# You’re wrong about your outdoor cat **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 14, 2019, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766 "2019-10-14T22:27:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/61 "2019-10-16T15:28:23Z")
Our three-legged cat was a true hunter – in his own mind, anyway. He was 99% indoors but snuck out whenever he could. I once saw him launch out after a _deer_. He was still catching (but not killing) indoor mice until a couple of weeks before he died at age 17. ---
**Author:** ![Kovitlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kovitlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kovitlac)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/62 "2019-10-16T16:52:35Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > My wife and I are debating getting a mouser for inside the house to help deal with the mice that sneak into our 75 year old house from the surrounding field but we only want a killer and a 50/50 odds is too much for my wife who doesn’t really like cats. Would you be able to take in a farm cat/kitten from someone else? Would likely really raise the chances of it being a killer, rather than getting one from a shelter (as much as I do promote adopting from shelters). ---
**Author:** ![Kovitlac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/2bfe46/32.png) [@Kovitlac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kovitlac)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/63 "2019-10-16T16:58:24Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > I’m quite sure my indoor-outdoor cat doesn’t catch birds because a) I’ve seen her try and she was crap at it, b) why wouldn’t she bring them in proudly like she does with mice? How is it we never see any bodies? > > Also, ‘all cats are perfectly happy not being let out’ is an extraordinary claim, thus requiring extraordinary evidence. It’s not true of all humans, so why would it be true of any other naturally-roaming species? > > Happy to keep her in when we’re visiting summer that has native wildlife. But that’s about it Cats can all be happy inside, especially if they’re kept that way from the beginning. How can they miss what they’ve never experienced? Play with an indoor cat, let it exercise, and it’ll be absolutely fine. Honestly I don’t care much about birds, but I DO care about my cat, and I care about him not meeting a grisly end via larger animal, car or antifreeze. He’s even less likely to become sick staying indoors. Sure, you can have the odd outdoor cat that lives to be 17, but the chances of that are far less likely than for an indoor cat. And I’d rather give my cat the best chance of a long life. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/64 "2019-10-16T17:10:45Z")
Well, all I can say is, our vet advised us to keep the latest kitty cat in till at least six months - which seemed reasonable to us - and we gave it a red-hot go. Her escape-artistry was too much for us. First got out at age three months. From then, got progressively harder and harder to catch her and bring her back in each time (she’d see us coming, and spending all day inside was not on her to-do list for the day). Can’t remember if we made it all the way to six months or said “fuck it” at five or so. We have windows. She sees the humans going in and out. She sees all the other cats on the street going about their business. She ain’t stupid. Of course a cat can be interested in what they see. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/65 "2019-10-16T18:19:01Z")
Forgive me for being **that guy** , but why _should_ I care? Last time I checked, neither sparrows nor whatever else Maui can get his jaws on are on any endangered species list. We’re not running out of birds in southeastern Missouri. ---
**Author:** ![Macca26](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Macca26](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Macca26)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/66 "2019-10-16T18:53:48Z")
Yeah, I honestly don’t care. Cats deserve to be let outdoors if the local conditions are right, and in some cases even then they aren’t, for the mental health of the cat. If we are going to give a shit about birds, first we’ll need to stop building glass skyscrapers. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/67 "2019-10-16T19:25:53Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Forgive me for being **that guy** , but why _should_ I care? Last time I checked, neither sparrows nor whatever else Maui can get his jaws on are on any endangered species list. We’re not running out of birds in southeastern Missouri. Recent article about the large decline in bird populations in North America: > **[North America Has Lost 3 Billion Birds, Scientists Say](https://www.npr.org/2019/09/19/762090471/north-america-has-lost-3-billion-birds-scientists-say)** > > Researchers estimate that the bird population has fallen by a quarter since 1970. More than 90% of the loss can be attributed to just a dozen bird families, including sparrows, blackbirds and finches. > [@Macca26](#): > > Yeah, I honestly don’t care. Cats deserve to be let outdoors if the local conditions are right, and in some cases even then they aren’t, for the mental health of the cat. If we are going to give a shit about birds, first we’ll need to stop building glass skyscrapers. Yeah, guess there is nothing we can do until we bulldoze cities. Once we are done with that, then we can move onto other bird killers, but pet cats are at the end of that list. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/68 "2019-10-16T20:31:59Z")
I do feel bad about the baby birds my cat eats (and yes, they’re all juveniles). And no, it isn’t thousands, but maybe dozens per year, though he’s only four and already his hunting is slowing down a lot. He also eats baby rabbits like crazy, but I don’t care so much about them. I may consider putting a bell on his collar. But I’m _not_ going to consider locking him inside. That’s insane. I’m sure _I_ would be safer cooped up indoors 24/7 too, but I don’t want to be. And I can _guarantee_ you my cat doesn’t want to be indoors all the time. Why should I involuntarily imprison my friend? ---
**Author:** ![AwesomeJim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@AwesomeJim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwesomeJim)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2019, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/69 "2019-10-16T22:11:20Z")
Personally, I believe that keeping a cat locked indoors (excepting some exceptional circumstances) is unethical. My cat goes crazy if I keep her shut in, and will always try to snake through the crack in the door as I leave, in a desperate bid for freedom. I think some posters here underestimate the intelligence of cats; they are clever animals, and smart enough to know if they are being kept a prisoner. Cats are (to varying degrees) roaming animals, and need their territory. To keep a cat locked up is no better than to keep a chimpanzee or an elephant in a cage. Better not to have a cat at all if you can’t let it outside. But, with that said, I think you should have a cat. They have lived by our side for thousands of years. A true friend to humanity, and one of the few examples of a self domesticating animal. Just have sharks have their pilot fish, so we have our cats! We must protect nature, yes. But lets face it, people do more harm to nature than cats could ever do. From what I see splattered along the side of UK motorways, I think cars kill far more wildlife that cats. Why not look at cutting back cars first? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/70 "2019-10-17T00:24:18Z")
> [@AwesomeJim](#): > > Personally, I believe that keeping a cat locked indoors (excepting some exceptional circumstances) is unethical. My cat goes crazy if I keep her shut in, and will always try to snake through the crack in the door as I leave, in a desperate bid for freedom. I think some posters here underestimate the intelligence of cats; they are clever animals, and smart enough to know if they are being kept a prisoner. then the ethical solution is to _not have a cat as a pet_ instead of turning it out there to slaughter native animals. > [@](#): > > But, with that said, I think you should have a cat. nope. they’re native to Africa, invasive, and devastating. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/71 "2019-10-17T01:46:55Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > …they’re native to Africa, invasive, and devastating. You’re talking about humans, right? ---
**Author:** ![pmwgreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@pmwgreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pmwgreen)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/72 "2019-10-17T01:52:22Z")
Once upon a time, we had a huge population of people, cats and birds around here. Things were fine up until a couple of decades ago, then West Nile virus hit and suddenly there wasn’t a bird in sight. They’ve been coming back slowly. I don’t believe the cats have any effect on bird populations. When I was a kid we had outdoor cats, but now I wouldn’t feel right letting my cat out. It’s only that I don’t want something bad to happen to her. Of course, our cat has always been afraid to go outside. She is now eighteen and has medical treatment five times a week. She still seems happy, but she’s been an old lady most of her life. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/73 "2019-10-17T02:03:58Z")
> [@SmartAleq](#): > > Putting a bell on the cat does nothing to protect birds, but putting a brightly colored scrunchy on the cat in lieu of a regular collar absolutely does. The birds will see the bright colors moving around and react appropriately, whereas a bell means absolutely nothing to them. A scrunchy on the cat is pretty safe even if it gets caught on something cuz the cat can then wiggle out of it. Hit the dollar store and stock up on the brightest, gaudiest scrunchies you can find, the birds will thank you for it. Problem with that is that you are making your cat an easy target for predators, making it harder for them to hide and to quick run through brush to get away. For my cat I made sure it was not noise making, non reflecting, and dark color. The reason for the collar was to activate her cat door, so could’t use a breakaway. As for birds, my cat is a mouser which she proudly brings home to me. I don’t think she ever brought home a bird. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/74 "2019-10-17T02:40:47Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > You’re talking about humans, right? Them too. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/75 "2019-10-17T03:10:10Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Last time I checked, neither sparrows nor whatever else Maui can get his jaws on are on any endangered species list. We’re not running out of birds in southeastern Missouri. [Eh…well…](https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/bachmans-sparrow) In fairness your cat is not the primary threat, habitat issues are. But every little bit hurts. Besides it was such an _easy_ target you painted for me - sparrow, southeastern Missouri ;). ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/76 "2019-10-17T06:51:45Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > Forgive me for being **that guy** , but why _should_ I care? Last time I checked, neither sparrows nor whatever else Maui can get his jaws on are on any endangered species list. We’re not running out of birds in southeastern Missouri. Well, as long as your ok with it. You should call the journal Science and tell them that you’re not running out of birds, it will be a relief. > [@](#): > > The number of birds in the United States and Canada has fallen by 29 percent since 1970, scientists reported on Thursday. There are 2.9 billion fewer birds taking wing now than there were 50 years ago. > **[Birds Are Vanishing From North America (Published 2019)](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/science/bird-populations-america-canada.html)** > > The number of birds in the United States and Canada has declined by 3 billion, or 29 percent, over the past half-century, scientists find. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/77 "2019-10-17T09:36:23Z")
Predators gotta predate. It’s the circle a life. I dunno - I live in a city with huge amounts of well-fed street cats and huge amounts of birds, which means that somehow, a state of equilibrium seems to have been achieved. Of course, I live in the Middle East, which is the cat’s natural habitat, and I’m sure the birds here have adapted to them. In fact, one major problem we have here is invasive bird species, like budgies and mynas. Hopefully the cats will help keep their numbers down. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/78 "2019-10-17T10:10:43Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > Problem with that is that you are making your cat an easy target for predators So, win-win! ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/79 "2019-10-17T17:46:27Z")
> [@pool](#): > > Google tells me that the global population of birds is around 400 Billion, I see birds every time I go outside in the morning, which doesn’t mean there population hasn’t been in decline, just anecdotal observation. Ok cats kill birds, I accept that, my next question is does it matter, is the world going to end or something? Seeing birds outside has less than zero to do with global population declines, especially when you have no idea whether you are seeing an invasive species which is one of the few that thrives in human-constructed environments or some rarity. Once again, I will point out, in a calm, reasoned, fact-infused manner, for those who have no consciousness of the almost infinitely complex web of life which enables and supports all human beings no matter how bizarrely artificially they might themselves live: you have no fucking idea how much it matters that bird and insect populations are plummeting. You have no fucking idea. Yes, it is a first sign of the end of the world, at least of the world that sustains human beings. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2019, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766/80 "2019-10-17T20:32:11Z")
Yes, predators eat birds. What does it matter if some of those predators happen to live with humans who give them cutesy names? If anything, the ecological imbalance is probably that there are fewer predators now than there should be, since we’ve hunted the wild ones to near extinction. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-re-wrong-about-your-outdoor-cat/841766.md?page=5)