Bengal Cat Owners~ or pedigree cat owners?

I know in the UK its not as much as a big deal in letting them out. But in America we don't encourage it - way too many dangers. Perhaps you can compromise and have an enclosure that he can sit and enjoy the outside but still be protected.

I'm guessing you all don't have a screened in porch?

Why dont you google 'cat fence' and find a company that would put a fence around your garden that he cant escape from.

I personally wouldnt let a Bengal out as I think he would be a target for petnappers.

Yes bengals are too pretty and people might try to take him. Getting hit by cars is far to common with neighborhood cats and regardless of whether he is neutered he will likely come home with battle wounds from time to time. My cat Clover is an indoor/outdoor cat and though he has gotten quite old with little problem we have had a few scares of him coming in covered in blood, patches of fur being torn out, and all sorts of cuts and scratches. Not to mention the need for flea treatments and heartworm. All of my cats we keep indoor and they are happier for it. We provide bird feeders really close to the window for entertainment among other things in the house. If I could make a screened in porch I would as well. That is really your best bet if you want them to get some outdoor time. There are some great kittywalks you could put in your garden too:
http://www.kittywalksystems.com/

I have people thinking my girl is a leopard when I take her for a walk. She isn't that big... Anyway if people think that..then they see one roaming they might get concerned.

I know its accepted in the UK but in the US its becoming commonplace for cats to be indoor.

By your husbands argument, cats catch their own food and eat it raw. Not many people will do a full raw diet for their cats . You don't have to simulate everything 100% to make them happy. (Though I don't discourage the diet by any means!)

Thanks for your replies, i will seriously look into getting something for the garden i think such as a cat run or similar.Our garden is big enough for this so its just the expense we will need to look at. Also id be tempted to get another cat maybe another bengal if we had a run for them to play together which also is more expensive so ill have to work on my hubbie!!!

I just hope simba goes okay at the vets with his OP tomorow

i will miss him being gone all day!

I'm not sure it's really commonplace for cats to be indoors in the US. Maybe it depends on the location. In my parents neighborhood (California), almost every family has 2-3 cats, and all are indoor/outdoor cats. Each cat has made 1-6 houses their personal roaming ground, and a few will cross streets. Even with that, we haven't had a neighborhood cat get hit by a car for 8 years. Every new cat does mean a couple of nights of yowling, but they seem to all get the heirarchy sorted out quickly.

On the other hand, I'm in a northeastern city now, and I've only seen one pet cat outside in our neighborhood.

I would agree about a Bengal being too pretty and getting stolen though. I had a very sweet and beautiful calico get stolen once. Unless your cat is particularly mean towards strangers, I'd keep him inside.

I will preface this by saying that I am in the US and in the dead center of the 3rd largest metro area we have. But.

I wouldn't ever be caught dead letting my cats be indoor/outdoor. Purebred or not, there's simply too much of a danger.

However, when I have a house rather than an apartment, I am planning on an enclosure for my cats to enjoy. It's a great compromise...keeps the kitties in and the baddies out, while letting them feel grass in their little toes and feel some fresh air and sunshine. Were I in your shoes, I'd definitely opt for an enclosure. You can build your own with stuff from a hardware store, so I imagine you could make it as expensive (or not) as you wanted.

Most ethical breeders in North America will write that into the contract -- the cat is not to be let out for any reasons.

As others have mentioned, it is far too risky and better for the animals health and welfare.

Our cats were always indoor-at-night, outside during most of the day with no consequneces until we got Henry, our neutered Ocicat. He loved being outdoors(we have a large, tree-studded yard in the county with other houses nearby) and we indulged him. He never got hurt but he did turn up missing on July 30, 2003. We never found a body so we believe he was stolen. In that pic you see him approaching a new friend's truck into which he jumped so all anyone had to do is to stop their vehicle, open the door, and.............. .

Now we have Ginger, our second Ocicat and I just don't know...............


Dan

I live in the UK and my cats are indoor/outdoor as it is a safe area, but I would never let a pedigree out (although I am unlikely to have one) due to the risk of being stolen. I do know of a UK company that do fencing, here is the e-mail address [email protected] - website is currently offline for updating, but the lady who runs it is lovely, and will be able to talk things through for you.

Hi

I live in the UK as well. When we had Mittens (she was a moggy), she was primarily an indoor cat but we would let her play in the garden when we were at home. She didn't seem to really be fussed about going outside.

Bella and Cinders are British Short Hairs and my husband and I have already decided to keep them as indoor cats but let them out when we are at home and can supervise them.

If your cat has never been outside before, I think it is ok to keep them as an indoor cat because they won't really know any different. However, if your cat was an "outdoor" cat, then I think it would be cruel to keep them stuck indoors

I would never let my bengal out. They are so unique looking they would surely be stolen by someone.

I've had both indoor/outdoor and strictly indoor cats.

I think Samuel was an indoor/outdoor cat with his last family, and I think that's how he ended up in a shelter.. he got lost!
Even if I didnt live in a big city I still wouldn't let him out. Besides getting lost, there are lots of other things outdoors that could hurt him, including disease. Statistically, indoor cats live longer as well.