House Cats

[demonmagus]

Hi, if any of you guys keep house cats, why do you?

Thanks

 

[KathyM]

I have three housecats.

I've kept my cats as housecats since my last two cats were stolen and murdered while out. I also lost two cats to the road, and couldn't risk it any more.

My oldest cat Dodge has never been out in his life and is petrified of the outdoors. He was born in rescue and until he went to another rescue when the first rescue owner died, he had lived in a bedroom with his brother and mum.

Grace is our middle one, she came to us at 4 weeks old and suffered brain damage and an injured eye (causing blindness in one side) after two accidents.

Errol is our kitten. He came to us after he bit through a mains cable and nearly died - he has half a tongue and permanent kidney damage from the electric shock.

Saying that, although all my cats are special needs and therefore have to be indoors, I would still only keep indoor cats in future. It's hard work as you have to give them extra stimulation/playtime (for those considering it, "Think Like a Cat" by Pamela Johnson Bennett is a fab read), but if you have the time to do it it's so much safer for the cat.

I read the average lifespan of an outdoor cat was only 2 and a half. The average lifespan for an indoor cat is obviously far higher (in the teens I think I remember reading?).

 

[Synirr]

The average lifespan for an indoor cat is obviously far higher (in the teens I think I remember reading?).

Yeah, if I remember correctly I think the average natural lifespan for a cat is around 14-16?

 

[Paul_MTS]

Personally i don't agree with keeping perfectly well and healthy cats inside.

We'ved had 3 cats now all reached to about 13 with a main road out the front althought there are big fields out the back, currently have a 2 year old which loves the outdoors, constantly hunting and playing.

 

[moray]

I've had cats all my life and I've always let them out, I did lose one cat to a car (she followed me up the road and after she was hit she died in my arms) I was devastated and when we got the latest of my 3 that I have now it took me a while to bring up the courage to let her out (as we all know how daft young cats can be). All my other cats have been fine one reaching 20 and another 21; I know there is always a risk (in some places more than others) but I do generally feel that a cat (unless it has special needs) should be allowed the freedom to be a cat. I won't knock anyone who has house cats as they tend to be doing it for the right reasons, but I just personally think my cats have always been happier when allowed to go out - and any form of confinement (eg when we moved house) was extremely hard on them - my cats have always had quite a free nature and I know I'd rather be free, even if it's a risk that it will be for a short amount of time, than confined for the rest of my life.

 

[Bloo]

If I could, I really would let my cat outside. But:

I live on a busy road - it will get killed in the blink of an eye. As most roads in inner London.
The cat in my avatar was hit twice in it's short life. The first time in hospital for several months and almost had one leg amutated. The second time (a year after the first accident - last April) fatal.

I live on the second floor of a house with no feasible access outdoors. This is secondary as the first reason overrides this one.

 

[demonmagus]

I think that I will not bother with housecats, as I am not on a busy road, and there are 5-6 cats on my road

 

[KathyM]

I often get the "a cat should go out" argument, and I really don't get....why?

If a cat is happy and stimulated at home, with regular play sessions, then why would it need to go out? How is it neglectful to keep healthy cats indoors to remain healthy and safe? I understand many people don't have the time or inclination to ensure their cat is mentally stimulated and exercised indoors, and that it's "easier" to just chuck them out to sort themselves out, but there's no inbuilt need for a cat to be outdoors.

We don't let our dogs roam the streets alone, pooing in gardens, fighting with other potentially diseased animals and causing car crashes/getting hit so why is it seen as necessary with cats?

Just another view on things - not knocking anyone's personal choices

 

[Bloo]

Sure they can be stimulated - but to watch a cat outdoors while it's silently stalking its "prey" (be that a mouse or a fly) for hours on end, watching that alert little face, tense body, wiggle of the tail and snicker of whiskers - you will never see that (like that) with a cat indoors.
Yeah sure my cat loooooves playing chase and stalk the fluffy wiggly thing on a stick - but it's not the same.
And for them to have a good old stretch in a sandy sunny patch - how can you compare that to staring at a patch of sun from a windowsill indoors Or watching life pass by outside with a forlorn sad look sitting on the inside. Believe me, it breaks my heart.

My current cat is 100% indoors and I know that under the circumstances it's best. But if I could allow him to go out and do the things cats do, I would.

Yes, of course there's the absolute endless catfights, disease, abscesses, feral issues & death (and much much more) to deal if allowing a cat to roam outdoors. But to me that's a small price to pay to live a happy life.

My boy that died, was a cat that could not stand being indoors. Absolutely nothing I tried worked. In the end he was sent to my mom's where he could roam outside - and the difference in his temperament was like night and day / chalk and cheese. He changed into a relaxed totally chilled cat - as opposed to a highly charged, immensely frustrated, angry and sad cat.

Yes he died under the wheels of a car - but I'm happy he died a happy cat. He was in another country on another continent when my mom phoned me with the news - and I was gutted & heartbroken and sobbed for days.
But above all I'm happy that he couldn't have been happier in the last years of his short life.

 

[KathyM]

I think each of us has to make our own minds up on this subject, it can be a tricky one.

All of the behaviours you mentionned occur in the home too, and obviously there are the options of cat enclosures too (which we're looking into building for ours eventually).

I just can't agree that an outdoor cat is a happier cat. I can agree that a mentally stimulated, healthy and fit cat is a happy cat, and my three are just that

 

[moray]

Though I'm sure your cats are happy Kathym, they also all have special needs and being indoors is probably for the best for them. imo (and I know we all differ on this) cats just tend to want to be out doors (this is not all cats and it's just in my experience) if a cats is as happy indoors then it would probably not want to go out (one of mine doesn't particularly like going outdoors and only does so when we are out there) but all my other cats have been desperate to go out (and explore, play and just to general cat things - often away from prying human eyes); I know there are so many arguments for and against, but if they are able to go out in reasonable safety then to me it just seems the right thing to do. Human stimulation (for those who have the time to do large amounts of it) is important and cats can have that when they are indoors if they want to, but I think to my cats, nothing quite beat what bloo says, rolling and stretching in a dusty sunny patch, or chasing a leaf that just won't die, drinking out of a pond (which two of my cats do always in preference to their lovingly changed water bowl), sitting on the seedlings that your partner has just spent hours planting - what can beat that.

Dogs though different in nature to cats still need to go out, would you ever agree that a house dog (that had no special needs)was as happy, if it was never taken for walks or allowed its own kind of freedom. Having a cat that has the option to go out doesn't make it easier as it does not mean that when it decides to be in you won't play with and stimulate it, it just has the option of which one it prefers at the time.

Like it's been said a very tricky one - and we all want to do what we believe is best for our independant, intelligent friends - it has to be up to the individual to decide.

 

[thapsus]

I have now two indoor cats, but before I used to let my cats out.

First got urolith and disappeared to woods to die and I could not help him because I didn't find him.

Second lived quite long life but then a fox took her just under my window. I heard her screaming and saw the hair left.

Third was hit by a car when she was only under a year old.

Fourth was mutilated by mower that was cutting roadberm. He came home with his tail hanging behind him with thin piece of skin. His bladder and most of guts left by the road. He had to be put down obviously.

Fifth outdoor cat is still living but I have to take him to a vet about 10 times a year because of many injuries he gets from fighting with other outdoor cats.

So cats 6 and 7 are stayin inside. I don't want to see any more brutal ways for cat to die painfully.

Sure I would like to own a big house and travel a lot. But I'm quite happy in my boring life in my small apartment too...

 

[demonmagus]

.
Second lived quite long life but then a fox took her just under my window. I heard her screaming and saw the hair left.

OUCH, that must have been horrible

 

[The-Wolf]

I'm on the fence on this subject

I have always had cats that were allowed outside, but then again I have always
lived on a quiet esate with plenty of gardens for them to explore.

My current Cat, Gennie, is a rescue and is a full pedigree (Ex-Grand champion)
she is 19 now but when I got her she had never been outside in her 15 years due to
her pedigree.
It has taken me this long to get her to go out for short periods (longest has benn 30mins),
and then she 'needs' me to be nearby. If I come in, so does she.

I understand why some people, in certain circumstances, keep cats indoors for their life;
However I feel that if you are in a situation that a cat can safely (well as safely as it can
be for any of us) go outside they they should be allowed to.

 

[JackDemp528]

The only cats that should ever be left outdoors should be spayed or neutered. We have so many unwanted cats on this earth already, so don't let your unspayed or unneutered cats outdoors. My animal shelter have over 150 cats right now, and about 50 kittens already this kitten season. We are a no kill, and we have a horrible time with the cats that no one wants. Even with our low cost spay and neuter clinic we haven't seen a big change in the kitten numbers. So before you open the door to let kitty out, even if it is just a boy, a male cat that is not neutered can travel over 5 miles to find a female in heat. So please spay and neuter.