is it cruel to keep cats inside?

Question

my neighbour has five cats that,
never come outside,
not even for a bit of fresh air,
or a play about in the garden.

Answer 1

I have one cat, he's in the garden at the minute but will be back in in a couple of hours, he starts thinking about going over the wall about 4pm and then I'll be shouting all night.

But he's hardly had a sniff at the outside all winter; let's look at it from the cat's point of view. No matter how horrible the weather is, the cat has warmth, cushions, chair, settee, bed (a choice of sleeping places in other words), a choice of food, water on tap and his loo. While the human of the house (who has just had a severe bout of the flu) has to go out in rain, hail, sleet and snow (what we've had anyway) to earn money to fill his stomach.

I open the door for him to go out, half the time, he turns tail (well, stump ... some local darlings decided to relieve him of his lovely bushy tail some years ago) as soon as he gets a blast of cold air.

He's 14, bigger than some dogs and a total softy, I don't think being a house cat is damaging my Jet that much.

Answer 2

Indoor Cats Cruel

Answer 3

the house must smell awful, I've got a male tabby/white he's outside most of the time and only comes in for food and a kip on the bed, then he's back outside. My other is a ginger tom but he's only 8 months old, he's never been outside yet, and if the doors open, he'll just sniff the fresh air and he's straight back in. I'll give him time, he may want to venture out when it gets warmer. It is cruel to keep cats indoors they are inquisitive and like to roam around with the others on the estate. No it's not natural

Answer 4

Not neccesarily.

I've always been around cats, when I was growing up we always had at least three.

And of those, there were at least two cats that never stepped outside. Not because we wouldn't let them, but because they were more comfortable inside.

At the moment I live in a flat, on the top floor of my building. I have two cats. They don't go outside, and I compensate by giving them cat grass, and by letting them run around the flat like wild animals.

It's not by any means "cruel" so long as you take care to compensate for the things that the cats would otherwise be missing out on.

Answer 5

Each species of animal has certain needs that must be met for them to be content. And like us, each member of a species has a different character or temperament.
The test is to leave doors and windows open. If the cats choose to go out then thats their preference.
Its often the owners who make the choice because they don't like the idea of their pet facing risks, such as being run over.

Some cats are happy outdoors, some are nervous and don't like new environments or have had previous bad experiences that put them off the idea.
As long as the owner understand their cats needs, they can be met indoors, but love is not enough. They need an environment thats suitable for cats; somewhere safe and cosy to nest, and different activities.
Even indoor cats need worming, de-fleaing and vaccinations and keeping a cat indoors shouldn't be used as an excuse for neglecting this basic healthcare.
Owners that don't like the risk can build an outdoor run.

Answer 6

I think it's only cruel if they've been out - maybe with a previous owner or at your last house - and now you keep them in. If they've been indoors since a kitten then it's fine.

However, there are a number of things you can do to keep an indoor cat content and healthy, just ask a vaterinary assistant for advice.

Answer 7

Anybody saying it'sok to have indoor cats that never go out is completely wrong! Cats are creatures just like us and imagine how you'd feel if you could never go out? They can smell the outside tantilising them and calling to their nature to go out and catch prey. Keeping them in is cruel. They should at least be allowed out into a secure pen to get some fresh air into the lungs or even on a collar and lead (not my kind of solution but....).

My friends aunt kept cats inside and at every opportunity one or more of them escaped. Over the years she lost 2 of them due to the fact that they had no road sense and were just desperate to get out and ran straight under a car!

The general rule with any pet is to ask yourself how you would like something and you've got your answer. They may not be human but there are still many things that are the same to them and us and things that are good and bad for them like us too.

Answer 8

My cats are inside cats and according to my vet they are perfectly healthy and happy, they get plenty of exercise running rings around the house, they get fresh air when the windows are open and they are safe from predators, cars, other cats, they are not messing in people's gardens, they aren't killing wildlife, they are safe from some cruel people out there who hate cats and put poison down etc. I had an outside cat that had a fate worse than death, the local yobs got hold of her and stamped repeatedly on her head, they tore half her jaw off and she lost an eye in the process. When we found her screaming in pain and she had to be put down that was heart breaking. I'd rather keep my cats inside and away from those dangers. If my vet says they are healthy and safe and happy, then that is a good enough argument for me.

Answer 9

well most of our cats live indoors because we cannot bear the thought of someone stealing them, being got by the foxes that live around us or ending up under a car on the road, but we do walk them in the garden or teach them the bounderies so they have freedom, but the cats are happy, they eat well, they are loved and are more than happy to stay inside, curled up on a chair or under the bed in peace! which i think is the main thing, so no it is not cruel, aslong as they are loved. People who keep their cats in all day need to think about maybe spending time even walking the cats on leads you can buy, just so they have a bit of excitement, they are animals after all! x

Answer 10

If you have a safe garden, it is probably great for cats to play outside. I live in the middle of a big city on a busy road and letting my four cats out would be their certain death. They have a lot of space inside to run and play and their toys. I have friends with a huge garden who won't let their cats out, because two of their Siamese cats were stolen.
If cats are used to being inside, they won't miss anything.