Are your cats inside, outside, or both?

Mine are indoors, but go out on harness. When we move they'll have an enclosure, hopefully connected to the house so they can come and go as they like.

I have two indoor-only female cats, but I'm feeding a TNR cat who is strictly outdoors. I guess since I'm feeding him technically he's "mine?" If anyone wants an orange neutered 2yo male with a clipped ear, in NE Georgia, let me know. He's very friendly.

Yuki is strickly indoors. I have lost many kittys to the great outdoors and the many dangers out there. Plus I live in an appartment so there is no access to her to get in or out

If I had my way, mine would be indoor only.
But...a few years ago a stray adopted us and try as we might, he wouldn't stay in, so he became indoor/outdoor. He died in a fight with a feral cat.
He got our indoor kitten wanting to go out (he is now 8), who then got the next kitten wanting to go out (he is now 4). I tried, I really did.
Strangely enough, the feral (1 year old female wildie) I brought in last Fall has not stepped foot outside since the day I brought her in. Will it last? I hope so.
But with 3 kids, a husband, and parents of my daycare kids constantly coming in and out, the door is open a lot. We will see.
I am adamant about getting them in for the night; it just feels safer. (However, my beloved Gray Gray died in the cat fight in the middle of the afternoon.)
My parents had indoor/outdoor cats forever. One lived to be almost 21. I guess it's just the luck of the draw sometimes.

We've always had outdoor only cats. Its not true that outdoor cats don't live long, one of them is 12 years and one is nine years. We have a fenced in backyard and they normally stay there unless I'm taking a walk. I belive that cats should be allowed outdoors unless you happen to live in an apartment or on a busy road. We do bring a couple of our cats inside to watch movies for an hour or so, but they really prefer to be outside. Indoor only cats develop behavior problems and have issues that outdoor cats don't have. Its so sad how many cats loose their homes because of these problems. Furniture scratching, spraying, litterbox issues and overgrooming due to stress are only a few.

Originally Posted by Cat-tastrophe

We've always had outdoor only cats. Its not true that outdoor cats don't live long, one of them is 12 years and one is nine years. Well, they CAN live long, but in average they live 12-13 years less than inside cats. We have a fenced in backyard and they normally stay there unless I'm taking a walk. So, they are not really outside cats - by being in a fenced yard they are not really exposed to cars, dogs, other cats with diseases, etc. On the last few days we lost here at the site, 2 cats that escaped. One died after one night outside, and the other after a couple of days. Sure it is not the rule, but the numbers don't lie I belive that cats should be allowed outdoors unless you happen to live in an apartment or on a busy road. We do bring a couple of our cats inside to watch movies for an hour or so, but they really prefer to be outside. Indoor only cats develop behavior problems and have issues that outdoor cats don't have. Its so sad how many cats loose their homes because of these problems. Furniture scratching, Can be prevented with proper grooming, and furniture spraying, can be avoided by spaying/neutering litter box issues can be avoided with proper litter boxes, cleaning often proper litter, and number of boxes and over grooming due to stress I do not find inside cats to be stressed at all. are only a few.please note that the majority of cats in shelters are not cats that once had a home, and were taken in because of problems. The great majority are outside cats.

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Originally Posted by Cat-tastrophe

We've always had outdoor only cats. Its not true that outdoor cats don't live long, one of them is 12 years and one is nine years. We have a fenced in backyard and they normally stay there unless I'm taking a walk. I belive that cats should be allowed outdoors unless you happen to live in an apartment or on a busy road. We do bring a couple of our cats inside to watch movies for an hour or so, but they really prefer to be outside. Indoor only cats develop behavior problems and have issues that outdoor cats don't have. Its so sad how many cats loose their homes because of these problems. Furniture scratching, spraying, litterbox issues and overgrooming due to stress are only a few.

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I'd also like to say - many outdoor cats also have those issues, you just don't note them - as they are outdoors most of the time. I believe 4 of my outdoor cats spray, most of them scratch where they shouldn't - and many of them will scratch a person pretty bad if you try to pick them up.

I'm also going to have to agree that 95% of the cats in our shelter were outdoor cats - either strays or surrenders. I'd say about 80% of our declawed owner surrender were indoor/outdoor cats - one thing we require is if you declaw they don't go out.

Mine are inside only. Aside from all of the safety issues involved (I live in town, a couple blocks off 2 major streets with many neighbors who have dogs), the city has a leash law for both dogs and cats.

I grew up with inside/outside cats. It's pretty awful wondering if kitty will come home and having neighbors bring your cat home who's been tormenting their indoor cat (I grew up in the suburbs). One of the family's cats just disappeared while I was in college. 2 of them were also poisoned but survived while I was in college. One of those was the one who disappeared.

My sister also keeps her cats inside only.

inside only! My cat looks outside sometimes through the window and looks at the cats outside. And then she looks at me with her "I-wish-i-was-there look" But she got over it (Now she dosen't escape evevery time I open the door!)

my cats are indoor only, by conscious choice. i do not believe that cats "need" to be outside. my cats are loved and stress-free inside, where they are safe from things like traffic, dogs, poisons, etc. they have plenty of things to do and can spend the whole day lazing in the sun that comes in the windows if they want to. my siamese likes to go out on a leash now and then, but my big guy is so scared outside. when i put him on a leash and take him out he freezes and bolts back in. when we get our own place and a yard i will build an enclosure in the backyard that is covered on the top as well as the sides so they can chose to sit out there if they would like, but only if i know that they are protected completely from other animals and they cannot get out of the enclosure.

Indoor/outdoor cats. I would never dream of confining them inside. They have the right to enjoy the outdoors.

All 3 of our cats are inside-only. I'm too afraid of something happening to them outside (being hit by a car, not coming back, etc.). Plus, one of them is de-clawed.

Albus is completely inside. *Except* that I sometimes put a harness and leash on him and I take him out on our balcony. He's always on the leash and I'm out there the whole time, even if I just go inside to grab something, he comes back in with me.

I chose inside/outside, but Danny only goes out on supervised walks while he is wearing his halter and leash. I feel that this is safer for him and for the local wildlife.

I don't dare let my kitties outside because there are coyotes living in the wash right by my house. I'm afraid they'd make about half bite for a coyote snack.

I have 2 indoor only cats. This is a conscious choice as they are both white and one is deaf. I have just found my lost Titan who was indoor only until we moved and he escaped. We just found him after 9 months outside and he is in pretty poor shape. We are going to see how indoor only works for him now

My cats are inside so they can live a healthier and safer life.

Kizzy is strictly indoors Less risks of all sorts that way.

Growing up tho, I never had indoor kitties.... they were barn kitties that I'd feed and play with as a child.

I might take Kizzy outside in the nice weather, if he'll take to a harness and I get flea meds (sandy area, lots of fleas).

I held him and took him out on the upper deck...he let me know he wanted back in within bout 20sec.

My boys are indoor only. I live in the city off of a very major highway so it would be unsafe for them to go outside. It is also against the rules of my apartment complex.

I hope to move into a house some time in the next few years and when I do that I plan to build a cat enclosure in the back yard that I will provide access to with a cat door.

My cats are strictly indoor cats. We live in a condo on the 5th floor but it was also a consious decision. Given a choice I think they would remain indoors. We've left the front door open a few times to see if the would go out into the hallway and they were too scared. When the door is opened as we enter or exit the condo they stay well back