Open debate...indoor or outdoor cat?

Question

This is one of them questions which people get heated about. I know it's safer to keep cats inside but my vet (and many other vets i've spoke to) believes that cats are hunters and they belong in the outdoors... but if my cat has never seen the outdoor world he wont know any different...right?
What do you think????

Yes he has been neutered, has had all his injections and is insured.
Why would i get him de-clawed, thats weird and wrong

Answer 1

I agree with your vet. I really hate the idea of keeping a cat closed up indoors all the time. It smacks of prison. Animals in zoos have never known freedom either, but have you noticed how morose they look? How do you even know if your cat really wants to be with you? Cats are pretty smart about escaping from dangers (cars, dogs), and I think they are healthier if they can move freely between the natural and the built environment. I know it's not always possible, but when it is, I like the indoor/outdoor option.

I had a small-town neighbor who, when I said I liked her cat, asked me, "Which one? The tree cat, the roof cat, the yard cat, the porch cat or the house cat?"

Answer 2

It's an interesting question. I have both, strictly indoor cats and strictly outdoor cats.

I've always had indoor cats and I firmly believe that if you live in a densely populated area with many cats, the best thing is to keep them indoors. This way you're not maintaining an unnaturally large prey population, which can have severe influence on the wild bird population, and also you're not bothering the neighbours. Another reason I have indoor cats is that I'm not too keen on finding dead "presents" inside my home, nor do I want to deal with the flea and worm problems inside.

It is not my impression that my indoor cats are missing out. It would probably be another matter if they were used to going outside, but they have never known that kind of freedom and they seem well-balanced and not at all frustrated or stressed.

I recently moved to a farm and along with the property came a family of outdoor cats. I take care of them, deworm them, feed them, vaccinate, spay, neuter, remove the occasional tick etc., but they are definitely leading a harder life, especially during winter. Yet it's also a life with more freedom, more excitement and space to roam. Their country territory is large enough to support them and they mostly take mice, so our wild-bird population is thriving (and extremely noisy).

Bottom line is that as long as you take proper care of your cat, I feel both are good cat lives, provided that the indoor cat has not previously been used to going out, and provided that the outdoor or the combined outdoor/indoor cat is not disrupting the natural predator-prey balance and has a relatively safe territory (low traffic etc.) to roam on.

Answer 3

I have a couple that live outdoors only and I have 2 that are not allowed out and 1 that comes in and out as she pleases. I have a screen room for the indoor cats to get fresh air and be nosy. They are all happy and healthy. The 2 indoor cats go to the vet more often than the others. the seem to take more care. There are plenty of ways to keep an indoor cat stimulated. they can learn to hunt and all the other things cats do naturally. The inside-outside cat is the biggest pain because she is always in one door and out the other. She can't seem to make up her mind lately and is driving us crazy. My biggest concern is with people who have their cats declawed. this is a dangerous practice. God forbid they ever get out, they have no way to defend themselves. There are other alternatives. You can file their nails so they are not so sharp. O, you can use a clipper just like on a dog. Cats can be trained to only scratch at certain items, such as a scratching post [ they prefer them ]. Mine have one spacial place they like and any attempts to scratch some where else is quickly reprimanded. Grow grasses indoors to aid with digestion and make sure they drink plenty of water.

Answer 4

Well, his opinion differs from any vet I've ever had, all of which recommended indoor only..
My cats don't even have the desire to go outside.. Three of them were outdoor strays at some point in their lives and have no desire to go outside.. If you really want them to feel the joy of the hunt without the thud of the motor vehicle, you can always occasionally pick them up a frozen mouse like the kind raised for snakes.. Certainly healthier and more parasite free then anything they'd pick up outside.. It's a toy they can eat.. lol...

Answer 5

Wow, is all I can say after reading some of the answer's. Cany, I completely agree with you.
I do think what ever somebody wants to do (indoor/outdoor) is their choice, but I prefer indoor for the many reason's.

1) Cats are domesticated animals (pets), they are not a lion or tiger. They were introduced to the outdoors. Bobcats are natural, mountian lions are natural, you get where I'm going.
Because some people don't think of this, we do loose a certian percentage of native birds and small animals from loose cats. I have a family of chipmunks, that lost 2 over this past summer from a neighbers cats (yes, I saw it with my own eyes). Cats will and do take down whole nests of small birds. Now that being said I am not blaming cats, it is in thier nature and it's not thier fault, they can't help it.

2) I was surprised I saw an answer stating they are smart and can avoid cars and dogs. What world do you live in? Cats may be smart, but than why do I many a time, see a lifeless body of a cat alongside the road if they can avoid cars. Or hear local stories of a dog getting ahold of a cat and mangling it, plus there are other animals out there that are bigger and will kill a cat if they get too close to thier nest (foxes for example). Don't forget there are some sickos out there that will "try" to hit a cat with thier cars, not even including the ones that catch them and torture/kill them. I for one have had a cat been hit by a car the one and only time I ever let it outside.

3) There is a higher spread of disease and higher vet costs due to cleaning war wounds from other cats your cat comes into contact with. Plus the stuff your cat might get into. I took 1 stray in that was partly covered in Tar. It was the funniest looking thing after we had the shave it.

There are many reasons, why not to have them be an outdoor cat. If this was a perfect safe world, I would bring mine outside, because just like everybody that does it, I know cats look like they are in heaven laying in the sun or pouncing after a moth, but it's not like that out in the real world.

Now that being said, if your cat has never been outside or used to it, don't start this habit, but I do understand (from taking in a stray) it is very hard to keep an outside cat inside. Sorry if I offended anybody, we were asked for our opinion and I gave mine.

Answer 6

We have two indoor cats...never will be outdoors since our dog would maul them to death...and there is a outdoor cat but he pretty much is a recluse due to the dog loose in the yard. We live in the country so it's not like in town where there are all these cats wandering all over the neighborhood and spraying tomcats...we lived in town and I hated the cats in my yard spraying and ripping up garbage. We have large fields on one side, trees and the outdoor cat spends his days hunting in the field and comes to the shed for food I put out. Our indoor kitties would probably like to go out and chase the magpies they see out the windows but they will not ever be allowed out there. Instead I have a nice scratching post to climb and play on, toys to bat around....I am also thinking of neutering the outdoor boy and bringing him indoors as well since he has been in a couple times and is a very mellow cat. If we didn't have the dog in the yard I would let our cats go out for a little bit but still mainly be inside, but I don't think cats "have" to be outside, if they never go out then they really don't know the full extent of what they are missing out there.

Answer 7

There's a lot of misunderstanding about this. People think keeping cats indoors protects them from fleas, worms and diseases. Well, it most certainly does not protect them from fleas and worms, and the only diseases it protects against are feline leukaemia and rabies (the ones that they have to come into direct contact with other cats to get)

Things are a lot different in America than they are in England. Here in England, the vast majority of cats are allowed outside. There are no predators that are a danger to cats, and so long as you live in a vaguely decent area you don't have to worry about animal abuse! It's just a matter of common sense - I wouldn't let a cat out if I lived on or next to a busy road, but I live in a semi-rural area - all the cats are allowed outside.

So it depends where you live really, you can't just set one rule for everyone and everywhere. As for the cat never having seen the outside world - well, it depends. Some can be happy being indoor only, but many have a natural instinct to get out and about, even if they are neutered (which they should be, even if they're indoor-only).

I posted a q about this a while ago, take a look:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiGOugMulC2Pf06fGgEhIC7ty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070507045929AATjpzP

Chalice

Answer 8

Indoor...indoor cats live much longer, healthier lives than outdoor cats. Dangers of the outdoors 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
Cat fights resulting in absecess/disease
Parasites: fleas, ticks, worms, fungus
Disease: feline leukemia, FIV, FIP, rabies, etc.

Your vets seem to be forgeting that cats are DOMESTICATED animals and no longer have a niche in the ecosystem. Cats are responsible for the death of millions of migratory songbirds each year JUST in the US alone. They are now causing the decline and endangerment of many species. Read more below:
http://www.abcbirds.org/cats/

Answer 9

I have 6 cats. I've had cats all my life. I've always believed a healthy mixture of both can do little or no harm to the cat involved. My cats now are indoor animals, but we have a fenced back yard and we let them out there to eat grass, as cats need that to settle their stomach naturally. We don't leave them out for long or alone, save one who loves to lay out with the dogs for some reason.

Before them we had mainly outdoors cats, and yes I agree there are more risks, but in truth it depends on the animal as much as the owner as to what can or does happen. We had one cat she was feral when we got her, she loved to sleep in our garage but we never let her farther into the house. She died a very old and happy age and never wandered far. Others of course in the wild country side became meals or disappeared, and in the city you have to worry about them being hit and such, but its the same risk as a kid.

Do you leave the kid inside all day without the chance to feel the sun on his back or the wind in his hair? No. You put a helmet on his head, wave good bye and let him go. Given you can't order a cat to be back by curfew, but if you set a certain time of day to feed them they almost always show back up at that time.

If it's cold bring them in the house or garage, if its raining you can do the same, or have a pet door so they can come and go as they please into the backyard. I love waking up with my kitties and I'd never leave them out at night anymore, but if another time comes and I have a cat that rather be outside that in I'd be sure to make it as comfortable as possible within the garage and given the option would let it inside.

Though in truth some just are meant to be inside and some aren't, and cats really are much, much more adaptable then dogs to weather changes and climates, that they can survive no matter what location they have been placed.

Will it necessarly be easy for them all the time no...but it isn't as cruel as leaving them out in the snow all night long. If you give them the option for indoors or at least warmth they will take it and you aren't any more mean then telling your kid to get off the pc and go outside cause it's sunny out.

Answer 10

First off have you had them declawed? Are their shots up to date? Have they been spayed or neutered? Do they have a microchip implanted in them in case they get lost? Are you willing to suffer the consequences of them eating something bad and dragging their body home for you to take to the vet to treat?

In other words, I personally do NOT have outdoor cats any more. Been there done that way too expensive. I have had outdoor/indoor cats and currently am owned by four indoor only cats. The medical bills alone justify it to me to keep them inside all the time. They are spayed and neutered (have male and females) and their shot records are up to date.

Since spending 1,000 (yeah that's one thousand) dollars to 'fix' a former outdoor only cat I rescued, I am convinced that indoor only is the way to reasonably keep them safe and healthy.