Should cats be outdoors?

[CoolBabe22]

Should cats be outdoors?What do you think??Tell me what you think!

[wolf_Q]

NO

[PayItForward]

A 100% outside cat is a stray.

Such cat need to be rehomed in homes where they have 24/7 access to the inside.

[CoolBabe22]

i posted my reply as a thread on this forum,cat general

[PayItForward]

Is it this thread.....

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...threadid=27664

Tiger is a beautiful kitty, I am assuming that you leave him outside all the time. (Edit. I have remember that you 'own' several unaltered outdoor only cats/kittens)

All cats deserve security & shelter from the elements. I urge you to bring Tiger in at night or build an outside shelter for him at the very least.

Our cats are all inside/outside. They have the best of both worlds. They play outside when they want but they ALWAYS have a warm & safe place to sleep.

IMO I don't believe it is fair to ask any non-feral cat to be outside 100% of the time.

PS. I am only stateing my opinion, as requested.

[PayItForward]

Have you got around to spaying or neutering any of your cats yet ?

........seeing as they are all 100% outside cats.

Poor Kitties

[Uabassoon]

IMO I don't believe it is fair to ask any non-feral cat to be outside 100% of the time.

I mostly agree with that, but I think there are some exceptions. For example my porch cat Salty after trying to make her an indoor cat we finally decided for her she would be best and happiest outside. Now most of our porch cats have been rehomed because they are friendly and they really want to be indoor cats. But because Salty had lived on our porch for the past 12 years before we moved in we didn't think it was right to take her from her home. When we tried to bring her indoors she would jump to the top of the fridge and pee on herself and would just stay there until we moved her someplace else. However she is safe on the porch, she isn't running on the streets or in a place where dogs can get to her. The porch is screened in and we only open the screen door when we are there so she can go to the flower bed near the porch and go to the bathroom. But if she weren't in a place that was secure and well protected then I don't know that I would have left her outside.

[PayItForward]

Apology for forgetting about your Salty (I have just been looking at her fab photos on another thread)

Of course there will be exceptions to the rule.

But you actually tried to give her inside access (she didn't want it) and don't you relocate her to the spare room, when the weather is bad. You aren't forcing her to be outside, she doesn't want to be in, that is different.

You are a very good parent to ALL your kitties and I hope I didn't offend you.

I am just angry at the thought of all those unaltered cats/kittens that have no choice but to live outside, makes me very sad

[Uabassoon]

Don't worry I took no offense. I'm a big cats should be only indoors person. All the strays that come over to my house make me sad too, I always take them in to get fixed and try to find homes for them. One of my porch cats got a new home and now not including Salty I only have 1 porch cat left!! When I moved here we had up to 7 at one point. We made a cat sized flap for them so they could come into the porch when they want. But the porch is nice, on cool nights I like to take my hammock out there and sleep because sometimes it's cooler there then it is inside my house. And when it gets too hot ouside or when we get monsoons and the wind blows the rain into the patio then Salty goes into her own private bedroom.
But sometimes I get so sad because a few of our porch cats were someones pet at one point. And I can never understand how someone can just leave their cat to fend for itself.

[PayItForward]

I'm glad I didn't offend

You have done a brillant job rehoming all those porch cats.

And I can never understand how someone can just leave their cat to fend for itself

Like Caramel, he was altered so he must have had a home at some point.

[popcornbird]

No, not 100% of the time. It needs shelter during bad weather etc. That wouldn't be a pet then; more like a stray. I prefer keeping cats indoor for their safety, or indoor/outdoor in safe areas, but in my opinion, 100% outdoor just isn't a pet.

[PayItForward]

100% outdoor just isn't a pet

Too right & unaltered too boot

[carole]

Im with payitforward on this one, 100 per cent in agreement with everything you have said.

[carole]

And coolbabe why dont you answer some of the questions being asked of you, i for one would be interested to hear your reponse.

[PayItForward]

Coolbabe doesn't answer these type of questions ? We could be waiting some time for a response