Inside / Outside thread :)

[CatMama78]

Somebody should start an inside/outside thread. I could go back and forth on that one for hours, but don’t have the guts to start a flame-inducing thread myself.
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hee, Since this has come up, I'll start. Here's what I posted in the Declawing thread:

Hmmm, I am such a worry, worry wart, I just couldn't handle them going in and out all the time. So mine are strictly indoor. Of course we live in a busy suburb now and we are right off a main road, so this is a good decision for them. I'll be honest, when I hear of letting your cats go in and out, my first thought is oh goodness, I would be so worried. But I figure the cats and the owners know what they are doing.

I went to visit my cousin who lives in the country and she lets one of her cats in and out all the time. I was just a fret the whole time there thinking about the cat. But she swears that cat will bring back dead coyotes, a bit of an exaggeration. I am extremely skilled in worrying about my babies and am pretty protective. Which is one reason I'm thinking having kids may not be for me - I would damage them with over protectiveness!!! If/when we get a house of our own; I've already decided to build, ahem to have my hubby (assuming I'll ever get married) build an outdoor enclosure for them. Although I suspect they will be afraid of it at first. I think they are pretty happy looking out the windows for now. Personally I would feel scared to have my kitties coming in and out. Despite how instinctive they are, etc. if something happened to them, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. That's just my humble opinion.....

Your turn..........Are your cats inside, inside/outside or outside and why?

[Twink]

Well, aren’t you the obliging one? Thanks!!

I’m so torn about this issue (when I think about it!). It’s good to know that my cats are safe inside, but I know that at least one of them (*cough*Rizzo*cough*) wants OUT. Or at least, he thinks he does (actually, he’s a big homebody and panics if he manages to sneak out). Seeing him sit at the window for hours on end, with big longing eyes, and then watching him bolt for the door every time someone opens it makes me sad. My husband believes that cats are better off outside. He thinks indoor cats are more trapped than pampered. Doesn’t think it’s natural. It’s not an issue between us, because we live in an apartment complex, with a parking lot directly below our front windows. People drive through there like idiots, and most of the neighbors own large dogs (who are USUALLY on leashes, but things happen, you know). So it’s not a safe area, and even if we were inclined to let the cats go outside, we wouldn’t do it there!

But there are so few really safe areas. My husband thinks his cats growing up had the life. I think he’s deluding himself. His family lives in a semi-rural area, with a lot of land (comparatively) and plenty of rodents for the chasing. They had a clan of outdoor kitties, most of who were very sweet and liked their people and each other. They all came to bad ends. Most were hit by the family’s own vehicles in the driveway or garage (they mostly lived in the garage). Some were killed by dogs. There were three left when I came into the picture. The wonderful old matriarch died of old age alone in the cold, on the hard garage floor. It still makes me miserable to think about it. Then White Fang, the wild man of the group, literally had half of his face torn off by a neighbor’s cat in a fight. He died. Then the last, Gorilla, whose sweetness and adorable grey cuteness are legendary, disappeared. That was a couple of years ago. My husband’s parents and baby sister just got three new cats. I get heartburn thinking about it.

So, um, I don’t quite know what I think. But I do know that I envy cat owners with nice, enclosed back yards!

[sirrahbed]

My three are inside only - no choice now as they are declawed anyway. But, they have never even been outdoors, ever and so do not know it exists. If we open a door to the outdoors, they are afraid! Instead, we have a enclosed patio. On nice days, they get to go out there and think they are in heaven! It has fake "grass" (indoor/outdoor carpet) completely screened. They do their hunting, birdwatching, bug ack acking, etc, sunbathing and tree climbing (hubby built condo thingy). Our area has too many dogs and cars anyway - even if they had claws, I would not want them outside unless they were on a lead and I was with them.
If we lived out in the country AND they had claws, I would like a little flap door to allow them outside and one I could lock closed so they would be inside at night so I would not worry! (I am a worry-wart also!)

[catlover4ever]

Out of my 5, 3 are allowed outside and 2 are allowed out ONLY when I am going to be home and working outside in the yard. I know that I take my chances with them being outside but Tucker, Mystic, and Abner were all outside cats when I got them...some nice, wonderful people were very happy to DUMP these guys by my house. I did not want to take them right into the house because I wanted tests done and because they were all dumped they were all very scared that I was going to do the same thing to them that the other people did. So I worked with them, got them to the vet for their necesary shots and tests and then introducted them into the house.

Now Abner and Mystic are allowed outside once my husband gets home and they come inside before it gets dark. In the winter they are not allowed out unless it is the weekend because by the time my husband gets home it is already getting dark and I don't allow him to let them out no matter how hard, long or loud they cry to go outside.

Tigger and Smokey are different because from the time they were babies they were not allowed outside, therefore the are allowed outside ONLY when I am working out in the yard and they are not allowed outside in winter.

All 5 have collars with thier ID's on them and I really try to keep an eye on them when they are outside. I have them trained to come when I whistle for them or in Mystic's case....shake the treat can.

I know this is a hot topic and I'm sure that there are a lot out there that do not agree with me...I'm not looking for a tounge lashing for letting my cats out but only to respond to this post.

[heinz57_79]

I have one cat who's indoor/outdoor and the only reason is because he wasn't initially my cat. I get worried every time Dragon disappears for a couple days. I'm always worried he'll never come back, or I'll find him dead. We're also in the process of looking to buy a house and I'm afraid whenever we do move, Dragon will be outside and won't come back til after we're gone. We also have a psycho neighbor and it makes me paranoid thinking that he'll poison Dragon or something. If it were up to me, I'd keep him indoors, but I really don't have the heart. I keep him in a couple days at a time but he's miserable. Sits by the door and cries, doesn't eat... Neither Joey nor Katie are outside cats, altho Katie got out once... obviously! hehe Now, none 4 kittens are going to be indoor/outdoor cats. I worry about disease, sickness, dogs, fights, all that good stuff.

Plus, I'd rather not have to vaccinate my cats. I've had a couple get very very sick and die due to the vaccines and I'm not willing to take that chance again. Dragon is vaccinated, obviously, but none of the others are. I'm just glad my ex (who Dragon initially belonged to) was smart enough to NOT have him declawed. She was silly enough (in my opinion) to enourage him to go outside, but at least he has the means to protect himself.

[Glacier]

I hate the idea of my cats getting lost outside, I live in the woods and something would eat them PDQ! Additionally, at least one of my dogs would love to eat a cat! So my sweet husband built a big fenced run for the cats. They can't escape but they can still enjoy the great outdoors. I used to have trouble with a couple cats trying to sneak out the door all the time. Not one attempt since they got their kitty run.


Glacier in the cat run beside his favorite nip plant!

[K & L]

Ours are inside only except for the outside cat run! We use to let ours come and go via doggy door until things started happening to them. One cat was shot through the ear with a pellet gun. Luckily they were able to remove the pellet with little damage to Gypsy. Then Bailey (I’m sure some of you remember his story) went missing for 3 weeks. We found him in the sewer drain with an injured hip and him unable to get out of it. He too luckily survived, although he had to have surgery on the hip, lost weight, and was dehydrated. We learned our lesson after that…INDOOR ONLY!

[PayItForward]

catlover4ever, I am just amazed you manage to juggle them.

For those people with inside cats won't understand but it is very difficult to keep some in & others out.

We go though this every time we add a new cat.

For example,when Sweet Annie flies over in Oct
(Probually the 12th 13th or 14th...put it in your diaries )

She will spend X (days to weeks) time in the spare room before being slowly introduced to the herd.

Followed by a minimum of a month where she'll stay in and others will go outside.

Then she'll be walked outside and introduced slowly to the outside world and kept inside at all other times.

Eventually she'll have the option to go outside with the rest (the scary bit)

I know outside life has potential problems but watching my cats play in the garden, the long grass swaying, butterflies and the scent of flowers on the warm evening air, makes me smile

Some parts of life need to be experienced not watched, risks and all.

[nibblets]

Miss Julie is an indoor kitty, except when I put her walking jacket on her and take her out on her lead.
She love to go out and snoop around the yard...she has learned that the only way to go out is to be on the lead, and even though she would love to run free, she knows she must endure my rule.
She would have been perfectly content to be strictly indoor, but I saw Eddie and Edwina's jackets and thought it would be a good way for her to get some fresh air and sunshine. She has all her claws so if she did get out she could fend for herself.

[aly]

All of my cats (8 total including fosters) are indoor-only and not allowed to set foot outside. I just can't take the chance that something would happen to them. Even if I lived on a quiet street, I couldn't do it.

I'm not criticizing the way anyone else does it though. Just sharing what I do personally.

[Cataholic]

Of my seven, one will prolly never venture outside- Minnie. I am not sure she would ever respond appropriately to the experience.

Of the remaining 6- five can go outside with me in the yard with them. I try to let some go out- maybe 2-3, if I am gardening. They don't venture off the property, as strange as that seems. I still don't love them outside, it makes me a little nervous.

Monte can go outside with a collar, only. I can tell he is not like the others. Just like some dogs can go outside without a leash, and some take off for the fields. That is how Monte is- a field taker-offer.

I couldn't leave my kitties outside, unescorted. Plus, who would share my bed?????

[jazzcat]

After Ripley was shot by a bow and arrow 10 years ago (he'd only been going out for 3-4 months at that point) I decreed that all cats were to be indoor only. I live in a busy subdivision and there are too many cars, dogs and mean people around here.

[Grace]

We have 5 cats, and the three boys are allowed to go outdoors, the girls are indoor only.

Two years ago, we lost Henry, our beloved 2 year ball of fire. The Vet thinks he may have had West Nile virus.

Once that happened, we would not allow Reese to go out again. She was just a year at the time, and had not been out much at all, so it was not a big issue keeping her inside. Shortly after Henry died, we got Abby. She was just 8 weeks old, and being strictly indoors never was an issue with her, either.

The boys - Duffy is the only one who was with us when Henry died. He was 4 at the time, and loves the outdoors - I couldn't keep him in all the time. He would have died of a broken heart. Our other two boys, Grady and Red, have joined us during the past 10 months. Both were strays who wandered into our yard and hearts. Both were used to being outdoors.

We live in the country, at the end of a dead-end dirt road - so no traffic. The boys will all come when they are called. They are all chipped - as are the girls - and really don't spend an exorbitant amount of time outside. We have a great back porch where they all love to congregate. Rugs and cat beds and food and water and toys - what more could they want.

[boscibo]

My cats stay indoors all the time. I used to live out in the country, with land, and it was a PRIVATE dead end dirt road. I lost two cats (Kelsey and Max) to cars. Chelsea disappeared one day and I never saw her again. Boo came home with a broken pelvis after being gone a week, and Bo disappeared for 5 days once. Plus I had to deal with ticks and fleas on my cats.

They may be happier outside, who knows. They don't have it too shabby indoors, I buy plenty of stuff and spend lots of time playing with them. My cats are not disposable, and I grieve deeply when I lose one. I made up my mind, for both my cats' sake and my own personal well-being, to keep my cats as indoors only.

[Catsnclay]

My three are strictly indoor kitties........and love it. They sleep in our bed, so I do not want anything *strange* in bed with us, its bad enough that we sometimes have litter in there!

This world is too crazy for my babies to go out in it. Just last week in the news they were telling us of owners that found their cat - skinned - in there back yard And just a few miles away and a few days later someone found their 13 year old dog - skinned - in their back yard! WHAT is this world coming to?

I sure hope they find the person/persons that did this and........well I can't really type what I think of what should be done to them, hopefully you will understand.