Do cats really need to go outdoors?

[Willowy]

I have three cats. I can tell by looking who peed and who pooped.
A cat may take a very long time to let the human know he or she is sick. Cats HIDE illness. Knowing your cat's litter box habits can often be a way to detect an illness early, earlier than it would be if you have to wait for the cat to finally, finally, ask for help.
How many threads have you seen in just this one forum, about people coming in and complaining that their cat is not using the litter box? People, even with litter boxes, do not know when their cats are sick.
Knowing your cat's litter box habits is very important.
As for anyone who believes it is "worth the risk" because they think their cat "needs be be free" or it is "cruel to keep them inside"..
I saw three dead cats on the road today. Three. This morning on my way to work I saw one on the shoulder of the road. I stopped to make sure..sometimes you know if it just happened, maybe the cat has a chance. Not this one.
Later, on the same road, going the other way, in a different spot, also on the shoulder, I saw another. This cat was not there when I passed earlier so again I stopped. Too late, again.
And finally, late this afternoon, on my way home, a beautiful red boy dead in the middle of the road.
My cats will stay inside. They are not bored or overweight. They are happy, healthy, energetic and fit, and they are safe from cars and all the other horrors I promised to keep away from them, when I took them into my heart and home to be part of my family. :heart3:

Like I've said, sure, it's great to keep your cats inside if they're OK with it. What would YOU do if you took in a cat who howled and sprayed and tore screens off and pulled the dryer vent out of the wall and otherwise panicked when you tried to keep him inside? And did this for months and months and never adjusted?

 

[otto]

Like I've said, sure, it's great to keep your cats inside if they're OK with it. What would YOU do if you took in a cat who howled and sprayed and tore screens off and pulled the dryer vent out of the wall and otherwise panicked when you tried to keep him inside? And did this for months and months and never adjusted?

I don't know, as I have not ever been in that position. All of the cats I have rescued from "the street", even the adult cats, have always been content to stay inside.

I conceded earlier in this thread that there may be some cats who cannot adjust. I know that not all cats are alike. But I think that is a rare exception. I understand you have a cat who you felt was not able to be an inside cat. And I believe you tried everything you could to make him happy inside. If I found myself rescuing such a cat, I would have to find him a home where going outside would be acceptable. I could not live with the constant worry of a cat outside, not to mention the constant worry of what that outside cat might be bringing inside to the inside cats in the way of disease and parasites.

It seems to me that people who "believe it's cruel to keep cats inside" aren't troubled with those kinds of worries, and haven't ever tried to keep a cat in anyway. I know you are not one of those. But I could not live with such worry, or expose my inside cats to disease, fleas and other parasites, by having an indoor/outdoor cat.

Since there is 'no room at the inn' these days, I am not likely to ever have to cope with this kind of situation. The last cat I rescued, last May, after I paid for her extensive dental surgery, went to my local shelter, where she is living a happy life as the Desk and Greeter Cat. She has no teeth, and is missing part of her jaw, and has hyperthyroid disease, but she is very happy, staying inside, at the shelter. She would not have been as happy with me, because she is a real people lover, and I am not. :lol3:

She showed up one day, and I had her in to the vet the next day. I was unable to sleep the entire night for worrying about her outside, even though my brain told me that, judging by her condition, she had been outside for a very long time already.

 

[mrblanche]

I always tell those who think their cats "have" to go outside to read through the "Crossing the Bridge" section of the forum.
 

 

[emilymaywilcha]

I always tell those who think their cats "have" to go outside to read through the "Crossing the Bridge" section of the forum.

That would be a GREAT idea if everyone who had a cat die outside learned the lesson and decided from that point on all cats will stay inside. Unfortunately, some people don't learn anything and let the next cat go out too (which never made any sense to me).

 

[Willowy]

I always tell those who think their cats "have" to go outside to read through the "Crossing the Bridge" section of the forum.

And what of all the cats who are "euthanized" for behavioral problems that may have been mitigated if they were allowed outside? As I said before, nobody makes "Bridge" threads for them.

 

[ldg]

Personally, I think those that work with feral rescues and those who don't will never see eye to eye on this.

 

[catsallaround]

Personally, I think those that work with feral rescues and those who don't will never see eye to eye on this.

  I soooooooo agree!!!  As I have said all along many cats can do fine in house.  But until you have a cat clawing at the door and changing behavior to very nasty you just can not imangine you would not be able to change any cat "given enough time and energy"

 

[thekittysaver]

I think it is better for cats to stay indoors. There are too many hazards and diseases outside. I keep my babies inside free from cruelty, diseases, and cars.

 

[otto]

Personally, I think those that work with feral rescues and those who don't will never see eye to eye on this.

I was thinking along paralell lines Laurie. My thoughts were more along the lines of; people who work with feral cats have a better understanding of how cats do manage, living outside.

But there is a difference between feeding/maintaining a feral colony and letting a house cat roam, don't you think?

People who work in rescue, also I think, have a better sense of how cats can live, outside.

However, because I am who I am, which is to put it in light terms, a worrywart, I could never, not ever, have a cat who roams outside.

 

[emilymaywilcha]

I was thinking along paralell lines Laurie. My thoughts were more along the lines of; people who work with feral cats have a better understanding of how cats do manage, living outside.
But there is a difference between feeding/maintaining a feral colony and letting a house cat roam, don't you think?
People who work in rescue, also I think, have a better sense of how cats can live, outside.
However, because I am who I am, which is to put it in light terms, a worrywart, I could never, not ever, have a cat who roams outside.

Yes, there is a huge difference between feeding ferals and letting cats roam. That difference is roaming cats are homeowners with everything they need - food, water, literboxes, toys, beds, furniture, etc. So they don't need to roam; they just do because they want to, unlike completely feral cats who won't even come near the hands that feed them.

 

[thekittysaver]

I think it is great that some of you work with ferals. I was referring to tame cats that belong to a household. I read that life expectancy of ferals is only 2 years. When they are trapped and fixed are they vaccinated for diseases?

 

[ldg]

  I soooooooo agree!!!  As I have said all along many cats can do fine in house.  But until you have a cat clawing at the door and changing behavior to very nasty you just can not imangine you would not be able to change any cat "given enough time and energy"

I was thinking along paralell lines Laurie. My thoughts were more along the lines of; people who work with feral cats have a better understanding of how cats do manage, living outside.

But there is a difference between feeding/maintaining a feral colony and letting a house cat roam, don't you think?

People who work in rescue, also I think, have a better sense of how cats can live, outside.

However, because I am who I am, which is to put it in light terms, a worrywart, I could never, not ever, have a cat who roams outside.

Well... I'm not sure that I was thinking about it in terms of those that work with ferals have a better understanding of how cats can manage outside. That may be a factor in it, I guess. Like you, otto, even with the ferals I worry constantly about them. I haven't seen Dot in three days now, and that's unlike her. It has happened before, but.... I worry MORE about the feral cats, in fact, because I have no control.

I was thinking more in terms of working with those cats that we don't know if they ever lived inside or not. Whether ferals being socialized or apparent older strays being rescued (that we have no idea how long they lived outside) - if a cat is tearing the safe room apart to get outside, it just doesn't matter what the background is. You give it what time you can to see if they'll settle down or not - but some cats you can just tell are not going to be happy inside.

When providing advice to people in the ferals forum, we encourage patience. But sometimes within a few weeks - it may take a few months - there comes a time when for the MENTAL HEALTH OF THE CAT, you just have to open that door. :dk:

And of course there's a difference between house cats and a feral cat colony.

We have a feral (or former barn cat?) that is starting to show curiosity about the door and inside. If we lived in a house, we'd probably let him be an indoor/outdoor roaming cat. But if we lived in a house, we'd probably have a large enclosure for the ferals, BECAUSE I don't like worrying so much about them. :lol3:

 

[ldg]

I think it is great that some of you work with ferals. I was referring to tame cats that belong to a household. I read that life expectancy of ferals is only 2 years. When they are trapped and fixed are they vaccinated for diseases?

Your information isn't correct. Of course, it depends on the area (rural vs urban). But yes, most TNR groups vaccinate for rabies. There's no point in vaccinating for distemper, because it requires a 3-week booster, and no feral cat is going back in a trap in three weeks. FeLV is only 70% effective, so it's a waste of money, and FIV is a very area-specific vaccine (there are different strains of FIV), and it's only effective in some areas of the southern US.

Here's a GREAT overview of cats in TNR programs. This is a survey just recently conducted and released by Alley Cat Rescue.

From the survey:

If you need proof that many cats can live long lives in colonies: One quarter of the groups report that their colony cats are 6 to 8 years old. Thirty-five percent report their cats are between 9 and 12 years old, and over 14% report feral cats 13 years old and some even older!

Here's the link to the summary results: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/alley-cat-rescues-national-feral-cat-survey-157263395.html

 

[otto]

Well... I'm not sure that I was thinking about it in terms of those that work with ferals have a better understanding of how cats can manage outside. That may be a factor in it, I guess. Like you, otto, even with the ferals I worry constantly about them. I haven't seen Dot in three days now, and that's unlike her. It has happened before, but.... I worry MORE about the feral cats, in fact, because I have no control.
I was thinking more in terms of working with those cats that we don't know if they ever lived inside or not. Whether ferals being socialized or apparent older strays being rescued (that we have no idea how long they lived outside) - if a cat is tearing the safe room apart to get outside, it just doesn't matter what the background is. You give it what time you can to see if they'll settle down or not - but some cats you can just tell are not going to be happy inside.
When providing advice to people in the ferals forum, we encourage patience. But sometimes within a few weeks - it may take a few months - there comes a time when for the MENTAL HEALTH OF THE CAT, you just have to open that door. :dk:
And of course there's a difference between house cats and a feral cat colony.
We have a feral (or former barn cat?) that is starting to show curiosity about the door and inside. If we lived in a house, we'd probably let him be an indoor/outdoor roaming cat. But if we lived in a house, we'd probably have a large enclosure for the ferals, BECAUSE I don't like worrying so much about them. :lol3:

Oh dear. So the worry doesn't stop because they are feral and used to outside living? Yep, I would not be cut out for that.

I don't know how you could ever have an indoor/outdoor cat though, with your indoor cats, especially Chumely. A cat who free roamed would put Chumley at risk every time he came back in the house.

Of course, if you had an outdoor enclosure, that would be different.

I think, if I were faced with this kind of situation, like you say, I would know within a few weeks if I was going to have success converting a cat into an indoor cat. But if I saw failure looming, I would have to find the cat another home. Hopefully, with the cat only being with me that few weeks, I wouldn't have bonded much, but....I don't let go well either, so I pray I am never faced with such a challenging choice.

I have a friend facing stage 4 cancer. She has a cat and a dog. I know she has other cat loving friends of the type who, like her, let their cats out. I hope she has arranged with one of them, if the unthinkable happens, that they will take her cat (and dog. I would hate for the two animals to be separated.) We haven't talked about this. Not yet anyway. I love her boy very much but I think he would not be very happy in my home compared to the life he leads now. He'd get much better nutrition and his health would be better, but my home is not in a safe area for roaming cats, even if I COULD live with having a cat who goes out on his own.

 

[ldg]

Well, Chumley already HAS FIV. :lol3:

 

[otto]

Well, Chumley already HAS FIV. :lol3:

 

[feralvr]

Well... I'm not sure that I was thinking about it in terms of those that work with ferals have a better understanding of how cats can manage outside. That may be a factor in it, I guess. Like you, otto, even with the ferals I worry constantly about them. I haven't seen Dot in three days now, and that's unlike her. It has happened before, but.... I worry MORE about the feral cats, in fact, because I have no control.
I was thinking more in terms of working with those cats that we don't know if they ever lived inside or not. Whether ferals being socialized or apparent older strays being rescued (that we have no idea how long they lived outside) - if a cat is tearing the safe room apart to get outside, it just doesn't matter what the background is. You give it what time you can to see if they'll settle down or not - but some cats you can just tell are not going to be happy inside.
When providing advice to people in the ferals forum, we encourage patience. But sometimes within a few weeks - it may take a few months - there comes a time when for the MENTAL HEALTH OF THE CAT, you just have to open that door. :dk:
And of course there's a difference between house cats and a feral cat colony.
We have a feral (or former barn cat?) that is starting to show curiosity about the door and inside. If we lived in a house, we'd probably let him be an indoor/outdoor roaming cat. But if we lived in a house, we'd probably have a large enclosure for the ferals, BECAUSE I don't like worrying so much about them. :lol3:

Absolutely on the same page here :nod: On two counts. One the worry for the ferals, for me, is great even more so than my indoor kitties. We have no control over their safety. Each day we wonder if that will be the last day you see them. :shame: Two - trying to conform an adult feral cat to a socialized/domesticated life within close proximity to humans indoors, may very well be cruel. It is worth a try, of course, to socialize, and usually you can tell rather quickly (within weeks) which life is better suited for that particular feral. Sometimes, the best life for these types - is the outdoors under the care of a feral colony caretaker. But - oh the worry. Their life is harsh to us but to them, they know no difference and the outdoors is the healthiest way, mentally, for them to live out their lives.

p.s. for little Dot..... (and that is what we are talking about above - OH THE WORRY (and the wrinkles and grey hairs :lol3

 

[otto]

Absolutely on the same page here :nod: On two counts. One the worry for the ferals, for me, is great even more so than my indoor kitties. We have no control over their safety. Each day we wonder if that will be the last day you see them. :shame: Two - trying to conform an adult feral cat to a socialized/domesticated life within close proximity to humans indoors, may very well be cruel. And the best life for these types - is the outdoors under the care of a feral colony caretaker. But - oh the worry. Their life is harsh to us but to them, they know no difference and the outdoors is the healthiest way, mentally, for them to live out their lives.

I absolutely agree with that. I would never attempt to bring a feral cat inside. I know people who have done so. My mother has socialized many ferals, adults too. She has a gift. I do not have that particular gift. But she was also able to let the ones who just won't be socialized, back outside. I've rescued several "from the streets". but none were feral and even the adults adjusted to being inside. I'm not belittling myself, I just know my limits. I did adopt an unsocialized cat from the shelter (My Mazy cat) but she was not feral. Challenging, yes, unsocialized at six months old, but not feral.

So we're talking about a cat tame enough to be rescued easily, brought inside and made into a house cat, except that there is sometimes that one cat who, even though he sought people out, just cannot adjust to being inside 100 %.

 

[thekittysaver]

Well I really don't know so I'm not surprised that my info was incorrect. I've rescued some cats that need a house to live in. When it comes to feral cats I've always just let them go about their way because I've considered them "wild animals." I'd like to help them but I've always feared being scratched by one and catching something. I really don't know if humans can catch something from a feral other than rabies. I've read that cats can get rabies but it isn't very common. I could be wrong. I just joined this site and I'm feeling like I don't know anything about cats. lol
 

 

[otto]

Well I really don't know so I'm not surprised that my info was incorrect. I've rescued some cats that need a house to live in. When it comes to feral cats I've always just let them go about their way because I've considered them "wild animals." I'd like to help them but I've always feared being scratched by one and catching something. I really don't know if humans can catch something from a feral other than rabies. I've read that cats can get rabies but it isn't very common. I could be wrong. I just joined this site and I'm feeling like I don't know anything about cats. lol

 

We all are always learning, that's the beauty of the site And I'm sure you have lots to contribute, too.

Rabies is not as uncommon as you might think. But there are other diseases. Bartonella (cat scratch fever) is a possibility and can be extremely serious. Any cat bite can be dangerous, heck any cat bite IS dangerous.

Working with ferals certainly isn't for everyone. The people I know who do, including members here, have my highest admiration.