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Cat doesn't want to go outside.
- Thread starter hrp
- Start Date
I can't imagine forcing a cat out either. I had 2 indoor cats (died this summer at 17 and 19years old) One of them was very happy being indoors, the other was always whining to go out. My husband said "She's getting old, let her out if anything happens, at least she was happy" Well, I was nervous, but let her out. She did fine. We have an acre lot on a quiet street and she stayed in our yard and the next door neighbor's. And there aren't a lot of cats in our neighborhood either. And the older she got, the closer to home, she stayed til she didn't go past the porch steps. When they were younger, I used to put them in harnesses and walk them in the back yard.
I've seen 2 lost cat signs this past week --people heartbroken that there cats hadn't returned home. I'd be grateful my kitty wanted to stay in where its safer.
I've seen 2 lost cat signs this past week --people heartbroken that there cats hadn't returned home. I'd be grateful my kitty wanted to stay in where its safer.
I had an inside/outside cat for many years. One day, while I was out of town (with someone coming to let her in and out) she never came home. I never ever found her again. It broke my heart.
When I found Easy, I wasnt sure what her history was, but I didnt let her outside. She cried to go, too. I set her up a spot by the window and would open it (with a screen) everyday and she finally stopped asking or crying to go out. She and the rest are inside cats, where I feel, where I live, they are safe.
It took Easy a while to adjust, but she hasnt "requested" to go out for at least 2 years.
When I found Easy, I wasnt sure what her history was, but I didnt let her outside. She cried to go, too. I set her up a spot by the window and would open it (with a screen) everyday and she finally stopped asking or crying to go out. She and the rest are inside cats, where I feel, where I live, they are safe.
It took Easy a while to adjust, but she hasnt "requested" to go out for at least 2 years.
Cats want to do a lot of things that are not safe, going outside may be one of them but just because they want to go out does not mean it is a good idea to let them... There are just so many dangers IMO it's not worth it for your cat to "have fun" to be exposed to that may dangers. It is all about keeping them safe. As the cat owners it is our job to keep our cats safe and not just let them do anything they want regardless of the threat to their well-being. If you could ask a cat I bet they would want to never go to the vet, never get 'shots' but would you stop doing that because your cat wants you to?
I have seen too many cats get seriously injured or killed to consider letting any of my cats go outside. I would be heartbroken if something happened to a cat I was responsible for, and even more so if I just never saw them again and never knew what happened to them!
Cats can get poisoned (purposefully or accidentally) by so many substances that are common including car fluids/cleaners/plants, they can eat poisoned rats or mice, get attacked by dogs/cats/raccoons/coyotes/foxes/possums/rabid critters, injured by people intentionally or not, run over by cars, trapped in a garage or other building and starved, they can contract any number of serious or fatal diseases (including rabies, FIV, FIP, Feline Leukemia, feline distemper, heartworm, URI--some of these have vaccinations but they are not all 100% effective), they can be caught and kept as a pet or rehomed, end up in a shelter and euthanized, be injured or killed trying to find warmth under a car hood, contract serious internal parasites, used for target practice, sold to animal research, used as bait for training dogs for fighting or hunting, and so on...
These are the risks, what are the benefits? The cat 'has fun'? I think these dangers far outweigh the benefits. With a little effort you can provide your cat with many ways to have fun and keep active and happy indoors while keeping them safe from the huge number of dangers that face them outside.
Cats who are allowed outdoors have a much much shorter lifespan than indoor-only cats. In my opinion this is enough reason to keep them indoors.
I have seen too many cats get seriously injured or killed to consider letting any of my cats go outside. I would be heartbroken if something happened to a cat I was responsible for, and even more so if I just never saw them again and never knew what happened to them!
Cats can get poisoned (purposefully or accidentally) by so many substances that are common including car fluids/cleaners/plants, they can eat poisoned rats or mice, get attacked by dogs/cats/raccoons/coyotes/foxes/possums/rabid critters, injured by people intentionally or not, run over by cars, trapped in a garage or other building and starved, they can contract any number of serious or fatal diseases (including rabies, FIV, FIP, Feline Leukemia, feline distemper, heartworm, URI--some of these have vaccinations but they are not all 100% effective), they can be caught and kept as a pet or rehomed, end up in a shelter and euthanized, be injured or killed trying to find warmth under a car hood, contract serious internal parasites, used for target practice, sold to animal research, used as bait for training dogs for fighting or hunting, and so on...
These are the risks, what are the benefits? The cat 'has fun'? I think these dangers far outweigh the benefits. With a little effort you can provide your cat with many ways to have fun and keep active and happy indoors while keeping them safe from the huge number of dangers that face them outside.
Cats who are allowed outdoors have a much much shorter lifespan than indoor-only cats. In my opinion this is enough reason to keep them indoors.
If you want your cat to go out I think that you should go out with her for little walks and eventually build up. I live on a farm and we have 15 cats outside, 1 indoor cat. Our indoor cat, Baby, just dies to go outside. She loves to go out with her, literally, 15 relatives
, and play! We never have coyotes, thanks to our dog, and our cats never go out on the road because a) they're smart, and b) the road is out of the way for them. Also, our cats have safe places to go. We have a shed where we keep our equipment and they also sleep on the porch. The person above me mentioned that cats don't live as long when they live outside. In some instances, yes, they do. My family had a cat that lived for 15 years.. and she was a tough old cat. She scared stray dogs away once as well! It really depends on your location if the cat would be safe enough alone. If you want the cat to go outside that bad, like I said, I would take her for walks, and if needed, use a leash. Though I know my cats just hate leashes.
If you think the cat can make it outside, then I hope all goes well.
If you think the cat can make it outside, then I hope all goes well.
I won't beat the dead horse--or dead cat--for long but the cat's a lot less likely to get run over by a car in your living room.
There are also fleas, ticks, and heartworm-carrying mosquitoes outside. I figure, you don't let dogs run loose--cats should not, if let out at all, be allowed out without a leash either.
There are also fleas, ticks, and heartworm-carrying mosquitoes outside. I figure, you don't let dogs run loose--cats should not, if let out at all, be allowed out without a leash either.
I had an indoor-only cat, Comere. Then I got divorced (in 1991) and while I was in a state of transition my cat went to live with my dad -- who, FLAT OUT refused to do "the litter box thing." So my very friendly, affectionate, declawed cat became an indoor-outdoor guy.
He LOVED being outside. When he came back to me a year later I didn't have it in me to confine him inside. He stayed an indoor-outdoor cat until he passed away, at 17, in 2005.
Now, mind you, Comere was a home-body. He never ventured much further than the boundaries of our yard. He was very friendly and would have approached anyone who called him. Most often, he just laid in the sun right outside the door. As he got older, he didn't want to go out as much.
He did get hurt. He got into a cat fight and ended up with a bad infection and a huge absess on his leg. It was AWFUL. But he still wanted out after that.
And that is a "good story" of a cat who went out...
When I was growing up my parents had two outdoor cats.
Oliver froze to death. He fell asleep curled up outside in a snowstorm... not more than 50 feet from the back door. My parents were home and calling him periodically all afternoon (from the moment the snow started). They didn't find him until the snow melted.
TC was poisoned. My parents thought at the time it was the mailman who did it. Now looking back, they think it was a neighbor.
The other day I was driving through my neighborhood and thank GOD I drive slow, because most people don't. A little kitten ran right out in front of my car and had it not been for a new car with fantastic brakes I would have hit her/him. I came WAY too close.
Cosmo, my current cat, does not go out. He's been indoor-only since we adopted him. He's "escaped" twice. Once he brought us a mole. The other time we had to catch him because he was hiding under the bushes. He never tries to get out. But if he finds an open opportunity when no one's looking, he'll take it.
Why don't I let him out? I don't want him to get hurt. I don't want him to get sick. Far as I know, he's never been an outdoor cat so he doesn't miss it (we adopted him from a shelter who said he was carried in, in arms, not a box or cage).
My vote - stick with keeping him indoors. If he was previously an outdoor cat and was showing how unhappy he was to be indoors only, I might side with you. But given what you're telling us, keep your buddy indoors and safe. Really, it IS better for them. You will feel AWFUL if something happens that could have easily been prevented.
He LOVED being outside. When he came back to me a year later I didn't have it in me to confine him inside. He stayed an indoor-outdoor cat until he passed away, at 17, in 2005.
Now, mind you, Comere was a home-body. He never ventured much further than the boundaries of our yard. He was very friendly and would have approached anyone who called him. Most often, he just laid in the sun right outside the door. As he got older, he didn't want to go out as much.
He did get hurt. He got into a cat fight and ended up with a bad infection and a huge absess on his leg. It was AWFUL. But he still wanted out after that.
And that is a "good story" of a cat who went out...
When I was growing up my parents had two outdoor cats.
Oliver froze to death. He fell asleep curled up outside in a snowstorm... not more than 50 feet from the back door. My parents were home and calling him periodically all afternoon (from the moment the snow started). They didn't find him until the snow melted.
TC was poisoned. My parents thought at the time it was the mailman who did it. Now looking back, they think it was a neighbor.
The other day I was driving through my neighborhood and thank GOD I drive slow, because most people don't. A little kitten ran right out in front of my car and had it not been for a new car with fantastic brakes I would have hit her/him. I came WAY too close.
Cosmo, my current cat, does not go out. He's been indoor-only since we adopted him. He's "escaped" twice. Once he brought us a mole. The other time we had to catch him because he was hiding under the bushes. He never tries to get out. But if he finds an open opportunity when no one's looking, he'll take it.
Why don't I let him out? I don't want him to get hurt. I don't want him to get sick. Far as I know, he's never been an outdoor cat so he doesn't miss it (we adopted him from a shelter who said he was carried in, in arms, not a box or cage).
My vote - stick with keeping him indoors. If he was previously an outdoor cat and was showing how unhappy he was to be indoors only, I might side with you. But given what you're telling us, keep your buddy indoors and safe. Really, it IS better for them. You will feel AWFUL if something happens that could have easily been prevented.
When I was growing up, we had two cats, Muffin and Julie, who were indoor/outdoor pets. There were also a lot of strays and ferals in the neighborhood, but as far as I know our cats didn't associate with them. They were spayed and vaccinated as kittens, so we didn't worry about them getting into trouble.
Muffin was my favorite of the two. She was a beautiful, glossy black cat, and very tiny. She was an excellent hunter and very healthy because of it - Julie only ate kibble and was never as healthy as Muffin.
Unfortunately, Muffin died at age seven. I don't know what happened, but I suspect that a neighbor poisoned her. Julie, on the other hand, is still here at sixteen years old and doing well.
I do think it's important for cats to get fresh air and sunshine, but they need to be contained for their own safety. I don't want to risk my cats getting hit by a car, or killed by a dog or a cat-hating neighbor. I'm thinking of using a harness and leash for my younger cats, so they can safely go outside. Julie occasionally goes out on the porch, but she never ventures farther than that, so I think she's safe enough at this point.
Muffin was my favorite of the two. She was a beautiful, glossy black cat, and very tiny. She was an excellent hunter and very healthy because of it - Julie only ate kibble and was never as healthy as Muffin.
Unfortunately, Muffin died at age seven. I don't know what happened, but I suspect that a neighbor poisoned her. Julie, on the other hand, is still here at sixteen years old and doing well.
I do think it's important for cats to get fresh air and sunshine, but they need to be contained for their own safety. I don't want to risk my cats getting hit by a car, or killed by a dog or a cat-hating neighbor. I'm thinking of using a harness and leash for my younger cats, so they can safely go outside. Julie occasionally goes out on the porch, but she never ventures farther than that, so I think she's safe enough at this point.
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I think it's in her name
Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom
I think it's in her name
Zissou'sMom is named JulieOriginally Posted by momto3cats
What do you mean?
Oh, I see. Thanks for explaining.Originally Posted by Pami
Zissou'sMom is named Julie
Vaccinations are not 100%, in fact there are a number of infectious diseases cats can contract where the vaccines are not that reliable at all at preventing the disease (not to mention those which do not have vaccines...) FIP vaccine will not prevent FIP. Feline herpes vaccine will not prevent feline herpes (just reduce the symptoms). The FIV vaccine only prevents a couple strains of the disease.
Hello my cat Mica is indoor/outdoor she likes to go out for about fifteen minutes each time. I wouldn't force your cat to go outside if he/she doesn't want to, they may have had a bad exprience outside before. I am not against allowing your cat out (neutered and vaccinated) if that what they want to do, it doesn't seem fair to force them.
I'm not opposed to cats going outdoors, depending on the environment, but I wouldn't worry if a cat chooses not to. I've known quite a few cats who weren't keen on going outside - they are all different. You're giving him (her? sorry - I've forgotten and the original post is not visible) an opportunity to go outside and if he chooses not to go outside fair enough. Please don't try to force him outside, esp during the winter. If you're worried he's not active enough get some fishing rod style toys and play with him indoors
Yes, I know that now. We were very naive in thinking they were safe.
