Do You Let Your Cat Out?

[Pishi]

No, it‘s just too dangerous
We live in the city with busy streets everywhere aroun.
But I think I wouldn’t let Pishi out unsupervised even if we were living in a more quiet area, just too scared he would get lost or something happen to him.

 

[Dacatchair]

One compromise between keeping a cat in all the time and letting them roam unsupervised may be to string an overhead wire to clip a harnessed cat on a leash onto. This should NEVER be done if you will not be with the cat at all times, as the leash and line could prevent it from seeking shelter if it needed to, and it would not work if there is anything they could get tangled on. But it is a way a cat can be outside in the yard with you and run around which also allows you to use your hands and move freely. Also I have found attaching some sort of bungee cord at the end of a leash where it is held in your hand or clipped provides a gentle restraint rather than a sudden end of the line jerk.

 

[anni7]

They are allowed out, but kept on a lead and I am nearby. We have foxes, coyotes, and neighbours dogs get free occassionally .

I have intervened with a fox encounter twice, racoons several times, neighbours dogs twice and a cat just about to attack arnold.

Its very time consuming for me.....but I love them and it makes them very happy. View attachment 211206

Wow what kind of cats are they ??

 

[Purr-fect]

Wow what kind of cats are they ??

I dont know as we adopted them. From what I have been told, they are likely mainly norwegian forest cat, mixed with russian blue.

 

[anni7]

I dont know as we adopted them. From what I have been told, they are likely mainly norwegian forest cat, mixed with russian blue.

View attachment 212642 View attachment 212643

Are they siblings ?

 

[Purr-fect]

Are they siblings ?

Yes they are.

Brothers, from the same litter. But very different personalities and physiques. Arnold is much larger and much more affectionate to me. But I think the affection issue is because he will give greg disapproving stares if greg is affectionate to me. Greg has become bonded with my wife. Seems each cat has laid claim to a human.

 

[anni7]

Yes they are.

Brothers, from the same litter. But very different personalities and physiques. Arnold is much larger and much more affectionate to me. But I think the affection issue is because he will give greg disapproving stares if greg is affectionate to me. Greg has become bonded with my wife. Seems each cat has laid claim to a human.

Same in my home - the cats have their people and tabby decided by claiming me and chasing Snowy away.

 

[anni7]

Yes they are.

Brothers, from the same litter. But very different personalities and physiques. Arnold is much larger and much more affectionate to me. But I think the affection issue is because he will give greg disapproving stares if greg is affectionate to me. Greg has become bonded with my wife. Seems each cat has laid claim to a human.

I wonder why would someone get rid of such beauties ?!

 

[Purr-fect]

The family was moving to florida from toronto and felt the travelling and hot humid weather would be too hard on these long haired cats. Mind you the boys arent crazy about the cold weather either.

I dont have any pics but arnold was out this morning, romping thru the deep snow in the back yard.....with me nearby.

 

[happilyretired]

It's definitely not a myth that many cats can't be happy being totally indoors. For some cats it might be true, definitely not all of them.

I was responding to the OP who claims the cats 'have' to go outdoors because they've lived outdoors before. Perhaps I should have written 'misconception' rather than 'myth.' However, I suspect that people who believe cats are 'unhappy' indoors are projecting because all vets I've discussed this with since I began living with cats 30 years ago tell me that ALL cats will thrive being totally indoors. In my area, shelters won't allow adoptions unless the person agrees to keep the cat indoors.

 

[kashmir64]

In my area, shelters won't allow adoptions unless the person agrees to keep the cat indoors.

I believe in the UK shelters won't let you adopt unless they are both indoor/outdoor cats.
I may be mistaken on that. I heard it somewhere though.

 

[midnightsun]

I believe in the UK shelters won't let you adopt unless they are both indoor/outdoor cats.
I may be mistaken on that. I heard it somewhere though.

Yup, I've lived in the UK most of my life and this is true.

 

[anni7]

Yup, I've lived in the UK most of my life and this is true.

Strange !!

 

[Elfilou]

Same here in Holland. Shelters only really adopt out as indoor/outdoor unless the cat is very old or blind, deaf or has some other disability. I'm most certainly the neighborhood weirdo for keeping my cat inside and only leash-walking her, lol. I have debated letting her outside alone many times (and still do) because societal norms can take quite a toll. It is more accepted here to keep purebred cats inside though, so although my Persian isn't exactly purebred, she looks the part and is very docile. Her long hair and flat face are definitely noticable and she would let strangers pick her up, unfortunately. It's definitely more socially acceptable here, even among vets and shelters, to let cats roam.

 

[weebeasties]

For those who have said that living outside of a city would be safer for a outdoor cat, I just wanted to share my experience.
I have lived in several different states in the U.S. but always in the country with acres of forest or pastureland surrounding me.
My childhood cat Shadow was found one morning about 200 feet from our house. His body had been literally shredded. We assume from a wild animal though we had never seen any dogs or foxes in the area before or after.
Different state. Rocky and Jasmine were both adult ferals that we took in. Both were found at vet visits to have suffered previous injuries. Rocky still has buckshot embedded in his abdomen that the vet felt was too dangerous to remove as it had apparently happened years before. Jasmine has a BB pellet embedded in her skull and had also suffered a broken jaw that did not heal correctly.
Current state. Then there was "Fluffy". Sweet stray. Neutered male. Unchipped. Apparently dumped. We loved him so much and were trying to figure out how to integrate him into our home. He was so loving with people but didn't like other cats. I came home from work one day to find him dead. Someone had shot him, but he had dragged himself trailing his intestines behind him to die alone not 2 feet from my door. I will never "get over" this. It will forever haunt me. His suffering was unimaginable.
I'm sorry this was so graphic. I just don't want people to think that living away from busy roads means a cat is safe. There are unseen dangers and cruel people everywhere.
My cats will always be indoors. I do not think I am curtailing their freedom. I am giving them the freedom to live without some of the pain and danger that exist outside. It is my responsibility to make their life as interesting as possible with cat trees, puzzles, cardboard box forts, and play.
BTW None of my 8 cats show any interest to go outside and 4 of them (including my two former ferals) seem terrified at the thought of being outside and won't go within 4 feet of the door.

 

[midnightsun]

I'm sorry this happened to you, but again it depends where someone lives, and I have to remind you again that not everyone lives in the US. There are many places that don't tend to have wild animals in the countryside, for example. I've actually never even heard of some of the wild animals I've seen people mention here sometimes. I don't think horror stories are helpful and nobody should be judged for letting a cat outside in a place that's actually safe. People live in different cultures and as mentioned above, a lot of European countries won't even let you adopt a cat you plan to make indoor-only.

 

[weebeasties]

I'm sorry this happened to you, but again it depends where someone lives, and I have to remind you again that not everyone lives in the US. There are many places that don't tend to have wild animals in the countryside, for example. I've actually never even heard of some of the wild animals I've seen people mention here sometimes. I don't think horror stories are helpful and nobody should be judged for letting a cat outside in a place that's actually safe. People live in different cultures and as mentioned above, a lot of European countries won't even let you adopt a cat you plan to

M midnightsun
I DO realize that not all members of TCS live in the U.S. That is why I specified in my post that my experiences were in the U.S.
I am sorry that you do not feel that my post was "helpful" and a horror "story".
What happened to these poor babies was horrible, heartbreaking, FACTUAL incidents.
The intention of my post was not to judge anyone who chooses to let cats outside, but to make people aware that traffic is not the only danger in the outside world.
There have been many posts by members stating that they would let their cats out if they didn't live near a busy road.
Lastly, I would just like to point out that this is a forum - we are supposed to discuss things here, right? I feel I should be able to talk about my experiences and why I choose to keep my babies inside.

 

[Elfilou]

I definitely get and respect why people keep their cats in, especially in the US where there are large predators and guns. It is more time consuming, more expensive and just generally takes up a lot more time and effort to keep a cat happy inside. I do think it's very "easy" to just let cats roam and that can lead to neglect. However, neglect is worse when people keep the cats inside and treat them like they are an ornament, giving them no mental or physical stimulation.

I do believe -some- outdoor exposure is ideal. Again this is just my opinion, not everyone has the option to do this. A screened in -balcony, -porch, -garden, -catio or leashed walks are great ways to meet our cats' natural needs half-way. I know I probably will never let mine out unattended, although in a perfect world I would.

 

[neely]

It is more time consuming, more expensive and just generally takes up a lot more time and effort to keep a cat happy inside. I do think it's very "easy" to just let cats roam and that can lead to neglect. However, neglect is worse when people keep the cats inside and treat them like they are an ornament, giving them no mental or physical stimulation.

That's odd, I have had cats for over 30 years and never once felt it took more time and/or effort to keep them happy inside. I also never treated them like an ornament. If anything, my husband and I cherish our cat(s) but have consistently given them both mental and physical stimulation. Personally I feel the cat bonds even stronger when they are given one-on-one playtime. I have seen too many cats, (including our neighbors), get injured, endure harsh outdoor elements in inclement weather, become prey and/or get into cat fights.

I respect what you feel is best for your cat and hope we can agree to disagree.

 

[Elfilou]

That's odd, I have had cats for over 30 years and never once felt it took more time and/or effort to keep them happy inside. I also never treated them like an ornament. If anything, my husband and I cherish our cat(s) but have consistently given them both mental and physical stimulation. Personally I feel the cat bonds even stronger when they are given one-on-one playtime. I have seen too many cats, (including our neighbors), get injured, endure harsh outdoor elements in inclement weather, become prey and/or get into cat fights.

I respect what you feel is best for your cat and hope we can agree to disagree.

When people let their cats go in and out as they please they really don't have to worry about their cats getting enough mental and physical stimulation, I think. They take care of that themselves. Playing with cats daily takes up time, and buying toys is more expensive than not buying toys. That's really all I meant by saying that!

My cat is indoor 99% of the time and only goes out for walks on a leash because of an abundance of reasons. In no way am I saying it's a bad thing to spend time with- and fill the needs of- your cat, I'm just saying that it's easier when you don't have to worry about those things. The list of things that you -do- need to worry about when you let them out is endless though - haha!