Indoor cat breeds: Do they exist?

[pois]

Hello all,

The last time I posted here was when I had two cats, a new baby and a huge tick problem. I tried keeping my previously outdoor cats inside and they were miserable. I then tried keeping them only outside and I was miserable. In the end I had to find new homes for them. I now have three young children desperate for a cat and as I miss having a cat too, I'm looking for a solution.

If we were to have a cat it would have to be indoor only as the ticks are still everywhere and with the risk of Lyme disease in the area, I can't put my kids at risk. I've read about breeds that are 'happy' indoors (persian, british shorthair etc) but as I live in a house and not an apartment, I would need a cat both happy indoors and one that is unlikely to try and escape at every opportunity. I live in a hot climate and we have windows and doors open a lot. Some I could cat proof, but I'm sure they'll be times my kids levae a door open.

Does anyone out there have indoor cats that have been indoor since kittens? Do they look for opportunities to get out or do they seem to be content indoors? Do they seem content generally? I'm British and it's pretty rare to keep your cat indoors so not very familiar with it. Many thanks to anyone who shares their experience.

 

[Columbine]

I have a british shorthair who I got as a kitten (I had his brother too, but he died last year). They've always been happy as indoor only cats, but they are curious about the outside world. Shadow (who's still with me) was the more adventurous of the two, and he's got as far as a few steps out the back door a few times. He's always run straight back in as soon as we catch him, though.

I don't think you can expect a cat not to walk through an open door or window. If you want indoor only cats but want windows and doors open the only way is to use screen doors and window screens...and train your kids to shut the doors :lol3:

In terms of what breeds are happiest indoors, look for breeds that are home loving (such as bsh) as opposed to, say, a bengal cat, which is likely to have a stronger urge to roam.

 

[pois]

Thanks for taking the time. I've been looking at British shorthairs. They're beautiful. I guess I really want to hear about peope's experiences of having an indoor cat from a kitten. Yours sounds really positive. Just out of interest, what did you do when you went on holiday? Can indoor cats stay at home with a neighbour visiting?

Our last two were stray kittens who spent their first year with us roaming the beautiful forest around our house and were suddenly kept inside. It was too big of an adjustment.

 

[Willowy]

Most cats, if raised inside from kittenhood, will be perfectly happy indoors only. Doesn't have to be a purebred. Just look for someone who has a litter that has been indoors their whole lives, with a mother cat who enjoys being indoors. Then make sure the kids don't accidentally let the kitty outside . Some cats will be afraid to go out but many will take the opportunity to explore.

And, yeah, when you go on vacation have a neighbor stop in every day.

 

[Columbine]

We rarely go away. If we do, we have a friend or family member come over at least twice a day, actually spending some time with the animals (we have dogs too) as well as just feeding. If we're away more than a day or two, we have someone stay at the house for the duration - it helps house security if someone's living there. However, as long as the cats get some time to interact with someone, have cuddles if they want it (and maybe a game too) they seem to do fine. We've done this for friend's cats a few times, and they've always done well.

My current bsh is one of the second pairs of brothers we've had. They really are great family cats - sociable but not usually too clingy, laid back, tolerant, adaptable. Don't expect them to be major lap cats though (it's actually a blessing - they're big boys, and after a while you're really glad that they snuggle next to you instead of on top of you :lol3: )

 

[2bcat]

Not quite 19 years ago I brought home a kitten who was about 10 weeks old I guess or thereabouts.  She was born inside and her mother lived inside although her mother's idiot family didn't spay her right away and thus the mother escaped once while in heat and got pregnant.

Anyway, Amber proceeded to live her entire life inside, about 17 years.  She was no specific breed, just some kind of typical short hair mix of accidental parentage. ;-)  Although she enjoyed looking out the windows or large plate glass doors, she never developed a habit of running to scoot out of an open door.  Her last 10 years were spent in a detached house which had front and back doors directly to the outside.  The back one was used more often but we never had trouble with her looking to get out.  She might go to the opening, but she really was hesitant about going through it.  In one of my prior apartments I had a second floor balcony, and I did let her explore out there once or twice but she really wasn't excited by it, more just curious and a bit nervous about it all.

I have two cats at home now, adopted at age 4 from a shelter.  They've been in a couple other homes, all inside, though I'm not sure they were born inside.  My info suggests they were born to a cat that might have had access to roaming outside.  Still, after a year and a half, they are happily inside looking out, but with no particular interest in actually going out.  Same house as before.

So, perfectly happy inside, this is entirely possible for a cat.  I wouldn't think it takes a specific breed as much as it is what a cat is used to. No, I don't think you'll be able to leave windows and doors wide open and not have a cat walk out.  That is unrealistic, just because a cat will be naturally curious.  But it's entirely possible for the cat not to rush out at the first opportunity, thus giving you several seconds to close the opened door at least.  Short of something really unusual going on outside, window screens and a screen door should be enough to prevent unwanted exiting while allowing for airflow.

You might also say that there is a factor of what the humans are used to.  Some people are very insistent that it is wrong to keep a cat inside only.  I don't agree with them, but they are out there.  Additionally, having a cat in the house 100% of the time can take some adjustments by the human occupants, including things like closing the doors more often, allowing for spaces that let the cats climb up high, making sure they have views outside, making sure they are engaged with play on a regular basis, having enough litter boxes and keeping them clean enough, and so on.

You may or may not want to start with a kitten(s) though.  A kitten is extra work because they just get into everything and don't do well being left alone and so forth.  But a kitten may also provide the best chance of living inside.  I am unsure how common it would be in your part of the world to find an adult cat to adopt who had not spent life outside, but I'd like to think that would be a possibility as well.

Anyway, a long way of saying if you want to have an indoor cat it is absolutely possible, and for many of us reading this forum it is the norm rather than the exception.  When you go on holiday you will most likely need someone to come in and care for the cat(s) at least once daily, for feeding, a bit of human interaction and litter box cleaning.  I had an only cat for many years but for a lot of cats the time you are gone might work better if there are two cats in the household.  Your cats will miss you for any time that you are gone but longer holidays might be tougher for them.  I never went away for more than about 10 days, but that was just my comfort level.

 

[misterwhiskers]

My cat is part ragdoll, who are good for being inside cats , but I've never heard of a cat breed who wouldn't at least try to get outside if a door was left open. If you do get another cat, consider getting him or her microchipped, at least.

 

[tuxedoontheloos]

My mother has a pair of short haired barn cat/persian mishaps who have refused to put a toe outside for over twelve years. You can leave doors and windows wide open and they'll happily sit on the threashold watching the world go by.

Mind, they were born inside, have never been outside outside of a carrier, and seem to be phobic of the wind.

 

[annabell]

I don't know about breeds but we have a cat that we found, abandoned, under our deck.  Our neighbor, who was a vet, said she was part Russian  Blue - the other part?  Who knows!  She was about four weeks old when we found her five years ago, and has never been on the ground since we found her, or out of the house except trips to the vet.  I've tried a couple of times,to take her out, and have the scars to show what she thought of that idea!  She is a BIG cat - not overweight even though she weights fifteen pounds, and shes healthy.  We feed her Purina Indoor Complete, and keep several dishes of Oat Grass growing at all times to rotate so she always has young blades to munch on.  She has many places to climb up on, and 'hidie holes' without number, a few of which even I haven't found!  She also has four windows with places to lie on to look out - one faces the street, one facing the porch where several neighborhood cats, and the two ferrels we feed ,hang out.  The female had two litters of kittens that we know off, so we took her for THE TRIP TO THE VET.  Another overlooks the busy bird feeder, and the ducks that like to clean up the leftovers from the messy eatting habits of the birds.  We are gone a lot during the day, so we have several toys that we put 'treats' in for her find and get the 'treats' [ only a different variety of cat food, not empty of good food treats] out  with her paw.  Since I can't read her mind,  I can only guess by her actions that she is happy with indoor life.  She has never tried to run out, even when one of the outside cats are peeking in.  She loves to cuddle with us at night, doesn't have to be walked in the cold and / or rain, can be left for all day or even longer, if need be, with someone to come in to feed, clean her litter box, and play with her    We were lucky that she was very smart.  We showed her the litter box the first time she started to use the carpet and she never missed using it - or the successively larger ones that her size called for.  She will only eat dry food - she will sniff at wet cat food [or table food] - turn up her nose - and walk off!.  Do I sound like a doting mother? - guilty.