but for the cats and other small wildlife that cats prey upon...

with less risk of disease, fights, and the general wild life out doors.

wandered off to whatever end ,it's definately a hard decision.

the whole time.

too many of my pets died prematurely one way or another from having to be kept outdoors. I still feel the pain for them and myself.

It attracts Coyotes even in the city which will kill and eat your cat! Cat food outside also attracts RATS, ,Raccoons and skunks.

Cats getting too close to space heaters.
Cats roaming and hiding in washing machines and dryers.
Hiding in closets or wedged in drawers.
Getting stuck in crawl spaces.
Chewing on wires and extension cords.

All of these and many more hazards inside and out as well.

Also, I'm a firm believer in "outdoor cats are not pets".

Years ago, I told my brother and sister who'd "adopted" a stray cat not to get too attached to it unless they were planning on making it an indoor cat. They didn't, and sure enough a week later I was burying it after it either got attacked by another animal or hit by a car (the injuries were difficult to diagnose).

All MY cats are indoor.

while I do have one indoor/or supervised kitteh, the others are working animals

there are still a few of us left in the sticks, not EVERYBODY is an urban pet servant.

My mom's family are ranchers.

As suburban kids visiting for the summer we learned the outdoor cats were NOT pets. My sister has the scars that prove it.

Most of my life I've lived places where either cars or coyotes keep the population of outside cats in control. Where we live now it's the invisible suburban coyotes.

I'm also a bird watching person and I don't like the neighbors' cats hunting in my yard. My dogs know that... heh. They are not cat killers, heck they leave the rats alone, but they sure love a good cat chase.

and has been since I got her 17 years ago. Her companion tomcat is no longer with us, but he was an indoor/outdoor cat who made the transition fairly easily, not even trying to get out after the first couple of months. There are too many predators here in the desert: two legged, four legged and winged.

And they always will be.

But, I feel bad for my cat. I tried to get a second cat. I followed all the instructions trying for one month to slowly introduce the newer cat to my cat.
He kept attacking her. I gave her to a friend now she has a good home.

I just feel bad for my cat. I live alone. Just seems like a sad boring life for him. Sometimes I think a shorter and more exciting life would be better for him. Yet, I know I will always keep him inside.

At work I go to a lot of different homes. It drives me crazy when I see birds in cages. Especially when it is one bird in a cage. It makes me so sad.

If you provide them with lots of high perches, toys, and windows to look out, they'll be happy. Put up a bird feeder. Hide treats so they have a chance to hunt. Play with them. And, don't forget that they sleep something like 20 hours a day.

Mine daily gets to go out on the balcony, and I sometimes take her for walks with a leash. But the important thing to do is give them variety and work!

Them something to look and listen to and even swat at on the computer if you loop it.

I've seen videos of cats that people left them their iTouch or whatever and when the screen started to screensave and go dark, the cats smacked it to get it going again.

Other than that, a good window with something great to look at is an alternative. And there's always catnip!!

and something for the cat to lie on inside. My indoor cat never gets bored with watching the birds that come to "his" feeder.

One of our activities that we all do together is watch out the window at the critters in the jungle back there. Yogi, especially, can't wait until morning so I will open the blinds for him to look out the window. Sometimes, he asks at night and looks at me like I'm supposed to make the sun come out so all the critters will come back and he can watch them. I've had to explain to him several times that we'll have to wait for the sun to come out before the birds wake up.

I know what you mean about the short exciting life versus the safe indoor life. I pondered that exact question a lot. Then my cat got injured while outdoors and it's suspected that a neighbor (since gone) with problems was harassing cats in the area. That was enough for me, and my cat.

I've set up perches at a couple windows, and leave the window open a crack for the smells of fresh air - they love that.

Also, I leave out different "toys" for them to play with. And by toys, I mean amazon boxes, tissue paper, netflix envelope strips, loofas.

Keep changing the toys. Hide some for a month or so, then it will be new again. Also, hide it in a bag with catnip. Depending on your cats age, there are toys that he might play with - things that hang on doors and elastic strings. Amazon has some great cat toys.

Oh, and a nice TALL scratching post. Mine is 6 feet tall with a nest on top, so they get exercise climbing.

My cats keep me amused, I figure I can try to do the same for them.

They are wands with a feathered thingy at the end of a flexible part attached to the hard wand.

I also have two cat trees, so they can chase each other up and down them and use them as attack perches when I wave their toys at them.

they also love these little mice with a rattle inside. They are covered in real rbabit fur and the cats really like that (thank you bunnies!)

for outdoor cats. My baby is curled up beside me right now. He will not be an outdoor cat, ever.

It should've been just another work day I wasn't there, and I'm glad I wasn't, for it traumatized her. 20 years later, she still honks her horn before starting the car.

Excellent post. There are places where kitties can roam free in relative safety, but not many.

I have had indoor/outdoor cats all my life and paid for problems with cat fights, diseases they catch, had one get run over by a car, had a coyote get one and after that got my indoor ones.

We also have a number of semi feral cats who have taken up residence in our barn and yes, some of them have ended up as coyote chow. We have taken at least 5 or 6 of the female cats and had them fixed in order to keep the cat population somewhat in check, but we need those cats to kill the critters that dig holes and tunnels in our pasture.

I don't know where those outdoor cats came from. We've lived here for 25 years and there have always been some around. I'm glad they're here. If you live in a place like this you will appreciate the need for outdoor cats.

She was feral and adopted me....She brought me her 6 babies a week or so after she showed up the first time.

We placed all of her kittens and I tried to bring her into the house, but she would have none of it.

She got hit by a car or murdered by a neighbor - I don't know which, a little over a year after she showed up the first day.

I REALLY wish she could have lived indoors.

Last edited Thu Jan 12, 2012, 09:39 PM - Edit history (1)

Too many dangers. And they seem to find plenty to do.

windows and has his cat perch by one. He loves to watch cars go by. He found me when he was lost as a tiny kitty and wants absolutely nothing to do with outdoors than to look out an interesting window.

Nope. I know what's out there. Not ever going back.

It's the youngsters who were raised indoors that want to go exploring in the big wide world.

And everyone loves the windows! I had my window ledges made wide enough for cats.

I drove an MG and the top had a bunch of snaps. One side never hooked on right. One day I came out and found a kitten under the gas peddle. I took him to the vet and checked with the local SPCA to see if he was lost. No one ever claimed him so I got him his shots and had him spayed when the time came. He lived for fifteen years, moved to CA with me, survived the north ridge quake. I loved that crazy cat. His name was Chaos. He was pretty happy living inside.

I know she used to be an outdoor cat before I adopted her, but thankfully she shows no interest whatsoever in it now. She knows she's got a good thing going in here.

...just a few months ago. His name was Coconut and he was a beautiful yellow tabby who weighed 20 pounds. He
was so sweet.

He was my 11-year old daughter's cat that she adopted from the shelter when he was only 10 weeks old.

The police called our home at 7:30 in the morning, and I took the call. The officer told me that they had our cat, and
at first I thought they found him, discovered his identity from his chip and were going to bring him to us. Turns out,
he was hit by a car. It was one of the most painful, horrible days in our family. I had to tell my daughter what
happened. The police left Coconut here and my girls begged to see him. He did not have any visible injuries. He
just looked like he was sleeping. My girls wanted to see him and say good-bye and so I let them. We made a stepping
stone and buried him in the backyard. This spring we'll plant flowers over his resting site.

My daughter still has a hard time talking about Coconut. They were so closely bonded. When I would tuck my daughter
in at night--every night, Coconut would wander in her room. He would wait until we were done with our nightly
chat and hugs and kisses. When I left, he would hop up on her bed and sleep next to her.

We all miss him so much.

Please--Don't allow your cats outside.

Long time animal person, here, and I have stressed this same thing to countless people, especially to those adopting any new rescue.

I have been the unfortunate owner of many "working" animals in my time, critters who became the most expensive "livestock" on the farm, after they were the hapless victims of beasts with longer claws and sharper teeth than they and I was forced to spend literally thousands of dollars on either saving lives or ending suffering. I lost more than one wonderful mouser, to a neighboring farmer's poison, set out to protect his cribs from the prey my kitties were out hunting...deaths worse than anything one can imagine, I might add. I've had beloved dogs' faces ripped to shreds by more than one wild animal and tho the badgers and skunks and coons did lose those battles, blind woofies just aren't quite as efficient at protecting one's flocks, nor is one who has lost his nose and the ability to smell anything, at all.

I've had only indoor "children" for the past twenty-five year and currently am keeping herd over three once-feral cats. I often do wonder if I'll awaken some day without my eyeballs, since after many years of sharing our living space, they still all hate one another, but I would never in a million years return them to the harsh, dangerous elements that they were rescued from.

If I don't let DuPree out, he exacts "kitty revenge" on my stuff. Not only did this lead to hundreds of dollars of ruined electronic gear (cat pee instantly destroys any circuitry with which it comes into contact), but he would have electrocuted himself eventually if this continued. This cat will not tolerate being kept indoors.

We live in the country, at the end of a dead-end road, and I fenced-in the yard to keep out any critters big enough to be a threat to our kitties. This is a smart kitty, if he wants to get in, he bumps up against the wind chimes to let us know. When I was growing up, we had a cat who used the door knocker.

(It's nothing to do with the litterbox, we have 3 for 2 cats and keep them clean. He's quite willing to use the catbox when needed except when he is retaliating for not being let outside for an extended period).

They also mark (pee) more often.

Sounds like he needs neutering. If not, kitty might also be trying to tell you he has a health problem that needs attention.

Either way a trip to the vet would prove beneficial to both of you.

He is quite willing to use the litter box when it is cold or raining, or if has had enough of the outdoors for the time being.

We have had outdoor cats and indoor cats, sometimes both from the same litter. There is no accounting for it.
Forcing an outdoor cat to stay indoors all the time makes for a very unhappy cat. So we provide the safest outdoor environment we can.

Guess I can't take the pledge.

Really?

Amazing the things you learn here.

Besides killing your strange onslaught of gophers, they're very good at decimating song bird populations for example.

And the poop and pee that your cat isn't leaving in your litter box? It's being deposited in your neighbors' yards, gardens, and landscaping.

When we're out front in the summer our bushes reek of the stench of pee from neighborhood cat(s) allowed to roam free. Ironic, considering we are responsible cat owners and keep our two indoors.

But so long as their owners don't have the hassle and mess, it's all good, huh? Viva la gopher cats!

Cats eat a lot insects, which are much easier to catch, and small rodents, such as gophers and mice.

In California, legally allowed gopher poisons are so mild, they don't work that well. It's been a LONG time since 1080 has been allowed. One of the roads off Interstate 15 near here is called, "Gopher Canyon Road".

What did I do to deserve your ire? Answer a question in brief?

and they keep the birds from eating the tomatoes in our vegetable garden. That's another of those useful things.

Our neighbor doesn't mind the cat pee/poop, in fact she asked for some of the used kitty litter to put around her garden to discourage the gophers when DuPree is busy in our yard (DuPree has the run of both yards, which are jointly fenced-in). The other neighbors all have dogs, which tends to discourage further exploration by our kitties (even though the our downhill neighbor's dogs are smaller than the cat, he runs away from them. I think their yapping hurts his ears).

Our other cat, Dark Star, has caught his share in his day, but now he is too old to catch anything, and is sitting in my lap as I type this.

Try reading my post again.

like to fight on my front porch in the middle of the night for some reason. I really wish my neighbors would take your advice!

Their cats don't fight on my porch. They fight with my cat in the window. It's really annoying. I also worry about the outdoor cats (and the kids), because the idiots in my neighborhood think all the streets are a fucking drag strip.

my cats were all outdoors. i love cats but my mother did not. later on, i had a stray calico who would not stay indoors. she did end up getting hit by a car and survived. however, she lived only about 8 years.

now i have Luke and Lola. he will be 13 this year, Lola's 14 now. they've never been allowed outdoors. they are the longest living cats in my long life with cats. by many years.

He had a broken jaw that healed but he could never eat anything hard after that.
Except for potato chips. He liked them and would eat them very slowly.
He was also extremely timid for the rest of his life.
He lived lived another 12 years after the accident.

We have coyotes going through our backyard -- and we live in the city of Portland.

We use swinging cat doors to provide access to both indoors and outdoors. Frankly, I think it's the best thing to do-- it provides access both ways, so that our cats can choose for themselves. Some of our cats only go outside for a few minutes every few days, preferring the safety and comfort of indoors. Some of them are just the opposite, coming indoors only at night, or during bad weather.

They're all neutered, of course, and even the most outdoorsy of the lot doesn't roam much beyond the confines of fenced yard. We live in a relatively safe neighborhood for cats-- I've lived here since 1999, and have shared the house with 15 or so cats during that time (eleven currently living, but not all here now, although most are still in the neighborhood). Not one has been killed by predators, traffic, or anything other than old age or, in one case, degenerative disease.

My cats are happiest when THEY get to choose whether to go outside or stay indoors. And they're well fed, so they don't hunt. Much.

He has the safety of inside, but access to outdoors is important to him, and this is a quiet neighborhood.

You can't walk cats the way you can walk dogs - not this cat, anyway. I can't imagine forcing him to live his entire life inside.

Pretty much identical situation. They're very happy cats and mostly stay indoors or out in the fenced yard when the weather is warm.

run around the neighborhood unsupervised.

I'm frankly shocked that so many people admit to doing this.

These cats were rescued from the streets. I think they know a thing or two about how to survive. Probably more than most adult humans.

Cat's, like most animals, make "informed decisions" constantly. And they've been making habitat choices since long before domestication. (I'm not anthropomorphizing-- just the opposite, actually. Human nervous systems are built upon the common foundation that all mammals share, cats included. And my cats are WAY more capable than a human toddler!)

I offer my cats care, attention, kindness, and love. I don't require them to live the way I want them to live any more than I have too-- they are mostly rescue kitties who are quite capable of choosing whether they want to sleep indoors in a sunny spot or prowl the backyard. Trust me-- these cats let you know when they're unhappy, in no uncertain terms. They are absolutely happier when they can come and go than when I confine them, as happens occasionally when one is sick, or when we're out of town for more than a day or two.

Around these parts, which would be San Diego county, I've been advised by a sheriff that the law grants ownership to an outdoor cat to the community. Now, I've never actually checked that law, maybe someone around here knows if it's true or not. But my understanding based upon his verbalization to me is that you can only own an indoor cat. If true, this would also apply to microchipping, if the law says you don't own an outdoor cat, then there's nothing to stop others from feeding and or trapping them, and failing to return them, except for goodwill towards others, neighbors particularly.

We still don't allow our young offspring to run loose unsupervised. (Well, some cavemen probably did but their genes didn't make it very far up the family tree I imagine.)

Before you tell me again about how your poor kitties long to feel the wind in their fur, tell me instead:

If they were capable of realizing that their penchant for outdoor time will cut their lifespan by a full two-thirds .... and that they will likely die a grisly, painful death from cars, bigger outdoor animals and other perils ... would they still choose that for themselves?

Or would they rather choose the lifestyle they deserve, snuggled up safe inside with ample food and water and the people who love them?


Just a rhetorical question of course.

Last edited Thu Jan 12, 2012, 09:55 PM - Edit history (2)

Of the fifteen cats that have lived here with me over the years-- as well as others elsewhere-- all but one are either still living and quite healthy (oldest is currently 13+) or died at well advanced ages (generally greater than 15, one lived to be 19). Now I do know that with good care, indoor cats sometimes do outlive that, but at what cost, and an equivalent number die statistically early too, just like indoor/outdoor kitties. Again, I've done it both ways-- I HAVE occasionally lived places where it was patently unsafe to let my cats outdoors and as noted above, I occasionally have to confine a sick one or all of them when out of town for extended periods-- and I can say unequivocally that they are indeed happier when the cat door is open than when confined. Cats are very good at letting you know when they're not pleased, LOL. What gives me the right to take that choice away from them? Just to make me happier or more confident that they're safe? When they are entirely capable of choosing for themselves?

The one exception died of kidney failure at seven years old, very tragic. Search for my post about it here and I guarantee you'll weep along with me. There is some possibility that her kidney problems might have been caused by something that she got into outdoors-- perhaps someone's stored antifreeze-- but we'll never know and there's no reason to assume a priori that she wasn't simply predisposed to kidney disease. She was a rescue kitty who had metal shot in her abdomen, so she'd lived a hard life at the beginning anyway. Her last five years were spent laying in the sun wherever she chose, sitting in laps, and sleeping in the pile o' cats on our bed at night. All her choices.

So my experience has been that properly cared for indoor/outdoor cats don't live short, brutal lives at all-- just the opposite, they live plenty long, and love their freedom to choose where to be.

on edit-- I forgot one other early death, a purebred Siamese male who died of FUS at 18 months, but his problems were quite obviously genetic. He was, in fact, a completely indoor kitty because he was not neutered yet. One of the current herd is his son, which was why we hadn't neutered him yet. He was a gorgeous cat, and we bred him with the (then much younger) current grand dame of the house, that 13+ year old Siamese I mentioned above.

sorry it just is NOT anything to be ashamed of

As shameful as dumping your fish and reptiles into local waterways because they "want" to be "free."

Entrusting the well-being of your cat to an environment which in large part is hostile to its presence is exceedingly shameful.

My cats RULE the yard, LOL. They are not victims of their environment. They are intermediate predators who, being well fed, can spend their days relaxing in the sun, which is what they mostly do-- cats in a "hostile environment" are anything but relaxed. The cats I know don't chase cars or run down the street unless they're being chased (and then they don't run down the street either, they DISAPPEAR-- try chasing a cat in a neighborhood it's familiar with. Poof! It's gone.).

What makes you think a small town neighborhood in a rural setting is a "hostile environment" for cats? In many ways, I think its the perfect environment. They did not evolve on couches and cushions, you know.

I also have 2 dogs and when I let them out the kitty bolts with them. She's pretty savvy though and she knows enough to stay inside during the winter.

I have never had a cat before that refused to use the litterbox. This cat was given to me last year by a friend as a kitten.

When he was young, he did use the litterbox when we first got him and kept him isolated in the bathroom at first. (isolated from the other animals we ahve).

But then, as he grew, and we let him roam the house, he would not use the box. We attempted to get him to use the big cat litter box, he refused. We got him his own box. He refused. We tried all kinds of litter, he refused.

We had him neutered as soon as he was old enough. It didn't help. We buy special food that supposedly helps with urinary problems. Nothing has worked.

As you can imagine, this leads to pissing all over the place. My carpet is in ruins. I had to remove the padding in one corner.

My friends say they would not tolerate it and take the animal to the pound. I could never do that.

We tried to keep him on the upstairs deck at night with his own litterbox. He didn't use it. Just peed all over the deck. Then it got cold and I felt terrible with him outside (It doesn't snow where I live, so not that cold, but still), so now I leash him at night on a little couch in my room, and he has a big bell on him so I can hear him if he is moving around. I let him out first thing (5 am) when I get up so that he pees outside. Then we keep him out most of the day unless we are there and can watch him.

We have 2 other cats and 2 little dogs. Keeping him out means that we have to lock the kitty/doggy door which is causing other problems with our other animals, who do go outside to potty, or use the indoor litterbox for the cats.

What are my options? I don't want to take him to the pound. The person who gave him to me won't take him back (and I really do love the guy)

I live in the country and I am not worried about the cold, but I do worry about this neighbors german shepard who I see roaming (fortunately there are a lot of trees and I pray the cat will always be able to escape), but then there are bob cats and even mountain lions in our area, let alone other critters that could potentially attack him.

I just don't know what else to do. I have never ever had a cat that refused to use the box. I clean it regularly, I use expensive litter, I've tried the less expensive brands too. Nothing works with him.

Cat Attract Litter? I think that is what it is called, Petsmart or other specialty pet stores should have it. It is supposed to make the cats want to use it. I have two outdoor cats and three indoor. They would all be indoor if it were up to me but it's not unfortunately. The outdoor cats live on my back vegetable porch. I got a big plastic storage container for them, turned it upside down so it would be plenty big enough for both of them and put an outdoor heater in it for them. I think it keeps them pretty warm. I also put some rugs, blankets, etc., in and around it to insulate it better.

.... but I just looked it up on Amazon and am going to give it a try. Thank you!!!

let me know if it works for you.

You might also try some Feliway (stress reducer) at the same time. I think it comes in plug-ins too.

For a wonderful resolution!

I do cat rescue and you don't know how many times I've heard "We can't find Tiger [insert name of cat in question]!!! We let him out last night, like usual, but he didn't come back this morning!!!"

Cats are safer indoors. If possible, it is a wonderful thing when owners are able to provide a confined outdoor enclosure for the cats to enjoy. But above all, keeping them safe is paramount.

Thanks for a resolution that makes this perfectly clear!

I hold her harness up & she runs over & jumps on the desk where I have good light to clasp that tiny little clasp. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm silly, walking around the yard with a cat on a leash, but she loves it.

My other cat, a pound cat who was found on the street - well, someone was not so nice to her - people? animals? Not sure, but she was in rough, rough shape when she got to the pound. She didn't go up for adoption for 2 months while they took care of her health issues. Part of her tongue is missing. One of her ears is flat. And she is such a love! So happy to be safe, warm & fed.

So yes! Keep your little ones inside or very, very close if outside.

K&R

... and still pretty healthy for her age and a great friend here in my house. It's funky knowing that she's older than many college freshman now!

And I don't dare let her outside where I live. I've got video of two raccoon cubs wrestling on my back porch balcony. I'm sure in the last year there's been a raccoon's nest right next to my house some place. The closest she's gotten outside is about a few feet out of my garage when I'd left the door to my garage ajar once when I was briefly going outside through the garage.

She's wise now too though and doesn't try to run for it when I go to scoop her up to take her back inside. I think she realizes that the world might be too scary for her now outdoors.

I even feel lucky myself in the neighborhood I'm in, as this last Sunday night I missed by just a few minutes driving down a local hazardous road where a horrible accident happened shortly later that killed a 10 year old kid and almost destroyed their car. I found about it later when I tried to drive back up the road a half hour later and it had been sealed off, and saw more about it on the 11 PM news. When the pic here of this car driving in the same direction could have been easily been me if I'd been driving a few minutes later than I did, I have enough concerns driving through this area, let alone let my cat outdoors near here...

When they did die, it was kidney failure, except for one that died of cancer. Not cars or coyotes.

Their job requires them to be outside where they keep the Veggie Garden, Chicken Coop, and outbuildings free from small rodents.
They are very good at their job,
and very happy with their life.
They are Dual Purpose House/Lap pets too,
have access to the house 24/7 through two Kitty Doors,
and are well socialized, and have excellent indoor manners.
They are neutered, and visit the Vet once a year for checkups and vaccinations.


They are awesome creatures, and well loved here.

and do NOT like to go out when the wind is blowing.

If I lived in a city, they would probably be inside only cats, but where I live, they help out.

and I've fed them, neutered them, and gotten them vet care when needed. Trying to 'lay hands' on 2 of them is a real job. I also have 2 adopted rescue dogs that live inside and would be very happy to dine on cat.

was an feral, outside cat until he came by my house. Now he is sleeping on the back of my couch, never to go outside again. He is the biggest baby.

Mostly in back yard on my grill, sometimes watching kids come home from school in driveway..

I think he would be mighty depressed when I go for work and he says "meeow moooo moo" and I have to say, "sorry, intertube poster person said no".

I think he has lived healthier for it.

Kimiko

an opportunity to break them of the habit of going outside.

Of course, I live in an urban area, in a condo building with security doors and no appreciable outdoor space. They like to watch the world out the windows, and they have a lot of toys at their disposal.

I respectfully disagree with the OP. I think it is cruel to confine them to a house and take their claws away from them.

All the indoor cats I know, including my 5, look much better in the house than as a cat tortilla on the road or in the back of a buncher's van or as a coyote's dinner. I actually used to feel as you do until I tried it and saw how quickly they adapted and made the studio their playpen. And since then, we haven't lost any cats to stupid avoidable stuff.

deer or cows. They do hate the inside from what I can see though.

I just found one this week that was dragging itself across our property on two front legs because her back legs were out of commission. They probably had to put her down. My mom had two cats run over here before I convinced her to keep hers inside. I don't think it's a matter of being smart. They're cats. Their brains aren't wired to pay attention to cars in all the ways cars can hurt them.

1,110,000,000 Hits! (Pun intended)
Maybe people should be forbidden to go outside too?

We were forced to live in an apartment in urban St Paul for a year while transitioning from our Houseboat to our place in The Woods in Arkansas. During that year, we kept out cats indoors for their safety.
It was the right thing to do for them, but they didn't like it much.
We went to extremes to keep them challenged, entertained, and emotionally healthy during their confinement.

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They are Working Cats here, and earn their Living by keeping the Veggie Garden, Chicken Coop, and out buildings free from small rodents.
They are happy and healthy, and so are we.
The confinement to a small apartment in St Paul was as hard for us as it was for our Cats.

and the way cats do.

And your story about your working cats is very nice but humans are storymaking animals, not cats. I can make a story about how Patty was Mom's working cat out on a hunt or even, working security, when she was mowed down but she'd still be dead so my story would be lost on her and on Mom. There is nothing idyllic or even narratively satisfying about being roadkill or about having to deal with your cat when it becomes road kill.

That's why a lot of rescue groups won't even adopt to people who will let their cats out. If what you are doing is working for you, that's great but it doesn't mean that your situation generalizes or even, that it will continue to work.

And there's plenty of critters roaming around more than capable of eating a cat.

Quit trying to tell me how to raise my kids and pets. Also, quit trying to tell me who I can and can't engage in intercourse with, what I can and can't smoke and, last but not least, what skin I should or shouldn't have had removed from the circumference of my penis.

Thanks!

But on a serious note, my kitty is too much of a pretty-boy to go outside.

The only time they go outdoors is when they are in their pet carrier on the way to the vet or on the way to my mother's house during tornado watches.

When I was a kid, the cats that I played with (feral cats) had to be outdoor cats because my grandmother wasn't allowed to have pets indoors.

In that time, 4 were killed by cars, 2 were ripped apart by packs of roaming dogs, 1 died of leukemia (this was before the leukemia shot was available), and one got hit by a motorcycle and died. It was heartbreak after heartbreak. It just ripped me up inside every time one of them got killed because I got so attached.

I vowed to only have indoor cats as pets when I grew up. That is JUST what I do now. I don't want to take a chance on them getting out and getting killed is such horrific ways.

Plus, they get to watch the squirrels and the birds and rabbits and now, a hawk, out the window and I get to enjoy the squirrels and the birds and whatever else I see out the window, because I know they'll be back the next day. My cats seem to enjoy watching the wildlife from the window and nothing has to die in the process. It works out nicely.

He was raised as an indoor cat and doesn't try to go outside. He does like looking out open windows though.

I once adopted a cat named Jack. Jack was very cool. Jack was a feral that the rescue place had spent 6 months socializing. He was an awesome cat that behaved like a dog. There was no keeping him in though. He loved the outdoors and we eventually gave up fighting to keep him in. He was with us a very happy 7 years and then one day we are pretty sure he because lunch for the local Coyotes. I miss him terribly but when he was confined he was miserable. When I adopted another I went for an indoor kitty.

They have regular vet care and warm places and 24/7 access to the house if they wish through the dog doors, but they have free choice on where they'll be, and they take their jobs VERY seriously as mousers. Since we're a fairly large farming operation that means the three of them have a job to do in the house, the main barn and the two outlying barns.

I've never lost a cat to any "outdoor danger" when they have far too many rodents to hunt down right in the barn yard and house. I have caught strays in the raccoon traps in the barn lofts and will take them immediately for shots and neutering (I have an agreement with my small animal vet whose EXTREMELY accomodating). They then become part of the pack. Sometimes one of my clients will fall in love with one of the barn cats and i always let them go - I KNOW more will come. I have no idea if those cats become indoor -only cats but honestly it doesn't matter. I know the cats already understand how to survive outdoors and I never even think about it if a client takes one home. More will come.

well, one bolts for the door whenever it's open, but usually gets to the driveway, gets scared and runs back in right away.

We've always had cats in pairs, usually brother and sister from the same litter. They keep each other occupied during the day, when there's nobody home.

Sid

...then you don't really know your cat.

One must earn quite a bit of respect from a cat before they will consider you a member of their Hunting Pride,
and allow you to join them in their World.
Cats are AWESOME Top Predators,
and they are spectacular in their element.

We let the cats go outside, but all the cars have to stay inside. Did wonders for the air quality too.

Seriously, the cat is already out of the bag so to speak on impacting wildlife. Our cats mostly catch rodents which is a very good thing in the country. Occasionally, they get caught which is sad for us and the cat, but a cause for a celebration for the coyotes which last time I checked are also wildlife. Maybe wildlife only count if they have feathers?

As with most things in life, one size or life choice does not fit everyone. Many cats can thrive being kept indoors, but every cat I've ever had demands to be able to go outside once they get a taste of the outdoors. Now if they demanded to get their own credit card or cigarettes I'd probably draw the line, but letting them take their chances outdoors is within my tolerance zone.

It's basically kitty AIDS... their gums get infected, the lose their teeth and then have to eat soft food. They usually lose tons of weight and then die.

My ex had a cat that she let out often. He got into a scrap with another cat (don't know if it was someone else's or a feral) but he contracted FLV (at the time they didn't vaccinate for FLV, I don't know if that's still the case or not). Now I keep my kitties inside, which isn't too hard because they're afraid of everything.

There are lots of dangers for outdoor kitties.

It's a simple vaccination, with occasional boosters. All my indoor/outdoor cats get tested and vaccinated before they're let out the cat door. We've been lucky so far, given the number of cats we've fostered or rescued. None came to us with FIV.

That's one circumstance where I do confine my cats-- when sick-- and FIV is incurable and easily transmitted, so an FIV positive cat would be best kept confined, both for it's own health and for the sake of all the healthy cats in the neighborhood.