Can we let indoor cat paly outside sometime?

Question

I have a 9 months male persian kitten. He has been indoor most of the time. Lately, I frequently let him play outside at my porch for about 10-30 minutes a day. Most of the time at night. I watch him closely so that he can't jump into the small drain or bite some small frogs. (he done that before).

Can I do that since he is a indoor cat? Enlighten me please.

Answer 1

Of course you can - as long as the cat has some basic vaccinations and is fleaed and wormed. The cat should be flea treated anyway, it's a total myth that indoor cats can't catch fleas or illnesses! Fleas come into houses, and they can bring tapeworms with them.

I don't understand the attitude on these forums that no cats should EVER go outside. I can understand keeping a cat inside if you live in a town or near busy roads because there's a real danger of them getting run over. Otherwise, cats are more wild than dogs and often want to go outside. I just don't think you can wrap cats up in cotton wool and protect them from life anymore than you would try to keep children at home when they're grown up.

Chalice

EDIT: AZ Ms attitude disgusts me. The cat wants to go outside, as cats do, and it's not allowed because it's not CONVENIENT to AZ M?! I pray this person never has children.

Answer 2

I have an 8 months old Norvegian cat "Skogkatt" and I take him outside with a harness from time to time. I started feeling bad for him when it started getting sunny. I didn't want him to be trapped forever indoors so I decided to take him out on a leash but I could never in a million years let him free outside because of all the dangers : he could get stolen, killed, poisoned. He doesn't ask to go out at all, I do it occasionally but always with a harness and a leash.

Answer 3

Well, he is your kitten, so you make the decisions regarding whether or not you want to allow him outside. In my experience, if you want an indoor cat...it is preferable not to allow them outside. Once you have allowed a cat to go outside, it will continue to want to go outside. I believe that as your kitten gets older, he will have more of an urge to explore a larger territory. So, I highly doubt that he will continue to be content with just playing on the porch. As long as you are alright with him being an indoor/outdoor cat, then continue along the path that you are currently following. You did not specify if he was neutered. If you are going to allow him outdoors, please make sure that he is fixed first. There is no reason to contribute to the overpopulation problem when it is so easily avoidable.:) Best wishes to both you and your little kitty.:)

Answer 4

Of course they can. we have a yr old female who has is quite small for her age and while we keep her in a lot when we have the time we let her into the back garden and keep an eye on her. Really the only reason she is not out all the time the same as our other cat is that she is pretty stupid and gets lost!!!!!

Answer 5

Of course you can and the way you're doing it is also teaching him about the outdoors in a safe way. I applaud you for doing this.

Have all your shot done up to date.
If you're with him, he cannot get pinched.
If you teach him cars are noisy he'll avoid them
If you teach him roads are for cars he'll avoid those too.
If you teach him you're where it's good and safe he'll always be back.

Most of the things that happen happen cause people never bothered to teach their cat or showed them once and left it. That doesn't work, but if you do it again and again, you have healthy happy cats in their natural environment. Cat's arent dumb, some owners can pick up the slack and teach their cat a few things and see this for themselves.

Answer 6

I think it's cruel to shut you're cat inside for nearly all day everyday...would you like it, NO! They like to explore in the gardens and run around like cats generally would. If you are worried about him getting hurt then get a cat leash and take him for a walk around the block or something.
Or, do the natural thing and let him outside...he will be sooo much happier.

Answer 7

NOOOOOO!!!!! My roomates cat is an indoor cat. We had her since a kitten for 2 years. I let her out 1 time and now its Meow, meow , meow, all day long because she wants to go out and play. My roomate said if anything happened to the Kitty its my butt. Anyway she managed to break her right front leg ant the vet bill I paid was $1000.00 . That cat will never see the light of day again as far as I am concerned, I dont care how much she meows.

Answer 8

yes but please make sure you have a kitty harness and leash on him so he gets more used to the area and you have a way of keeping a really good eye on him
we did this with our cats and they stay very close to the house as we live near a busy main street.

Answer 9

I am against letting a cat outside. Once you do, usually, the cat wants to keep going outside - sometimes for longer & longer times.

To date, no cat can read walk/don't walk signs; they don't look both ways before crossing; they can't tell the difference
between red and green traffic lights, nor can they defend themselves again cruel humans and bigger animals. They also don't know that tasty antrifreeze from a leaking car is poisonous and will kill them (after a painful bout of seizures). On Discovery Channel's "Animal Planet" - "Emergency Vets", every show airs one injured or dying cat who was allowed to roam outside...every show.

http://www.family-pet.com/Articles/indooroutdoor.htm says
"There is a reason that indoor cats live 12-15 years on average while outdoor cats live just 2 years on average. Outside cats face dangers from getting lost, mischievous humans and children, humans that think an outside cat is fair game to take home, cars on the streets, traps, poisonous substances or plants that they may eat or drink, other cats, and other animals with whom they may get into a fight with. We see the highest incidence of diseases like FIV, FeLV, and FIP in outdoor cats and these are diseases for which there is no cure. Although some outdoor cats are lucky and survive well into their teens, this is by far not the norm and the vast majority of outdoor cats die a young and painful death from harm, disease, poisoning or injury."

http://www.sspca.org/Cats/IndoorOutdoor.htmlr.htm says
f you want your cat to live a long and healthy life, keep her inside. If you allow your cat to wander around on her own, without your supervision, she is susceptible to any of the following tragedies:

* becoming hit by a car
* ingesting a deadly poison like antifreeze or a pesticide
* becoming trapped by an unhappy neighbor
* being attacked by a roaming dog, cat or wild animal
* contracting a disease from another animal
* becoming lost and unable to find her way home
* being stolen
* encountering an adult or child with cruel intentions

http://www.petplace.com/cats/should-you-let-your-cat-go-outside/page1.aspx says
"The health of outdoor cats is threatened by contagious diseases such as feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus, feline infectious peritonitis and rabies." and
"Parasites such as fleas, ticks and worms most commonly attack outdoor cats." and
"Outdoor cats may be attacked by wildlife or free-roaming domestic animals.

The cat can enjoy the outside air - and remain safe - by positioning a perch by the windows.

For the record, before I knew better, when I was 15, i let my cat roam. He was hit by a car. Thankfully, surgery fixed him up. I never allowed any other one of my cats to go outside. Also, I rescued a kitten and gave him to my sister-in-law. She lost her common sense and allowed the kitten to go outside. He was run over by a car.

I can't emphasize it enough. PLEASE KEEP YOUR CAT INSIDE.

Answer 10

My kitty ran outside last night and I'm unable to find him. He's never been out side. I hope he will be ok.