cats - indoor or outside??

[Stephanie Logan]

I sincerely hope your cat gets better and nothing more happens. I'm one to hate the concept of outdoor cats, but I won't get in to that now--let's just call it personal preference. Good luck. =)

It is a preference in some ways, but it is interesting how our society would never tolerate a bunch of dogs roaming freely through the neighborhood, yet cats are supposed to wander.

My husband and I have had 11 cats over the last 26 years, all of whom were adopted as strays or from shelters (one came from my uncle's farm). Every one of them had to adjust to being 100% indoor cats, and with a couple of exceptions, they have had zero problems making the change. They love their warm basking spots in the sun porch, have wrestling matches, races, and hide-and-seek games, enjoy their regular brushings, use the catbox (with only the last 3 years or so excepted) and are generally contented with their status as glorified couch cushions.

I know some people feel that cats are somehow missing something if they can't go outdoors, but when you think about it, having a decent-sized house (3000 sq. feet plus 1150 in the basement) is a "mansion" to a cat-sized creature. We do let them have the occasional summer picnic, on a leash or closely supervised in the back yard, and of course I bring them long strands of grass to devour (and puke back up later) in the summertime. I don't think they miss being outside cats at all, and when I think of my own childhood cats, who were shot with air rifles, hit by cars, chewed up by dogs or other cats, or buried alive (as one kitten we got had been before a stranger rescued him and brought him to us), I find it hard to understand why anyone would let their beloved pet roam in such risky territory as a suburban neighborhood. I know of at least 5 neighborhood cats, and three small dogs, that were taken by coyotes within the last 3 years. The families would find pieces of their eviscerated pets on their lawns or in the street.

So I may have opened a huge can of worms here, but I really am curious to know why people think it's necessary to let cats roam outside.

 

[Candy]

RE: My poor cat

Unfortunately Jordan we can't control the boundries of cats. And males are very territorial as you already know. I have dogs so my cats are pretty well protected in our backyard. Our cats get along with our dogs and they know all they have to do is run in the backyard and they'll be O.K. Do you keep food out for your cat. I only like to feed them at certain times of the day and then the food is taken in so other cats don't come around. You could turn their name into the Humane Society and let them know that they have a cat that's not neutered and see what they do.

 

[Floof]

RE: My poor cat

It is a preference in some ways, but it is interesting how our society would never tolerate a bunch of dogs roaming freely through the neighborhood, yet cats are supposed to wander.

I almost elaborated, and mentioned this in my reply. If the neighbor's six cats can have free run of the neighborhood (and my backyard--ever had the dog come running in from the 100% fenced yard covered in cat crap, when you have no cats?) without my neighbor getting in trouble, why can't my dog escape the yard every now and again without the police coming to my front door threatening to take him to the pound? (Of course, I HATE having any of my dogs outside of the yard unless I'm with them and their recall is great... But still. Tie-outs and collars break, and our youngest can hop the fence.)

About level in my mind with the irresponsibility behind most (if not all) outdoor cats, is the fact that cats are predators who can and will have a fair hand in wiping out smaller native fauna. My neighborhood used to be infested with lizards and frogs. I can't say I know what eliminated them, but I can say their populations have dwindled just since I've been here, and we have a LOT of stray and "outdoor" cats. A friend of my family's has an outdoor cat.. A superbly old, fat thing who I can say has had an immense impact on the population of Alligator lizards around his home... He claims the yard is infested, but the only lizards I've ever found around there have been dead and mangled, and the only ones he's found have been dead/mangled and/or dangling from "Kitty's" mouth and/or claws.

So I may have opened a huge can of worms here, but I really am curious to know why people think it's necessary to let cats roam outside.

Haha, I didn't say much of anything because of this. I'm not THAT comfortable around here yet, and I've had more than one "can of worms" backfire on me even with the best intentions. =P

 

[dmmj]

RE: My poor cat

Concerning cats running around the neighberhood. Correct me if I am wrong but cats are not considered domesticated like dogs are, that is the main reason why if your cat bites someone you are not considered at fault while if your dog bites someone you are automatically at fault.

 

[Floof]

RE: My poor cat

Concerning cats running around the neighberhood. Correct me if I am wrong but cats are not considered domesticated like dogs are, that is the main reason why if your cat bites someone you are not considered at fault while if your dog bites someone you are automatically at fault.

Heck, if that's true, that strikes me as even more reason that loose cats should be intolerable. If cats are so undomesticated that the owner can't be blamed for an attack, doesn't that mean they're also undomesticated enough that we can't know whether they will attack on a whim? Not saying the average cat would, but, by the logic you are citing, this should be considered, as well.

 

[Yvonne G]

I've had a number of cats over the past recent years, the most at one time being 13. I live just outside the city limits and unfortunately there are some very stupid people who just drive out to the country and turn their cats loose. Because I always have dry cat food available at all times for my own cats, it calls quite a few strays to my property. I chase them off for a couple weeks, but if they persist on coming back, I will eventually befriend them, take them to the vet for "snip, snip" and adopt them as my own. Needless to say, it is impossible to have that many cats in the house. When you have a group of cats, there's always one or two who feel they have to mark their territory. Can't have that inside!!! Phew!

But I must say in my defense, that all my cats are spayed or neutered. I can open my door and go outside any time of the day or night and find every single one of my now 6 cats on my own property!

 

[Stephanie Logan]

That is very generous and kind of you to pay for the spaying and neutering, Yvonne. If only more people would make that investment, there wouldn't be so many feral and abandoned cats.

When my uncle used to have a farm, they would have "barn cats" that would show up, and they would tolerate them for awhile since they kept the mice population under control. If the cat was female, local males would wander over from time to time and there would be litters of kittens (one of which we brought home in 1995). Once there were too many kittens and cats, my aunt would put them in the pickup, drive 10 or 20 miles down the road, and turn them loose. It seems cruel and inhumane, but on a farm animals are thought of much differently. They are not so much pets as working animals. Even my dear, sweet Grandpa, many years before I was born, would step on kittens' heads if the cat population was too large at the time.

I certainly don't have all the answers here, but I am a huge softie when it comes to my pets. And I do know that many cats do not roam beyond their own yard, and rely on the canine "body guard" when in need!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

When I moved here 3 years ago I was standing outside making nice with my new neighbor when she pointed at the black and white cat sleeping under MY bush and she tells me that's Tara, her cat. In that same conversation she tells me both of her cats are outside cats because she doesn't like cleaning a litter box. So when I work in MY garden I clean her cat's poop. Just 2 days ago I thought it would be nice after being so sick to sit outside and I started picking out the chunks of moss left from my son cleaning my roof and without realizing until it was too late I picked up a warm cat poop bare handed. OMG! This same cat knocked over my gazing ball and shattered it and I made this neighbor pay me $45 for it. This cat has knocked over my plants on my deck. She sprays urine on my door. She has also ruined a $250 custom made car cover using it as a scratching post and spraying urine all over it. It USED to be rain proof. I could go on and on. I am a cat lover and have always had a cat. I even took my fat cat in my semi truck all those years. Indoor cats live 6 to 8 years longer then outside cats. And I'll guarantee if I catch that black and white beast I will take it for a ride far away. I feel terrorized by this cat. Why is it alright for this woman's cat to do these things??? I set a trap on my deck every night and what I have caught in it is for another thread... But I WILL catch it and I WILL move it somewhere else. I have told my neighbor this...You'd think with the threats I've made she'd keep the darned thing away from me...INSIDE!!!

 

[Kymiie]

My cat in the day is indoors most of the time, and at night he is outside as we cant watch if he poos etc in the house!

 

[dmmj]

If you own a cat (indoors/outdooors) you have to take responsibility for it. Mine are indoors, of course Mine don't do half as much damage as some I have seen.

 

[alfiethetortoise]

We had a cat who was lovely, and i am sad that i didn't take him when we moved because now my mum has the dog the cat mostly wanders free.

Anyway, where i live now there are six houses in a little communial grass (fold it's called really) inbetween all the houses. Two houses are second homes. The man next door is really nice. Another man keeps himself to himself. Another (Edward) has these two really annoying cats. They are so miserable and run away all the time. I am the only house with a yard, and i have a flowerbed which i spent time making look nice. Anyway, Edwards cats live inside, but they always poo in my flowerbed, or vomit, or even in my yard. And its so annoying. And i asked Edward politely if he could mind the cats didn't poo all over my garden (i have a blueberry bush and some herbs) and he hasen't. I put out some cat smelling repellent for a while, and i could tell i'd rattled his cage. In spring/summer i let my toddler play in the yard. I just don't think its nice for her to play where there is cat poo. I dont understand why he just doesn't keep them inside, and i find it both irresbonsible and inconsiderate.

Sorry, rant over

 

[Jacqui]

Like Yvonne, I live on the edge of a small village (less then 90 folks) and we leave food outside for all the strays. We try to tame down the wild ones and get them their shots and altered. It's a never ending situation. For the last two years the outside cats usually eat a big bag of cat food every other day. That should give you some idea as to our wild population.

We also have our "pet" cats...the ones who are to different levels "tamed". Most of those we allow outside when they want to go out. The only ones not allowed out are ones with some physical issue (such as one eyed) or those still wild ones we would never catch again.

We have this black house cat that we caught as a wild kitten. We named him Ghost as you seldom see it. Finally got him to allow us to see him (forget about touching) and captured him for his vet trip. That was a year ago. We are just starting to be "allowed" to be in the same room once more with him. I figure at this rate, he may be touchable in time for his next major vet visit.

We are lucky our town has no laws about cats and our only neighbors within a block both like and have their own. Dogs can't run loose, but that is not enforced. All I can say is the major animal damage is done by the dogs in town...not the cats. We have dogs too, but ours are not allowed to roam.

I think the cats who live in both worlds (inside and outside) seem the happiest. I would give up having them for years longer to get to see how happy they seem outside in the sunshine, chasing each other up and down trees, and ******** in my flowerbeds I tend to work barehanded (I can feel for you Maggie). When I lived in a bigger town, I never would have dreamed of keeping cats outside. Here they can stretch out in the middle of main street and cars/trucks actually slow down and go around them...dogs too.

As a side note, down at our other house where we keep poultry and had the horses, we use to have rats and mice mega issues. Once a couple of our cats decided they liked the quieter life and moved themselves there, we seldom even see a mouse dropping.

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Hear, Hear! For the traditional barn cats who keep the mouse and rat population in check!

And hear, hear! for you and your neighbors who lure the feral cats in to get them altered and vaccinated!