Is it better mentally for cats to have access to the outside?

Hi All -

We live in an area that has a lot of coyotes. We've lost 2 of our 4 cats in the course of the last 2 years and while we are concerned about the safety of the remaining 2 we are trying to balance their safety with what they want to do. In my experience - the indoor cats i've had and i've seen other have just don't seem quite as happy. They are always sitting at the window and running out when someone opens the door. We have a nice huge yard with tons of trees and whatnot for them to play in - yet they still tend to stray further into "enemy territory" to do some hunting. It's what they like to do.

What's the overall concensus on here? Better to allow them the freedom and let them take their chances (IE: happier cat), or better to keep them locked inside for their own good?

I appreciate all input.

Imo cats can be just as happy indoors as outdoors. Of course they will want to be out if they see an open door etc. - they're naturally curious - and most would enjoy being outside, but that doesn't mean they can't be happy and satisfied inside. They will enjoy looking out of windows but it's important not to attach human thoughts and reasoning to what they do. Cats don't think like that - when they're snoozing on the bed or playing tag on the cat tree they aren't wishing they were doing something else. If you keep a cat inside you are responsible for providing the physical and mental stimulation they would otherwise find outside so it's important to provide lots of opportunities for play and exercise. Provided you do that, I think cats can be happy indoors.

Plus, there are many other safe options that you might wish to take into consideration, such as harness and lead training or a large enclosure in your garden!

Both options allow for outdoor exploration and the safety of being supervised.

You are going to find that most American members of this site strongly encourage indoor-only unless you live in a rural area with few cars and of course no dangerous predators. In other countries, the story is a little different.

Outdoor cats have a significantly decreased lifespan and are at risk of contracting all sorts of diseases, and getting into all sorts of trouble. Indoor cats are often just as happy as outdoor cats and are almost always safer and healthier. There is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping your cats inside. It is a different lifestyle, and you need to provide everything they need to stay stimulated, such as scratching posts, toys, playtime, etc. Cats can be happily converted into indoor-only without much trouble. I can't imagine letting your cats out after the devastating deaths of your other cats due to coyotes.

A cat who tries to run out the door has likely not been an indoor-only cat for life. Yes, they like to go outside if they have been but we are responsible for them and outside, especially when there's coyotes around, is not what is best for them. A cat that has always been indoor-only will usually not even try to go outside and may even be scared of it.

They make outdoor enclosures just for this purpose. I do not know the site to direct you to. Do a search on here for outdoor enclosures. There have been posts about it before quite a few times.

I would say if you lost two already then keep them in. Unless you saw the other coyotes get them, there are other dangers that could have gotten them too including bad people.

There is nothing wrong with them looking out the window. Let them be safe inside doing that. But if you would like them to go out. You can buy a leash and harness and train them to go for walks.

Thank you for all replies so far. We've got dogs and a dog door so keeping the cats inside during the day isn't something we can do - but we can close up the dog door at night and keep them inside (assuming we can find them when it starts to get dark). In our situation we don't have to worry about cars or bad people or anything like that. Coyotes are our only concern. The dogs keep the coyotes far away from our yard (and the Coyotes can't get in it anyway - it's a huge fenced in yard) but the cats jump over the fence and over the a hillside where it's bunny and mouse heaven.

Perhaps I am attaching too much human emotion to our cats. However when locked inside they seem bored and they walk around meowing and sitting at a window. I want my cats to be happy and safe but where we live i'm not sure if the two can be accomplished at once. Fortunately the 2 remaining cats are relatively content to stick to the yard - but i'm still concerned.

The cat fencing would keep the dogs stuck too and I like the fact we have a big huge hard for them to run around in. I want to keep it that way.

hmmm, how about getting some cat trees and such for the cats to play on when they are in at night?

Nighttime is probably when the coyotes come out right? Or are they out all day long? I would just really worry about getting them in before dark. That is probably the best you can do for now.

Your dogs are free-roaming outside of the fence too? I'm a little confused about your backyard...

You can get a dog door that will only open for the pets wearing a collar that opens it, which could be just the dogs. Or you could put cat fencing around your yard in the same place as the regular fence that they jump, so they stay in the fenced in yard.

Coyotes are out at absolutely any time. They often prefer to be hunting around night, but this is not always the case especially if food is scarce or they are sick or lost or whatever.

Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

Your dogs are free-roaming outside of the fence too? I'm a little confused about your backyard...

You can get a dog door that will only open for the pets wearing a collar that opens it, which could be just the dogs. Or you could put cat fencing around your yard in the same place as the regular fence that they jump, so they stay in the fenced in yard.

Coyotes are out at absolutely any time. They often prefer to be hunting around night, but this is not always the case especially if food is scarce or they are sick or lost or whatever.

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I'm sorry for the confusion, let me see if I can explain a bit better. We have an extremely huge yard with dozens of trees and a large grassy area and it's all fenced in. The cats and the dogs like to run all around in the yard and it's very safe. The cats however can jump over the fence or go through the wrough-iron and out into areas where it's not safe.

Coyotes only come out at night in our area. They are tucked way back in the hills and it takes them a while to get to where we are. So I think as long as we have the cats in at night they are safe. Still, I would like them to be able to use the yard if they want to run around at night when they would naturally want to be more active.

Cat fencing is unfortunately not going to work because of the size of the yard and the wrough-iron fencing. Let's face it - they are cats and they are going to get out of the yard if the want to. The collar dog door is something we talked about but we got 2 very smart cats and they'd simply follow the dog out and then be stuck outside with no way to get back in.

Do your dogs go out at nightime too? I would suggest locking the dog door at night and keeping them all inside. They'll soon get used to it and they get to go outdoors during the day. Cats are diurnal not nocturnal - ie they're most active at dawn and dusk rather than during the night. They actually can't see too well when it's completely dark. They are probably best off indoors at night anyway.

Though some may not think so, I believe this is a tough call. I mean, you've lost two of your babies mysteriously but you want the cats to be happy.

Can you build a large enclosure in the yard for them. Letting them out but keeping them from predators? I think this is the best option. Sort of like a big dog run.

My seven year-old female is a red tortoise-tabby understands where her "yard" is and knows to stay in it. This took considerable work which is ongoing. I always have an eye or half an eye on her. I check on her every 20 minutes or so by going out and calling to her. She responds by either coming to me or by making the bell on her collar sound so I know where she is. Neighbors remark on how funny this is.

It's not that she is obedient, it's just that I am persistent. I even have the neighbors trained at this point. When any of us see her walking off the premises that constitute her "yard" we call to her. You have to catch her when she is in the process of a violation but it is SO funny... she immediately comes to a stop, pauses, then retreats. She almost looks like a robot when this happens.

I doubt very much I would be able to do this with any cat. I think it just happened through my constant attention to her (I don't work and am always home with her) and her personality.

I would have a hard time keeping her in because when she wants out she is incessantly bothering me, and focused. She will scratch at the door, whine, and run toward the door, looking at me, when I make any kind of new movement to get up, switch positions on the sofa--whatever. She likes to be outside but also likes to be close to home. I think I got lucky with that last part....

Originally Posted by urbantigers

Do your dogs go out at nightime too? I would suggest locking the dog door at night and keeping them all inside. They'll soon get used to it and they get to go outdoors during the day. Cats are diurnal not nocturnal - ie they're most active at dawn and dusk rather than during the night. They actually can't see too well when it's completely dark. They are probably best off indoors at night anyway.

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The dogs do go out at night. We need to keep it that way because on my dogs is elderly and he simply can't go a whole night without making a big mess in the house. Like I said there's no way anything can get inside our yard (nothing big enough to cause trouble anyway) so I don't see how the dogs having access to the yard at night is a problem.

Since i'm new here and appreciate all the advice I thought i'd share some photos.

Dogs : Kerra Toby

Cats : Teaka Sarah

Originally Posted by Vik61

She likes to be outside but also likes to be close to home. I think I got lucky with that last part....

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This is the key, I believe. One our cats, Sarah, likes to be outside but she always stays in the yard where it's safe. The other cat wanders out a little bit and quite franly we are really concerned about her. The two we lost in the last couple of years were both the "explorers" that we would always see outside the yard.

If you can make your backyard into a cat enclosure, I think it would be the best option for all involved. It is not as difficult as you seem to think it would be, and done correctly there is no way for the cats to get out of the yard unless you do have a large tree close enough to the edge. Here is a of link to look at:
http://www.purrfectfence.com/
There are others on the market as well. You can put it up in front of your regular fence, and it isn't all that expensive, especially compared to wrought iron fencing that big!!!

Think about how you will feel if you lose another of your cats to a coyote, as you make this decision. There are lots of ways to do this without either making them stay inside totally or letting them roam around outside your fence, and thus, not safe.

When there is a stray cat about, I endeavor to keep Pixel in. After she wears me down and I do let her out I always keep the idea of her favorite food in her mind. "Yard" and "Fish" are word inextricably linked for her. I put her out in the evening when she hasn't had her food yet and this way she stays close.

I have a very similar situation. We have coyotes that pass through the wooded gorge behind our house(with a fenced backyard and a dog who is in most of the time,though) at night, and I have 4 indoor/outdoor cats. (We also had a VERY incontinent elderly dog, whom we eventually had to put in the basement at night and on cold or hot days when he couldn't be outside, whom has since passed away). We don't have a dog door thought- the last time we did that they brought in their half dead prey to play with . I trained my cats to come in at night for a treat- in their case, canned cat food. I go outside and whap the can with a fork, and 98% of the time, they all come to the door. They have gotten so used to coming in now, they usually come home and in at night, treat or not. 2 out of the 4 cats are the HAVE TO go out cats who will beat each other up to the point of house destruction if they can't go out (they are seperated when we go out of town). One can take the outdoors or leave it, and one rarely goes out at all. This is the only solution I have been able to come up with (my oldest one especially is a huge hunter). Is there some way you can keep the cats in an area at night where they can't get to the dog door? My sister treats hers in the room they spend the night in(hers are big "Get up and let me out" cats at the wee hours of the morning ) Or so that only the dog can get to it at night?

Mine are out in the day but always in at night (though there have been nights of panic when one didn't come home at dusk). Most predators and accidents happen at night, so this is the compromise I have come up with. I have had indoor cats too (sometimes from their preference) but I do agree that from my experience outdoor cats seem happier andit is certainly easier to keep them fitter. You just have to do what you think is best in your circumstances. If I lived in a town I would keep them in, but fortunately I don't and never will. And we don't have coyotes in Europe!

If you don't want to keep the cats inside overnight there aren't a lot of options really. You can either leave things as they are and let them take their chances with the coyotes or you can prevent them leaving your yard with some cat proof fencing (or something like this http://www.freedom-fence.co.uk/. )

Originally Posted by urbantigers

Imo cats can be just as happy indoors as outdoors. Of course they will want to be out if they see an open door etc. - they're naturally curious - and most would enjoy being outside, but that doesn't mean they can't be happy and satisfied inside. They will enjoy looking out of windows but it's important not to attach human thoughts and reasoning to what they do. Cats don't think like that - when they're snoozing on the bed or playing tag on the cat tree they aren't wishing they were doing something else. If you keep a cat inside you are responsible for providing the physical and mental stimulation they would otherwise find outside so it's important to provide lots of opportunities for play and exercise. Provided you do that, I think cats can be happy indoors.

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Very well said urbantigers. I agree 100%

Originally Posted by urbantigers

If you don't want to keep the cats inside overnight there aren't a lot of options really. You can either leave things as they are and let them take their chances with the coyotes or you can prevent them leaving your yard with some cat proof fencing (or something like this http://www.freedom-fence.co.uk/. )

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Thanks for this suggestion, we are looking to do something like this. Like I wrote before our yard is really large I think something like this is do-able but it will probably cost around $2000-$3000 for us to get it done, and even then i'm not sure if we'd be able to cover "everything". However, I think this is the best solution at least for now. I can't begin to tell you how much we enjoy watching the cats run through the grass and roll around on the patio and spend time with us out there. They just love it there. If they only didn't wander...

Is there some sort of natural coyote repellant? Do they have any predators? And no, i'm not about to go peeing in my front yard.