indoor cats

[OrkyBetta]

Personally, I think it is downright unnatural for cats to live strictly indoors. I know I'm going to get a lot of comments on this subject, but it needs to be done.

I have 3 lovely kitties, and they are indoor/outdoor cats. They are like the dog, able to come in and out as they please. They rarely leave our property, and if they do leave it is only a few feet out of our property line. They are not allowed out at night, and nothing wild hangs around in the daytime. All of our cats are up to date on all shots, and even though two of them are declawed *shudder* (NOT my choice) they all do well outside and catch things frequently.

I've seen cats that are purely indoor cats, and they are always completely bored, and spend all of their time sitting and meowing at the windows or doors. And on the rare chances they manage to escape outside, they have no idea how to react, and get lost, disoriented, and don't know what to do, since they have never been out before. We lost one of our cats this way. She was 'indoor only' and managed to squeeze out the door when no one was paying attention. Never came back.

So as people will say it is dangerous, I think there are benefits to having indoor/outdoor cats, if you are careful. I think that if you don't let your cats out at night, keep them current on shots, and make sure to keep a water dish out in the sumer, there are no issues with outdoor cats. We live on a quiet street, at the bottom of a hill in a cul du sac, and the only ars that ever come down are the ones that live down here, which is 5 families. They all know our cats, and look for them in case one of our cats wandered into the roads (which they rarely do)

 

[Angry_Platy]

Ha ha. I can see this turning into 12 pages of arguing pretty soon

My cat is like yours in that she is an indoor-outdoor cat. We initially wanted her as an indoor cat for killing wildlife reasons, but she sprayed on everything. We tried everything the vet suggested and it wasn't until we gave her access to outside that she stopped it (yes, she is desexed). Generally when she is outside and I go looking for her she is never far off and I can usually see her. My neighbour tell me she spend a considerable amount of time lying in the sun on their porch and ocassionally tries to sneak inside their house Luckily they like cats

Due to the door arrangement in this house she can't have a kitty/doggy door so her outside time is controleld by us and she is NEVER outside past sunset. She is s delightful indoor cat as well, happy to lie in the sun and refuse to go out at times. But there ARE those times where she will do anything to get outside (and vice versa to get back inside). We live in a fairly built up suburban area and in terms of what she "may" be killing it would be nothing more than annoying pest birds (not rare, no danger of becoming rare).

People may flame this thread for whatever reason, but in the end, just because they don't like it, for whatever reason, shouldn't stop others doing it.

 

[abstract]

must be nice to live nowhere near civilization and to never have had a cat get hit by a car...maybe your opinion would differ then...or don't city people deserve cats?

 

[OrkyBetta]

It's not that city people don't deserve cats. Of course if you live in the city and there is no safe way for a cat to go outside, the cat should be kept in. This thread was referring to those people who live in the country or the outskirts of one, who constantly oppose to cats going outside. It was for a healthy little debate, sorry to offend anyone.

And I feel your pain about cats getting hit by cars, it happened to a cat I was very close to, even though it wasn't mine.

 

[Grey Legion]

We have 3 cats ( all indoor ), we live in a very quiet area but really don't see the need to let the cats out, actually they don't even want to go out and have no interest in it. All our cats were strays when we got them so they have been outside, I guess they choose to be in where it is safe and warm. I could care less if people want there cats in or out or both...it is the owners choice and of course the cats...if the cat gets hit it gets hit...we all know the risks no one can be that dumb to think if they live on a busy street the cat will never want to cross it !?!

I see no reason to flame this thread at all and I think it is a good topic for discussion..

So I guess my answer would be "indoors" but we gave our cats the choice and they made it, they want to stay in...so we are happy with that and they are to !!

 

[OrkyBetta]

Awesome views, Grey. I don't really see why people would flame this either, but I think it is something debateable, and I just like to debate. There, I said it.

I just think that anything with two sides and no clear cut answer is cool to talk about.

Again, if you live on a busy street, it is obvious you shouldn't let your cat out. But I know my neighbors wouldn't in a million years let their cat step paw out of their home, and the have lost a few cats (literally, lost) because they took a bolt when they saw their door of opportunity open. I have lost one cat for the same reason. I also lost my indoor/outdoor cat because she was chased by a dog, which leaves another debate issue. But I am happy to say we got tht kitty back.

 

[mm_simb]

Two of my cats are indoor cats and they will stay like that forever. Sky was an outdoor cat before she came to me and she never wants to go outside here. She never goes to the windows or doors to meow at them. She never seems bored. She has toys and another cat to play with. Yea she sleeps but cats sleep more than 10 hours a day. My other cat Simba has been an indoor cat since they found him with a litter of kittens. He was anemic and had an infection. He was 2 weeks old when I got him and has never been intentionally left outside. He is happy enough to roam around our 2 floor house. He looks out the window but he never meows to it or scratches on the doors that lead outside unless he sees a bird. He has ran outside a few times but he never just jolts...I usually catch up to him because he's too busy looking around.
I do have an outdoor cat which is Samson. I haven't seen him for over 3 days. I'm not sure if he's coming really late at night or if he's gone forever. And I really do miss him. I never wanted to have an outdoor cat but he had to be an exception. He was born at one of my aunt's house and she would sometimes feed him and his brother and sisters. There were 4 at first. One left for a while, came back, and then left again and never came back. I took 2 when they were really young and took them to a shelter where they got adopted right away because they were so cute. The other one (samson) was really scared and mean when he was little so I could never get a hold of him. Eventually he warmed up a little to people. My uncles wouldn't feed him even when I gave them a big bag of food so I eventually got the guts to go over there and catch him with a cage. I brought him to my yard and let him loose. He came back after 2 days and had been here for over a month. Now I haven't seen him in a few days. I'm hoping he'll come back or that he found a home. I was planning on having him neutered and get the shots for him but now I cant find him.
My neighborhood is pretty calm also. No dogs loose and hardly any cats. We hardly have any cars pass by. I know it's a nice neighborhood but things can happen wherever you live.
So any other time I get a hold of an outdoor cat I rather take it to the shelter than have another outdoor cat.

 

[Kiarra]

All 5 of my cats are technically indoor cats.

Kit, who we've had for about 9 years, is free to go outside during the daylight hours SO LONG AS SHE DOES NOT LEAVE THE YARD. When she did, and I had to fish her out from beneath the neighbor's truck in the middle of the night, I grounded her butt and didn't let her out for a year, because we both got torn up that night. Now, she goes out only during the day, and she mostly stays near the back porch. I don't feel comfortable letting her go any farther, because I live in the suburbs, on a fairly busy street, and there is one EXTREMELY aggressive cat that visits our yard constantly to hunt mice (as we have horses), and he attacks her. She has no front claws, and can't properly defend herself. Also, she has a problem with her mouth, and any attack to her mouth could easily cause her so much pain that we would have to take her to vet for pain killers.

Charlie, who was born feral, but was taken in by us, is a trembly, nervous little guy, who genuinely prefers to be indoors. He'll go out with the dog sometimes, but he always comes back in with the dog, as well. A neighbor in the next yard was making noise one day, and he noticed them and completely freaked out. He ended up getting completely stuck in our window well, and we had to open up the window and fish him out from there. He completely panics when he's scared, and so he cannot be allowed outside if we can help it. Even indoors, he sees my brother (who was not living with us when Charlie came to live with us, and so is not viewed as family) and runs for cover. If he panicked outside again, I can only imagine he would not survive.

Tommy, who was also born feral, is allowed outside every day, in limited extents, because he wanders. He has no fear of strangers, and he does not understand cars. For his own safety, he is kept inside much more than he would like to be. He goes out with me every day in the evening to feed the horses, and he follows me across the yards, through the fence lines, and back home completely of his own volition. He also follows me back indoors with encouragement. I try to never leave him unattended outside, as adjoining areas have had a lot of problems with cats going missing, and being found in cemetaries dismembered or disembowled, especially during the fall, but throughout the year. Also, Tommy is larger than the cat that constantly wanders into our yard, and he is aggressive, and we don't want to have any problems from the owner of that stupid cat just because Tommy attacked and injured it on our property.

Cali and Molly, both born feral, are content to sit and watch, but genuinely do not wish to be outdoors. They do not like the breeze, and they do not like the neighbors. In fact, if you try to take Cali outside, you're liable to be ripped to ribbons by her claws. All the better, because then we don't have them trying to run outside, and having to learn about cars the hard way. They're both extremely happy, and only spend time at the window if one of their family members (like another kitty, the dog, or the humans) are out there. They run and jump and play inside, and are encouraged to do so.

 

[FishEnthusiast]

I got 2 of my cats last year when I was living on the third floor of an apartment. It was not possible for my cats to go outside, except on the balcony. When we first moved to our house, neither of my cats would go outside. With the onset of the spring and summer, the cats have discovered that we have a very large, overgrown backyard, so they go out quite often now. The 2 we originally had rarely if ever leave the yard.

Our old neighbour had 2 cats that she never took care of. In fact she had 3 at one time, but we are pretty sure one starved to death before we could save him. We started feeding these cats right after we moved in, so when she moved out and left the cats, we naturally took them in. They are both completely outdoor cats. Chase has left us, to places unknown, but we still have Libby. She stays inside a lot, but she likes to go out and roam as well.

I have always lived in the city, and my cats have always been outdoor cats. I lost one cat as a child to a car, and had another that was hit, but survived. A cat that is indoor/outdoor is more likely to be car smart IMO. A cat that is kept strictly indoors and not allowed outside is more likely to bolt and be hit.

I let my cats choose. My mom found a stray cat that was pregnant back in 1992. We kept one of her kittens. We would still have the stray(Hay-U), but she was attacked and killed by a dog running off his leash 2 years ago. We do still have her daughter, Bear, who will be 13 July 2. She has always been an outdoor cat.

What it boils down to is personal choice I think. I could never confine a cat inside that wanted to be outside. That is cruel and asking for trouble IMO. I think it is asking for trouble because an indoor cat that gets outside may panic and get hurt.

IME, male cats will roam much more than female cats, even if they are neutered. My female cats have always stayed in the yard, yet I often find my male at the neighbours and in the case of Chase, gone. I also had another male growing up named Pepper. He was the cat that was hit by a car and survived. We had him for over 10 years when he "adopted" himself out to another family. He always wandered and loved to hunt in the bush.

 

[Seahorse]

I would not let a declawed cat outside like that. No way of protecting itself.

My older cat (who is also declawed, sadly ) gets walked every evening outside on a leash.

I train all my cats to use leashes... so they all get outside and all are safe Also we have a very large problem with feline luekemia in this area, and I would not risk that. And to top it off, all my cats are very socialable and love people, so... they'd probably waltz into a strangers house, no problem.

And no, it isn't unnatural to have indoor cats. They are very domesticated now, so it is our full responsibility to take care of what we broke.

 

[OrkyBetta]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Yes it is true that declawed cats are vulnerable. Which is presciselywhy we are so careful with them. 2 of our 3 cats are declawed ( ) and one of them, Felicity, is the laziest darn thing you will ever meet and simply likes to lay out on the porch all day. She only moves about on rare occasions. Our other one, her brother, Marmelade, is extremely active, but the only places he'll go is our yard or sometimes the neighbor's yard, because they feed him. They are only allowed out in the daylight, and they know this. Our siberian husky, cody, was raised with them, and looks after them so to speak, and she usually keeps them in our yard.

Our oldest cat, Dusty, is about 15, taken in as a stray adult, so we'll never know for sure. She just goes outside when she has to go to the bathroom, as she has never cared for the litter box.

All of our cats came to us as outdoor only cats. Our kittens were 'accidents' and the family that owned the mother didn't want them in the house. They came to us tame, but hating the indoors, and would do ANYTHING to get back outside. And Dusty was a stray, so of course she was outside most of her life as well.

We tried the leash thing when we first got our babies. They HATED them and would pull out of them, or try to and hurt themselves. Or manage to pull the leash out of our hands and run for it, to later get the leash caught up in a bush or something.

Since my cats hardly ever leave the yard, I don't worry about the diseases, because it would be no different than where I would have chosen to walk them, and EVERY cat, dog, (and sometimes kids) in my neighborhood are intimidated by my dog. Not like she's viscious to people, but still.

 

[Bloo]

Dum di Dum - it's a tricky one indeed
If I lived in the middle of nowhere, I'd allow my cat(s) access during the day (only) and keep it in a night (predators). I do think it's healthy for cats to run and climb and use their muscles and get some proper fresh air.

Howeeeeever - living in the city and having lost numerous cats to cars, it's an absolute no-no and not even an option for a milli second. That and the fact that my current cat has no common sense and is a complete woos and pansy - and will get picked on in fights and bullied. Once he got out and had half his ear ripped off by another cat which developed into a nasty nasty abscess

Many pedigree cats in cities also get stolen (stupid and sad as it is ) and I know many breeders won't sell a kitten unless you promise to keep it indoors (not that it's any of their business or that they have control over anyone, but that's just how it is).

 

[OohFeeshy]

We have 3 cats and all are outside. Yes, we live in the city. I think its rather unfair to keep a cat inside all its life. We are domesticated, but we are allowed out. My nan also has 3 cats and hers are kept inside, mainly due to her having (until a while ago) a deaf cat who obviously it wouldn't be a good idea to let outside because, in theory, it wouldn't come in for food. And obviously it would be a bit hard to keep one inside and let the others out. Anyway, I can't be bothered for a full structured post yet, I will though when I get some creative inspiration.

 

[OrkyBetta]

Again, thanks for input. There was a person once arrested in a town close to mine for being a 'buncher' and he stole cats and sold them to science labs. We also don't allow our cats out when we are away. I REALLY want to live in the country, but until I am old enough to move, the outskirts of the country are close enough. I feel I am lucky to have neighbors who have pets and respect mine.

 

[b.c.f.c]

i dnt think it rearly matters if a cat is an indoor/outdoor cat or an indoor cat as long as the cat is comfortable and happy with its situation and surroundings.my 2 cats a indoor/outdoor cats but minton loves going outside in the day and night but most the day he sleeps on top of my shed at the bottem of the garden.my other cat sooty who was rescued from a green house about 18 months ago dont rearly like the out doors and loves human company.

my overall opinion is, that its the cats choice to a certain extent if they want to go out let them out if they dont keep them inside.but i do say to a certain extent if u live on a main road in the city then for obvious reasons keep them inside but make sure they are happy.