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Outdoor vs Indoor

post #1 of 16
11/11/06 at 8:34pm
Thread Starter 
Just wondering, my cat is a indoor cat, and for some reason my friend is bugging me saying I am being cruel to her for that......is it THAT important that I let her out, even though I live in a 12 story apartment building lol.
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post #2 of 16
11/11/06 at 8:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drew&Cleo View Post
Just wondering, my cat is a indoor cat, and for some reason my friend is bugging me saying I am being cruel to her for that......is it THAT important that I let her out, even though I live in a 12 story apartment building lol.
Personal opinions vary regarding whether cats are better off with time outside or not. Given your personal situation..I would recommend that you keep your cat indoors only. Cats that are indoor/outdoor are subject to a lot more dangers than indoor only cats including predators, poisonings, getting lost, getting run over and contracting diseases from other cats. Each person must weigh their own situation and the safety of the environment they live in before determining if to allow a cat to have any time outdoors. My personal opinion is that if you were to allow a cat to have time outdoors, it should be on a harness and it should be supervised. An outdoor cat enclosure is also acceptable...but I've known far too many horror stories of cats who were killed or got lost after being allowed outdoors unsupervised.

Katie
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post #3 of 16
11/11/06 at 8:42pm
I agree with Katie ... I let my girls out in THEIR BACKYARd which is fenced and cat proofed ... but for many that is not an option...

If your kitty and you are happy with being indoors you arent hurting your cat in anyway
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post #4 of 16
11/11/06 at 8:43pm
I had indoor cats for years, and they were perfectly happy. The kitties I'm living with now went outside before I moved here, otherwise they would be indoor kitties as well.
You are not cruel at all. In fact, considering your living situation, I think I might be irresponsible to let the cat out. As long as your kitty has things to look at, some toys, and most importantly your company, I think it is fine.

Just my opinion of course

Irene
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post #5 of 16
11/12/06 at 3:30am
Your friend has the erroneous opinion that a cat needs to be outdoors. This is not true, and you are saving your cat from a horrible death or serious disease by keeping it indoors. Read the forum..outdoor cats get eaten by wild animals, stolen by cruel people, run over by cars. I can't understand why the canard of 'outdoor cat' needs to be perpetuated...even if they do not die, they can become injured in fights, kill local birds and animals, and get pregnant. Males spray and create nuisances.
Dogs are not allowed to run around outside loose. Cats should be similarly restricted.
the only reason any one ever let cats outside in the past was so they could 'do their business' outside. Now, with improved litter and litterboxes, there is absolutely no reason to do this.

My girl plays 'outside' in the hallway of the apartment and is otherwise perfectly happy to stay indoors. I'd recommend the same for your kitty.
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post #6 of 16
11/12/06 at 6:19am
Except for the barn kitties and my first cat (indoor/outdoor) ALL my cats have been indoor cats their entire lives and they were happy. As long as you have plenty of toys, a good tree house scratching post near a window, your kitty will be happy, healthy, and a lot safer!

Your friend is buying into the myth that cats should go outside. Far more dangers outside - stray dogs, cruel children/adults, poison, leg hold traps, not to mention FELV, FIP, parasites...list can go on and on.
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post #7 of 16
11/12/06 at 6:32am
There are some kitties who don't like to go outside. All of my babies were rescued from local barns so were born outside. Holly is the only one who has shown any desire to go outside. And usually she only goes as far as the porch or maybe to sun on DH's car. Dianna, however, who was about 8 weeks when we rescued her from the barn, will leave claw tracks the length of your body if you pick her up and get anywhere near the door. She hates outside!!! I live on 79 acres with hawks, owls, and coyotes so I don't like to let anyone outside. But since Holly is 18 lbs I don't think a bird will carry her off.
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post #8 of 16
11/12/06 at 5:44pm
If us humans had everything we need at home to make us happy we would never venture outside our doors. I guess the same with cats if we were certain what made them happy.
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post #9 of 16
11/12/06 at 6:11pm
ya i have 2 outdoor cats and thats because there arent alot of houses or cars around my area and they dont really go far, they were just that way. Midnight was meant to be an indoor cat but he always tried to escape he likes to walk around and willie he goes out and pretty much stays by the house in our huge yard or out in front. Bella now she was an outdoor cat but we are keeping her as an indoor cat and she really i dont think has a desire to go outside (i Hope) she pretty much stays up with me because of the dogs. Stormie we are trying to make her an indoor cat as well and hopefullly it works because she is used to being in we let her downstairs a few times a day but she is still too small to stay down here and the fact that her and bella sleep on me or around me i need them to fall asleep lol !~ So seeing your situation I would keep the cat an indoor cat, tahts better off and I dont know if this is true but i read somewhere that indoor cats as long as they get their excerise tend to live longer but i dont know if that is true or not! Kepping them as indoors you are protecting them from alot of dangers outside as well
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post #10 of 16
11/12/06 at 8:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drew&Cleo View Post
even though I live in a 12 story apartment building lol.
I think that says a lot about being able to let her out

Seriously though,don't feel cruel about keeping her in if thats what you want for her.
That is the ONLY way to give her the longest and healthiest life possible.

Some people do think it's cruel keeping a cat indoors, if I lived on a farm with lots of farmland I would feel a bit cruel too.
But knowing what I know about all the dangers of life for a cat outdoors i think it would be cruel to let her out.imo domestic cats are no different than kids they don't know the dangers out there so they can not defend themselves.
Just being a domestic cat makes them trust things that we would see as dangerous,My domestic cat escaped and was missing for a while and was brought back to me with a crushed leg after falling asleep under a parked car,now a feral cat on the otherhand will always sleep with one eye open

There are some very good harnesses for cats on the market nowadays if you do want to take her for walks and fresh air
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post #11 of 16
11/12/06 at 8:41pm
I would never let my cats outside. Well, I take them out on a lead oaccassionally, but I would never let them roam. If I'm cruel for keeping them inside...I can't imagine what I'd be called for letting them out where they can get hit by cars, eat rat poison, or get picked up by dogfighters looking for bait.
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post #12 of 16
11/12/06 at 10:15pm
I would never let my cats outside either. I dont think its cruel at all to keep them indoors. If they are used to being indoor only, they have no idea what they are missing outside, therefore I dont feel it is cruel. They will live longer, healthier lives indoors.
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post #13 of 16
11/13/06 at 1:08am
I think you should go with your own gut instinct and tell your friend to butt out! (politely of course! assuming you want her to continue to be your friend). Tell her you've thought of the advantages and disadvantages of both keeping her indoors and letting her out, and have decided it's best if she's an indoor cat. If she's truly your friend she'll agree to disagree and accept that it's your cat and your decision to make.
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post #14 of 16
11/13/06 at 11:38am
I used to be horribly against ever keeping a cat or any pet for that matter indoors! I grew up in south africa and I never had a pet that was kept indoors so for me it was cruel! since moving to England and getting a cat for the first time and making the one mistake of letting him out unsupervised I learned my lesson! Yes he loved being outdoors in the grass and playing with bugs but his life is so precious that when we moved I decided to make the transition and I've never looked back (ok...it's only been 4 months!) but he has now almost forgotten about "outside"!

Your friend is like what I used to be like... now I know that I am doing the right thing for my little furry man and by the way he now gets spoiled rotten, I know he loves me more for doing it!

Your friend may not understand why you do it but at the end of the day, it is your cat, your friend, and your companion and you are not being selfish in anyway by ensuring he/she receives the best care you can offer!
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post #15 of 16
11/13/06 at 11:40am
I would never let my cats outside either. I love them too much to increase the risk of something bad happening to them!
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post #16 of 16
11/13/06 at 12:09pm
I wouldnt let my baby out for all the reasons stated previously and so many more! I think I would die if she ever got out!

I live in a double house (my mom on the 2nd floor house, and me on the first)and her Golden would kill Ceci without thinking twice about it, which is one of the main reasons she will never go outside. There are so many more though. Having someone scoop her up and claim her as their pet, getting poisoned, run over, hurt, eating something she shouldnt have.

Even if I knew she could be outside without anything happening I still wouldnt because ticks are as abundant here as flies over a dead body, and I hate the thought of flooding her with chemicals, and I wouldnt want her to go outside and bring fleas/ticks and other things into my home.

She has tons of toys, plenty of love and good food, I think she loves being inside! She was even originally an outside cat, she was found as a kitten inside a bucket of motor oil, but she definately doesnt care if she gets to go outside, she actually runs if the door is opened!
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