What is your view on letting cats outside versus keeping them inside?

Question

We have 3 cats. 7, 6, and 2 years old, all neutered/spayed and current on shots. the 7 year old has always been able to go outside, she is very street smart and she comes inside regularly. the 6 year old is a male and he is a little skittish and not so bright and we worry about him. he only goes out for a little bit at a time, supervised. the 2 year old is afraid of outside. what do you think? dont you think that is cruel to keep an animal inside for years at a time without being able to roll in the grass. they say they live longer if you keep them inside, but overall they are not happy.

Answer 1

Well, I will tell you about us. I own three cats also. Two males, and a little 9 wk old female. Now, my oldest male, Charlie was not allowed to go outside at all for nearly a year. Even today, he is very skidish and he hangs out on the porch, rarely leaves the patio and then promptly wants to return back inside after an hour of so. My middle cat, Henry is street smart. He really just does not enjoy being inside unless its raining, so we let him out. He never ever stays outside at night, to me, this is just too dangerous. But he spends the majority of the day outside. He's happy that way, and forcing him to stay inside, when he spent his entire life outside before I got him is unfair, to me. My youngest cat, she probably wont ever go out. Unless she really shows a strong interest in it, which I doubt, she wont. My oldest cat never really cared to go out, but we started letting him come outside when we take the kids out in the afternoon and he enjoys it, but not for long. He is happy being a housecat. Some are, some arent. I dont think its mean to keep them inside their whole lives,as long as they have food, water, shelter, toys and somewhere comfy to sleep, thats all most cats need. if you feel you must let her out, but worry about her being an outside cat, they just let her go outside when you do, and when you go back in, take her with you. That way there isnt any chance she could get ran over, attacked, into chemicals, or anything of that nature. If your oldest cat has been going out that long, I'd say it would be really hard to stop now, and although he may not live as long, if he is happiest out there, then so be it. Your middle cat sounds like my oldest one,lol. He keeps really low to the ground and EVERY noise scares him to death!

Answer 2

If your cats continue to be killed, you should keep them inside. The safest place for a cat to be is inside. If you want to consider outside at all, you have to take into account some factors, like the potential risk of being attacked by wild animals or roaming dogs or being hit by a car. Cats must absolutely be inside at night - no exceptions - that is when the risks are highest. Outside cats need to have all their shots current and must always be spayed and neutered. Take a look at what happened to your other cat carefully and the risks where you live before letting your kitten go outside. The 2-year lifespan cited above is not accurate for cats that are owned - it applies to feral cats that do not have owners, which are at much higher risk of starvation, disease or predation. But there is no doubt that cats that live outside part time have more risks, especially if out at night. I would never leave a cat out at night.

Answer 3

My daughter's cat just died of a blood clot in the brain. She wouldn't let it go outside because she thought it would run off but that poor thing lacked exercise & fresh air. (He was 7) I felt more sorry for the cat but didn't say anything.
We have a cat door for our tom & he's a very happy animal, even moved twice with us. We kept him in for a couple of weeks then stayed outside with him for a little while( to let him get familiar with the yard) but now he just makes his own decisions!
Anyway, I know for sure they don't live longer inside. It's not natural but I like your idea of supervised trips outside.
We don't ever leave food outside for our cat. If he's been gone for a really long time all I have to do is open a can & he'll appear at lightening speed!!!!!! Good luck.

Answer 4

Well First of all my cat is very spoiled he is an indoor cat that has the luxury of going outside with me. He is 3 years old and stays inside most of the time although he along with myself spend a good deal of time outside.

I personally believe that leaving a cat outside on their own is dangerous , especially since cats are notoriously curious and can get themselves in all sorts of trouble and don't understand very much why someone would allow a pet they love to go wander the streets.

When my kitty goes outside he stays either in the back yard, the front porch or walks with me to go get the mail on his leash when I leave my property.

While some people may think that cruel to keep a cat all by his lonesome he does go on "sleepovers" to go visit his feline friends so that he can play with other cats indoors.

Also my last kitty although she did not walk on the leash was allowed in the back yard under supervision as well until she was about 10 at which point we had to raise the supervising level as she attempted to hang herself in various ways. Although we had to keep a closer eye on her we still allowed her to go out side until we had to put her down at 15 years old.

Answer 5

I think cats are better off indoors. Way too many dangers outside...a few include: being hit by a car, being poisoned by a human, rat poison, antifreeze, snail bait, etc, being attacked by a wild animal or dog, getting in cat fights resulting in abscess, infection and disease: feline leukemia, distemper, etc. I have indoor cats and they are perfectly happy, healthy pets. I also hope that you are aware of the huge environmental problems outdoor cats are causing...they are responsible for the death of millions of song birds each year and it is now suggested by scientists and humane socities across the world to keep cats indoors. It is not only safer for their own well being...but apparently the well being of the world as birds are an important part of the ecosystem and help pollinate much of our food. Domestic cats are NO LONGER part of the natural ecosystem...therefore should be kept out of it.

Answer 6

My female cat ( spayed) goes outside for a couple of hours, then she wants back in. She never leaves the patio area. She plays on the patio... chasing a bug or a leaf, or she lies in the sun. Cats are naturally curious creatures and all they do is sleep if kept inside all the time. If Gabby starts to wander past the patio, I'll keep her in because I don't want her to get hurt. But for now, she doesn't go anywhere, and she is stimulated by activity on the patio.

Answer 7

The average lifespan for outdoor cats according to studies is 3 years. They are exposed to parasites, wild animals, diseases from other cats, hit by cars, wandering off and starving. They destroy wildlife. They leave the yard and get shot at by neighbors. They get kidnapped and abused by bad people.

Inside cats have very few worries and live longer, happy lives. Keep cats inside!

Answer 8

the skittish and scared one i would not let outside. cats do need sunlight to give themselves certain vitamins. just make sure that they are able to lay in a window to get the sunlight. for fresh air make sure there is a screen and open the window. as for the one that enjoys her outdoor time, just keep up on the shots (kudos for neutering/spaying all of them), and flea,tick, heart worm treatments. many, many animals live wonderful, loving, spoiled lives living inside.

Answer 9

My cat is kept indoors, but, sometimes i bring him for a visit to PetSmart or just a ride in the car to get some fresh air....but i would never let him outside. He is happy inside and doesnt need to be out getting fleas or ticks

Answer 10

I was cured of letting my cats go outdoors when a Siamese cat I had was bitten at the base of the tail by a BIG dog (you should have seen the size of the punctures..!); she developed an abcess and pneumonia, and had to be put to sleep. Since then, I've NEVER let a cat outdoors; it's rough enough when they die of old age; I'm not about to let one of them die of something that living indoors could have prevented.