Do your cats go outside?

Mine do both, outside time is daytime, but all my cats were basically ferals- strays to begin with and were used to life outside, it was very hard trying to
keep them in. Since I have lost 3 to the woods around me..... no more jumping out the door at night ... they all knew how devastated I was when those babies left my world!!! so they don't have a problem coming in at night!
Monique

Originally Posted by roobear

I really am surprised, i never realised there were so many indoor cats. I guess my place is pretty safe. We have good size garden surrounded on 3 sides but 20ft walls and one buy the house, then the rope walk at the back. Neither of them go further than that and i don't think Max ever goes even that far. They don't have access to busy roads because we don't let them out the front, that would be far too dangerous and stupid. My cats would hate being indoor cats they are too used to being outdoor and i feel it would be unkind to keep them in all the time, from what you have said i expect alot of you probably think the opposite but i guess its a matter of opinion and i know my cats and you know yours.

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It does seem surprising to find so many indoor cats, but it isn't really - it's a cultural thing. Here, in the UK, it is the cultural norm for cats to be indoor/outdoor. That is something that is changing now, but most cats are still allowed to be outside. In fact, when we adopted Felicity and Tippy from the RSPCA we would not have been approved for adoption unless the kitties had access to the outside.

It is difficult keeping a female inside inside until they reach the 6 month spaying age here, but it can be done and if you want them to be an inside kitty here then it's just going to be the norm for that cat anyway.

Although our two rescue kitties were indoor/outdoor (as is Addie, our former feral/stray); our two pedigrees are indoor only. They have a very full life. We keep them vaccinated and flea/worm treated because of their contact with the other girls and take them for walks on the leash in the garden.

Felicity is the only one of our kitties who goes beyond the garden boundary and even then, she stays within a very small area.

There are arguments for both sides, especially here in the UK where we don't have the issue of dangerous wildlife or rabies to contend with.

My two cats (one pedigree and one not) are indoor only. I've had outdoor and somewhat indoor cats when I was a kid, and they never lasted more than a couple of years before disappearing for god knows what. So, regardless of how much I pay for a cat, I'll never let them wander around outside.

Alot of housing communities, like mine, don't even allow cats (and dogs) to roam free. And I'm pretty sure my two don't miss anything by staying inside with the airconditioner and food and lots of attention

The short answer is no. Not without a leash.

My cats would hate being on a leash, Frank doesn't like that we have to shut the cat flap at 5 other wise he doesn't come back till morning. Frank fought his way out of a collar within three days, Max didn't mind wearing his collar as kitten as long as i kept loosening it as he grew bigger. Niether of them wear collars now. They wouldn't be happy as indoor cats, i couldn't bear to imprison them like that.

Originally Posted by roobear

I've had cats all my life, never pedigrees just bog standard moggies but i love them. I'd never even thought of cats not going outside until i met my boyfriend whose parents are ex-breeders of pedigrees and show cats and i was told their cats didn't go out, i was really surprised but after explaining i understand why, what with the demand for pedigrees as trophy cats, cat theft and what not. Do your cats go out or not and if not what are your reasons?

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If you ever have the misfortune of seeing a squashed kitty in the middle of the road you will have answered your own question.

My cat is indoors only. I've tried letting her walk around the back yard but thats the problem, she wants to escape from the back yard because apparently the front is more interesting. I'm afraid if she goes out front that she will get hit by a car since our street is fairly busy out front so I don't take chances with her. If she's outside, its only in the backyard and I will be there watching her every move or have her on a harness so that she will be protected. At my old house she used to try to escape out of the front door whenever someone would walk in and was successful a few times at it. I don't understand why she wants out so badly.

We have 14-1/2 acres, two of which are clear around the house. The nearest paved road is 1/2 mile from the house. My dogs do a good job of scaring away any predators who might think of coming near. Brady goes outdoors when he wants to (we have a critter door that he and the dogs use) and he doesn't go far. He enjoys being in the yard or sitting in our dirt driveway. He is an ex-feral who very much appreciates not having to hunt for his food or having to worry about anything trying to hunt him so he is not adventurous. He would not be happy as an indoor only cat, I'm positive of that.

When I was younger (teenager size) we lost two cats to automobiles. That was many years ago but I still feel those losses when I reminisce.

We have 6 cats one is a diabetic, I can't imagine allowing any of them outdoors. Our kitties do experience some semblance of outdoor life because we had double screen doors installed in the garage so they can watch but within a safe environment.

Katina goes outside occasionally. She's not too big into going very far. All my life, our cats have gone outside. I thought about keeping Monte & Katina indoors after we adopted them, but Rob didn't think it was fair (his/our kitty Tigger spent 15 years living indoor/outdoor).

Unfortunately one of our fears came true about outdoor privileges when Monte was hit by a car 1 month shy of his first birthday. He never had wandered so far away before, and we still wonder what happened that day. We still let Katina out, only because she is afraid of everything that moves or makes a sound, and keeps to about a 20 ft "cube" of space

When we adopt our next kitten in a couple weeks, we're going to keep it indoors until our house is built, and then hopefully DH will allow me to have a fence like I so desperately want. I use the "if the cat is brought up to be surrounded by a fence, chances are less that it'll wander outside it." I'm basing that on the observations my parents have made with their 3 cats - all 3 were allowed outside in a fenced in area, and all 3 of them stay there. Even the one who was a feral previously.

Originally Posted by Persi & Alley

If you ever have the misfortune of seeing a squashed kitty in the middle of the road you will have answered your own question.

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I've seen lots, i live in small town with a main road running right through it. i would see at least one each month for seven years as i walked to school.

All three of my cats go outside, purely because other cats we owned previously were outdoor ones. They mainly spend overnight outside, and when we go out during the day, otherwise we have messes

Other than that, they spend the rest of the time indoors sleeping or eating....

No way. Not safe.

My cats never go outside. There are too many people who will do unspeakable things to cats that they catch, and another lady who traps and kills them because she doesn't like them around. Not to mention the dangers from cars (both accidental and on purpose), dogs, raccoons, and other animals. And poison. And disease. Nope, my cats stay safe and sound in the house where I know they are safe. They enjoy laying in the window sill and watching the world go by, but none of them ever really act like they even want to go outside. Gizmo goes out on the back steps sometimes when I'm cleaning the dog pen, but she's got a bad back and wouldn't even think about trying to jump/climb the fence. And she only goes out when I'm out there and comes in when I do. She rarely ventures past the top step. My cats like being pampered house pets.

My domestic shorthair isn't allowed outside. He tries to be sneaky sometimes when someone is coming in or going out. He did get outside a number of times and when he does, he just sits on the stairs smelling the flowers, but once I start to tell him firmly to get inside, he starts screaming and his tail bushes up like 5 times it's original diameter.

In that situation, the only thing that would work is to spray him with water because I tried picking him up once and he gave me a scar on my nose ( It happened in the morning and I had to walk around all day with a huge red line down my nose ).

When he does get outside, I have to get him in as soon as possible because even if he is calm and sniffing stuff, he will move on sooner or later. There is a forest near my house and every time my neighbors but their garbage out two huge raccoons knock over the bins and mess everything up.

I just won't let him get injured in any way.

Sierra and Serenity are inside ONLY! I strongly feel this is the safest choice for them due to the risk of disease or injury ouside.

Originally Posted by roobear

I've seen lots, i live in small town with a main road running right through it. i would see at least one each month for seven years as i walked to school.

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It never ceases to amaze me how callous people can be towards animals.

I dont let my cats outside.. they are indoor only. But, Monster still tries to get out, and runs to the back door everytime he hears it open. he sneaks out once in a while, and we always catch him. he doesnt even run anymore, when he sees one of us coming towards him he just lays down in the grass. i would love to let them outside, but im worried they wouldnt come back, bc of all the dangers. the main reason is the highway i live on. it is very busy, and we already had a cat that was indoor/outdoor, he started coming home with mysterious injuries, from fights and one injury to his leg, and the vet couldnt determine what was wrong or how it may have happened. one day my bf was outside doing something in his car when Smokey ran out into the street and was hit, and died. I couldnt bear it if something like that happened to my babies

Our cats are indoor/outdoor. We let them out for a few hours every day and constantly check on them. They'd be miserable if they couldn't go outside at least a little bit on a nice day

We keep Crackerman indoors only, but when my bf goes outside on our patio to smoke, we let him come out there. B/c we live in an apartment complex I'm too nervous to let him go out unsupervised.