Cats

[MURDERcomplexx]

d'awww I want to sit on the couch with them ; A; so cute.

[Catspwndogs29]

They're currently registered as an experiemntal breed - descending from occicat/bengal crosses. So far they're breeding true - which is one of the first steps to having the breed recognised. They still need to develop a full breed standard, and have several breed clubs going, before they'll gain full recognition. It'll normally take years to get a new breed recognised, but dedicated people can do the work. By all accounts they've got a similar look to a Bengal, but they're reputed to have a much more docile temprement.

Ah, alright.

[grimace]

and I'll tell you now that no amount of arguing is going to sway me to supporting your cruelty.

lolwut

 

So, you are saying anyone with an indoor cat is an animal abuser?

Would you be alright with people letting other kinds of animal roam around too?

[Catspwndogs29]

lolwut

 

So, you are saying anyone with an indoor cat is an animal abuser?

Would you be alright with people letting other kinds of animal roam around too?

My cat is an outdoor cat. She would be absolutely miserable if she had to stay inside. She's probably start crying kitty tears, and become a kitty emo, and start slitting her kitty wrists, and then kitty suicide with a kitty rope.

 

But seriously, she loves roaming around. We live in a quiet neighborhood with 1-10 cars passing by every day. There's acres and acres of forest, meadow, etc. behind us, and there's little to no people around us. Can that really be THAT horrible for a cat?

 

Also, she loves hunting mice to the point where it's an addiction. Mice never go into our house anymore - would you really depive her of her hobby?

[JaziandCo]

Catty, I can counter that argument with that same logic.

 

Nala was formally a feral cat before she was picked up by the local shelter and adopted by my family. She was an indoor-only cat after she came to live with us. When we placed her outside on one of those cat harness/leashes, she began to cry and tried to run back to the door. She absolutely hated being outside, loose or leashed, but adored ruling her roost of a house happily. The 14 years she spent inside with us, she was away from dangers of rabies, being attacked by a roaming fox, raccoon, dog, or opossum, being poisoned, and being flattened on the highway next to the house.

 

Can being indoor-only really be that bad for a cat?

[grimace]

My cat is an outdoor cat. She would be absolutely miserable if she had to stay inside. She's probably start crying kitty tears, and become a kitty emo, and start slitting her kitty wrists, and then kitty suicide with a kitty rope.

 

But seriously, she loves roaming around. We live in a quiet neighborhood with 1-10 cars passing by every day. There's acres and acres of forest, meadow, etc. behind us, and there's little to no people around us. Can that really be THAT horrible for a cat?

 

Also, she loves hunting mice to the point where it's an addiction. Mice never go into our house anymore - would you really depive her of her hobby?

True. The cats that are already used to it would be miserable kept inside.

 

I'm just saying its kind of excessive to say anyone who has an indoor cat is abusing it. Plus, people around here keep their cat indoors, because the first time it is outside alone, this owl will eat it.

Edited July 1, 2010 by grimace

[7Deadly$ins]

We live in a cul-de-sac, but it's very close to one of the busiest roads. There are often extreme temperatures and -plenty- of large wildlife. Not to mention most of the breeders in my area require indoor-only in their contracts. Don't the studies say they live longer anyway?

 

 

Edited July 1, 2010 by 7Deadly$ins

[MURDERcomplexx]

I have an indoor only cat. She doesn't like the outdoors. Some of the others do, and they roam freely through the cat-flap but one just hates the feeling. She gets scared and jumpy, and the only time she's comfortable is when she's inside.

Not all over the neighborhood though. My cats are fairly content with the expanse of backyard they get to play and roam around in.

Edited July 1, 2010 by MURDERcomplexx

[JaziandCo]

We live in a cul-de-sac, but it's very close to one of the busiest roads. There are often extreme temperatures and -plenty- of large wildlife. Not to mention most of the breeders in my area require indoor-only in their contracts. Don't the studies say they live longer anyway?

Same here, and all the breeders I've looked at online also have an indoor-only rule.

 

Most anti-outdoors sites will say cats only live 1-5 years when allowed outside but I've seen exceptions of that rule. My friend's cats are mostly outdoors and she has a 13-year-old going strong.

Edited July 1, 2010 by JaziandCo

[TikindiDragon]

Most anti-outdoors sites will say cats only live 1-5 years when allowed outside but I've seen exceptions of that rule. My friend's cats are mostly outdoors and she has a 13-year-old going strong.

That's almost total gobshite. You only have to ask a large number of owners here in the UK to realise that their outdoor cats regularly live well into their teens.

 

@ grimace. That's not what I'm saying, no. My argument is directed at the people who have frequently told me that *all* cats should be kept locked inside regardless of wether they were raised as indoor cats or not. People like the ones on that website you linked me too - who I am sure owuld happily tell me that I should never let my cat out of the house.

 

Keeping a cat indoors in only not cruel when done with very, very specific things in mind. Most people don't give an indoor cat what it needs - which is why so many of them become overweight. Even when stimulated properly I would still advocate the cat having acess to an outdoor run.

 

To me not letting a cat out falls into the same ball park as owning a dog and never walking it. People wouldn't consider keeping a dog locked indoors all the time - I have never understood why they feel it should be different for a cat.

[7Deadly$ins]

Well I don't think it's responsible to just let a dog outside and let it run wherever without supervision, either.

 

I'm all for outside runs and having people harness train their cats, but I don't think I would go for free roaming.

[Catspwndogs29]

Taco keeps her cat inside because she lives right next to a very busy road.

[TikindiDragon]

I think, if I'm honest, there's just a really deep cultural divide over the issue. Most people in the UK think it's wrong to keep a cat indoors, most people in the US seem to think it's wrong to let them out. No minds are going to be changed on the issue, because it's so deeply ingrained.

[JaziandCo]

Yup, Tikindi, that's why I said I've seen multiple exceptions. I'm pretty sure those people are counting barn cats which are killed by farm predators.

 

I personally would never have a cat outdoors where I live, my friend who has her outdoor cats lives away from the road and since there's multiple cats the raccoons and foxes don't wander into the yard, so in that case I'd consider it.

[abney]

I have one cat that stays indoors only. Button (mainly called Meap) is a year old and she is only 2 1/2 pounds and is barely half the height of a normal sized cat. We feed her special dry food (and a small blob of fancy feast) to keep her digestive track happy (also gets second step KMR for lunch). I'm 99.9% sure if she took two steps out the front door she would be scooped up by a hawk.

We also try to keep our 15 year old cat inside because we have lost seven cats to people who come flying around our corner. He does go outside when we are home, but he stays inside at night.

[panic_at_the_disco]

We have an expansive outdoor property and we don't live near any roads or anything like that, so our cats are outdoor beasties. That, and my mom seems to think cats are just naturally born with fleas even if they stay inside their entire lives (which I'm not condoning, BTW). I have on occasion, however, secretly brought both of the cats into the house a time or two. Rascal seemed to like it, but he's okay outdoors too. Morgan just...flips out. He starts looking at the ceiling (trying to see the sky, I think) and meowing really loudly.

[War Pig Killer]

I'd personally raise a cat to be an indoor cat because I live right next to a state route, and a busy one at that. Just like with the dogs, I'd be afraid of a cat running out in traffic.

 

Tiki: One of my dogs is actually happier inside. He HATES being outside and will scratch and whine at the door. He eats plenty and is still skinnier than most dogs I've ever seen.

[Qwackie]

My cat, Chuckie, was found stray, and loves going outside. My parents, though, are strictly inside pets only, because they're too cheap to buy an electric collar and fence thing so he can stay outside.

D:

[dejavugurl]

I have 5 cats. One of them bolted out the door tonight. I really hope she comes back.

[Laskuraska]

I think, if I'm honest, there's just a really deep cultural divide over the issue. Most people in the UK think it's wrong to keep a cat indoors, most people in the US seem to think it's wrong to let them out. No minds are going to be changed on the issue, because it's so deeply ingrained.

I think US folk think it's bad to let the cat out because we've got more predators that will eat a cat, more rabid animals on the loose, and a hell of a lot of cars speeding around. I think it might be safer to let the cat out in the UK.

[TikindiDragon]

I think US folk think it's bad to let the cat out because we've got more predators that will eat a cat, more rabid animals on the loose, and a hell of a lot of cars speeding around. I think it might be safer to let the cat out in the UK.

Yes on the predators, no on the cars. Have you any idea what population density is like here?

[Laskuraska]

Yes on the predators, no on the cars. Have you any idea what population density is like here?

You've got higher density than us but not all of you drive, quite a lot of you are able to bike or walk, and I'd guess not many cats are trampled by pedestrians. Almost every American older than 16 has their own car and needs to take it out if they want to go anywhere at all.

[deanna_nightshade]

Yes on the predators, no on the cars. Have you any idea what population density is like here?

It depends a lot on what kind of roads you have. It's not just traffic that's the problem, in my experience, but the whole environment.

 

When I was a kid, I used to live on a two-lane road that wound through a heavily wooded area. My parents wouldn't even let me get the mail because the road was very dangerous. There was no sidewalk, cars would come by fast, and there was poor visibility.

 

We had to call animal control all the time because feral cats would get hit.

 

There were also a lot of predators. We took in a in a pregnant feral cat after she was attacked and injured by a dog, once. I have family who lives in that area and lets their cats and dogs spend a lot of time outside unsupervised, and all their animals have gotten badly sick or injured.

 

Just because a cat is an indoor cat doesn't mean you can't take it out. My first cat loved going out on a leash and exploring the yard, and even going for rides in the car. However, I don't take my current two out very often because they're not very into it. We used to have a screened-in porch, which they liked.

[TikindiDragon]

You've got higher density than us but not all of you drive, quite a lot of you are able to bike or walk, and I'd guess not many cats are trampled by pedestrians. Almost every American older than 16 has their own car and needs to take it out if they want to go anywhere at all.

You should try seeing what it's like where I live at rush hour. Yeah, the town centres a lot of people do walk & use public transport. But if you're not in a town public transport sucks, and you have to drive everywhere. There's one bus an hour from the place I live - and yet I'm a bare half an hour drive from the outskirts of London.

 

Added to that it's not roads that are busy all day that are the main danger to a cat - they work out pretty quickly that they just need to avoid that area. It's intermittantly busy roads that are the problem. You know - the quiet road with a school on it that gets no traffic for most of the day, but is hugely busy around 9am and 3pm. In conditions like that a cat will learn that the road is normally quiet (and thuis safe) and can get caught out by the sudden inrush of traffic.

[firestar0011]

My cats loves to go out side. her and my pitt bull are friends :3 but my kitteh is evil! she dosnet like to be peted she'll bite u if u try. one night i woke up in the middle of the night cuz it was a little hard 2 breath and she was standing on my neck O.o' evill! lol but i still wuv her