In this thread, the OP begs respondants not to engage in a debate about whether it is okay to let cats outside or not.
I have never heard of the notion that cats should not be allowed outside. This seems completely counterintuitive to me. Could someone explain?
-FrL-
Here’s a cat-centered version of this viewpoint: Indoors Only.
Here’s a wildlife-conservation-centered version: wild bird conservation and outdoor cats.
Sailboat
I guess it depends on where you live. Here in the UK it’s quite common for people to let their cats come and go as they please without worrying about the consequences (apart from the fact that the cats might run into trouble on the roads etc). We don’t have much trouble with people shooting at cats although I know it’s not uncommon for kids with air rifles to think cats are good for target practice.
My own cats have a catflap in the back door so they can get out to the garden, the male cat is a bit wary of the great outdoors so he tends not to go far, but the female cat is a bit more adventurous. Also, we get other cats coming into our garden and have no problem with that as long as they’re not trying to get into the house scrounging food from our cats’ bowls.
Oh, god. You must be tired of living, all I can say.
This is one of those issues that I had no idea was a hot topic before I came here. However, when I did get a cat I made the informed decision to keep him (now them) inside.
Too many hazards outdoors. When I was living at home, I’d lose a cat every few years to something outdoors - usually cars. Or they’d come home with infected injuries from fights or just from getting wounded by something. I’d try to keep them in but my mother was very bad about preventing escapes.
Finally when I was on my own, I could keep my cats indoors and they lived much longer and were much healthier. Cats don’t ‘need’ to be outdoors. It’s been several centuries since they were wild beasts. If they’re raised indoors, they don’t even like the idea of being outside.
They get hurt or killed. They kill birds. A LOT. They pick up diseases. They eat things they shouldn’t. They get picked up by other people.
Cats in the US should remain indoors full time. I know Europeans look at it the opposite way for the most part, but it is best to keep them indoors. Better for the cat and the environment.
We’ve kept our cats as indoor cats. Part of it is that we live on the edge of the woods, with skunk, opossum, coyote, and fox very nearby (we’ve seen them). That and parasite control are probably the biggest reasons for not letting them out. Clarence, our sole male cat, ended up in our care because he’d been found in someone’s back yard after an encounter with something Big and Mean (Another cat? Dog? Raccoon? Car? We don’t know, and Clarence ain’t talking) that fractured his skull and cost him an eye. We couldn’t get him to go outside at first if we wanted to – he was afraid that whatever it was would get him.
Our neighbors kept their cats almost exclusively outdoor (they brought them in only to feed them). One of them died after a few years of this, the other has kept going for 15 years, which amazes me.
**Reasons to not let cats out: **
On average a domestic cat lives 12-16 years but a strictly indoor cat lives 14-20 years.
…a) This means the lifespan for an outdoor cat is actually less than the 12-16 average.
Cats that go in and out of the house are more likely to bring fleas back it.
Cats can cause some damage to wildlife in the area.
If you do declaw your Kitty, you really should not let them out as they have lost their primary weapons.
If your cat is not fixed, you should not let your cat out, as there are far too many cats in Shelters already without homes.
BTW: Feral cats that survive to adulthood still average only a 2 year lifespan.
**Reasons why despite all this, it is okay to let cats out if your cat is fixed and still has its claws: **
Some cats really prefer to go out.
They can reduce the rodent population near your home or in your shed.
It might reduce the Kitty litter clean-up you need to do.
It is a decision you need to make, understand the concerns and don’t let one side or the other make you feel bad for making your decision.
I keep my cats indoors. I have hopes my one older cat will have a 20+ year life. She is small and very healthy and going on 15. She is a great candidate for a long life. She is fixed, she has her claws. She is a very social kitty and extremely friendly. I occasionally feel guilty and selfish keeping her inside 99% of the time, but I selfishly want her to live a very long and healthy life.
Jim
My vet told me that while they usually recommend that cats stay inside, under certain circumstances it’s understandable to let them out. My cat was originally a stray, and she loves being outside. If she can’t go outside she goes nuts, and will stand at the door and cry for hours. For the sanity of all involved, I don’t feel bad about letting her out. Especially since she’s fixed and she’s still got claws.
I have run over one cat with my car, and my dog killed a cat in my back yard. You would have a fit if I let my dogs roam at-will, why should it be any different for cats?
Of the three outdoor cats I had previously;
[ul]Snuffer ate a mouse someone else poisoned,[/ul] [ul]Willie got hit by a car, and[/ul][ul]Max was killed by a stray Chow.[/ul]We just adopted a rescue kitten. They’d found it outside, lost and starving. One of the conditions of the adoption was that it now remain an indoor cat.
Um, resident of rural Colorado checking in here. We have three cats – two are exclusively outdoor cats, one won’t set foot past the threshhold, which is perfectly fine.
Y’see, the outdoor cats (which rarely come indoors except when it’s too cold to sleep in the doghouse) keep mice from overrunning our garage, shop and outbuildings. Here’s a quote from one of the websites arguing that cats should never be let outside:
But that’s exactly why we do have outdoor cats. They kill lots and lots of mice, which keeps the mouse population around the buildings so low that snakes don’t come around looking for a feast (and then hibernating in car engines, etc.) Yes, we occasionally lose a cat to coyotes or hawks (the dogs keep the coyotes pretty much at bay, but nothing you can do about hawks) but that’s life in the country. We’ve been on the place four years now, never once had to buy poison to keep the varmints down.
We do feed the cats, of course, because they don’t eat the mice, just kill 'em and leave 'em. In the spring and fall we find mangled, dead mice all over the place – but not in the buildings, which is the whole point.
We have a bylaw that doesn’t allow for cats outside - now - of course - we have a problem with rabies (skunks coming into the city) and rabbits chewing the heck out of everything. Both problems were helped by the cats.
I used to have an indoor/outdoor neutered Tomcat. He was awesome and loved going outside. I now have a neurotic indoor cat although I love him too.
I understand the reasoning - I just wish it was safer for them outside.
It’s very, very common for outdoor cats to pick up Feline Leukemia…I have had a couple cats die of it, and it’s awful. I decided that from now on, my cats will be strictly indoor cats only. I believe there is a vaccine for it now, but that it’s not always effective, and it’s just not worth the risk to me.
My last 2 cats have been indoor-outdoor cats, free to come and go whenever they want, and free to roam around as far and wide as they want.
One of them died at age 15 from his second bout with cancer.
The other recently celebrated his 18th birthday.
So you have, IMHO, working cats. That’s just fine in my book. Especially being in a rural area, they’re less likely to be run over by cars, but probably more likely to be eaten by coyotes. Whatever, circle of life and all that. But a working cat is a different beast, so to speak, from a family pet.
I can see both sides of the issue, and like so many, it depends on what works for the family, including the cat, and a lot of that is based on where you live. The main thing I get irritated about is people who let their cats outdoors and are then surprised when it gets poisoned, shot, run over, sick or eaten. As long as you know those are the risks, then go for it. It’s very, very much like the “natural” risks a cat would have if not domesticated, unlike outdoor city cats (city cats face more unnatural risks like cars, dumpsters, garbage trucks and rat poison) than natural ones - I do think it’s unfair to stack the deck against a cat in such an unnatural environment and then not protect it.
When I was little, our family let our two cats leave and come back as they pleased. One day, one of them disappeared for two weeks. Came back pregnant (that skank). After that we made sure to spay and neuter all our pets.
It’s fine to let cats outside, but you also have to expect that the cat will have a much shorter lifespan. If you live in a rural area (like where I grew up and had outside cats), they are likely to get eaten or attacked by other animals. If you live in a more populated area, they may get hit by cars or shot at by neighbors. As long as you recognize the dangers that are posed to letting cats outside, I have no problem with them.
I do have problems with people, however, who let their cats outside and then complain if someone shoots them for being on their property. Sorry, but that’s a risk you take. It’s like complaining about getting lung cancer if you smoke.
Head ‘em up, move ‘em out!
Rollin’ rollin’ rollin’
Keep them kitties rollin’
If you keep your kitty indoors to save the birds, I can respect that. You should be aware, though, you are saving the lives of at least four rodents for every bird life you save. There aren’t many studies that tally the prey of domestic cats. The two I’ve seen found at least 80% of the prey were rodents. Among the birds killed, most were very common species. Sparrows were a favorite, for example, and there’s no shortage of sparrows.
Pet cats do kill birds. They also kill lots of mice; let’s face it, they can’t fly, and they can’t run as fast as a cat.