I just read through this whole post, and I've totally forgotten what the original purpose was!! I promise I'll go back and reread it, Tonya. With the exception of our birds, all of our other pets (cats and dogs) are indoor/outdoor. I wish Murphy and Lilly would enjoy being outside a little more, to tell you the truth. Honey keeps a pretty good balance, but there are nights that she simply refuses to come in. I have finally gotten over worrying about her, and sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night, I go to the door and call her, and she'll come on in. Other nights, she is too busy staring at a tree (possums, for sure), and she simply isn't interested in coming in. As she has gotten older, and I have gotten more accustomed to her personality, I have relaxed more with letting her stay outside (properly fenced, of course).

As for the cats, that is a tough subject for many, I know, and we have been round and round about it. I hope that I am not judged for allowing my cats to come and go. Butter simply could not be an indoor only cat, given his "semi feral" beginnings. But the nice thing is that he really enjoys coming inside when he is ready. And Mimi, in her advanced years, hardly ever ventures farther than the deck, or a shady spot in the yard. I have "introduced" my neighbors on either side to our cats, and warned them of Butter's personality. I would never want one of them to be bitten or scratched by him. He can act quite sweet, then "get" you when you least expect it. And I've also told them that if I need to do something to keep them from coming into their yard, all they need to do is tell me (not that I know how I would fix that ). The nice thing is that neither of them are bothered by the cats. In fact, both have told me, over and over, that they enjoy watching Butter climbing trees, sunning in their yard, and the fact that he is a great mouser and keeps our homes free from those pesky rodents. Plus on one side, there is a little girl who is about 1 year old, and she LOVES to see our animals, all of them! So it is a win, win situation for us. If we were on a busy city street, then I would have to do something else, but thankfully, we are on a quiet cul-de-sac and there is little or no traffic here. As long as they stick close to home, which they do, then I am willing to take the risk and allow them outdoors.