Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

After reading the horrible things people are doing to free roam cats, I was wondering how everyone felt.

Do you think cats should only be indoors? Or do you think, as long as people aren't hurting them, that they should be free to roam outside?

What do you think about the issues surrounding these questions like cats hunting small wildlife like birds or how your neighbors feel about a free roam cat?

I've never had one so I don't even know how hard it would be to turn an outdoor cat into an indoor cat.

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

As a property owner, it drives me up the wall having other peoples cats in my yard. It's also upsetting that they hunt the birds at my feeder.

As an animal lover I just don't get why you would want to let your pet roam around. It is so dangerous- cars, diseases, other animals, sick people.

When I was really young people used to let their dogs roam, my parents included. That was just the norm. People have wised up and just dont' do that today. I hope the same will happen with cat owners.

ETA: I actually researched this on the ASPCA website and their stand is that indoor is better.

Message edited 9/24/2008 9:27:07 AM.

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

growing up, we lived on a very quiet street and our backyard backed the field for the Jr High, so all of our cats were outdoor/indoor cats. They went outside during the day and came in at night to sleep.

I now live on a busy street so my cat is totally an indoor cat!

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

I have always been all about indoor only. It scares me too much to think about letting our little girl outside.

But, we have recently had to take in our former neighbor's cat (they lost their house, but don't feel too bad, they were not good neighbors, always cops at their house and loud screaming at any hour of the day and..other things going on) but anyway, they left their beautiful cat behind (the friggin woman even came back months after and was mad that her house was boarded and did my husband know if her fridge was still in there? He told her he didn't know "but, um, what about your cat, are you taking him?" and her response was (looks over at the poor thing sleeping on my porch) "Oh, him. Well, he likes you anyway." !!!???? WTH?

At any rate, he was an indoor/outdoor cat (outdoors only for months after they left) and now, though we have gotten him tested, gotten him shots, given him a flea bath and put both cats on flea medication, we are not comfortable leaving him indoors when we are not around.

He and our little girl seem to be OK - she hisses a lot and they chase each other but I "think"? they are playing but I just don't know him that well.

And he also can be VERY insistant about going out. He's used to it. Ideally I'd like to keep him inside all the time (actually, ideally I would love to find him a really good home - we were really just planning on fostering him) but I just don't know that he can be changed.

Most of the neighbors where I think he is likely to wander are aware of who he came from and hopefully won't be too ****** at us. There are a few free roaming cats around our neoghborhood. But, we really don't know what to do.

Sorry for the long vent.

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

Indoor, because it is so dangerous out there for cats to roam around.

That being said, my last cat was an indoor/outdoor cat. We had never had an outdoor cat before, but she was peeing all over the house, and it was the last thing we tried to get her to stop. Fortunately it worked, and she lived a happy life until she was 15 years old.
So I do think sometimes if its a last resort, it is necessary.
The three cats I have now are all indoor only. One of them we take out occcasionally on a leash, and he loves it.

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

Just because of the fact that there are cat haters out there--i will only have indoor cats. One day, if DH and I ever buy a house--I would considering getting high PVC fencing around the yard and letting my kitty roam around. My sister's landlord does this--the pvc is like 6' high and the cats can hang in the backyard only.

a perfect example of a cat hater is my DH's dad....hates cats and thinks that he has the right to dispose of any cat that enters his yard by either
a)letting his pitbull ut to chase/attack
b)shoot at it with a bee bee gun
c)whatever other means necesary to get rid of the animal.

simply because of that mentality i would be too scared that my cat would find its way into a yard of someone who thinks that way and would harm/kill my little guy.

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

I have 2 cats

one is a pure breed persian- I would never let him outside- he just isn't made for that - plus we looked up similar looking kittens on line- and they go for over $1K (we adopted him)

Maggie is a wild kitten- who would get hurt or lost outside

I would not be able to sleep at night knowing they were outside - getting hurt or worse

they have a great life inside- I set up a bird feeder for them- they get alot of action, they have tons of toys- they have it made

I have been at the vet when people bring their outdoor cats in- they can get very hurt!

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

Now, indoor cats only.

Roxanne was born in the garage outside DH's old apt. Her mom was a stray. DH took her in and she was an indoor/outdoor cat.

When we moved to a new neighborhood, Roxanne became and indoor cat only. I'm sure it was an adjustment for her, but she's good about staying inside. She's lived on "both sides of the tracks" and I think she prefers being indoors now.

We adopted Samson from Last Hope when he was a kitten. He's always been and indoor cat. He's very playful and not very "street savvy". I dont think he'd survive outside now. He's a big mush, and I'd be devastated if he ever got out.

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

I said ‘other’. I feel ANY pets you own should only be allowed outside if they are 'contained'. That goes for dogs and cats.

Just as you wouldn't open your door and let your dog run around, you shouldn't let your cat just run around. I am very judgmental about this. It's just responsible pet ownership. A cat is not a 'throw away' pet. It requires almost as much ‘time’ and ‘work’ as a dog. I'm not saying if you don't build your indoor cats a pen to go outside you're a bad owner, I just feel cats often get treated as a 'secondary pet', not as important as the dog. I would not judge anyone who just had their cats in, I still think it's being responsible to keep your cats inside 100% of the time as opposed to letting them run around outside.

We built our cats an outdoor enclosure so they can go outside, play, run around, get fresh air, but THEY are safe from cars, people and other animals and my birds, bunnies, chipmunks, etc are fairly safe from my cats. I say 'fairly' because could a bird get in their pen and get killed? Yes, just like most people with dogs can attest to their dog occasionally getting a small animal in their yards.

It was not hard to do, they even have pre-made ones. DH and I built part and bought part. I feel pets should have equality – you walk your dog, you let your dog out in a fenced in yard, cats need the same stimulation.

They have a cat door and they go in and out as they please.

This is right off the house, this part we bought.


Tunnel that leads to the back part


The back part that DH and I built.


YES, ours is huge, but you can get a little one, they have ones for apartments even. We have a tiny little house so this is like an extra big play room for them. If anyone wants info or links to purchase them FM me and I can send to you!

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

That's really cool Kara.

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

Indoor. My 2 cats have lived in my apt. since they were 8 and 6 weeks old. The only time they've ever been outside is in their carriers on their way to the vet's. I won't declaw them because (a) I think it's cruel, but more importantly, (b) God forbid they ever did get out, they'd be absolutely defenseless.

If we ever moved to a house, I'd be beside myself worrying that they might get out, and what might happen to them. I'm much more content (and they don't seem to have any complaints) with them being kept indoors at all times.

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

I'm the other....

OK...i'm torn on this one!

I have two cats one 16 years old and one almost 10 years old. They have always been indoor cats.

When I sold my house to move in with my now husband, Our yard is all fenced in.

I have been letting them outside when we are doing gardening in the back yard. I have to admit They are so much happier now that they get to go outside.
I would never leave them in the yard unattended.

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

I will never, ever, EVER have another outdoor cat ever again.

In my 28 years, I've had MANY cats. My mom was a big believer that it's cruel to keep a cat indoors, so we always used to let ours outside. Well, here's a list of things that happened as a result...and this is truly an abbreviated list:

1) One cat got hit by a car and had two broken front legs.
2) That same cat used to get into fights with other animals all the time...one time he came back and a good patch of his fur was hanging off of his body.
3) A different cat must have had a small open wound that we didn't know about. Some insect came along and LAID EGGS inside the wound. The result was her body being taken over and eaten by a VERY large grub, which we didn't discover until about 4 months later when she started bleeding all over my comforter.
4) That same cat ate a bird who must have been sick and started having seizures. Her balance and ability to walk were never the same after that.
5) Yet ANOTHER cat was hit by a car, was able to make it back to our front yard, and she died under our front bush, where my mom found her and was hysterical for the next year or so.
6) One of our cats decided to climb up on a neighbor's roof--so the neighbor's teenage son went up after her and THREW HER off the roof. She broke her pelvis as a result. Yes, they paid the vet bills, but still...
7) And most recently, my sister's cat (who was an indoor-only cat that managed to get out) was ripped to shreds by 3 dogs that belonged to a neighbor. They got out of their yard, and ripped this poor cat apart. He was still alive when they got to the vet, but after over $3000 worth of surgery, he went into cardiac arrest and died.

I hope that this will make some of you think about having outdoor cats. NEVER AGAIN for me. I love my babies too much to ever subject them to the risk of getting hurt...or much worse.

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

I have and always will have an indoor cat. I hate when people just let theirs roam all overthe neighborhoods and they crap everywhere. Plus you dont know if they have diseases or rabies.

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

We only do indoors. Actually our's have NO desire to leave the house - they run inside whenever a door opens...

True story:

We had a young cat in our yard back in 2005. We wanted to TNR her. Well we trapped, spayed and after she healed (totally FERAL cat previously mind you) we offered her to go back outside after maybe 5 months of being with us. She ran back onto my living room couch and layed there as if to say "I'm not leaving, you crazy lady?". They must like it here. We're just as happy when I read all the stuff that happens to them outside. She's not a lap cat, but she's smart as a whip and she does allow DH and I to pet her, now she meows for attention. We even got a parakeet who she adores looking at... has NEVER tried to harm the bird in any way. She just looks at him and reminds us to feed him, change his water and cover him. She gets all excited and meows at us when we do that stuff... we pet her too for reminding us.

Miracles do happen and we love her and wouldn't want any harm to come her way.

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

I think a pet cat should be kept indoors for a number of reasons...

First and foremost- they can get hit by cars or into fights with other cats. Then they come home hurt or don't come home at all and die.

Beyond that - they can pick up diseases, ticks, fleas or mites and bring them in your house. They can get hurt by random people. They are a nuisance in the neighborhood. Howling all night long or just going to the bathroom in other peoples yards is disgusting.

Killing birds or mice is the least of the issues to me. I can't stand the people in my neighborhood who let the cats roam free. There is one house that I'd love to call the ASPCA on - they have I don't know how many cats and don't get them fixed so there is forever a new set of kittens roaming around. They basically just put out food for these cats and allow them to continue to proliferate.

Trust me, my cat has been almost feral since we got him and he's never completely settled down. But, he's still an indoor cat. He got out one night in his five year life and I didn't sleep all night and just kept looking for him.
You can teach them to be indoor cats, but it's usually easiest to start with a kitten.

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

I would not sleep at night nor relax all day if I knew my baby was out roaming around- getting hurt, getting hit by a car, fighting with other animals and even worse things...

I couldn't do it- not ever!

Not to mention the fleas, ticks, etc that it would probably bring into my house.

IMO- all pet cats should be indoor only.

Re: Outdoor versus Indoor cats [Poll]

My cats are indoor only. They have a gazillion toys, the run of the whole house, scratching posts, and get lots of attention. I live in a rural area and there are fox, possums, and raccoons all over....I'd never risk their lives like that.