cats + appartment= ?

Question

is it ok to have a cat in am appartment if you cant let them out?
my friend says its cruel.

Answer 1

Cats are very popular apartment pets, for a lot of different reasons. First off, cats are "upwardly mobile". They get a lot more surface area out of a small apartment than a human does, because they can walk on dressers, beds, counters (they shouldn't, but they do!), etc. They have a lot more space to inhabit in an apartment than a dog does.

Secondly, they're lower maintenance. They don't need to be walked and do the pooper-scooper routine in a busy urban area... You have to feed them, play with them indoors, and maintain their litterbox and health. Lower maintenance than a dog. You can leave them alone for a weekend if you need to travel, so long as you leave plenty of clean water, food, and a clean litterbox first.

Lastly... I find it cruel to let cats run outdoors. In an urban environment, there are the hazards of cars, toxins everywhere, and too many people who can be cruel to animals. It's not safe to let your pet outdoors in an urban environment. In a rural enviornment you have predators and diseases from wild animals to worry about... again, not safe to let your pet outdoors in rural areas.

Pets are companion animals. So long as you can provide for their physical and emotional needs, having a cat in an apartment is not "cruel".

Answer 2

Your friend is VERY wrong.
Letting a cat outside is the cruel thing.
There is no reason in the world that a cat HAS to go outside.

I help rescue stray and feral cats...I wish your misguided friend could see some of the things I see...if they did they'd be singing a different tune.

Indoor only cats live on average to be in their late teens to early 20's.
Indoor/outdoor cats live on average 5 to 7 years.
Outdoor only cats live on average 2 years..IF they're lucky.

There's nothing wrong with keeping a cat indoors all the time, but if you feel the need to take you cat up...buy a harness...NOT a collar...and a leash and train your cat to walk on the leash.

Answer 3

Its definelty not cruel. Cats love attension and the run of the house. I live in a apartment and I had my cat now for 3 years. She is extremely happy and playful as ever. People who let their cats outside can be neglectful. Yeah your cat would love to go out and kill some birds or mice. But I hate seeing poor little kitties walking in the snow looking for something to eat. I hate seeing the scars from other animals atacking them. I hate seeing a population boom in a city then the city counsil talks about shooting the cats to get the population down...Keep your cat indoors is the best thing.

Answer 4

Cats are much safer inside than outside. It is not only cruel to let them roam but you will end up with a dead cat in no time.
Cats that live indoors not only live longer but are much more healthy and happier. Just be sure to get a scratching post and plenty of toys to keep the cat occupied. You can even leave the TV on for entertainment while you are gone. Also make sure they have access to a window which is much like TV for them.
Also having your cat sterilized will help reduce the risk of them running out.

Answer 5

It's not cruel at all. Cats are pets and any responsible person is not going to risk having their beloved pet run over by a car or attacked by another animal by letting them outside. If you would not just open your front door and let your dog run around the neighborhood, why would you let a cat do this? There is no difference. Cats are not street savvy and they are killed everyday by cars. Outdoor cats also are prone to more diseases and parasites.

Answer 6

It is fine to have a cat while living in an apartment. I live in an apartment and I have 2 kittens. Neither one of them goes outside. It's not cruel if you don't let them go outside. Whoever told you that doesn't know what they are talking about. It is better to keep a cat indoors. There are so many dieases a cat can get from being outside. Being indoors they are less likely to get them. Just make sure it's okay to have cats in your apartment.

Answer 7

It is not cruel. I have one cat who would sit by the door if it was open with a look on his face like are you crazy? I'm not going out there. The cat is fine, I would even suggest getting two, so that they have someone to play with when you aren't there. A clean litter box, food and some toys and a warm place to lay, and they are happy!

Answer 8

It is best to keep cats indoors. It is not cruel. I think it is cruel to let cats outdoors where they can pick up disease, get hit by a car, or attacked by another animal.

Answer 9

Tell your friend that on average, an indoor cat lives 6 times longer than an outdoor one. They're healthier, happier and don't have to worry about cars or, sad to say, cranially defective people who do terrible things to small animals. (I'd like to catch just ONE in the act...)

Our cat ("Grace") even sails with us in the summer!
You can see her at:
http://www.angelfire.com/ns/BarrachoisYachtClub/grace.html

At the time this picture was taken, we were under sail in 241 feet of water, doing 5.8 knots and she was checking out the laundry that Patti had just put in the dinghy. (Kind of a do-it-yourself laundromat... put 5 gallons water and cold-water Tide with the clothes in the dinghy and let the motion of the boat wash the clothes.)

It entertained her for a couple of hours!
(Then it was time for a nice brisk nap!)

Answer 10

My boyfriend and I live in an apartment and we've had our cat, Odie, for almost a year in it and have never let her out except to take her to the vet. Too many people in our apartment complex let their cats roam freely and I wouldn't want my cat mingling with cats who are used to the outside and who could have diseases Odie could catch. I saw one of the stray cats actually pounce on, kill, and play with a dead bird out there. I wouldn't want that to happen to my Odie.