Now I know why I do not let my cats roam....

The other night J and I were driving home and we saw these 2 cats run across the road. Had to turn around get something and go back. Now they were on a car, no problem.
Came back home and both of them must have went back across the road and as I came down the street both of them darted out in front of me (I was rolling down the street, thinking of these cats). One cat was a good 5-10' away but the other one was almost directly under my wheels.
I slammed on my brakes just in time for both to run across the road Had I not been looking for them Im sure I would have hit one if not both cats.

Why have cats if they do not live indoors? At least most of the time???

im with you. specially if you live in town, or by lots of traffic. if you have an outdoor cat its only a matter of time before it gets hit by a car and thats sad.

I'm also with you! There's always SOMETHING that could kill a pet outside no matter where you lived.

Growing up with my parents, if it wasn't the road that took them, it was coyotes! Or fights with racoons etc etc.

So sad. My buggars don't go out without their leashes on.

Mine have leashes but also a cat run (a stake in the yard w/3 leashes coming off it) they can use.

My sister thinks Im silly/stupid for NOT letting my cats out to wander... but I do not want to risk them getting hit, eaten (bears and eagles) or getting some incurable disease!

I think it just depends on where you live. Definetely if you live in town or in an area of high traffic they should either be fenced in or kept indoors. I have some outdoor cats but we live on a big farm with lots of room and very little traffic and most of them are ferals that have come to us and I couldn't keep them all inside.

I can relate, but in a different vein. This evening is the first night it hasn't been in the 40s here in Florida, so I let my cats out on the screened porch. There is a neighborhood cat that is allowed to roam, and sure enough, there he is outside the screen picking a fight with one of my cats. Squirt has enough sense to come in, but Joey feels obligated to get all puffed up and hiss at him to defend the territory. It's annoying. Who knows what disease this one has picked up being allowed to roam the neighborhood? If they aren't outside, he has, on occasion, jumped up on my living room window sill and started trouble through the glass!

Outdoor vs. Indoor....... Let me tell you my story (it'll be short). I had a cat ( he just passed away ) who I used to let out all the time. I lived in avery rural area, and always felt guilty for not letting him out, so he was free to roam. Boy he loved it. About 6 months later I moved to an apartment on a fairly busy road, it does have a yard in the back, so I figured why not?
1 month after that I was leaving to go do laundry with my boy friend and as we pulled onto the road, there was my cat. I FREAKED! My boy friend ran out into traffic to pick him up (mind you people wre wizzing by not giving a care in the world). He was alive, thank God. After jaw surgery and a couple months of TLC he seemed better, despite his broken tail.
I decided then to never let my cat(s) out again, no matter how much guilt you feel, it is their safety at stake. If you give them all the love and toys they need, and a nice window with sun, they can be perfectly happy indoors with their people.
( Incidently, my cat passed on from FIP- please educate your selves about this disease- it's devastating)

I think the indoors/outdoors debate depends on your cat, and where you live. I live on the corner of two main streets in my city. There are no safe, "green" spaces near where I live, so it was a no-brainer that Ivo would be an entirely indoors cat. I've given her a kitty condo to look out of the window, and feed the pigeons to give her something to look at. When the weather is OK, I open the window a crack so she can smell what's outside.

My Dad and his cat Pumpkin live in a different situation. Dad has a house on a cul-de-sac, where there is little car traffic. Also, he lives in a developed area, so natural predators are a small concern. His cat is content to sit on the front stoop or the back porch, and shows no inclination to wander. So, in that case, I don't think it's a bad thing for my Dad to let Pumpkin out.

I'm sure my opinion is not in the majority, but I think it's extremely important to consider where you live and your cat's personality before you decide whether or not you let your cat out.

I understand what you're saying. the other night we had a BAD snow and I was coming home late from work and I almost hit two cats running around out in it! I just about freaked! I got home and told my s/o about it and he couldn't believe it either. some people just don't deserve to have animals I swear! Especially if they are going to let them outside in the cold, snowy, rainy weather. I am talking single digit cold..