Indoor cats.

i have two indoor only cats, the oldest one bonnie used to be an outdoor cat when we lived down south, it was a quiet neighborhood with lots of people around.

iv'e since moved to outback Australia with my husband for his work, the place we live in is so isolated, it's nearly a three hour drive just to get to the store, there is red dirt for miles and not much else, there are heaps of stray dogs and people who don't really like cats.

because of all this i decided to keep my cat indoors while i live here and brought another kitten to keep her company.

The thing is, everyone says it's cruel or wrong to have indoor cats only and i sometimes feel i should just let them out so people don't complain.

we are only going to be here another year then we will be moving somewhere nice so they can go outside again...

what is everyone elses opinions on this subject?

thankyou



pandybear

When i got Rosie there was only one person who said i was being cruel by keeping her indoors but when i questioned my vet on the subject he said because Rosie was only a kitten she wouldn't know any different.

Because i thought she must be lonely being indoors on her own, thats when i got Sophie, and their the best of friends.

Everyones different, but no it's not cruel

I too keep my cats indoor. As long as the cat have a friend and playmate, and a lot of toys to play with, I don't see why it should be bad to keep the cats indoor only. You only do it to protect them.

Sissel

Thankyou both for your reply's,

i just needed some opinions because it was getting to the stage where i was feeling bad for having indoor cats even though i know in my situation it is best for them and i love them sooo much, they have cat grass, cat nip and heaps of toys and attention.

i feel a bit better now

Thankyou



pandybear

I have two indoor cats that began their lives on the street! They are totally adjusted to being indoor and are very happy! I also take them out for walks on their leads and harnesses!

It is not cruel, it is safe!

I used to live in melbourne australia and i had at one point 21 cats,
I let them outside ( i couldnt keep 21 of them in the house) Cruel i know but when it rained they all came inside in the party room.

I will tell you, it doesnt matter where you are just make sure you HAVE room for for cats in the house.

My neighbours ended up poisoning my cats, most of them got run over.

Since ive moved to germany i have learnt about spaying and neuter and i will only keep my cats indoors from now on.

If i want them to go out they have a leash.

The point i am making, is that there are too many cruel people.

But i think the cats rather stay inside instead of being outside in that heat

That's how i feel. if your cats have to be inside or you want them in with you then there is nothing wrong with it. i feel much better knowing others do it too, i'm sure they are happy too, especially when they have their catnip plant handy!

Besides, they are very well looked after and get heaps of attention, the problem with the town i live in is most people see cats as just an animal, they say things like, 'oh, ive' had lots of cats dissapear' my cats are family members...i'd be devistated!

they just don't understand and maybe they never will...



pandybear

i know what you mean
just dont listen to what they say.
To me teufel is my child and he STAYS inside.

Other people just dont understand because they dont love animals like we do

Ignore them. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having indoor kitties.

Its not cruel, its safer.
An outdoor cat's lifespan is from 3-5 years old whereas an indoor cats can be upwards of 20!
There are cars, cruel neighbours and kids, dogs or other animals, and other dangers out there!
Don't feel bad at all and don't feel guilty. People don't know any better when they tell you that..I get bad advice all the time from friends, etc!!

Well I have 6 indoor-only cats, and if anyone said I was "cruel" for keeping them indoors or if anyone said something derogatory about it? I'd punch them in the face.

Two of my six, Snickers & K.C., were strays I took in. Trust me, they adjusted VERY WELL to having a warm safe bed, loads of love, playmates and a long life ahead of them. They have no threats in my house (except each other when one is feeling feisty!), whereas if they were outdoor cats, they'd have stray dogs, mean kids, mean people, cars, you name it - killing them & hurting them.

It sounds like the outlook on cats in Australia is that they seem them as disposable. Like you, I see all 6 of mine as family members. Heck when I'm asked how many kids I have, I say, well I have one daughter and 6 cats who think they are my children.

Anyhoo there is nothing at all cruel about protecting and loving your cats. NOTHING! Don't let other people force their ideas and thoughts on you. You do what YOU feel is right, and I'm telling you, it is NOT cruel to keep your cats indoors. In fact I applaud you for doing this.

Someone once told me that I was cruel because my cats are stictly indoor cats. I don't care if I live in the boonies, there is no way these buggers are going outside. But thats my opinion

Originally Posted by darkeyedgirl

Well I have 6 indoor-only cats, and if anyone said I was "cruel" for keeping them indoors or if anyone said something derogatory about it? I'd punch them in the face.

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You tell them!!!!

As one whose cats are indoor/outdoor, let me add my comment. No, it's not cruel to keep your cats in. To my mind, NEITHER practice is, in and of itself, cruel. The thing is to decide what is best for YOUR cat in YOUR situation, and then make it as safe (outdoor) or as stimulating (indoor) as you can. Only you can decide which is better in your circumstances. Phooey to the nay-sayers!

Originally Posted by darkeyedgirl

Well I have 6 indoor-only cats, and if anyone said I was "cruel" for keeping them indoors or if anyone said something derogatory about it? I'd punch them in the face.

Two of my six, Snickers & K.C., were strays I took in. Trust me, they adjusted VERY WELL to having a warm safe bed, loads of love, playmates and a long life ahead of them. They have no threats in my house (except each other when one is feeling feisty!), whereas if they were outdoor cats, they'd have stray dogs, mean kids, mean people, cars, you name it - killing them & hurting them.

It sounds like the outlook on cats in Australia is that they seem them as disposable. Like you, I see all 6 of mine as family members. Heck when I'm asked how many kids I have, I say, well I have one daughter and 6 cats who think they are my children.

Anyhoo there is nothing at all cruel about protecting and loving your cats. NOTHING! Don't let other people force their ideas and thoughts on you. You do what YOU feel is right, and I'm telling you, it is NOT cruel to keep your cats indoors. In fact I applaud you for doing this.

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Well said Steph. I would never ever think of letting my kits out. I've seen too many squished kits in the road....and beleive me, they are very happy and content.....

Originally Posted by Loveysmummy

Its not cruel, its safer.
An outdoor cat's lifespan is from 3-5 years old whereas an indoor cats can be upwards of 20!
There are cars, cruel neighbours and kids, dogs or other animals, and other dangers out there!
Don't feel bad at all and don't feel guilty. People don't know any better when they tell you that..I get bad advice all the time from friends, etc!!

Click to expand...

This is true, and I can agree from experience! I have never before owned an inside only cat, until I got involved in fostering. And the in and out cats do have shorter life spans. I still have outdoor ferals and barn cats, but know that they will likely have shorter life spans.

That said, our outside tomcat Will lives the perfect kitty life. He is king of his territory. He chose us, rather than us chosing him.

Just look at what makes outdoor life good from a kitty viewpoint. Exploring, hunting, socializing. Try to replicate that indoors, as much as possible. And as your cats thrive, your friends and neighbors may learn from you!

Hmmmm, lets see which is more cruel...Indoors Vs Outdoors.

Indoors
Roof to keep the rain out
Nice soft couches and laps to sleep on
Food on a regular schedule
Toys to play with. Sometimes my brother will play
My brother to "hunt" me

Outdoors
Trees to keep the rain o...hey, I just got dripped on!
Concrete, wood, soft grass with bugs in it to sleep on
Food on a regular schedule when the birds fly by and the feeder leaves the
house.
Birds and bugs to play with...wait that bug just bit me!
Stray dogs/wild animals to hunt me.


Outdoors wins!

Hello,

One really good soulution for this that I have found and am planning to do when I move to a new place next year, Is to get a cat home. I don't know what they are called but I am always seeing adverts in cat magazines about them and even had an article on it too.

They are often made out of wood or some type of material and its like a run. You can get it put up in your garden and its completely safe. It means the cats get to go outside without being in any danger. You can make it really nice in there and you can make a shelter and everything so if your out and it gets cold, wet etc they can go under shelter. They look really nice and I think its a great idea. I will definately be buying one or getting someone to make one for us when we moved to holland.

The prices vary but I am happy to save for it, I think it depends on what size your looking for etc. If you want me to go through our cat magazines and see if I can find any web sites of people that do them to give you an example or anything I would be happy too. just Pm me.

I do hope U have made sense, but I think this is a great option and therefor you don't have to keep your cats inside all the time, they can enjoy the outside and sunbath in the sun. And you'll know they will be safe. So my opion would be to check out this idea, then everyone will be happy and I am sure the cats will be too.

Good luck

Eva

Originally Posted by pandybear

i have two indoor only cats, the oldest one bonnie used to be an outdoor cat when we lived down south, it was a quiet neighborhood with lots of people around.

iv'e since moved to outback Australia with my husband for his work, the place we live in is so isolated, it's nearly a three hour drive just to get to the store, there is red dirt for miles and not much else, there are heaps of stray dogs and people who don't really like cats.

because of all this i decided to keep my cat indoors while i live here and brought another kitten to keep her company.

The thing is, everyone says it's cruel or wrong to have indoor cats only and i sometimes feel i should just let them out so people don't complain.

we are only going to be here another year then we will be moving somewhere nice so they can go outside again...

what is everyone elses opinions on this subject?

thankyou



pandybear

Click to expand...

Some formerly outdoor cats adjust well. Some don't. I'm in a relatively safe neighborhood (my neighbor's indoor-outdoor cat lived to age 22), so I allow my former strays out, but if I were to move to a more dangerous community, they'd stay in no matter how much they howled to get out. I usually think of "more traffic" as being a more dangerous neighborhood, but it sounds to me like the attitude of the people in your area is what would make it dangerous for your felines. I'd keep them in.

Thankyou so much Steph (your reply made me smile) and everyone else for cheering me up.

i would definately build an outdoor play area but we will only be here another year so i see no point.

people here are very backward, there are a lot of stray cats and kittens and when i first moved here i overheard the publicans wife casualy say that she bumped a whole litter of kittens over the head because they found them asleep in one of the beds at the pub

i wanted to tell her just how sick and cruel i thought she was but my Husband is the second in charge of the whole town and in a town so small i can't afford to cause any upset that might jepordise his job.

the other reason i needed opinions is because everyone acts although it's such a different thing to keep your cats indoors, i had my grandparents over a few months ago for example and my nan asked why i kept them in, i just told her that i love them and that it's safer while we live here, she just said they would be better outside and changed the subject so i thought it was the end of that conversation, then not long after she said 'so why do you keep them in?' grrrrr lol, she kept bringing this up the whole time she was here and not long after i first told her the door must be kept closed she left it wide open on "accident", this was a few seconds after i told her.

i was so glad to see them leave!

i feel so much better knowing that i'm not being cruel, i love my cats and i just feel it's best until i move somewhere safer for them, i'll never let them stay out at night (the bed would be too empty without them and too quiet) or while i'm away but they will go out again, just not here. i also want a house with a cat door before i let them out because i never want them to be stuck outside if they want to come in.

in the end i know it's my decision, people in tbhis town are just so nosey, i can't wait to leave...one year to go...and counting



love,


pandybear