Should cats be kept indoor at night?

[weiwei_uk]

I watched a tv proggrame a couple of days ago that said cats kill wild animals mostly at night so they should be kept indoor at night. But what do you think? :confused:

[aly]

I think a bigger reason they should be kept indoor at night is for their own safety. I believe they should be indoor 100% of the time, but if they do go out, I'd recommend putting them inside at night.

[kimlovescats]

I agree with Aly!;)

[Soledad]

I think that there are some places where cats can live a relatively safe indoor/outdoor existence, but I think it's totally irresponsible to leave your cat out at night, regardless of where you are.

[PayItForward]

My cats stay in by choice at night (sleep in our room), but leave to go outside about 4am. Too early, but nice & light.

But I would lock them in, if they started going out at night.

[marysmerrycats]

I agree with indoor only. even in "safe" areas, there are still dangers, cars, cruel people, other animals etc. and in some areas like here, they can be prey to coyotes, etc. I have brought my cats outside a few times, but only with me, never alone.

[PaysForIt]

To address weiwei_uk's question, rats mice etc only come out at night so they tend to catch more that way. As far as I know cats don't hunt more any particular time of day.

As for safety, they're far safer at night when the roads are quiet and there's fewer people and predators around.

I'll add a rider to that, we live in a relatively quiet urban area with no real cat predators and little traffic at night. In other parts of UK, let alone the world it may well be a different situation.

[weiwei_uk]

Thanks for the replies. Personally I agree that cats are safer indoor, but my friend thinks it's not fair for the cats. He thinks the cats should be let out when they want to go out. Any comment on that one? :cool:

[Edwina's Secretary]

We have raccoons in our yard at night. They will kill a cat (or small dog!) Raccoons are very cute but can be VERY mean!

[PayItForward]

It depends on your friends cats and the current situation. (State of roads, garden access etc)

We have four cats all adopted from no kill shelters but all found as strays. i.e. They are used to be outside.

As we live in a quiet area, with relative low traffic levels, we choose to give our cats the choice of when they are in or out (appart from late at night).

You'll find the standard for USA kitties is inside always, the possible dangers sound scary (raccoons in the garden !!)

I personally would rather our cats have a full cat life and though I worry about the risks, they seems relatively low. But if I moved to a dangerous area, I would keep them inside to keep them safe.

Unless your friends cats are in danger, I would let things be.

[moosmom]

I believe it's the other way around. And yes, cats SHOULD be kept in at night, although I believe they should be kept indoors all the time. There are too many elements out there that can be deadly to cats, i.e., coyotes, rabid raccoons, dogs, etc.

[Fox-Gal]

My cats go out at night, we don't have a kitty litter box so they are trained to go out for nature calls and I'm not getting woken up in the middle of the night for them to go out. I do put a small cow bell on their collars though, it gives any animal they try to hunt a warning. So far it works great, not many kills out of them.

As for their safty at night, I have 7 dogs also, so most wild animals that could hurt my cats don't seem to want to come into my yard. :D


Florida is trying to pass a law though, that any cats that run free, if found will be destroyed. They are saying that cats kill wild life in Florida and are hurting the growth of certain animals. So If that passes, I'm not sure what I'll do. 7 cats in the house will be insane. I'll spend all day just cleaning kitty litter boxes!!!! :mad:


I just read my post, 7 cats 7 dogs, 7 must be my #. lol

[moosmom]

7 cats in the house will be insane. I'll spend all day just cleaning kitty litter boxes!!!!

I have 7 cats in my 3 bedroom apartment and it can get crazy at times, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

As far as scooping litterboxes, if it bothers you THAT much, you should've thought about that before you got your cats!

[IttyBittyKitty]

Originally posted by PaysForIt
To address weiwei_uk's question, rats mice etc only come out at night so they tend to catch more that way. As far as I know cats don't hunt more any particular time of day.

As for safety, they're far safer at night when the roads are quiet and there's fewer people and predators around.

I'll add a rider to that, we live in a relatively quiet urban area with no real cat predators and little traffic at night. In other parts of UK, let alone the world it may well be a different situation.

In Australia, many of our native animals are nocturnal therefore there is a strong onus on cat owners to keep their pets indoors at night. My Pixel is an indoors-only cat. I believe I would only let a cat outside if I rescued the cat when he was an adult who was accustomed to being outside and got too restless being indoors. I certainly wouldn't let him outside at night. Pixel is very content to stay indoors, so she won't be going outside. I believe it is much safter for her - there are many children around the neighbourhood, and some children and young adults can be quite cruel to cats.

[weiwei_uk]

fox-gal;) I think it's a really good idea to put a bell on your cat to warn the wild animals when your cat is near

[PayItForward]

Maybe people in the Uk should try cow bells too..

As normal catbells do not stop cats hunting.

Placing three bells on a cats collar (One under chin,one on each side) works better at scaring prey but they will still catch some.

The best thing a normal catbell does, is tell other cats where your cat is. (i.e. Your cat is more likely to get into fights.)

But I don't know anything about cowbells...

[PaysForIt]

Presumbly if it's a proper cowbell, then the cat can't hunt very well. Mostly due to being unable to walk thanks to a piece of metal the size of it's head hanging from it's neck. :p

There are ultrasonic bells that I understand work better as a cat with a bell on it's collar will either loose the collar or learn how to move without rattling it.

[L. Wayne]

When living in central Calif. I lost too many furkids to coyote raids- as I lived in a rural area. If cats are taught to keep inside at night at an early age, chances are they will continue this habit. I have a few that will not attempt to go outside, even if I open a door for a few seconds, and then again I have to put some of them in the house behind 2 sets of doors so they will not dart outside everytime I open a door. There are 14 cats that live with me, and I allow none of them outside at night, because of the coyotes that can be heard at times in the river bottoms. About half of them sleep with me on the bed, and seldom do I have to reach for an extra blanket when the temperatures drop.:D. I also try to keep all of my furkids inside during the day. I only let a few of them outside, especially when I go outside also -usually in the mornings. They usually stay outside for an hour or two and then want back inside.

[Fox-Gal]

Originally posted by moosmom
As far as scooping litterboxes, if it bothers you THAT much, you should've thought about that before you got your cats!


Just for the record......I have 7 cats because I take in abused animal. I spend my days mending wounds, burns, broken bones and just getting them friendly again. So getting 7 cats to use a kitty litter box or two, is just one more problem I don't want if I don't have too.

So as far as I should have though about that before I GOT 7 cat, I do think about it. But when the woman from animal rescue calls...I come. If not for me and others like me these animals would be put to sleep, because of what some other idiot did to them. If she calls again I will take in another cat, dog, or what ever they need for me to take.

At this time I have 30 plus abused pets and 2 dogs that where mine before I got into this. My day is filed with other more important things to do, meds, bandages, physical therapy and of course emotional therapy. Now would you want to do Kitty litter box too. :eek:

If I came across rude, I'm sorry, but you did offend me some by your comment, Then again you had no way of knowing what I do and how, what to you seems like a simple thing as a kitty litter box, is a not that simple around here. I'm just thankful that I can get them to come in the house and trust me. :D

[Fox-Gal]

As for the cow bells I talked about.....I didn't mean a real cow bells. :eek:

You find them on some bird toys, shaped like a cow bell, small enough for the cat, but large enough to make a sound worth while. The bells that come on cat collar are just not enough to warn animals of the cat comings.

It Really takes the fun out of it for the cat though, they get in pounce mode ready to jump and then the bell sounds. Poor cats they look like their saying "What the Heck happen" :D

[Cataholic]

Fox-gal, what you do is wonderful. I have six cats, and cleaning boxes is not tops on my list. But, it isn't the worst thing, either. My kitties are 98% indoor only, but, do go into a fenced back yard, and on the front lawn, with supervision. I wouldn't feel safe with my kitties outside without my big ole eyes on them.

As to the cow bells, that made me laugh. I, too, thought of the huge cow bells, and didn't see how kitty could even move with one around her/his neck!!!

[carole]

Yes some people are a little to quick to judge others.
Payitforward and I are in total agreement, we both come from countries where its considered rather cruel to have a completely indoor cat only, but unlike some others, i donot take that approach, i think whatever suits you and your cat, it all depends where you live etc.
I do however think keeping them in at night is a good idea, and i do that with mine.
But i would never say either are right or wrong, it appears some people think you are a bad kitty owner if you let your cat outside and this offends me.
Every ones circumstances are different and need to be taken into account.

[Lando]

like others are saying, I think it depends on the area. I live in a safe area. I only have to worry about fog and storms once in a while, and thats when I keep them in. Other then that, they are free to come in when they want or go out when they want. They really like being outside, so I let them go out when they want. Now if it were in other areas, I would have to rethink it. The country I would not let my cats out because there are too many wild animals there. But here there are none, and Misty the dog scares off and protects my cats from any other dangers.

[catmandu]

My Cats stay indoors , only thre princess goes out because I know that she is so timid that she would be extra careful and ashe always comes back in an hour. The siamese are way too curoius and would be running around te neighbor hood. moose gets lost easily , he was lost about 60 yards from his home. I had to walk over to him and point him in the right direction.Oi Ve!

[PayItForward]

he was lost about 60 yards from his home. I had to walk over to him and point him in the right direction.Oi Ve!

ROTFLMAO :D

[KRISTEN14]

my cat is 100% outdoor, because my dad is alergic.:rolleyes:

[PayItForward]

I hope at the very least, your cat has a shelter from the elements ???

[tikeyas_mom]

Fuzzy sleeps indoors at night but is out free most of the day.

[weiwei_uk]

Fox-Gal what you do is fantastic! :D

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by moosmom
I have 7 cats in my 3 bedroom apartment and it can get crazy at times, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

As far as scooping litterboxes, if it bothers you THAT much, you should've thought about that before you got your cats!

I don't think one should judge someone by whether they have litter boxes or send their kitties outside to do their thing. Personally, if I had 7 cats, I would never go with litter boxes. That would be crazy (for me and my lifestyle). For 1 or 2 cats, I wouldn't mind, but for 7, I don't think I have that much time to waste, that could be spent on something more beneficial. (No offense to anyone, but I'm concluding this with my lifestyle, not with any other's) Everyone has a different lifestyle and its everyone's choice if they want to have full indoor cats or indoor/outdoor cats. That doesn't make them bad kitty moms. :rolleyes:

Fox-Gal, you are doing a great service to animals. Good job. :)

[IttyBittyKitty]

Gosh, if I were as busy as you caring for all the precious little ones, I would want to spare as much time as possible clearing litter trays and as much time with the furkids. Keep up the good work :)

[CoolBabe22]

:confused: Why indoors?They have lived outdoors millons of years before us and lived ewhen there were animals around every corner that were danger to them!All my cats live outdoors 100% of the time! I have 5 little kittens and not a one of them are even touched!There are foxes,and dogs everywhere but they are o.k. Cats shouldn't be inside because its not their natural habitat.It can also make your house nasty,all that fur everywhere!:eek: Yuk!Kittens learn from their mistakes everyday. They learn to climb,play,fight,eat.If anyone agrees with me,send me a pm!Gosh!People these days!:confused:

[Fox-Gal]

Just wanted to say thanks to you all for your support to me.
:o


But it looks like I'm not going to have a choice any more, On May 30th Florida wildlife commission has giving the go ahead to pass the bill on Killing of all free roaming cats. So soon it will be kittly litter boxes time. 7 cats in the house. :eek:

Intill the law finally passes, I will hope and pray that Florida changes their thinking and my cats can enjoy the outdoors. 3 dog and 7 cats inside is going to be nuts. I need a bigger house.
:D
Unfortanly the 3 dog can't go out because of problem that limit them.

[popcornbird]

That's the stupidest law I've ever heard of! :eek::mad: So they are going to kill all stray/feral and indoor/outdoor cats? :eek::mad::mad:

CoolBabe, why don't you go live in a cave, deep in a forest, with no elecricity or any other modern facilities. That's a human's *natural* habitat. :rolleyes:

[Cataholic]

Originally posted by CoolBabe22
:confused: Why indoors?They have lived outdoors millons of years before us and lived ewhen there were animals around every corner that were danger to them!All my cats live outdoors 100% of the time! I have 5 little kittens and not a one of them are even touched!There are foxes,and dogs everywhere but they are o.k. Cats shouldn't be inside because its not their natural habitat.It can also make your house nasty,all that fur everywhere!:eek: Yuk!Kittens learn from their mistakes everyday. They learn to climb,play,fight,eat.If anyone agrees with me,send me a pm!Gosh!People these days!:confused:

Please tell me you posted that JUST TO INFLAME people??? First, so very sorry you have five little kittens living outside. That is a shame. Second, people, too, lived exclusively outside, until they progressed. Third, ...it makes your house nasty? Did I miss read your signature? OR, are you just one of the many trouble makers we have had lurking about lately?

[Cataholic]

Even as a cat lover, I don't see anything wrong with the Florida law, or at least what I know of it from the brief info Fox-Gal has posted.

Why shoud YOUR cats be allowed to roam, dig, poop, maim, etc., when dogs aren't allowed to? I don't appreciate other people's cats bothering my cats through the screens, nor do I like to see them dead in the street.


As to PCB's statement re; cleaning the boxes...maybe I just have some revolutionary cleaning method...but, it takes me about TWO minutes, from start to finish, including putting the poop into the garbage can in the garage. That is five in the basement and one in Minnie's closet. It is a part of pet ownership/responsibility. It gives you a great way to know if someone isn't well, too.

[Cataholic]

Originally posted by popcornbird

CoolBabe, why don't you go live in a cave, deep in a forest, with no elecricity or any other modern facilities. That's a human's *natural* habitat. :rolleyes:

Say it again, PCB! That is the absolute truth, isn't it? I think she is a flamer.....just out to get us all riled up.

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by Cataholic
It gives you a great way to know if someone isn't well, too.

That's for sure. If I couldn't see my birds' poops in their cage, I wouldn't know if they had healthy droppings or not. Good point. I just don't think I would have enough time for 7 litterboxes (seeing that each cat needs one of its own) with my lifestyle, but then again, I probably wouldn't ever have more than 2 kitties. I love kitties; I just don't think I can handle that many. :eek:

[carole]

I donot think she is on here just to stir things up, most of you are indoor cat people, and thats fine with me, but you have no right to judge others who choose to be indoor/outdoor, i have been involved in this debate before and its starting to really bother me. I am not saying i agree with everything that was written, because my cats are NOT 100 percent outdoor cats as you all well know.
But i am SICK of being thought of as a BAD kitty mum because i choose to let my cats have some outdoor time. Payitforward will agree with me on this, we live in different countries, and the dangers you have we donot.
As i have said many times before, i dont judge you because you keep your cats indoors, which is considered cruel in my country, i dont think it is at all, its a personal choice, and neither is right or wrong.

[carole]

One more thing i want to comment on, is just because this person dared to speak up and differ from your opinions, you all shot her down in flames, accusing her of being a stirrer, and being so rude, i really dont think that was fair of any of you, everyone has a right to their opinion, you have all expressed yours and i mine, so why cant she?
I have heard of such people who do this on purpose, but she is not necessarily one of them, give her a chance to reply and c what she has to say, and be a little more open-minded please.

[carole]

Look how quick you all were to judge FOX-GAL because of a comment she made, she too was come down on like a ton of bricks, and look how her story unfolded, she turned out to be one super human being, doing some wonderful stuff for the kitties out there, we could all learn from someone like her.

[carole]

GREAT now i see some decent questions being asked of coolbabe, i hope she does respond, and your response was given some thought and not full of emotion.
Thanks i am glad you dont consider me a bad kitty mum, but believe me there are some on here who do and all of us who are indoor/outdoor cat owners.

[popcornbird]

Originally posted by carole
GREAT now i see some decent questions being asked of coolbabe, i hope she does respond, and your response was given some thought and not full of emotion.
Thanks i am glad you dont consider me a bad kitty mum, but believe me there are some on here who do and all of us who are indoor/outdoor cat owners.

I don't consider any indoor/outdoor kitty mom a bad mom. All of my many friends and relatives that have cats have indoor/outdoor cats. Not a single one of them keeps them only indoor. They are some of the most spoiled kitties out there.

ANd yes, I would like to hear why CoolBabe feels this way.

[carole]

Well when i checked her profile, she lives near a woods,and has many pets, it would not be my personal choice to have five kittens outside, but again we should not judge her until we give her a chance to reply.

[PayItForward]

I am not saying i agree with everything that was written, because my cats are NOT 100 percent outdoor cats as you all well know.
But i am SICK of being thought of as a BAD kitty mum because i choose to let my cats have some outdoor time. Payitforward will agree with me on this, we live in different countries, and the dangers you have we donot.

You are right in we have to date agreed on many views. Me & you are NOT bad parents for letting our furkids out in a relatively safe & quite areas. Our cats have access to a secure house & are altered :D

BUT this poster has 5 unaltered 100% outside cats. I have asked her on another thread that remains unanswered, if she provides any shelter for her cats. ???

Even looking at the best scenario these cats :-

: have no 100% secure place to sleep (an outside shelter won't be secure)
: they are unaltered causing countless further kitten litter problems
: Likely to become infected with Feliv etc due to excessive breeding/fighting (also linked to being unaltered)

Apart from feeding these cats, in what way are they looked after. !! :mad:

[carole]

You raise some important issues payitforward, and your points are valid, however we dont really know the whole story, so i think we should wait until coolbabe replies,. heres hoping...............
You and i raise our kitties very similar i think, and ours are not 100 percent outdoor cats, so the situation is different, but we have to give her a chance to explain, is my main point before we start casting stones.:)

[Uabassoon]

I've read many posts by CoolBabe22 and when asked questions as to if her cats will be fixed she never replies. But she reads the questions because everything else that is asked is always answered. Coolbabe has made it obvious in many threads that getting her cats fixed isn't really a priority to her.

[carole]

Ok well i have not read her threads before, but i was just wanting to give her a chance to explain herself, because so many people are just too judgemental and ready to pounce if you know what i mean.
Well perhaps its not worth the bother then, its up to her if she replies or not, i have pmessaged her, so we shall c.

[PayItForward]

but we have to give her a chance to explain, is my main point before we start casting stones.
I totally agree. But I have also made the mistake of previously replying to this persons posts before.

Like Uabassoon mentioned, I have also asked about if these cats are to be altered & if they have shelter. None of my comments merit an answer. :(

All I hope for is that maybe a few of these cats, may someday end up with an owner who truly cares about them. Poor Kitties :(

PS.Bless you Carole, you are always so open minded. :D

[KRISTEN14]

Yes, My cat lives mostly in the grarge. She has a little hole that my brother punched in that she can go out if she wants.

[Fox-Gal]

Wanted to make it clear that this law came about because Florida Wildlife feels that cats are responable for the killing of Florida wildlife, snakes, birds, rats etc.. Because there are so many people that don't get their cats fixed, there is a over population of cats in our state. They feel that putting them down will cut back on both the killing of wildlife and the population growth.

I don't want to judge others as I was misjudged, BUT if this woman hasn't gotten her cats fixs, she needs to rethink her ways.
All my cats have been fixed and now because of some misguided people I and other will suffer.

There is a group here in Florida that has been catching, fixing and releasing these free roaming cats to help with the growth problem. They can also help people get their cat fixed at a low or no cost. If money is the reason that she hasn't taking care of this problem, I sure she can find some help through a organization like this.

Although I dislike Florida's thinking I didn't want any of you to think it was because of cats digging, pooping or roaming. It because of unneutered cats breeding and the killing of wildlife. I just think Florida has gone a little to far with this law, If a cat is roaming free and has a collar, they have to know it's a loved ones and taking it in to be destroyed is just dumb. Yes population does need to be helped, but as we all know you can tell the difference between a pet and a wild cat. Can't the state??
:rolleyes:

I just hopping that it doesn't go through and some compromise can be made. Make all cats wear a bell like mine do.....or make it so all cats brought in to a vets office have to be neutered.....something better then killing them.

The world is lacking common sense!!!!!!!

Ok done venting :D lol

[carole]

Gosh i think this law sucks, i do hope its not passed, i understand completely what u are saying. fingers crossed it does not go through. There were certain rumours in parts of nz for doing something similar because cats were killing the wild life, but it never came to fruition thank goodness.

[Lando]

I agree with what Carole has been saying. Its true people are being way too judgemental. I mean what is pettalk all about? Its about talking about our pets and sharing opinions. I think even if we don't exactly agree with them we need to be respectful towards their opinions. I am not afraid to say that tonight my cats are all outside tonight, they chose that and I am not going to try to shut them in against their will. They both have shelter and are comfortable. I think that both ways are good ideas it just depends on the owners prefence. Coolbabe please don't be offended. We all make mistakes. Please post if you are able to.

[PayItForward]

I thought Cloey would be inside with her kittens ? (not that I know anything about kittens)

So I take it you have had Cloey spayed before you let her outside ?

[Cataholic]

I like to say something when people accuse others of being judgmental. First, that is judgmental in itself. Second, and in my opinion, more important, there isn't anything wrong with being judgmental. I am not obligated to refrain from judging someone, and most of us make judgments all day long. If I didn't make judgments, I would probably not be employed, associate with people that break the law, and wear sweats to work everyday. It is because of judgments I don't do these things (well, sometimes I do wear sweats to work, on the weekends.)

You can't post on this board for more than a month and not be aware of trouble makers. I don't know if this person is or is not one of them. If she (or he?) isn't, that will become known. If she/he is, then, maybe by calling her out, she will dissapear quicker.

As to someone that leaves their cats out 100% of the time, I do make a jugment- I think it is wrong, irresponsible, and not a trait of someone that has their pets best welfare at heart. Does that mean that person should be shot on first sight? No. But, maybe with some of the other postings on here, that person could reevaluate her position.....maybe not, but, that doesn't preclude me from judging her.

I stick by my 'judgmental' reply to Coolbabe22. And, if Moosmom wants to judge Fox-Gal, Moosmom has that right. It might be different from your opinion...but, when you call one person judgmental, you get painted with the same brush....

Pops- I appreciate your opinion, mine is different. And, I know we have enough history to acknowledge we don't always agree, but, we disagree agreeably, right?

Fox-gal- thanks for the info on the Florida law. I see the difference in what I was thinking, and what you have now told us. I guess I just feel anything that keeps kitties inside more, or more kitties inside more, is 'good'. Course, if I had my way, I would require all cats/dogs to be born altered, and the hoomans had to pay to have the kittens/puppies up front! Same with hooman kids....he he he...

[jonza]

OK … everybody knows exactly where they stand on this issue, so what would you do in this situation:

You fall in love with a feral cat in the backyard of your housing block, and entice him slowly up into your home over a period of several years. (He is over a year old when you start doing this). The backyard is not a nice place to be for cats, there are lots of dogs and aggressive humans, and there are foxes in the park etc.
He becomes an apparently domesticated cat over a period of time, but of course isn’t completely. His real roots are in the yard that he grew up in. He will normally be quite happy and content with his lot, but occasionally will become extremely frustrated, and want to return to his childhood home (which he can study from the kitchen window). He will scratch and miaw and gallop around and become very frustrated indeed.
If you let him out (he only wants to go out in the late evenings), you know that he will probably go walk-about, and not appear again until at the earliest the next morning. You don’t want to expose your cat to unnecessary (and very real) dangers, but you are obviously causing him anguish by forcing him to stay in. So there is no “right thing to do”. If you let him out, you expose him to danger. If you keep him in, you make him sad and unnaturally frustrated. There is no single “right” answer to these questions, one just has to try and find a reasonable and intelligent balance. What’s right for one may not be right for another.

I think the most important thing of all is to keep ones respect for and awe of the cat, surely one of nature's most beautiful and harmonious creations.

Isn’t that why we have them? :D

john

[littlewhitekitty]

Hi- I was a veterinary technician for 11 years, so I thought I'd put my point of view out here. I saw many, many cats hit by cars come into my clinic (probably thousands) and sadly most of them died. Cats that stay indoors simply don't get hit by cars, get attacked by dogs, coyotes, racoons, other cats, or evil people. the best way to keep your cat healthy and alive for a long time is to keep it inside, day and night. There are those people that think it is cruel or unnatural to keep a cat inside, but what is natural about having to put your beloved pet to sleep while it is still a kitten because it was chasing a butterfly across the street? And what is so cruel about keeping a pet indoors where it is safe from predators, and harsh weather and cars? My cats never have abscesses from fighting, catch diseases from other cats, nor do they get hit by cars. My friend's cat has beeen trapped and taken to the pound by a neighbor, has had many abscess from fights, and was nearly killed when she crawled into another neighbors car with an open window and he tried to let shoo her out in a parking lot. (luckliy for her, she hid under the seat until he returned home and then escaped!) Other cats of hers were eaten by coyotes or killed by cars. Besides the wild dangers and cars, there ARE evil people out there, and if your cat is outside, it is vulnerable. I can tell you horrific stories of people setting kittens on fire, drowning them, shooting them with all kinds of guns and arrows, poisonings. (all true, I have seen them!) All of this and more can be avoided by simply keeping cats inside. I am sorry to say that it is ignorant as well as irresponsible to let cats outside. This is not even going into the aspect of all the wildlife they kill. (My friend's cat kills about a bird a day in the summer, one time an endangered species.) If all of this still seems "cruel" or "unnatural"- then go ahead and let your cats outside..You will keep the local veterinarians in business. Just don't cry too much when your cat disappears.-KH

[Tonya]

I love my cats more then anything, so of course I want them to be safe. But on the same line, even I face dangers if I go outside. I might get hit by a car or struck by lightening. That doesn't mean I am going to live a life cooped up inside. I tried to keep my cats indoors. For two years they were content with that. They didn't have a desire to go outside, so I didn't put them out there. But one day one of them followed my dog outside. He found out how cool it was, and now both of the cats are hooked. I don't want to take that freedom from them. I'd feel bad making him stare out the window all day when he wants to go out. I'd rather give them a short happy life then a long boring one. On the same line, I live in a low traffic area and there aren't any wild animals around here. I might have a different attitude if I lived where animals lurked at night, or cars flew by. My only worry is cat fights. My cats haven't gotten in a single cat fight during the day. I bring them in at night.

[Cataholic]

Littlewhitekitty,
Welcome to PT, and thank you for your post. You add alot of hands on experience.

As to the dangers humans face everyday when they go outside...I think that ***might***be a little bit of a different situation. Most of us, if given the choice, wouldn't put ourselves in danger. That same sort of 'choice' just doesnt get translated to an animal. Animals don't have to work, groceryshop, go to school in the same sense that we do....

[Tonya]

Amen, Jonza. Well said.