cats: indoors or outdoors

[WoodSorrelWitch]

I am mixed about this and so far, not really decided.
I have three cats. They love to be outside and freak out when I bring them inside or even into the garage.

But the good thing about them being inside is, they would be protected and they would live longer. I've had a 20 year old cat be mauled by two dogs, a kitten get hit by a car, another cat get hit by a car, and one cat gone missing.

Because it's my parent's house, they have set the, "no pets allowed in the house" rule (except for my rats). Their main concerns are: they would wreck the house, get fleas everywhere, and allergies.

I can't really refute the allergies because I am allergic to cat fur as well. But as far as the other two, if they are inside, there is no dirt for them to track in and for the nonexistent fleas, we use advantage/frontline anyways. It's their house, whatever.


So what do you girls think?  

[whatagirlwants]

it depends on the cat. My sister flipped when she found out we let the cat she dumped on us outside and he has a tendency to be gone for days. But he's our cat now and it really solves him cranky problems. In my opinion it is better to have a happy cat live for a few years than a depressed cat live for 20 years. If they want to be outside let them. We do make him come in when a storm or freeze is coming but other than that we let him do his thing. Marley on the other hand is declawed. We let him out only when we are outside and make him come in afterwards, he likes to go on walks with me. He is happy indoors so long as he gets some sun once and a while.  

[WoodSorrelWitch]

I really agree with that - better to have a happy cat live for a few years than a depressed cat live for 20 years. When it storms we do leave the garage cracked for them if the want in. Even our neighbor cut a kitty door in his Quonset Hut; they love it in there.  

[AriaStarSong]

PawzPrint

I really agree with that - better to have a happy cat live for a few years than a depressed cat live for 20 years.

My opinion exactly. My cats would have been miserable indoor cats. They've gotten in their share of scrapes over the years, but that's part of life. They're indoor/outdoor now, so they can come in and lounge around the house when they want to (and in the winter, they often want to), but they can go outside and be wild hunters when they want to (in the summer, they often want to).
The only cat we had who would disappear for days was our big orange tabby, and that was his way of "punishing" us if we would leave on vacation or something. Someone would come by to feed the cats, of course, but he was mad that we were gone, so he wouldn't show his face for 3 or 4 days after we got back. We knew he was around, though, because he would come in at night to eat and we'd hear him, plus the cat food would be gone.

Maybe it's because I grew up in a rural area, but the idea that it's "cruel" to let cats outside had never been brought up. Cats lived in and out. We kept them inside as kittens until they got big enough to fend for themselves, and so that the house would be established as "home", but after that, they can come and go as they please.  

[RosesFallingLikeRain]

BaBy LoVeS tO dAnCe In ThE D A R K

I think cats should be indoor/outdoor, unless there's a big danger for them to be outside on their own.
People are probably going to yell at me for petitioning to keep cats inside, and say I'm a hypocrite.
But big deal.
It's dangerous where I live, and here, it is safer to keep cats inside.
One of my friends who has cats has a bunch of cats that are perfectly happy to stay inside.

'CaUsE wHeN He's LoOkInG sHe FaLls A P A R T

 

[whatagirlwants]

Marx is now permanently outdoor. I told hubby its the only way we can keep him, he aggressively attacked me for no reason. I don't want that to happen to froggy. Violent animals and animals that don't know where their poop goes are the only ones I can't tolerate.  

[Sora Nightwhisper]

if all the cat's ever known is the indoors, then from my experience they are content. but its sort of like kids, eventually they want to see the world. My cats go in and out as they please, unless they need to stay in/out for a specific reason. yes, we've spent thousands of dollars in vet bills because our male likes to get in fights even though he's nuetered but they're happy.  

[AriaStarSong]

There are circumstances that dictate that certain animals should be one or the other. Froggymama's reasons for keeping her cat outdoors, because she's worried that he'll hurt her son, are certainly valid. I'm thinking about adopting an FIV+ cat from the humane society, and that cat would have to remain indoors because of risk of infecting another cat, should they get into a fight, and the increased risk of exposure since they are immune-compromised. Because I live in an upper story apartment in the middle of town, indoor/outdoor would also be... challenging to coordinate.

RosesFallingLikeRain - as a matter of fact, I do think you're a hypocrit for petitioning that all cats be kept inside while saying it's healthiest for them to be indoor/outdoor. The best method of keeping their pets should be at the owner's discretion. Leash laws for dogs are for primarily put in place for the safety of people, not for the safety of the dogs (though it certainly does promote safe and responsible dog ownership as well).

I realize that I'm bringing in information from another thread, but I believe it is relevant to the current discussion.
In your suggested legislation for not allowing free-roaming cats in your area (which, I understand, is unsafe for free-roaming animals) how would animal control identify the owners of cats? I know very few people who keep collars and licenses and their cats, and, at least in the United States, there is no required licensing for cats. We made the decision NOT to collar our cats who live part time outdoors because we decided that the collar was more dangerous to their health, since they're climbing trees, running through the woods, and terrorizing small woodland creatures on a daily basis. The chance that a collar would get caught on something and strangle them is pretty high. The cats aren't heavy enough to break a safety-release clasp (and my cats are pretty darn big. Jazz is pushing 18lbs. Cider was 25lbs. Bug is around 15lbs. Not fat. Just BIG cats). My dog's collar had a safety release clasp, so that if she were to get caught on something, the collar would break free rather than strangle her. We tried to put a collar with a bell on Bug when he started bringing birds into the house on a regular basis, but it took him a grand total of 5 days to figure out how to ditch the collar somewhere that we never were able to find it. All of our animals also had severe reactions to flea collars (which seems odd, I know, but it's true)
So, since you are suggesting that all free-roaming cats in your area be impounded and the owners be fined, how are you proposing the owners be identified?
I am NOT trying to pick a fight with you, although I will admit to vehemently disagreeing with you, I am sincerely curious as to how you intend your proposed legislation be enforced.  

[RosesFallingLikeRain]

BaBy LoVeS tO dAnCe In ThE D A R K

Well, I think it's healthy for all animals to be outside for periods of time.
Where I live, I've read that it's law to have your animal identifiable in some way, be it collar and tags, chipped, or tattooed on their ear.

I also happen to think that under some circumstances, it's better for cts to be specifically one or the other. It's better for FroggyMama's cats to be outside because it's safer for her child, but if there's say... rat poisoning all over yours or a neighbour's property, it's safer for them to stay inside.

As you can probably see, I still need to look into what exactly happened in my old town, because I only know the very basics.

About the collars, there's no woods or anything to really get caught on or anything, but like I said, nearly all animals are identifiable.

I don't mind if you disagree or not, because I know I'll run into lot's of people here who will disagree.
I realize you're not picking a fight, and I appreciate your opinion. I'm glad you're not flaming me.

'CaUsE wHeN He's LoOkInG sHe FaLls A P A R T

 

[whatagirlwants]

Sora I love you for mentioning that your cat who fights a lot is happy. Humans have a strange tendency to project our psyche on animals. A human who fights a lot is not a happy person. A cat who fights a lot is rather happy. It usually means so form of dominance and more territory. The most dominate male on my in laws land is a 5 lb neutered Manx mix named Fido and if he didn't come to it he'd be dubbed Napoleon. The only other male is his litter mate who clearly has a different father as he has Siamese markings and is nearly 30 lb of pure feline muscle. I can tell you Fido is a very happy cat.

Aria I totally agree with you and I think you should get the FIV+ cat. I bet it would make a great companion and most people don't want a sick animal. Here animals must be registered and have ID from cats to cows. You don't have to have a collar and tag but if you don't you have to have a microchip or tattoo and it has to be registered. If the city catches an unregistered animal (though they don't bother with cats unless its hurt or a threat) you can't get it back until you register it. Marx used to have a collar but he lost it, he now has a very clear ring of thin fur. As far as the flea collars go it is most likely due to an allergy or sensitivity to the chemicals, they aren't effect anyways.

What do you do about the overcrowding in shelters that occurs because people have to keep their cats indoors? Think about it I spend maybe max $10/ month on my cats. If was hit with a $50 fee I'd say bye bye kitty cat I'm sorry but the powers that be are a bunch of dicks. If the cat is too stupid to not know to stay out of the road then maybe it deserves the fate. I live in viewing distance of the highway and remarkably my cats have never been hit by cars thats because their brains function properly. Big thing moving towards them at high speeds? better get out if its way. Then there are the strays that get caught and no one wants. Sure you may keep a few cats from getting hurt but in the long run you kill way more.

All this of course is assuming you can get animal control to enforce the law. I know the animal control officer that runs my neighborhood. I asked her "if someone told you that it was illegal to let cats outside what would you do?" He response was "aside from a strong desire to kill the b*****d that made my job impossible, I'd ignore the cats and say they were uncatchable. Why bother if its not hurting anyone?" And this isn't some lazy person who hates their job. She loves what she does, she hates wrangling cats, no animal control officer enjoys wrangling cats. Just watch an episode of Animal cops where they have to go to a cat hoarder. Everyone dreads the work, they do it because the cats are dying and in appalling conditions. But for something where the majority of the population sees it has normal and okay? You are going to have a hard time getting the law enforced if you can get it passed.  

[AriaStarSong]

That's interesting that cats have to be registered and identifiable where you guys live. They don't where I'm from, so I wasn't aware that it was different in other places. Good to know!

Roses - I'm really interested in hearing if you find out what the logistics of the law that were passed where you used to live. The whole thing seems like a logistical nightmare to me, but I'd be interested to know if they found a way that it could work efficiently.
On collars, there would be a lot of urban hazards of collars as well, I would think. There are still things that they can get caught on.

Froggymama - If I decide to get a cat, it will definitely be one of the FIV+ ones. The humane society in my city has a whole list of them. A few of them even have a deal where if you adopt one FIV+ cat, they'll waive the adoption fee on a second one. I'm still looking into that though, because I know that in my current economic situation, I can't afford a lot of really high vet bills. I won't be getting a pet until I can afford to set up a vet fund for reasonable things, but if they need a lot of expensive surgeries and medications constantly... I just can't do that. I want to make sure that whatever pet I bring into my life, I can give it a forever home. I don't want to have to surrender it or have it put down because I can't afford its health care. I know that I have the skill set to take a pet that has special medical needs, but unfortunately, my bank account doesn't quite support that yet.
And I just think it's funny that EVERY dog or cat that we owned while I was growing up had an allergic reaction to the flea collars. My dog's was the worst (her hair started falling out, her skin started flaking out, she was beginning to develop bloody sores on her body, etc. She had REALLY sensitive skin!) but the cats all had bad reactions as well. I know other people who's pets didn't have any reaction to them, but EVERY cat that we've had, and every cat that my mom has had her entire life, has been unable to wear a flea collar. No problem with Advantix or any of the other spot-on flea and tick stuff though.  

[Azusanga]

My cat is indoor-outdoor. She has a harness that she can't get out of, and a plastic-coated wire that's designed for puppies-toy breed sized dogs is what she's attached to. Our neighborhood is quite safe, and she's far enough away from the road that she won't get hit, and she's also far enough away from the sidewalk that she won't get kicked by anyone going through who dislikes cats (coming onto the property is trespassing, so I can get them arrested and make them pay any vet bills if it's needed ;P). She's also close enough to the house that we'll be able to hear if she gets in a fight, as well as if she gets tangled on anything.  

[[Lacrimosa]]

We got our cats with the intention of making them indoor only. We live in a neighborhood that is mostly dogs. Big dogs, at that. But, eventually, we got to the point where we would let them out under strict supervision. We try to let them out at least once a day, because they really adore it. And if it's not possible, we make sure to open up all the windows and such so they can at least look outside.
I think that indoor/outdoor should be determined based on the cat. I have known some people to be owned by cats who hate outside. Others love it. I prefer to try to keep an eye on them, personally. When we lived in the country, we thought nothing of letting Yoda out to roam. Of course, she was evil as hell and nothing would have tried to hurt her. xD
In the city it makes me nervous to let out a cat because they could run into a dog, eat anti-freeze, or meet a bigger cat that could hurt them.
In the country, I worry about dogs, bulls, cyotes, et cetera.
And BOTH make me nervous because they could fight a FIV+ cat and become ill. Or just get a cold or something from another cat while outside.
I just...I prefer to moniter them.
But, if the cat is happier outside, let them outside. Happier inside, keep them in. But base it around the cats personality and the chances of it being hurt. I understand cats will fight, but if you know a whole bunch of poison is around the neighborhood, or big dogs hang around, I would suggest avoiding letting the cat out with supervision. =/
It's really just common sense as far as I'm concerned.

And another thing that interested me:
There are places that don't make it mandatory to have your pets identifiable? I had no idea. Every where I've ever lived had that as a law. As well as dogs and cows and sheep and whatever else animals you could possibly have.

 

[[Lacrimosa]]

froggymama89

Marx is now permanently outdoor. I told hubby its the only way we can keep him, he aggressively attacked me for no reason. I don't want that to happen to froggy. Violent animals and animals that don't know where their poop goes are the only ones I can't tolerate.

I'm curious, when he attacked you were there any changes in the household enviroment? I apologize if you already evaluated this possibility, but prehaps it was just added stress on the cat and he transfered the angression to you. I'm not saying bring him back in, it was wise of you to put him out with a child in the house. But maybe you could, if you'd like too, try bringing him back in and letting him out if there are any stressors involved. I'm not trying to instruct you or anything, but I had a friend who had to put her cat outside due to an attack and she felt really guilty all the time because she was constantly worried about him. =/
Anyways, my cat has agressively attacked me three times, and all times he was under extra stress. Once when were evacuated for a hurricane, once when we got our secound cat, and once when we were getting new beds. (We were doing a lot of furniture rearranging, a lot of extra loud banging noises, stuff like that.) He has never gone anything similar, so we keep him inside and try different calming methods that work for him if there are any huge changes. (Like we give him some extra treats, we put him alone in a room away from the stressors until he can simmer down, massage him, et cetera.)
Plus, he's a huge sissy and if we put him outside he'd get his sorry a** kicked by another cat. xD