Cats: indoors or out?

Seoid

Just curious what most people think because this has been a big topic in my area recently:

Should pet cats be allowed outside in general? (during the daytime)

It seems that people have very strong feelings one way or the other and of course everyone is convinced that they're right! I'd love to find out what most people think and why....

orchidsrpretty

I have two cats- Male and female. I put them both outside when I am out as they have a habit of peeing and pooping in the most secert locations(even if I leave a litter tray out!) It use to take me ages to find the source of the stink:o. When I am home the male stays in most of the time but the female still wants to get out for her wanders. I would never leave them out at night-time though. I think that would be a little too dangerous as I live in an estate with a fair bit of traffic passing through. If I lived in the country I don't think I'd mind if they stayed in or out at night.

I think it all depends on the cat, I know a girl who lives in an apartment, her cat has never been outside and is a really happy cat, whereas mine would hate not being able to get out.

Sharpshooter

lndoor's most definitly , safer for your cat and the wildlife in the area.
We have 5 cats , 2 indoor and 3 outdoor ( they are outdoor because they are wild and 5 years down the line still not near tamed) all however are spayed courtsey of Cats Aid and our local Vet.
They were able to catch the cats for Spaying and then released them back into our garden.
And so we have fed them ever since, we are lucky as they don't bother the birds at all and will lie there while the birds peck for worms in the garden , even the Magpies steal their food and the Cats let them, ( had to start feeding the Cats in the shed).
But having said that the other 2 are indoor and it does not bother them at all.
lt really is safer for them and less worrying for us , as we don't have to worry about road accidents and poisoning.
Hope this helps.:)

Mr. Presentable

Keep them indoors. When I see a cat fowling my garden I throw the nearest heavy object at it as hard as I can. One day I'll hit a cat and have to deal with the guilt. Though it'll have passed by the time the next feline starts digging out my carrots.

GeturGun

I have a 10 yr old cat that lives with my parents who sleeps in the house most of the day and mostly out at night in the summer and varies in winter. When we got him 10 years ago there wasn't all this talk about indoor cats so he has been an indoor/outdoor cat all his life and thankfully (and touch wood for the future) no harm has ever come to him.
However, I recently acquired two kittens of my own (thanks to a boardsie!!) and they are indoor and will remain indoor. Sometimes I feel really guilty when it's sunny outside and they are sniffing the air coming in through the open crack in the window and stalking birds down in the carpark. But when consider all the dangers that are out there, I feel happy and proud that they are curled up in their safe cosy home!!!!
I was at a party the other night and one of the girls, who I don't know, heard me talking about the kittens being indoors and well, she went on and on at me about cats needing to be outside. I told her about rescue people not giving kittens to outdoor homes and she wasn't having any of it..........no, I am completely wrong and cruel apparently. Luckily someone else interjected and I used that excuse to leave the conversation.
TBH I don't really care what people like her think. I am doing the best I can for them. I think they are safer and better indoors, they will never know any different. In future I think I might just lie to people and say "ah yeah, they go out sometimes".
I answered the poll just before I started typing this and there was 1 vote for each option!!! I don't think people will ever agree on this topic. Although I guess I'm kind of on the fence cos,while I think my cats are safer indooors, I know that my parents' cat is happy as larry having his outdoors time as well.

I live somewhere where my cats are relatively safe and won't bother anyone.
They would probably live longer if I wrapped them in cotton wool and kept them inside.
Personally they have the lifestyle I would want if I was cat. They have their independance and a chance to be an animal in nature.

Seoid

Moonbaby wrote: »

They would probably live longer if I wrapped them in cotton wool and kept them inside.
Personally they have the lifestyle I would want if I was cat. They have their independance and a chance to be an animal in nature.

This is the view that I grew up with and always took for granted as being 'normal'.... so of course although I know it's much more dangerous out than in, I think that cats should have their freedom.
I'm really hoping that as many people as possible vote in the poll because I'd love to know where the majority stands!

GA361

My cat is chlostrophobic.He goes mad whenever you bring him inside.. . . So he is most definitaley an outdoor cat.

The Sweeper

Only ever outdoors if you have the capacity to contain them on your property, the way you would be expected to contain your dog. E.g. a cat-proof fence, a cat run, a large penned area with access to the house.

If you don't contain your cats, they will crap in your neighbour's garden, get into fights with other cats (doubly annoying for your neighbours if that happens in the small hours of the morning when they're trying to sleep), and be at risk of posioning, shooting and car accidents.

It takes around one to two weeks for an outdoor cat to adjust to being an indoor cat.

The other side of it is that if your outdoor cat "hates being cooped up" so much, what are you going to do if and when it gets hurt? What if it's hit by a car or is thrown/falls from a height and breaks its bottom jaw and has to have it wired for six weeks? What if it gets a foot caught and wrenches away, trying to escape, and tears its cruciate ligament? (Necessitating six weeks of confinement with no jumping or climbing, not even on and off the couch.) What if it gets into a fight with another cat and has to have drains put into its wounds and wear an elizabethan collar to stop it pulling out the drains or tearing out stitches?

How well is it going to cope with confinement then?

The feral cat problem is worse than the stray dog problem. If you own a cat, and you are not a breeder of cats, your cat should be neutered. It should also be microchipped and vaccinated.

There is a myth that cats are an "easier" pet than dogs. Yeah, sure they are - anything's an easy pet if you ignore it apart from to put food and water out for it.

carwash_2006

You haven't included Indoor/Safe outdoor access in your poll. In my view this is most preferable, it keeps the cats safe and stops them from annoying your neighbours, while allowing them a bit of space to let off some steam and smell the interesting outdoor stuff.

I would also feel that there are still some areas of the country that it is reasonably safe to allow your cats some level of unsupervised access to the outside world.

What annoys me most is when I see small kittens wandering around outside. Earlier this year I was nearly at my parents house when I spotted a kitten diving into the hedge, I contemplated stopping and going after it, but decided it wasn't a very safe place to stop my van, plus any other time I've done this the kittens have just disappeared into the hedge. So I drove on. Later that evening when leaving my parents I was to seriously regret that decision, when I saw a little black squishy in the middle of the road. From now on I will always stop and try to catch any I see, even though I know they will probably disappear. At least if I have tried I will not feel so bad.

But the point here is that kittens should definitely not be out unsupervised until after they are neutered or spayed. I currently have 7 cats in an Indoor/Safe outdoor access (cat run) situation and they are all very happy and stimulated, they are actually all having a ball chasing each other around the house out the flap to the run and back in again at top speed.

MsFifers

I voted for indoors, but I agree that the best option is indoors with access to a secured garden/cat run.

I'm going to try to set up a cat run in my new place. (once I have managed to convince my old cats that the new cats aren't their mortal enemies.)

golfgirl

I think cats should be able to go in and out as they please with access to a cat flap. I owned a cat in my parents house for 16 years, it was in the countryside and he had a lot of territory. No problems. Now I own a cat nearer town, has a little back garden and I still feel it's more natural for him to come in and out. I got him from the DSPCA and he settled in very quickly, I have him a year now and he even goes to the end of the terrace and meows to come in the front. It's a quiet enough estate so he'll be fine. At the end of the day a cats instinct is to hunt and roam about and I'd prefer him to have a fun time. He sleeps most of the day indoors and goes out for a few minutes at a time at night. In saying that, each to their own and I suppose if the cat has always been kept indoors, he/she won't know any different.

stovelid

Poll should have an option for both. Our cats live outside and inside. They have a house outside but can sleep inside during the winter if they want.

Cats like either or both, so I voted for the third option.

kerrysgold

I don't have a cat, but if I did, I'd let it out to roam around for a while under supervision and would have a large safe pen for it to go into. I wouldn't just put it out though as it's too dangerous IMO. (dogs, cars etc)

sinorita

My kitten is around four months old and has just been vaccined as i only have her a month. Up until now i have had her indoors totally. Now that she is vaccined i have let her out in evenings supervised for an hour at a time. i was thinking of getting a cat flap, but i live in an estate, which is quiet enough at times, but still wouldn't run the risk of her getting knocked down etc.

carwash_2006

I would really recommend that you don't let your kitten out at all until she is spayed. You wouldn't want any accidents happening.

sinorita

I head out with her while she is out, so there won't be any of that goin on!!! I'm well aware of what could happen.

sorella

When we lived in a town or village, cats were kept indoors. Cats and cars do not mix.

Now, out in the wilds, the two now, siblings and rescue cats, are free. Both neutered. They come in and out as they please; most days they spend on my bed; they are very affectionate and devoted like all rescues.

Outdoors they are free; they come in wth twigs in their fur often.. They are supremely healthy and utterly happy.

And they keep mice and rats etc at bay.

It is a risk; we lost an older cat to a badger last year. But these two are "street wise" and would tear the face off anything. When we first came here, there were skirmishes sometimes .

They are the most beloved cats ever...To keep these two in would be cruelty indeed. The male is huge. Black and white and long haired they are.

animalcrazy

My two are outdoors because they hate the indoors, they don't bother anyone as we live in the middle of nowhere and are spayed so aren't creating any little problems. I definatly recommend people keeping their cats indoors with safe outdoor access if they can and the cat is happy, I think it's important they get some kind of outdoor access, it's not natural for them to be kept cooped up all the time.

nearly

I'd love to hear some ideas about building an outdoor area with minimal DIY skills... and supplies. I understand all the arguments for keeping a cat indoors... but I also would want the cat to be able to go outside a bit.

Anyone have any pics of theirs or recommendations that work in our climate?

I've seen ones with concrete painted floors... would grass not be better?

I thought of starting a DIY cat stuff thread, and posted a picture of a cardboard box house for cats my friend made:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055390987