invisible fence would be a good in conjunction with the regular fence or if this would be cruel. I've seen fences that allow you to adjust the shock to a very low level and have heard that with a barrier like our traditional fence, a cat would learn to stay away from the fence very quickly. I have seen these fences advertised for cats and would make sure that the cat had an appropriate cat type collar. Anyway, I'd appreciate any experiences or advise that anyone has to offer.

Also, a quick question about litter training. Our kitten sleeps in the bathroom at night (litter box is in there) and when I leave the house. During the day, after I feed him I also put him in the bathroom for about 20 minutes so he can be near his litterbox. In the week that I have had him, he has had a couple of accidents in my daughter's room (which is very close to the bathroom). Is this normal for a new kitten adjusting? Is there anything I can do to try to avoid further accidents? I keep his litter box very clean and feed him away from his litter box. I also clean the accidents up with Nature's Miracle.

Our family (3 kids and 3 sheltie dogs included) are really enjoying our new kitten! I am amazingly suprised at how well he is getting along with my dogs. One of the dogs has really taken a liking to him and it is hysterical to watch them play. The dog lays down and acts like a kitten and they play like kitties. The dog (Augie) is extremely gentle with Snuggles and lets Snuggles chase his tail, bat his ears, etc. (I do supervise the play at all times.) Of course, this is my 'almost human' dog , Augie, who I could tell you tons of stories about.... but I better save that for rec.pets.dogs! Thanks for any info,

Also, a quick question about litter training. Our kitten sleeps in

Re: the litterbox and accidents: Yes it is perfectly normal for a small kitten to have an occasional accident! They are really like little children at that age, in that they can't always 'hold it' or they don't make it all the way back to the box when the realize they need to use it. The kitty should grow out of this as it grows!

My vote is always to keep a cat inside, where it is much safer. If you have a fenced area, however, you could consider a product such as Cat-Fence-In. Look in the back of any cat-oriented magazine for their ad, or call them at (702) 359-4575. I still wouldn't let the kitten outside until spring, though.

Thirteen weeks is plenty old enough for good litter habits. Is he being played with in your daughter's room, so he 'puts off' going to the litterbox until he can't hold it anymore? Has the vet checked his for parasites? (That can cause diarrhea and urgency.) Is he stressed by your three-year-old (couldn't tell from the posting whether this is the daughter whose room the kitten has accidents or not)?

Kittens need to adjust, it's natural. I once heard a very good suggestion for improving the situ, though, which works especially well if the kitten usually has his accident in the same place. Since cats won't eat and relieve themselves in the same place (if they're normal, well-adjusted), you might try putting a small dish of food on the spot in your daughter's room where kitty made his mess. This trick has worked wonders with people who've tried it.