Is it injustice for cats to be indoors only?

[jenluckenbach]

I try VERY hard to understand the opinion of allowing a cat FREE roam outside, but I still come back to this comparison.........you do not allow your dogs to run free, you leash them, you do not allow your young children to run free, you supervise them, you do not allow your birds to fly around outside......etc.


Just within the last week I read on these forums about a cat killed by a car & a cat viciously attacked by a fox. Both things could have been avoided by keeping the cat indoors.

So instead answering the question of whether it is an injustice or not, lets just say that I feel that it is not SAFE!

[neko1]

Indoor only for my 4

[Barbara]

I'd be very happy if I could give my cats a safe outdoor environment but it is not available where I live- therefore indoor only.

In Germany it's normal to have indoor/outdoor cats but the view is changing slowly.

The relationship to cats has changed: in earlier times they were "working" on the farms and of course many farmers loved their cats but if one died by an accident there were still many others. For us today - especially at Pet Talk, the cats are pets and even soulmates- I could not imagine how I could survive if I found one of my cats dead near the roadside.

Of course it is important to have lots of interactions: playing daily, talking to the cats, providing nice spots for them, like screened windows where they can get sun and fresh air, having a cat tree for the adventures. We have a screened in balcony both love very much.

And I have two happy cats

[ChrisH]

PayitForward has already told you how indoor/outdoor is the norm here in the UK. I would not argue with her or anyone else, including my family, on their choice, each person has to decide for themselves. And, as with any sort of tradition, it will take a long, long, time before the norm over here becomes indoor instead of outdoor, if indeed it ever will.

My Ebbs is an indoor cat and where I live I am looked upon as being eccentric and, though not voiced, also cruel by many I'm sure. No matter, I am happy to keep her indoor only and I am certain she is happy to be so.

I am sure there are many cats living out safe and happy lives as indoor/door. But my determination to Ebbs indoors only is re-inforced each time I see a cat with torn ears from fighting. When with my heart in my mouth I see a pretty little tuxie running across the road to chase a bird up a tree. Each time I hear of a another cat gone missing in the area. When a person who lives in the next street tells me she would love another cat but after having three cats killed on the road she won't have another. And, finally, when just a few weeks ago, my grandaughters kittencat, little Ted, was knocked down and killed by a car.


Chris

[BitsyNaceyDog]

6 of my 7 cats are indoors only. The only exception is Scampers. Scampers was my husbands cat before I met him. He has had her for 12 years. When he first got her (he was 11) and she was an indoor cat. His family lost their home and moved around a lot, living with family member after family member. During those years that they didn't have a home of their own Scampers lived as an outdoors/ garage cat. Now that Justin and I have a home of our own Scampers prefers to be outside. If we let her in she'll pee on the floor and cry at the door to go outside.

[mina'smomma]

I would have to agree with Pif. It depends on the area you live in. Mina is strictly indoors because we live in the city, and there are too many jerks around here who would shoot a cat rather than look at them. If we were in the country and she didn't have the medical problems she does then we would let her roam in an area designed for just her.

[Randi]

In Denmark, I think half the cats are indoors and half outdoors/indoors. In bigger cities most are probably indoors.

When we first got Fister up in our flat, I felt so bad for him, he was by the door most of the time, wanting to go out in the yard - which by the way is pretty big and secure. I think he gets bored staying inside all the time. However, we were "forced" to keep him inside, or he would have been caught and put down.

It took a year or more, before he was content staying indoors. Now, he very rarely goes down, and when he does, it's only for short periods of time - and we're watching him!

Pjevs has been living in our yard since we moved in in 94, he sometimes strolls over to the churchyard across the street. He's luckily never got into trouble.

All in all, I believe cats are happier living as indoor/outdoor, providing the area is safe.

[Palomino21]

Thank you all for the replies. My mother is a huge cat lover and I am too. I grew up around cats and we always kept them all indoors, except for a few wild ones we fed outside. Sure, the cats would always try and run out, but once they were outside, they'd just roll around a few feet away from the door and then want back in. We always supervised our cats in the back yard so they could eat some grass. We all want what we can't have. That's true for animals too.

Annie

[catmandu]

If the Found Cats,owuld stay,on thier property,then Iwould let them out,but they roam,over the neighborhood,and that is not safe! I will never forget the time,that BoBo,the Siamese,was eating,the dinner,of the German Sheprads ,that were once,on my street.Luckily,they were Nice Dogs,and shared thier Beef stew!

[hdeneise]

I think you have to make a decision based on your environment and your cats.

My grandmother lives on a busy street so she keeps her herd indoor only.

My Mom & Dad live just outside city limits, several hundred feet off of a moderately traveled dirt road and their little darlings go in and out as they please. Some of the fat/lazy ones rarely go outside and spend most of thier days on the back of the couch. The younger and friskier ones of the group play all day in the popcorn tree off the back porch and chase birds (quite unsuccessfully actually), but they always come in at night. One even like to go out and hop up on Mieko's (the horse) butt and ride around the pasture.

My uncle on the other hand only keeps ferals. He lives on a road in the boonies (I'm talking maybe three cars come by the house, and that's on Sunday) and all of his fur-friends live outside only. I don't think they would understand what to do in the house. He keeps one of those 12x12 utility sheds in the back yard with a hole cut in the floor for a cat door (too small for cyotes (SP??) or any dog/fox big enough they couldn't take on. Some of them are pettable, most are not, but I'm sure all of them appreciate being given food and shelter. Of course we're in L.A. (Lower Alabama) where the coldest we ever really get is a light frost. A hard freeze is an event.

My babies, on the other hand were declawed by their previous mommy so my choice is made for me. Inside only. I wouldn't mind letting BooBoo in the chain linked front yard (he's too fat to jump the fence) but he's just not interested. He will just sit and stare at an open door and not even consider making a break for it. I'm not sure how Kelly feels about it; she's still under the couch.

Some cats love indoors. Some cats love outdoors. Some cats insist (very loudly) on being both, and you must get off the couch at their beck and call to accomodate them.

BOTTOM LINE: Cats are adaptable. You and your cat have to decide what is best for ya'll and for your unique situation.

[dukedogsmom]

I never let my cat outside. I would be terrified of him getting hurt, wandering off, etc. They are best kept inside only.

[trinity]

Our 6 are indoor only. Not only do we live on a street which isn't really busy but where people do not understand the words "speed limit" but we also have a number of rude, obnoxious children around. I wouldn't subject my guys to that no matter what. We were also warned when we bought our house that a few people on the street had their cats taken away by the hawks that fly overhead. We will take a few of the guys outside in nice weather, into the backyard, whhich is fenced in. They are interested in munching on some grass and that is it. The ones we know would probably bolt don't get that opportunity. I can say from experience that they don't mind being indoors. The last fuzzball we brought in, Scooter, came inside the end of September. It took about 2 weeks for him to stop crying at the door. Then the first time the rain/wind started outside, and he was curled up in front of the furnace vent, he figured out pretty quick that inside was better!

[DogLover9501]

My Tigger is an indoor/outdoor cat.

As of *NOW*(after 7 years) I would NEVER be able to make him stay inside, because he loves to catch bugs and mice(and all that stuff that cats like), but if I could do it over again he would have been kept inside as a kitten, way before he caught mice and all that, so nothing was being "taken away" from him, but I was too young to know any better.

Emma, however, will never be going outside.

[caseysmom]

My gigi is mostly indoors but I do let her out and she stays in our yard, she loves to get some fresh air so I try to open windows for her when I can. She is almost 14 so she was pretty set in her ways before I became enlightened to all the dangers.

[RICHARD]

Let's see.....

Let my cat loose in the neighborhood or unleash the plague on my neighbors......

I vote for the plague.....


The plague would go away after a while.