Totally agreed!Originally Posted by lute
My RB cats Brando and Zsa-Zsa were allowed access outdoors all their lives (apart from Zsa-Zsa's final year, when she went blind, although she could go in our fenced back garden whenever she liked). They were happy, healthy cats who led enjoyable lives; they could roam about in the park next door as much as they pleased.
Before I joined Pet Talk I had no idea the indoor/outdoor cat topic was so heated. I realise now that in my part of the world it is far more customary to let cats outdoors and that in others it is frowned upon. But, even now when I no longer own a cat, am highly offended when people pick out such statistics that outdoor cats don't live as long as indoor cats (my cats lived to be 15 and 16), cannot cope with being outdoors (hmm, cats running across fields and jumping up trees to their heart's content sure looks risky) and are owned by horrible, irresponsible people who don't neuter/de-flea/remotely care about their pets. I could say that most indoor cats I know *in person* are fat and bored out of their mind and that their owners are over-protective and cruel to keep them cooped up. But I know that isn't reflective of indoor cats and their owners on the whole and so I never say it. So I don't see why anyone else has the right to assume so many things about the people who let cats out.
I can understand why keeping cats indoors is a good idea in certain circumstances, such as if the cat is disabled in some way, the owner lives near a very busy road, it is not allowed in their area or if there are predators about. But other than that I don't think it's fair to deny a cat a bit of freedom. They are naturally independent animals and like to have time by themselves, unlike a dog, which likes being around people or their own kind.
Rest assured any cats I have in the future will go outside and I'll carry on being a 'jerk' to the end of my days.
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks