Discussion Topic: Indoors Or Out?

[OohFeeshy]

Age has nothing to do with it, if someone brought up a 'statistic' like that that you didn't agree with, you'd want to know where that data came from.

Life expectancy has many factors and a blanket statement like 'oudoor cats will have a shorter lifespan' certainly doesn't apply in every situation. Certainly it's likely to be true in an area with heavy traffic, local yobs and a rife disease/pathogen problem, but it won't apply to someone (like where I live) where the only nearby roads are fairly quiet but hard for cats to access anyway, there are no feral cats and nobody wants to hurt them.

I don't doubt that many areas are unsafe for cats, dogs, or even children to be in, but when you start applying blanket statements things can get tricky very quickly.

 

[Lynda B]

Age has nothing to do with it, if someone brought up a 'statistic' like that that you didn't agree with, you'd want to know where that data came from.

Personally, if someone provided me website links, I'd most likely visit the sites and see what they had to say.

Now, you do have me wondering about the difference between USA figures and UK figures, as it seems most people on this forum live in the UK. I think I'll research that more, when I have the time.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

All the cats that I have ever had have been indoor animals and will always be. I will not let them outside for several reasons. One, we live near a canal where there are snapping turtles and alligators. Two, there are other animals like raccoons and possums that can spread disease to animals, in addition to poisonous exotic amphibians (toads). Three, we also have an exotic reptile problem, namely escape boas who'd love to eat a cat. Four, we have a huge feral cat population in my neighborhood which often harbor disease. Five, I live near a heavily traveled intersection and I see a cat carcass about once a week, which is pretty bad. Six, dog fighting is a problem in Miami and small pets (small dogs and cats) are often stolen to bait the dogs. Would you let your cat out in this battle zone? But why should I then deny myself the pleasure owning a cat? My cats have no desire to be outside, they hate the outside. They are satisfied watching the world through my windows. They are not over-weight, and they are active and happy. The kittens I currently have don't know any different and are content and safe inside. They play with each other and seem very happy lazing about in my climate-controlled, air-conditioned, dust-free, not rain-soaked, happy house where they are fed good food, and are cuddled and played with. Wads of paper, fish tanks, bird cages, rambuctious pomeranians, and dog toys provide hours of entertainment, that is for the 6 hours or so that they are awake anyways. It's like a freaking amusement park in my house, and I haven't added the cat gym yet. That'll come within the year. So, why would I put my cats outside and mess up other people's yards for? It isn't fair to my neighbors' yards. They already have to deal with feral cats stinking up their yards with holes filled with urine and poop. I have to deal with that too. I don't even take my own dogs out unless under lead. Another added benefit, no bloody fleas and ticks to deal with either! Who wants that? No absesces (sp) to pop from a fighting wound, no cuts to mend, no smelly cat coming in from the rain, no worrying where your cat is, etc. I think the list is certainly long enough.

That's fine that some of you let your cats out, and more power to you, you're probably better than I. But it's not for me.

llj

Amen to that! (abscesses)

Lynda, OohFeeshy is right about those statistics being a little suspect. Only one site that you linked to provided a source for it's information as "K. Overall, DVM, University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School". A quick Google search does reveal that a Dr. Overall is the author of Clinical Behavioral Medicine For Small Animals, so presumably her word is a reliable source. However, the original citation only lists the person who said it and does not indicate a context for the data. This is a huge red flag for anyone trying to assemble scientifically rigorous proof for an argument, because context is everything. Average values for a data set also have little meaning when information is not provided regarding the sample size and standard of deviation. So, while I am inclined to trust the information provided by Dr. Overall, I would be much happier if I had a link to a statistical study or paper on the subject. Since I personally don't find the age differential to be a primary argument for keeping a cat indoors all the time, I leave that Google search to someone else.

You may want to reconsider signing off with "knowledge can't enter a closed mind."

 

[clinton ><>]

i dont like cats so i will say outdoors and there not mean to be kept in a house they like to explore and like to be out and about

 

[OohFeeshy]

Personally, if someone provided me website links, I'd most likely visit the sites and see what they had to say.

Admittedly I didn't look earlier as I presumed if they stated a source you would have said. But after looking, I'd be inclined to say that almost all sites with that figure have used it without checking/confirming it (as with many things around the net). Carrying on from that, I had a quick look on Google scholar (not massively in-depth, but enough) and found that not only did there not seem to be any studies into cat lifespan (except various clinical tests of chemicals and such), but most studies of that kind (for example, studies into adopted animals) were restricted to a very small area. A possibility for the 4-5 year figure is feral cats- in that case 4-5 years is a reasonable figure (as they're un-neutered and un-vaccinated).

 

[GobyMaster]

KEEP THEM INSIDE, I'VE HAD SO MANY CATS THAT ARE OUTSIDE ANIMALS END UP GETTING HIT BY CARS!!!!

Hope this could help

GobyMaster

 

[lljdma06]

Cats allowed outdoors: 3.5 years

Cats kept only indoors: 17.5 years

http/purrfectcatshelter.org:8080/l-expectancy.html

For cats, the main differential in life expectancy is whether they're indoor or outdoor cats. Outdoor cats generally live to be four or five years of age. They are more likely to catch viruses or to suffer some kind of trauma. Indoor cats, on the other hand, can be expected to live 12 to 18 years.

http/www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-life-e...ncy-of-pets.htm

Sorry to seem like I'm beating a dead horse, which I don't mean to, but is the figure for outdoor cats for feral cats that permanently live outdoors, are wild, and subsist on their own devices, or does the outdoor cat figure represent household pets that are allowed to roam in and out, get vaccinations, are fed, are neutered, and generally well-cared-for save that they roam, or does it represent both situations? Or is it simply an average number? If it is an average of both types, then I can possibly see why the number is so low, especially if they also account for high kitten mortality rate in that figure. Had they not considered feral cats in this figure, then I'd expect the number to be quite a bit higher than 3.5 years, but less than the average exclusively indoor cat. Again, I apologize for rehashing this, it just surprised me is all. I think that there is a legitimate difference between true feral cats and cats that are allowed outdoors but are otherwise care-for pets and perhaps the feral lifespan could be cutting into what may be a general "outdoor" statistic. I guess it again just boils down to where websites are getting their information and how they are presenting it in order to promote their view?

That pet place has an online vendor attached to the information section. Indoor cats live longer, which means you have to buy more things for them and the geriatric market for pets is very lucrative. You can't sell Glucosamine to a 5 year old cat, but you can sell some to one that is over 7! It is better business for vendors and vets to have our kitties living much longer lives! The purrfect cat shelter is a non-profit organization bent on finding homes for homeless pets, so their website is going to present the most startling evidence possible to further their motive, which is very noble (finding homes for cats is a wonderful thing). But most rescue sites that I know of (Cat Network, Humane society, etc) require that you indicate in your application that the cat will be an exclusively indoor cat. The final website, wisegeek, seems like a Wikipedia-type website, and can offer a trove of information. One of the greatest drawbacks to these information-posting websites, however, is the lack of source documentation and the fact that you have no ideas about the credentials of the person posting the information. You simply do not know, unless they indicate through proper source documentation, where they are getting their information from. It is the bane of most web resources. I'm not saying that the statistics are wrong, but you have to consider the sources they are coming from, and you have to be objective when evaluating them.

On a lighter note!

Thank you Pica for the correct spelling of abscesses! Of course I don't know how to spell it because I never have to deal with them as my kitties are all indoors! I have seen pictures of them, though and I have to say, thank goodness my kitties do not get them!

llj