Does anyone think its right for a cat to live outdoors??

Question

my dad put my cat outside because the litterbox smells and I forgot to clean the litter box twice.... (its freezing outside!)

Answer 1

Hi Kim... cats can suffer from hypothermia with prolonged exposures to the cold climate temperatures. Therefore, it's impertinant to consider having your cat stay indoors to prevent the risk of getting frost bite on their ears, nose and paws.

There are many other dangers of cats who live outdoors, such as stray cats who are infected with deadly feline diseases that can pass these to vaccinated cats if they fight, vicious dogs, cars, people who are cruel to pet animals, etc.

Please consider printing out the following information brochures for your father about the dangers to outdoor cats:

Outdoor dangers to cats:
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/cat_care/keep_your_cat_safe_at_home_hsuss_safe_cats_campaign/index.html
http://www.petplace.com/cats/outdoor-dangers/page1.aspx

Hypothermia in cats:
http://www.pets.ca/articles/article-frostbite.htm
http://www.petplace.com/cats/hypothermia-in-cats/page1.aspx

When you bring your cat back inside consider setting an alarm to remind you to clean the cat's litter box so that you do not have to worry about your cat having to live a the perilous life outdoors.

Answer 2

You should keep the litter box in the garage, then you won't be able to smell it and it is out of the way. Keeping the cat outside in the winter might not be very nice to the cat. Maybe you could make a deel with your dad that the cat stays inside the house for the winter and goes out the rest of the year. And if you do decide to put it outdoors, be sure to "fix it." For the simple reason that if you don't you'll have some unwanted kittens.

Answer 3

Cats can live outdoors. If your cat has never been outside though it will be hard to adjust. I feel its wrong though when its winter and cold outside because they cant get the heat they need to stay warm. Right now change the litter box and talk to your dad. If not then maybe sneak the cat in and keep it in your room for the night.

Answer 4

Oh please people!! Once again we have the angry "you're a bad person if your cat doesn't live inside" crowd passing judgment on the people who think it perfectly fine for animals to be outside.

first of all, cats, as well as a huge variety of other animals, have been surviving outside in all kinds of weather for far longer than humans have been living in houses. Your cat's not going to freeze solid, or catch pnemonia, or perish with icecycles hanging from her whiskers. She going to go somewhere, curl up in a warm, fuzzy kitty ball and be FINE.

Secondly, who do these self righteous morons think they are, telling you to sneak the cat back into the house against your father's wishes. Are they trying to get you into MORE trouble than your already in? Are they trying to anger your father more than he already is?! Chances are, as soon as you clean the litter box and swear to not forget again, he's going to relent and let the cat back in. But fat chance of that if he catches you sneaking the cat inside!

Trust me, your getting a lot of bad advice from a lot of people. Clean the litter box, then go talk to your dad like an adult. For heaven sakes, have a spine and be up front about it. Don't sneak around like some teenager and think he won't find out. He will. And it will just make things worse.

Answer 5

I don't think it's fair to have the kitty stay outside. You've got to make more of an effort to keep the box clean, but Dad shouldn't be so harsh. Try and talk it over with him. Your poor cat doesn't deserve to freeze cuz u forgot to clean the cat box.....

Answer 6

Hi. Oh no!!!! Can u build a warm house 4 her b4 she becomes feral? Can she be returned to the no-kill shelter for another home? Could u buy the litter box that has a filter attachment? Ur poor cat! Ur dad's actions r beyond mean!
U seem 2 b hurting enough...

Answer 7

How cruel!! You must remember to clean her litter box, girl...Yes, it's too cold for a cat to be outside especially if she's been an indoor cat. There are too many diseases out there and they catch respiratory illnesses very, very quickly...Bring that baby in, remember to keep her litter box clean...you can also sprinkle baking soda on the litter to keep it fresher smelling, but not because you forgot to clean it.. I clean our 4 cats litter boxes (we have 4 of them..cats and litter boxes) once a day at least and with pine sol cleaner once a week...IF you love your pet you will do this...

Answer 8

It's wrong for your dad to punish the cat for something YOU did wrong.

It won't harm the cat to be outside for a little while but clean the box and get the cat back inside. Tell your dad next time you forget he can take away your allowance, but the cat gets to stay in.

Answer 9

Rememberto clean out the litterbox. Cats like to find somewhere warm.

Answer 10

If it's freezing outside, the cat's health is at risk. Plus, there are other hazards such as dogs and diseases.

I can't find the source right now, but I've seen statistics that say cats who stay indoors live three to four times longer on average than cats that go outdoors (about 12 years compared to 3-1/2).

My cats always stay indoors. I want them to stay healthy.

Answer 11

I used to have a cat and since our back porch was screened in, we kept the litter box out there and installed a kitty door. That way she can come in when it's cold but not the smell.