Okay, first, let me say that I’m not really a cat person and I’ve never had a cat before. So it’s possible that I’m totally fucking up my kitten Max. (That picture’s about a month old, his ears don’t look so giant for his head anymore.) He really, really, really wants to play outside. But I’m afraid he’ll get hit by a car, or get fleas, or…I dunno. It’s outside! Cats are supposed to be inside, right? I just feel like a jerk when he sits by the door and mews pathetically.
Over time, cats kept indoors will stay indoors. Outdoor cats will make every attempt to get out. Yes, they are more likely to get hit by a car or chewed up a dog. Goes with the territory. Chances of survival outdoors increases as the kitten becomes a cat.
It depends on where you live. Here in suburbia, I wouldn’t let my cats outside. It’s too dangerous–too much traffic. In more rural areas, it’s probably fine. On a recent trip to Vermont, I met a huge number of freely wandering cats who were very happy.
When I grew up in Queens, NY, we let our cats out. But they picked up bad habits (have you ever seen a spayed female cat spray in the house? Nasty), killed birds, and got hit occassionally by cars. I wouldn’t do that again.
Get Max a nice soft bed or pillow by the window and he can talk to the birds as much as he wants. He’s young enough; he’ll eventually get over the going-out thing.
It’s just my opinion, but outside is a dangerous place for cats to roam around. Dogs, cars, poisons, mean people, getting trapped someplace by accident. Cats can also annoy neighbors by pooping in flowerbeds/planters as well as hunting songbirds. I would never have an outdoor cat, I would worry too much.
Max is so precious 
I think there can be a balance. My cats are almost entirely indoor, but I will let them have supervised outdoor excursions. For instance, when I am working in the yard, they’re out there with me. I leave the doors open so they can run in if something scares them. I’ve been doing that with them since they were little kittens, and they stick around, not leaving the yard but getting lots of skulking and stalking practice in.
You’re not just being an overprotective mother, there really is stuff outside that can kill a cat. Cars, cat fights that could transmit feline leukemia, etc. Inside cats stay healthier and live longer; we keep our three cats indoors (except for the stray that suckered us into feeding it). The male cat has lately been laying in wait at the door for the mad between-the-legs dash at a few seconds of freedom. He’s actually been making some impressive distances recently. A few nights ago he almost made it into the garage.
My aunt and uncle have fenced in backyard and they sometimes let their cats out to play while they watch, but if we tried that at our house the male cat would be halfway to Venezuela by now.
I don’t think you’re being mean.
Bad things can happen to cats when they’re outside. They don’t understand cars, for one thing: they lie underneath them and/or behind their wheels, they dart out in front of them at the last moment, and they can get up into the engine compartment where all sorts of painful things can happen. Dogs are a danger, and a lot of people don’t like 'em and will do mean things to them.
It can be difficult to keep a really determined cat (especially males) inside, but we always try anyway, and if one should get out we try to give him a little time so he doesn’t run away and then try to get him and bring him back in.
Most cats get accustomed to being inside eventually and will often come to feel ill at ease if they should happen to go outside.
Hope this helps.
Okay. Thanks for your replies, everyone. I feel better about keeping him in now. Even though I’m the only person in town who does. (My coworkers think I’m hilarious.) But that’s why! There are so many feral dogs and cats wandering around, it makes me nervous.
Cats kept indoors are generally healthier and live longer than those allowed to roam: in addition to cars, outdoor cats are suceptible to disease, or could get hurt in a fight with another cat, or could get fleas or ticks more readily, etc.
Cats don’t always know what’s best for them. Your cat probably wants to go out, since there are interesting things there, but as long as there is plenty for him to do and see indoors, it’s better to keep him inside.
One question: is he fixed? The urge to go out subsides considerably when they’re fixed.
I don’t think its mean at all.
I hate my neighbor’s cat. They always leave him outside, so he comes into our garage a lot. My family is always afraid that we will shut the garage door sometime while he is in there, and he’ll be trapped without food or water. I would feel really bad if I found his body in the garage.
Also they can get sick from infected prey. Bird flu has spread to some migratory birds in Europe, and a few months ago there was a German news report about a cat that had died from eating an infected bird.
Our three munchkins are as precious to us as human children. Even more so. Seriously.
The only time we’ve ever allowed any of them outside is on a leash. All three are trained to use a leash. The oldest loves it so much he will stand completely complacent at the door while we put on his harness and leash before going out. Once outside he loves to explore, yet is totally chickenshit at the slightest sound or movement. They don’t go outside much anymore since where we live now has too many hawks and eagles.
Too bad the raptors aren’t big enough to haul away a few of the local kids …
Fortunately, our cats, on the rare occasion that they spend time outdoors, don’t seem to encounter many birds, but I’ll keep a closer eye out now when one of them does get outside. Thanks for the heads up.
Yes, keep him inside. He’ll thank you for that later.
At one time I lived out in the woods and let my cat be an indoor/outdoor cat. Worst flea problem I’ve ever had. I was setting off bug bombs every other week and having the cat dipped. What a nightmare. Really, there’s nothing worse than driving to work and feeling a flea crawling on your scalp (they like humans too).
My cats sometimes do the mad dash to the door thing. They’re smart. They can hear when my car pulls in and know when I’m arriving home from work, they lay in wait just inside the door. I have found that if I shake my keys at them the sound is a sufficient deterant. Unlock the door, open slowly, shake shake shake, cats scatter, I get to walk in the front door unmolested.
Just watch out when the UPS guy or other delivery person comes to the door. In the time it takes to sign/pay kitty will be out the door.
Have fun with your little kitty.
Max is adorable!
It’s thought to be possible for a cat infected with bird flu in that way to transmit it to humans, too.
We keep the Neville kitties indoors, and they seem pretty happy, judging from all the purring.
Our cat is older but she’s always been an indoor kitty - in fact, we couldn’t have adopted her if we’d intended to let her out. But lately, she’s been getting braver - she actually stepped down to the garage step before the screen door closed completely. She is mostly a wuss, fortunately, so a stern word or a hand clap sends her running.
Still, I try to make sure she’s nowhere around when I go out a door.
What cracks me up is when I bring the dog in from her walk - the cat will come over and sniff the dog. I guess she’s getting her vicarious outing that way!
No, it’s not cruel. Your cat is much safer in the house.
We keep ours inside and for the most part they show no interest in going outside. Even if they did, we live on a highway so there’s no way I’m letting them go out. One time a few years back they did get out the basement window. We were scared to death. Our cats are too stupid to be outside on their own! We searched all over town and found one, but not the other. We kind of figured that was it for him. When we got home with the other cat we went down to the basement to make sure they could no longer get out the window. Guess who was there? Yep, he’d come back in while we were out searching for him.
On occasion our back door decides to pop open if it’s not quite shut all the way. Once or twice one of our cats has gone out but no further than the step before coming back in. What can I say? They’re pussies. 
I found my cat in the park.He was probably feral. He was a baby but as he grew it was clear he wanted to go out.
We had a beginning rat problem in our area of suburbia. He ended it. Left dead rats all over my lawn. Killed them a block away and drug them home for me to dispose of. Killed tons of mice. When he ran out he went to park across the street and brought them home.Disappeared about a year ago.
[QUOTE=FairyChatMom]
Our cat is older but she’s always been an indoor kitty - in fact, we couldn’t have adopted her if we’d intended to let her out. But lately, she’s been getting braver - she actually stepped down to the garage step before the screen door closed completely. She is mostly a wuss, fortunately, so a stern word or a hand clap sends her running.QUOTE] Reminded me of a story. Opened the door once to get the mail and my older cat snuck out onto the stoop. Didn’t see her and shut the door. Found her the next day croutched by the garage door. Hit her with the front wheel of the lawn mower. Cat was not in a good mood.