My old cats both got killed on the road in the space of 7 months after being fine for 3 1/2 years -

Hello, I am thinking of getting a kitten but am very unsure as whether to or not because of my cats' history. Basically after 3 1/2 years of being fine, about a month after we got a 7 week old kitten in  august my cat got killed on the road. in february we got another  kitten and in march the sister of the other one that died got killed on the road too. There are three reasons this could have happened and I will list them all below.

1) The cats that died were only social to people and animals they knew VERY well. It took me about 2 years to complete my relationship with them, and be finally bonded so that they would ALWAYS let me pick them up, so that they would ALWAYS come when I called. The reason it took so long was not because they were unsocial cats but because we got them when they were 6 months old and had lived their whole live in a rescue home, in a cupboard. so it was natural that they were unsure. Do you think getting a kitten drove them onto the road? If so, because the cats I have now are so friendly, (because we got them young - 7-8 weeks: one of them (Ron, the younger kitten) when meeting someone new, will jump onto their lap and go to sleep although Barry may take a little more time to adjust to a new person) I am hoping this will not happen if I get a new kitten. But I am slightly worried about Barry (the older kitten). The other may take a bit of time to adjust but when he met the younger kitten (the one that jumps onto your lap) it was only three days before the was grooming him before he went to sleep. I think it will probably be a bit longer with a different kitten as at the time Barry was an 'only kitten', meaning he had no other cats to play with and I think after the loss of his old friend he was looking for a friend for life. 

2) There is a forest across the road and a few months ago we found Barry yowling for help, stuck up a tree in the forest across the road! He had been missing for a few hours but we'd just assumed he was out hunting. I think it is quite likely the other cats were just walking strait across the road to the forest when they were hit by a car.

3) Pure chance. 

I am hoping it was pure chance but please will you tell me what you think it is, so I know whether or not to get a new kitten? Also any advice would be GREATLY APPRECIATED! Especially if you think it is the forest, a way to stop them going there. Thank you! Louisa

You ever heard of Occam's razor? It says the simplest answer is usually the correct answer.

The reason your cats got hit by a car is because were are allowed out of the house and, by extension, into the street.

If you want them to enjoy the outdoors safely these are your options:

1) Build an outdoor enclosure for them

2) Leash train them

You could minimize the danger of the cat being struck by a car by only letting it out during the day (likeliness of the cat being struck is increased at night).

I would never let a cat out alone that is under a year old - too young and too stupid. They are like the equivalent of a teenager at age one, generally speaking. 

Well, I would think with your history, and with the forest and busy road, you would want and know that indoors is much safer for a cat.  Outdoors cuts down their life expectancy a lot.  Most don't make it past 3 yrs old.  New babies will make the previous feel like they are being replaced, so they will roam farther and more often if outdoors.  Eventually they may not return at all.  I would say if you cannot provide an indoor home for this new kitty that I would not do it.  Both could be very big reasons you have such bad luck with cats... Forest have predators like coyotes and busy roads have cars. 

Here is some information on the indoor vs outdoor life expectancy of cats

http://www.americanhumane.org/anima...for-your-pet/indoor-cats-vs-outdoor-cats.html

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