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#1
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indoor outdoor cats do you agree?
Hey everyone
Just curious how many of you here let your cats outside? well we have lots of trees around and my cat is 10 years old and is extremly healhty and has always been a indoor outdoor cat. HE loves to just sit on our front steps and watch nature LOL WE have never even had a single problem with him getting lost, He has been in a few fights but nothing worth getting scared about, I also give him his shots de worm and de flea him reg. But ok i know everyone is very agaisnt it but dont some of you believe that some cats are actually better off going out and in? I have had many cats do this and all my experiances have been really good. BUt I thought it more depends on the cat you have. LIke for example my cat is a big male cat very solid build and i have seen him interact with foxes and minks and usually predators dont get to close to him other then a fox that snuck up behind him once and stole a rat from him, the funny thing is he chased after the fox to try and get it back! LOL but my neibours have a very small delicate female cat that they would let out and this cat actually was killed by something either a fox or an owl not sure exactly but she was so small and had a fragile build i really dont think she could do much to protect herself (Unlike my big tank of a cat) So Overall it seems some cats are good outdoors while others are not do you guys agree? PS I THINK ITS SO cruel to let a de clawed cat outdoors! |
#2
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I let both of my cats outside, and one is declawed in the front. BUT I do have rules about it, they are only let out during the DAY, when I'm home, and only for an hour or so at a time - during which, I keep tabs on them.
I leave the door open for them, so they can get back into the mudroom if they need to. My cats stay in my yard, and they ALWAYS come right back when called. They are NEVER allowed out after dusk, or if we are not home. |
#3
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I'm one of those people who do not agree with cats being outside unsupervised. Cats can and do get injured in the great outdoors. They can get into cat fights or fights with other animals. There are many dangers facing domesticated animals in the "wild". In a city, many cats are poisoned or hit by cars.
Another reason is the risk that cats pose for our wildlife such as birds. Cats are natural predators and do prey on birds. In some areas, bird populations have been affected by cats. Our cat is allowed to go into our backyard as long as one of us is out there with her and is supervising her. |
#4
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My cat(s) are strictly indoor. I gew up with cats who went outside but even neutered, inevitably one of them was hurt in some way - chasing something, eating a piece of something that made them ill, scratched by a neighbourhood bully - cat or other creature. It's hard when others insist on allowing their kitties roam. Cats will be cats.
Here is a list of perils that may beset a cat outdoors. http://www.runway.net/b/moonmaid/in-or-out.html Mine are strictly indoors - they have short hair or no hair so are interested in outside only when it is warm anyway. YY goes out in her stroller or on a leash. I also have a back yard that is enclosed for her but I never allow her out unless I can be there. |
#5
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I let my cats outside. My kitten doesn't go out. Latley I have realized cat really shouldn't go out, but when I tried to make the two older cats indoor only. KC would not have it. After about 4 days being couped up, you couldn't even go near her without being hissed at. She was PISSED! She ended up sneaking out by destroying a screen in my bedroom. Smokey goes out but actully perfers being inside (He lived outside when I got him). I realize there are many dangers out there that the kitties face, that is why Salem and anyother cat I ever get will be an indoor cat. Tipper, my mom cat was and indoor/outdoor cat until about age 13 when she became an inside only cat. She is now 18 and still kickin. These cats do not live in the city.
I agree that every cat is different. My cat KC is very smart outside. She sits in one spot and watches everything going on for an hour before exploring. She rarley leaves the yard, and will run and hide when being approached by a stranger. My cats also have rules for going outside: 1. They only go out when I am home. 2. The have a curfew, not allowed out one hour before dark. This gives me an hour to round them up before dark. There are alot of predetors around my yard, but they don't come around during the daylight hours. 3. I check on them constantly while they are out or I go out with them. I honestly beleive that KC would not enjoy her life if she was not allowed outside.
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Roxy - JRT Smokey - DSH KC - DMH Salem - DSH Our pets are our teachers, healers, heroes, and friends. |
#6
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I was all for letting our cat be an indoor/outdoor cat. That was until her boundaries became further and further away as she explored. And one day she didn't come back. She has been gone for 3 months now, and it is heartbreaking not knowing where or what happened to her.
If I had to get another cat, which I don't think will happen for many years to come, it will be an indoor cat. The stress of not knowing how far or where she is wandering around, is too much. If she comes back, which I have heard could still happen , I will only let her out on a leash. |
#7
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I, too, let my cats outside. Shadow, a Manx X and Calli - a Calico - both neutered - love it outdoors. We have a HUGE Red Cedar tree in the back yard that they both love to climb. They both use a piece of driftwood in the back yard as a scratching post and watching them chase grasshoppers is a hoot. I tried the indoor thing but both (from the local SPCA) must have been outdoor cats because when kept indoors the noise is unbearable! Shadow particularly will howl and will scratch the door and rugs to get out. Both will come when I call them in, thank goodness! I do believe that they are better outdoors where they can run in the grass and sleep under the plants and chase grasshoppers...
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#8
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I'm glad you asked this question. There are a lot of stances on the topic, but I think it really depends on the circumstances, the cat, and other factors.
I have one of each: an indoor cat, and a cat that is allowed outside. When I first got Ruby from the shelter 5 years ago, she was strictly an indoor cat for---2 years. Why? Location. There was no way I would let her out when we lived near a road and there were tons of other animals around. It just wasn't safe. However, she had been a stray and was intensely focused on getting outside and would sit by the door and cry. Outdoors was 'where it was at' for her. Once we moved to our present location, we started a trial period of letting her outside. We live miles from anything on a dead end, unpaved road now (and boy, do I love it.) In warm weather, she may stay out for a few hours; in cold, she usually goes potty and comes back in within 10-15 minutes. We sometimes do keep her indoors for several weeks during early summer because some years, grouse nest behind the garage and she will raid their nest if she finds them. Most of the time, she can be seen sleeping on the picnic table, pouncing on leaves, or getting in the way of gardening/weeding/mulching. She's very good at that. Our indoor cat only makes half-hearted attempts to go out and she's a little physically challenged, so we're more than happy to keep her in. My feeling is that letting a cat outside exposes them to risks. Sometimes the risks are too great in my opinion, and they should be kept inside no matter what. However, I feel that in our present circumstances that it is an allowable, and not irresponsible, risk to keep our indoor/outdoor cat happy by letting her come and go during the day. JMO. That being said, I grew up in the suburbs. We always had cats, we always let them outside, and we always were getting new cats to replace the ones that had gotten run over in the road. It was just disgusting and tragic. We never had more than 2 or 3 cats at a time, and I was able to count 17 cats--that I remembered owning--in as many years. :sad: RIP kitties.
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My Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/allezany/ Rommel at www.dogster.com/?229253 MooShu at www.dogster.com/?229250 LucyLoo at www.catster.com/?229801 Ruby at www.catster.com/?229807 Last edited by shannonRN; October 27th, 2005 at 01:50 PM. |
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