I don't think it's cruel at all to leave a cat indoors. My bengal is coming on the 23rd and he's going to be living in my room (which is seperated from my house). My room is about 14 feet by 16 feet. I'm buying him a very big cat condo, and building him a cat run (so he can get the outdoor feel *safely*. I have already bought him a BUNCH of toys, and will be interacting with him all day. I'm going to take him out on walks daily, sometimes around the block, sometimes to a park, maybe to a botanical garden so he can see other animals. The main thing is neglegence. If you neglect a cat than of course it's cruel, but if you actually care for it and spend time with it, then there will probably be no problem at all.
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Having 1 Cat
- Thread starter dell1234
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My neighborhood, just 15 minutes from downtown portland, has coyotes in the nearby wildlife refuge, they would LOVE to get ahold of Abi.
no way is she going outside, unless harnessed and supervised by me.
no way is she going outside, unless harnessed and supervised by me.
It's not cruel or irresponsible to let your cat go outside dependig on the breed and your location or if it has been declawed. Some breeds are far too trusting of other people and other animals and have been domesticated for decades leaving them virtually no survival instinct. It would be irresponsible to let these cats outside off of a leash (like my cat). Also in my neighborhood their are coyotes and the streets are too busy. I agree, though, that the mentality that "its out of my control if she gets run over and fighting with other animals is natural" is a little harsh and uncaring. Also its not at all cruel to keep your cat inside it's whole life IF you have another cat or can give it plenty of time and attention. It all really just depends on the circumstances and your individual cat! They all have their own personalities and needs.
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In my experience, people who let their cats out and people who keep them inside have different attitudes about their cats, and there really isn't much either side can do to convince the other of what's right or wrong unless the problem is that someone really just hasn't thought about all the dangers at all. My mom let her cats outside growing up, but that was in the 1950's in rural Ohio, and she thought it weird that I had harnessed trained Zissou until I explained to her what was wrong with just leaving her out unsupervised... and now she totally agrees with me.
People who defend the decision to let their cats out and discount the dangers with saying things like, even if their life expectancy is reduced by 3/4ths then at least they had their freedom, are not going to change their mind. Ever.
All I can say is that my born-feral baby will indeed try to get out the door, but once she is outside she is afraid to go anywhere without me, whereas with her on her leash she is fearless, until something scares her and she hides between my legs like a toddler.
People who defend the decision to let their cats out and discount the dangers with saying things like, even if their life expectancy is reduced by 3/4ths then at least they had their freedom, are not going to change their mind. Ever.
All I can say is that my born-feral baby will indeed try to get out the door, but once she is outside she is afraid to go anywhere without me, whereas with her on her leash she is fearless, until something scares her and she hides between my legs like a toddler.
I agree, you should not get a cat if you cannot be a responsible pet owner, or rather owned by cats.
"Someday, maybe Fred will win the fight
And the cat will stay out for the night"
"WIIIIIILLLLMAAAAA!!!!"
Sorry, that picture just popped into my head
Don't people "put the cat out" anymore? Dell1234's post isn't completely "out there", many people still let their cats roam free or actually throw the cat out of the house at night. In the old days people kept cats to keep the house clean of mice, I remember in the countryside, many of the houses' doors had little holes at the bottom so the cat could come and go as it pleased. (I always thought, "pretty handy for the mice too, no?") But in most places it isn't very safe (cars, dogs, poisons, mean people, the list is endless...). A couple of neighbours who live in ground-floor apartments and have cats will leave their windows open and the cats will just park themselves on the ledges all day long. They NEVER run away! These are indoor cats that obviously have no problem with staying indoors, otherwise they'd just climb down and roam through the streets. Instead, they spend the day sleeping and observing what's going on (needless to say, these are patient grown-up cats and not hyperactive kittens).
But I think that if you love your cat, you shouldn't let it go outside alone, because it might just disappear one day and you'll never really know what happened to it. I sure wouldn't like to live with that on my conscience. But some people think cats have nine lives or think of cats as lesser pets. There's definitely some bias between cats and dogs in this respect. Probably because cats are seen as very independent creatures?
And the cat will stay out for the night"
"WIIIIIILLLLMAAAAA!!!!"
Sorry, that picture just popped into my head
Don't people "put the cat out" anymore? Dell1234's post isn't completely "out there", many people still let their cats roam free or actually throw the cat out of the house at night. In the old days people kept cats to keep the house clean of mice, I remember in the countryside, many of the houses' doors had little holes at the bottom so the cat could come and go as it pleased. (I always thought, "pretty handy for the mice too, no?") But in most places it isn't very safe (cars, dogs, poisons, mean people, the list is endless...). A couple of neighbours who live in ground-floor apartments and have cats will leave their windows open and the cats will just park themselves on the ledges all day long. They NEVER run away! These are indoor cats that obviously have no problem with staying indoors, otherwise they'd just climb down and roam through the streets. Instead, they spend the day sleeping and observing what's going on (needless to say, these are patient grown-up cats and not hyperactive kittens).
But I think that if you love your cat, you shouldn't let it go outside alone, because it might just disappear one day and you'll never really know what happened to it. I sure wouldn't like to live with that on my conscience. But some people think cats have nine lives or think of cats as lesser pets. There's definitely some bias between cats and dogs in this respect. Probably because cats are seen as very independent creatures?
lol cute kitten, she looks like my cat Ashley!
Well what about the dieases out there, the cat fights, the rain, the heat, the cars, HELLO! It is a dangerous world out there for cats! I have lost many cats who lived outside. They never lived to see their 5th birthday. My parents indoor cat is 13 years old and she is perfectly happy. She sometimes goes out on the deck but that it, she prefers inside only because she feels safe!
I have a bonded pair...male/female....male has NEVER sprayed in the 9 YEARS I have owned him. We had a single male when I was growing up and he had terrible spraying issues....so again, I don't agree with your analysis.
Katie
