Indoors or Outdoors?

[katayl88]

I have always had cats and they have always been allowed access to the outdoors.

Last year I bought my first house and got my first two cats that were my own, as opposed to my parents'. After a few weeks, I let them out for the first time. As usual, they were missing for a few hours and then turned up in the evening, and after that they were fine outdoors.

These two cats were brother and sister, and one day the female (Bea) arrived home with a bleeding foot. I cleaned her up and thought nothing of it. But after several days she developed a runny eye. I took her to the vets and he gave her antibiotic eye drops, which soon cleared it up. But then out of nowhere she developed this wheeze and within 2 weeks had to be pts with a pyothorax  

I had only had her for less than 2 months and part of me thinks that if she had been an indoor cat then I'd still have her because it was likely due to an infection, although I don't know this. 

I now have another girl, Nala, and now I'm debating whether or not to let her out. I have never kept a cat in before but she is such a little princess and shows no desire to go out, other than looking through the window, even though Panda spends a lot of time outside. I want her to feel the sunshine in the summer though so might get an outdoor enclosure if I did decide to keep her in.

What do you guys think? Thanks. 

 

[asherdash]

I prefer indoors only simply because I see too many horrible stories of cruelty on the news.

 

[peaches08]

Cars, other animals (some cat-killers), and mean people are why mine stay indoors only.

 

[dianamc]

I have an outdoor cat and I felt like a pariah when we tried to "adopt." My old cat was indoor/outdoor and had a window cat door so she could get in and out without wearing out me or our door. The literature says something like the average outdoor cat's lifespan is 3-4 years.

What people have trouble understanding is that we live on a very isolated farm and there are no cars whizzing by, no strange dogs, and very little danger. Our outdoor cat is 13 and has been sleeping with the dog in his house on the porch (they have a heater for the cold weather).  I really think many cats are happier with access to the outdoors; however, it's usually just too dangerous.  I wouldn't have done it anywhere else we lived. Now Dandy, this new kitten, is stuck inside because I won't have another 15 years here and I don't want her to get used to being out.

On "My Cat from Hell" I've seen some "Catios" which are solutions to letting kitties go out and still be safe.  These can get pretty elaborate but are great.  My boss used to put hers out on a lead, which is better than nothing.  If your cat is content indoors, I would probably let well enough alone.  After my Xena started going out, she was very bad when I tried to keep her in (I did not like chasing mousies...).

I hope this link is okay, but I found one that has links to some various manufacturers of enclosures.  Kind of neat!

http://www.paws.org/outdoor-cat-enclosures.html

 

[katayl88]

Thanks for your reply and for the link! I watched the one about building your own cat enclosure and there was a video about such an elaborate one! If I had even an ounce of skill I would definitely build one myself. It was awesome! 

I'm not sure where you live, but here in the UK it is the norm to allow your cat full access to the outdoors (unless it is a pedigree). Everyone I have spoken to about this (family, friends etc.) thinks it would be cruel to keep a cat indoors. My cat looks through the window but otherwise shows no desire to go outside. I am torn because I know that Americans tend to keep their animals indoors unless perhaps they live in a rural area. My neighbourhood is quiet and pretty safe. My parents live in the same neighbourhood and have always allowed their cats to go outside, and all of them have lived until their mid-teens at leastm apart from one that unfortunately had a sudden fatal heart attack. 

My American partner thinks it's cruel to allow cats to go outside. I am inclined to agree with my family to some extent, in that it would be cruel to keep my male cat indoors. From Day 1 he was begging to go out and he gets anxious if he is prevented from going out. But Nala isn't showing much interest. However, I'm sure she would if I allowed her to get a taste for it. 

Such a difficult decision :/ 

 

[GemsGem]

Im from UK too and I don't think it is the norm here anymore to let your cats room free outdoors pedigree or not.
More and more people are coming round to the idea that it is better to keep your cat inside now. Due to cars, cat haters who will poison, shoot cats or set their dogs on cats just for a laugh.
I think that is a very out dated idea that cats should be allowed out. Same as the old wives tails of cats should be put outside at night. I think it did use to be the norm but so did letting your pet dog room lose outside. Yet you don't see pet dogs rooming the streets like you use to anymore. Yet nobody calls dog owners cruel for not letting their dog roam free by themselves

 

[katayl88]

It is still very much the norm where I live but it doesn't mean it's right. I wonder if there are any publicly-available studies about the psychological welfare of indoor vs outdoor cats.

 

[dianamc]

I am in a very rural area of the U.S. and didn't notice that you were in the U.K. until I had answered. Still, that catio link gives a good idea of what can be done - I think I could almost live in some of them

. Others were a little more reasonable, but I don't think they'd work for Dandy with the dog and cat looking at her.

There was a television show that said "everyone" in England let their cats out, but I'm sure some keep them in.  I don't know if there are the same diseases, but there are surely fleas. Ideally cats would love to go out but it's just not safe enough in most cases. Most indoor cats adjust  but they do need to find other amusements.  Cats are not considered the same under the law as a dog (here anyway).  That's one reason cats can roam free and dogs don't.  There are laws about dogs while cats are considered less controllable.

Certainly not everyone in the U.S. keeps their cat indoors.  The shelters and rescues are very adamant about it, but even people in the cities sometimes have indoor/outdoor cats.  I can't imagine it.  Sometimes we have to move on from our parents' ideas.  Mine wouldn't have had a dog or cat in the house at all.

 

[rainbow22]

I also live in the UK. My nearly one year old stays in when I'm out and at night but he goes in the garden when I am at home. He loves it out there and so far (about 2 months now) hasn't tried to jump over the fence. He is too interested in hunting mice in the bushes on the other side if the garden. I feel this arrangement is a good compromised.

I don't know what you decided to do but an outdoor play area is also a great idea.

Hope it all worked out for you.

 

[alyssam]

As a child my mother's, aunt's, grandparent's etc, cats were all 100% indoor cats. Being on a farm, all of our cats have access to the outdoors, some of which are primarily outdoor cats. Ideally, I would like for them all to be able to be indoors all of the time but it isn't up to me as this isn't my house. When we are able to get our own place (hopefully sometime in the near future) I will be keeping them indoors, until we can at least afford the materials to build a catio! 

Speaking of catio, if you want your cats to be able to play outdoors safely you should consider an outdoor enclosure that you can put them in or that they can access at will. 

 

[tootsiepop]

I keep my Grayson exclusively indoors. I just think there are too many dangers outside- other animals, cars, mites/ticks, other things that cause infection or injuries.

I just get mad inside when I hear coworkers talk about letting their cats outdoors and how they're gone for a long time so they're worried about the cat (and I keep thinking well if you didn't leave them out) and another had her cat go in a neighbors garage and she was worried he might get into something. I just don't know if the supposed benefit of letting them enjoy the outdoors outweighs the potential dangers. I just think the pet parents are giving themselves unnecessary worry.

But I try really hard not to judge how others raise their animals. I just have a love for animals and care for their safety.

I get it though..I grew up on a farm and loved all the farm cats.