For once I seem to be on the side of wondering where in the world some of you people are coming from! I see people offering very negative opinions and yet I am not too crazy about the home life they offer their cats either (I am not going to be specific or name names because they didn't ask my opinion on their situation). Now after I have prefaced with all of that.

Kfamr,

I think you are thinking this whole situation through very well and that you are going to make the best decision you can. You have been one of the more mature teenagers on this board. At times even being more mature than some of the adults. From what I am gathering you plan on making the cat pretty much an INDOOR cat with a very wonderful outdoor cat run. Not a miserable little cage that some seem to be picturing. You plan on spending time with the cat INSIDE the house and OUTSIDE the house as much as anyone with THREE pets is able to offer. Gee. I think this sounds good to me. Better than the alternative for some cats.

I am planning the opposite in some ways. My husband and I are getting ready to build a very large and insulated dog house. It will be enclosed in as large of a dog run as we can afford. We then plan on adopting a couple of dogs. The dogs would stay in their outside enclosure when we are at work. Which is about 10 hours a day. Because I think it is cruel to leave a dog inside the home with no way to relieve their bladder or bowels for almost half of a 24 hour period. That would be for 5 days a week or when we are at work. When we are home in the evenings and at night , the weekends and on days off the dogs would then be with us. By the criteria I am seeing some people post we wouldn't be very good dog owners. Although I think this would be great for the type of dogs we are talking about. EVEN in the winter!!! OHH NOOO....

Of course we are not talking about getting small little lap dogs...we are talking dogs that are 60 pounds or larger...preferably larger and most likely with double coats. But I imagine some will still think we are being cruel. *sigh*

Just follow your heart and use your commen sense and you will make the right decision. So far I haven't seen or read much that would lead me to beleive otherwise.

Denyce