I feel kind of judged on here......

Hi there, this isnt meant to cause conflict or anything i just would like to say that because this is mainly an american site i feel judged by alot of people everytime i post saying i should consider making my kittys indoory cats only.
Now i know there are some other people on here from the uk and i dont know if they feel the same, but everytime i mention something about one of my cats being let outside i get alot of negative feed when in the uk letting cats out is the absoloute norm!
I wouldnt dream of keeping my children cooped up in the house, if they wanted to play out nor can i watch them 24/7 its the same with my 2 cats they are let out and in when they please and have a happy balance.Yes one of them is hurt due to being poisoned outdoors but i cannot keep him in forever for fear something might happen again.

i do appreciate the advice on here though and love reading posts so would like to stay on the forum, just done want to be questioned about my reasons for letting my cats outside.Thanks

Well I for one have no problem with having an indoor/outdoor cat, one of my 6 permanent cats would have found a way to strangle the other cats without her being able to go outside.

Some people on here have opinions that they choice to voice and they have a right seeing as this is a public forum, that is practically open to just about anyone.

I suggest just ignoring any advice that you think is against your beliefs and letting your kitties out whenever you please! Don't let other people influence your choice in staying or not staying on this forum, I've read your posts and do not want to lose a good feline mommy!

Bottomline is theres always going to be someone who disagrees on things like this and you havent got to let it get to you.

It's not just the UK that let their cats out though, plenty of people in the USA and Canada let theirs out, and i don't think it's the "norm" these days because my cats are inside only and i'm suprised at how many people are keeping them inside now.

My parents always let their cats outside when i lived at home, but they never lived to see a long life because they were always run over, and this is something i decided wouldn't happen to mine

Originally Posted by bengalsmum

I wouldnt dream of keeping my children cooped up in the house

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I could take offence at this comment but i won't, because I know my cats aren't cooped up

It is also about doing the best for your cats. I have two. The older one came to us as an adult and was used to going out and about on his own he would hate it any other way. I have a kitten Minnie who is eight months old and as we live near a road she is only allowed out in the garden with us as she is a bit scatty!!it is what suits the situation best.
Ignore negative comments

If your children were apt to roam anywhere in the neighborhood, go over any fence, into any yard, into any street, and you had no way of explaining to them the dangers of cars, cruel people, and cruel animals, I suspect you WOULD keep them in.

In many US areas, it is now illegal to allow an animal to leave your property, and that includes cats.

Yeah I think this is an unfair comparison. The problem isn't so much letting them out. But if you want to compare apples to apples you'd have to consider that every time one of your children went out they'd come home pregnant, or have gotten someone pregnant. Well, that and their human beings and nothing even close to comparable to a simple minded animal.

To me that's the issue. As a volunteer for fostering I can safely say that it's a monumental problem with reproducing cats that puts an enormous burdeon on the community. B ut more importantly than that, is that millions of cats that have done nothing wrong, live lives of disease and misery as the result of careless people. I have a very big heart when it comes to animals, and it honestly bothers me when I drive through my area and see the feral cats, knowing that they are infested with flease disease and sickness.

If the animals are neutered/spayed, I see no reason to keep them inside unless they have a tendency to cause trouble, pick open garbage bags on people's lawns, etc. It's the people that do nothing to hinder their pets reproduction and let them out into the world that way that should have responsibility placed on them.

Letting cats out is pretty normal here in Australia, but it's becoming more common to keep them in or have enclosures in the backyard.

I've always had cats who went in and out as they pleased. When my parents got Chassis, she stayed in for about a year. My mom has actually gotten all 3 of her cats to stay within the fenced garden area of their property!

I waited about 6 months before letting Katina and Monte out. Unfortunately, Monte was killed on Friday after being hit by a car. I never foresaw that, since he always stayed on the 4.6 acres of land (and the house is set ~400ft from the road), but tragic things can happen. He did love being outdoors though, and I'm glad he was able to enjoy that while he could. Part of me wants to deny Katina access to the outside too, but I've always noted my cats seem happy to have the option of being in or out. She's rather skittish anyway and doesn't even go outside the fence (that has no gates anymore ...how effective!)

When our house is finished, I really would like to have a fence, not only to have privacy from the in-laws who'll be behind us, but also to try and deter Katina and her future playmate from wandering out of the yard. Our house will be even FURTHER from the main road, and actually be facing a once-dirt road only 2 other houses share past ours (there'll be 5 houses total on the street).

You do what is best for your kitties. Sometimes terrible things happen, sometimes they do not. If your fur-babies enjoy going outside and you want to give them the freedom to come in and out, then you go right ahead and let them

One thing our members need to keep in mind when replying to posts such as yours is the cultural and geographical differences. Many shelters in the UK will not adopt to anyone that states the cat will be an indoor only cat. You must provide outdoor access for the cat and they will do a home check at times. That's the bottom line. You may or may not agree with it, but that is how it is and you must be respectful of the difference in culture.

If anyone feels they are being attacked in a thread, please remember you have the option to report the post. You can do so by clicking the exclamation point in the red triangle that can be found in the upper right-hand corner of the post. Please do not respond to the perceived attack. Let the Mods handle it. That's what we're here for.

My cats are all outdoorsies They love it and I would not have it any other way.

Don't worry We all feel a little judged on here once in a while. I got a lot of crap for buying Thor from a "back yard breeder." A very nice girl that breeds a few females in her house and cried and cried when I adopted Thor.

I will admit all my cats are indoor only, although, if we lived in the country I would have a cat run built by now (SO says I can't build one in town because everyone will call us "the crazy cat people" ). I don't know what your area is like, but my guess is that it's probably safer than where most of us live in the US. My cats wouldn't last a week outside. We have neighbor dogs that are known cat killers and every now and again I find a dead kitty on the road because someone ran over it I don't even let Thor outside by himself because of all the aggressive dogs that "just get loose."

i dont mean to sound cruel but im speaking through my heart with this one. I personally strongly dissagree with letting cats out unsupervised, as i saw one, that was obviously indoor-outdoor, get hit on the road. It got hit with such force that it flew into the air spinning in circles and large chuncks of fur came flying off. After that i cant even comprehend why anyone would want to risk that with the animals they say they love.

My boyfriend and i had this discussion yesterday, he thinks it ok... i obviously dont. It actually turned pretty heated, but he knows if he EVER let my cat out to run... well it wouldnt end well.

Point being... if you are doing something that someone thinks could risk your animal, you are in for some comments. You cant get hurt by them because the people you are telling that you let them out, are feeling the same hurt that you would risk your beloved animals. You just have to accept that people will have different opinions.

(I am not judging). I think that the stance of the catsite (although I do not know where to find this) is to keep cats indoors.

I live in an area where farm cats are highly prominent. I have chosen to keep my kitties indoors only for their own safety but also because we live in an apartment. Someday if we buy a house I would love to build an outdoor safe enclosure for them or figure something else out.

Also some people can't let their cats outside since they don't own a house like me for instance I live in an apartment but the cats do sit by the open window and plus soon we're going to get a second harness so we can take them outside (It may look weird but who cares right?)

It's funny to me when people say they would not keep the kids in. I did keep the kids in as well as my cats. I live in a not so good part of town. But we have been here 23 years and we pay no money for rent we work it off, we manage the place. Our kids are 30 & 25 years old and they did not go out with out an adult to watch them, we have no yard, they had to play on the front sidewalk, we went to the park and beach and things like that alot. Our nighborhood has many strays, one lady spays them and turns them back outside, she told me 2 of them had something like FeLu? and were going to die soon. Well they are wandering on the block. I find half dead cats in the street with gun shot wounds, people try to hit them with there cars and laugh when they do. The neighbor next to me has pitbulls he set out of the yard to " Get The Kitty". So I really think it depends where you live to what is safe for your cat. My kittens/cats stay in 100 %. I can't afford injury or illness.

K.

Originally Posted by wingss2fly

I find half dead cats in the street with gun shot wounds, people try to hit them with there cars and laugh when they do. The neighbor next to me has pitbulls he set out of the yard to " Get The Kitty".

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Oh that's so sad

you should call the cops on your neighbour thats animal cruelty

Originally Posted by Mer636

you should call the cops on your neighbour thats animal cruelty

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They are busy fighting real crime they say.
K.

what dummies