Outdoor vs. Indoor

[4 feline house]

Some cats are survivors against all odds. When my sister died many years ago at age 19, her cats escaped before anyone could round them up. One was found a few days later by a family a few miles from my sister's apartment. When they heard the story, they asked to adopt him. Two months later TJ was found miles away (Spencer and anyone else from D/FW: my sister lived at Noel Rd & LBJ in Dallas, TJ was found in Garland!) He weighed about 5 lbs and had a badly broken jaw that had healed unset. Thank God he still had his tags, so the people could track us down. He had to have his jaw rebroken and set and we had to spoon feed him pureed cat food. But he survived. He eventually regained his weight to 14 lbs, but his jaw never healed correctly and he always had a snaggle tooth, drooled, and had to eat soft food. That led to many tooth problems and some extractions. But he survived. After many years, when he was quite elderly, he was attacked by a dog that jumped my parent's fence and had to have surgery on his rectum. But he survived. He eventually developed hyperparathyroidism, but still lived another 5 years. He died in his sleep, in the bed between my mom and dad, when he was 20 years old. He outlived his mom, my sister, by a year. The entire time he was an indoor/outdoor cat, except for the two months he spent lost outside.

[margaret]

That is simply amazing... It's incredible how long the cat lived, considering all that he went through during his life. What a tough soul he must have been.

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~Margaret

[4 feline house]

I had to revive this long dead and controversial thread.

My son and I went to Sulphur Springs today for the funeral of a dear friend. On the way, down the country roads, we saw many dead cats and dogs, and almost ran over two dogs ourselves. I couldn't help but think of all the people who posted on this thread that they felt their pets were safer outside because they lived in the country.

[catwoman]

My girls seem a bit afraid of the outdoors, stopping short in the doorway even when invited outside. I think it's because they know the vet lives out there!

(They do enjoy hanging out in the windowsills and sniffing through the screens, though.)

[Pam]

Catwoman...It's interesting that you say that. My cats react the same way to an open doorway. They actually sort of back away from it. Maybe they remember their trips to the vet too. It's very hard for me to get them in the carrier for their appointment, but once we are there and he finishes his exam, shots, etc. they are thrilled to go back in the carrier. He explained it to me this way...."they think of the carrier as a tunnel to home once their exam is over." Apparently that's how they look at it because they certainly don't need to be coaxed to get back in. They can't get in fast enough!

[catwoman]

Pam,

I refer to my carrier as "the big blue instrument of death" because that is how the girls treat it! When I finally get them in, Weezie lies down against the back wall. Since Thelma cannot squeeze in-between Weezie and the wall, she lies on top of her sister. My vet thinks it's hilarious!

Catwoman

[Jasper's Mom]

Been away from my computer for a few days, and things here look a bit different??? What did I miss??

So glad this topic was brought forward for fairly newcomers like me. Good, bad or indifferent, my cats are staying indoors. No questions asked, no way, no how, too bad if they don't like it, the consequences of being outside are too severe. Both sport new collars, bells, and today their new tiny id tags came with their name and my phone number. Not taking chances anymore. Too much pain is involved. Extreme??? You walk in my shoes, then you decide.

In the past month my neighbors and I have been feeding a skinny stray black cat, looking a lot like my newly returned Jasper. I had planned to take it to a feral caretaker I know who has a scanner to check for an ID chip, and then maybe to a vet, or home???

My neighbors and I are wondering, looking so much like my Jasper, hanging around on my porch, did the same person who trapped and dumped my Jasper think he was back? It has now been missing for a week. And maybe this poor stray has been trapped by mistake? More than one of us think so. Some really sick people out there.

About the time this stray disappeared I received a call from an elderly lady, warning me to not notify people of his return. I had planned to post new posters to thank all those who called and came by, who had been searching for him. Not sure how to tell those kind people now... It should not be a dangerous thing to rejoice.

[ramanth]

I think it also depends on location.

If I lived in the city or near busy roads, I'd keep my cats inside.

But my parents live out in the country. Cornfields and woods as far as you can see. Our cats came to us either as barn cats or strays. All 5 are allowed to go out. As they age they stay inside more. We have a cat door leading into the garage where there are two cat houses, food, and water, in case they are out when we are gone. 99% of the time they are in when we go out.

Sable came to live with us at 7 years old. He was the local stray that settled down with us. Our property was his property. I watched him chase off dobermans and labs. He lived to be 15.

I don't think it's cruel to keep a cat indoors. But depending on your location, I don't think it's cruel to let you cat out either.