# Could this idea for a "wilderness retreat for housecats" work?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-idea-for-a-wilderness-retreat-for-housecats-work/517933>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 17, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-idea-for-a-wilderness-retreat-for-housecats-work/517933 "2009-11-17T17:38:57Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-idea-for-a-wilderness-retreat-for-housecats-work/517933/21 "2009-11-23T18:43:41Z")

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I think this plan would work out quite well. I board my cats at [a cageless kennel](http://www.petbedandbreakfast.ca/), and there have never been problems with territoriality. In fact, even with the other cats there, this is better for them than a small enclosure. They got stuck in a small private room one visit due to some health problems they had, which the owner didn’t want to risk the other cats with. After that visit, they were a bit neurotic for a few days. Other visits, they were much happier all around.  
This place isn’t set up as a “wilderness”, but I see no reason it couldn’t be done that way. Check out their blog there to see some photos of what it’s like.

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**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\
**Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-idea-for-a-wilderness-retreat-for-housecats-work/517933/22 "2009-11-23T19:07:16Z")

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> [@hibernicus](#):
>
> A possible explanation (other than killing for “sport”) for that behaviour is that while the wolves will indeed kill all the prey animals they can, they are in fact still killing for food, and if left undisturbed will remain or return to eat.

Sure, but this does nothing to prove the assertion that housecats are the only animals that kill for sport. I’m sure if the housecat wasn’t fed for a while, it would go back and eat that mouse, too.

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