cat - outdoor or indoor?

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Cool.

Cool cool cool.

If you want to know, I had two cats get hit by cars when I was a young. One time my parents were out of town and I went out for a while with a friend, and when we came home there was a message on the answering machine that said "um, hello? your cat is in the street, it's either dead or dying." So we peeked out there and there was poor Chairman Mao in the road. My friend had been taking biology in HS where they dissected a cat, so she looked at me with a steady gaze and said "I am used to picking up dead cats." We got a shoe box and my friend, bless her, put the dead cat in it. I of course was bawling.

This cat was meant to replace Captain Nemo, who also got hit by a car. My parents found him in the road. That cat was so cool, you could hold him on your hip like a baby and carry him around. I still miss him a lot. A real special cat.

When my mom was pregnant with me she heard a tire squeal outside and saw her cat bleeding in the street. She ran outside and picked up the cat, and it was bleeding so heavily it soaked her sundress through with blood. She called the vet but the cat was died soon thereafter.

These were in 3 different towns, 3 different houses.

So, when I got my own cat, I kept him inside. I have an apartment anyway, but I don't want my cat to get hit by a car. Outside is fun for cats, but he is still a happy boy living inside. I've had him about a decade.

Edited January 27, 2014 by Harpa Timsah

[Darnell 8,478]

im so unbelievably shocked at how everyone here is saying indoors! I would never dream of keeping my cat indoors, indoors is probably safer for kids too but we don't keep them in, there is a world out there!

this must be a cultural thing because most people I knew in England had outdoor cats, they know exactly where there home is so no problem coming back but get to actually live like a cat, I don't agree with owning a pet unless you are improving its life and I cant see how a cat would be happy indoors, its like prison!

keep vaccinations up to date and keep them in at night when any natural nocturnal predators are about and you're fine, yes there are risk of cars outside but the same risk applies to us!

When I have cats, they are outdoor cats, mostly, and working partners on any largish garden plot I have, keeping the varmit count low.

No, not feral ones, either.

[Ontarkie 14,222]

We keep ours inside. Too many coyotes that like cats in our area.

[milimelo 4,477]

Indoors only. They go out on a leash when we're in the US, but when we live overseas they stay indoors. The last place we were at, it was from the airport to the house on arrival and house to the airport on departure some 2 yrs later. They had plenty of entertainment indoors with their cat trees, toys, plenty of rooms to roam around and of course all the critters that managed to get into the house - mainly baby lizards/geckos and an occasional cockroach/spider.

[christeen 966]

Mine are indoors. But I have a huge screened in Patio and pool area and a kitty door so they can come and go out in the patio as they please. They love it! My boy likes to catch bugs then throw them in the pool and watch them... Sort of a masochist. My girl cat is deaf so I would never dream of letting her out! Plus she is a bit scared outside her screened in safety. I had an amazing indoor/outdoor cat Zorro who was hit by a car and died in my arms, so I will never let them roam living in the burbs here... Too many cars!

[TBoneTX 45,288]

Probably the bitterest argument that I had with my former girlfriend (pre-Mrs. T-B.) was whether cats should be allowed to roam. She said that it was "their nature" and that I was being cruel by keeping my then-cat indoors only. Mine outlived all 7 of her cats, several of whom died horrible deaths or disappeared forever.

The current cat sometimes wants to go out in the back yard, and chiefly stays there. If she jumps the fence, she remains close to the perimeter of the house and wants to come in the front door. It's only because she behaves that I can live with this. I do fear that she'll run after a neighborhood cat if she's out front and sees one.

Edited January 29, 2014 by TBoneTX

[Cam54 84]

simba isn't a big roamer, he likes to stay within ear shot to hear if food is coming, he been neutered as well so roaming shouldn't be as big an issue so I think il hav to just let him out in small bursts

[sadavis5 46]

Mine was supposed to be indoor, but he escaped so much that now I just leave the window open so he can come & go as he pleases. As far as I can tell, he never goes more than a block away.

[christeen 966]

My Zorro had figured out which houses in the neighborhood had kitty/doggie doors and would go visit and get a snack... My neighbors would always be telling me "oh ya, came home and your cat was napping on our kitchen rug after eating so e snacks! And none of the other cats or dogs who lived in the homes ever gave him any trouble or fight over it! He was a free spirited cat for sure!

[Kumi and Drake 14]

Our cat is indoor. The previous cat Robi that my husband and his family had was an outdoor cat and got ran over. So we rather have our cat indoors.

[Cam54 84]

simba has just started going out now and has even made some cat friends, he seems so much more relaved, outdoor was the right choice for him

[Kumi and Drake 14]

OOT. Couldn't help it but -

simba has just started going out now and has even made some cat friends, he seems so much more relaved, outdoor was the right choice for him

Our cat's name is Nala.

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

Here is an article about how outdoor cats are killing off native bird populations.

"The Evil of the Outdoor Cat."

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/22/opinion/sunday/the-evil-of-the-outdoor-cat.html

[Blue Bianchi 77]

Indoors. But they all were outdoor cats before we adopted them. Maybe they still dream of these former lives.

We've got a five level cat tree at home that they love. And heated cat beds. Lots of toys. Scratching posts. Occassional paper bag from the grocery. Occasional empty cardboard box. And our chewable toes.

By the way, one of our cats is from Manila. And I haven't filed any immigration papers for her. Uh-oh!

Edited March 27, 2014 by Blue Bianchi

[Not a Tailor 1,370]

Peter Parker is indoor. He's a rehabilitated feral and he's sweet as honey (except when he gets bitey, because he had no socialization as a kitten so doesn't know gentle when he lovebites). He does get to go outside, but only on a harness and leash. He's happy enough to walk on a leash, but he doesn't necessarily go the direction I want him to go in. I take him to parking lots and we chase pigeons together.