Indoor vs. Outdoor Cats

[celesteon]

I personally don't think that a person is being responsible for their cat if they are letting it roam, as you cannot be responsible lfor what you cannot control. But, as others mentioned before, farm cats are at little to no risk of car accident, mauling by stranger animals, and have plenty of pests to hunt, so in that way I guess that is a form of reponsible outdoor cat ownership...

 

But I definitely draw the line if you're living in suburbia... Too many dangers to the cat, your cat is probably pooping in some child's garden (toxoplasmosis risk - can kill small kids, pregnant women, or their pregnancy, and is the reason a pregnant woman should avoid cat litter/poo, especially in outdoor animals that are exposed to the pathogen) and could be ruining someone's native bird-safe garden/killing their backyard wildlife. I would be raging mad if a cat was pooing in my yard and killing native birds that I feed and water. Plus my cat is territorial and tries to attack other cats through the door - usually at night - waking me up with her wild screams. People set traps for possums and rodents, baits for wild dogs, etc, so why not cats too? They can be really annoying, it's not fair, and the cat's don't understand they are in the wrong and at risk. So yea. My long two-cents worth haha.

[sparkle10184]

Barn cats are a whole 'nother ball game. I personally don't put them in the same class as outdoor *pet* cats.

[Katie]

I used to have a cat named Bastien that would go outside all the time and enjoyed it. Personally, if I had a cat I would keep it indoors because I would be so worried about a wild animal attacking it. It never happened to Bastien and he eventually passed from old age but I would still get nervous.

[Tanigi]

One of our outside cats has decided that, what with the snow and everything, he'd much rather be an inside cat now please and thank you. He waits by the front door and tries to casually stroll in whenever it opens, which, since we have indoor dogs who view cats as strange, malevolent, and possibly delicious creatures, is not such a good thing. We've compromised by letting him in at night when the dogs are asleep behind closed doors.

[DragonGirl10188]

I let my cats go outside, I mean, we live in a safe environment and they've never been hurt or anything since we've started letting them outside. Australia has a fairly alright environment, although when it's really hot we don't let them outside.

We also put them outside when we let our dog inside.

[Pixel.G]

When I was younger, most of my family's cats were stayed outdoors but they never really left the backyard anyways.

Now that we live in a condo my two cats stay indoors and I think it's much safer that way in general. I'm in the process of leash training one of them so I can bring him out a bit since he tries to escape through the balcony. :s

 

I personally think cats are better off indoors. Ever since I lost one of my cats because a careless neighbor ran over him, I was scared of that happening to the other two. (this happened before we moved to a condo)

On the other hand, I think if the owner can keep a proper watch on the cat somehow or maybe leash train it then maybe it would still be okay for the cat to go outdoors a bit.

[Sundew]

I keep my three cats inside at all times. They've all got their claws so that they can defend themselves in case they escape, but only one of them has an actual chance at survival in such a new environment. They do want to get outside, all of them, and have run off just around the porch. They're usually caught before they get to the backyard--often with the motivation of food.

While they are vaccinated, we've got plenty of reasons for keeping them inside. I live on a busy street, and vaccinations do nothing against cars. The neighbors have a dog easily strong enough to kill one of the cats. In the backyard, there are several acres of swamp and mostly untamed plant life. We also have bantam chickens, small enough for a cat to easily kill. And because of these chickens, hawks are a common predator: Hawks that don't care about the species of their prey.

 

That said, I wouldn't mind if they turned some of the havoc they wreak inside to the outside, but it's better to have them alive, affectionate and healthy than better-behaved and dead.

 

I generally prefer indoor cats because of safety risks and affection; they like people more when they spend more time with them. But outdoor cats are still cute, even if you have to check for ticks before petting them.

[Rachel72]

None of our cats are declawed! I think it's inhumane.

[Vhale]

No declawing. Indoor only. Really did not enjoy my neighbor's cat using my soaker hose as a litter box and my faucet covers to sharpen claws. Nor sitting on my back porch and taunting my cat through the patio window.

 

This is my first kitty, going on 18. She was a farm cat until about 6 months, then all indoors.

Kitteh!

 

This is my third kitty, going on 1 year now, whom she is not impressed with.

Kitten!

 

More recent picture (this weekend).

Kitty on left. "I can see the tail... I know I could reach it."

Kitty on right. "I will kill you in your sleep."

 

[maylin]

My cat use to be a indoor/outdoor cat until someone stole her for a few months, the WORST months of my whole life and she managed to get out and she just walked up to me like hi! where you been? and then some lady asked me if I wanted her! D:<

Said she WAS mine >:| after that she has been a indoor only cat.

 

I'm hoping if me and my husband ever get a house with are own back yard I can get her a outdoor enclosure or something. As my cat DOES get bored even with all her nice cat trees and all the other stuff I got her that she completely ignores -.- all she likes to do is like to stare out the window though she does like a simple box and likes when we play with her with a string, that is all.

 

On the banning thing only if it affected pet owners cats and not the feral cats, I fully support trap, neuter and release. Not starve, Trap and murder >

 

When my cat was a indoor/outdoor cat I was a kid I didn't know any better I do think for there safety it is best for them to stay indoors when not being watched.

 

and HUMANS have made 1.4/1.8 million species go extinct. I don't blame the cats for fallowing there instinct I blame the humans who made the problem in the first place.

 

[babybluefire]

We have two currently, inside ONLY, both females fixed. When we did live on a farm the one was a barn cat, that had six barns and a house to come in when she choose to. She also received regular vet care and food. Very well taken care of barn cats in barns not close to roads tend to live long lives in this area. The house we are currently in is on a main street. Not a chance either one will ever be let outside.

 

Barn cats are a very effective poison free way of dealing with mice and rats here. A law banning barn cats as outdoor cats would not fly.

 

 

[sparkle10184]

I would support the law if barn cats were an exception.

[Rachel72]

None of our cats go outside.

[maylin]

'Murder' is officially defined as 'the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another'. If killing a feral cat counts as murder, then they (the cats) are also committing murder by hunting their prey. And that's alright for them to do?

 

Cats *have* made other species go extinct. While many millions of people are making major efforts to right what we've done wrong, cats lack such morality and are going to keep on killing. Neutering may have an impact but it'll be slight. Pet cats will continue to go feral if given the chance - and letting them outside gives them a chance they can take. Yes we created the feral cat problem in the first place, but are we not allowed to fix it? Are feral cats more important than the species they're hunting to extinction *particularly* in places like Australia? Perhaps 'murdering' these cats is the only truly effective way to go about it in situations like in the above sentence.

Feral cats kill to eat that is not murder, pet cats kill for fun and to maybe eat.

Should humans be killed too then by your logic? Because humans will continue to kill more then then ones who want to help. And there are also homeless humans that are problematic in lots of city's.

Pet cats going feral is again the fault of humans. Killing masses is never a fix.

 

And to be absolutely truthful if I saw ANYONE by me trying to kill cats I would stop them ANY means necessary.

 

Trapping and neutering will make sure there are no more generations of these cat clans in these areas. And in any areas where there are cat problems by law people should have to have all pet cats spade and neutered with a fine if they are not.

 

There are even some feral cat sanctuary's, if more places had those it would help a lot too.

 

[grimace]

Feral cats kill to eat that is not murder, pet cats kill for fun and to maybe eat.

Should humans be killed too then by your logic? Because humans will continue to kill more then then ones who want to help. And there are also homeless humans that are problematic in lots of city's.

Pet cats going feral is again the fault of humans. Killing masses is never a fix.

Thats completely wrong. Mass killing a ton of humans would do wonders to fix the environment. I mean sure its ethically wrong and im not advocating it and etc etc but mass killing problematic species definitely helps.

[maylin]

Cats, regardless if feral or not, WILL kill for fun. It's in their nature. It's in many other species' nature.

 

By my logic, it's a whole different ball game with humans. We're talking about a species here that are, as far as any studies have shown, are ultimately far more complex than any other species on Earth. And I'm not here to discuss the issues with people. I'm here to discuss the problems with outdoors cats.

 

Violence sometimes is the only solution. Alas, nature, both under human influence and without, is an ugly, ugly thing. Death happens. Killing masses can most certainly be a fix. Comparing cats to pathogens, smallpox has been eradicated and with quite a benefit. We just can't have feral cats, in a land where they don't belong, running unchecked by the apex predators we don't have and aiding the death of other species. You can't trap and neuter very feral cat out there. There's an estimated fifteen MILLION of them in Australia alone. You can probably do the math.

 

I'm curious as to how far you'd really go. If you had the chance, would you kill a person, one out to eradicate a cat that's possibly been harassing and/or killing their own animals? *Anyone* by *any* means necessary?

 

A feral cat sanctuary? In Australia? I can't speak for other countries but that sounds like a terrible idea. What happens as they breed? Will they get overcrowded? Will the sanctuary need to be expanded, taking over the land native species live on? Heck, why should we even look after threats to our own native species? Rabbits are actively being eradicated, as are cane toads, and few people are making a fuss. What's the difference with cats? There's only so much room on an island.

 

Set spaying and neutering laws in place, a ban on outdoor cats and have the harsh consequence of ones spotted outside being culled. Can't keep a cat indoors? Don't want to risk it? Don't have a cat.

Yes but feral's are more likely to eat what they kill because they need the food.

 

I don't consider humans any more different then other animals just because where "smarter" if you can call destroying countless habitats and polluting our air and water "smart". We may be better inventors over all but we still feel the same emotions as all other animals, the human ego just makes us think where superior to everything.

 

I don't agree in killing as a "fix" it just causes violence and there would be many out there protesting and doing their best to directly stop it making neighbor fight against neighbor. And violence over all. And besides ANYONE who could kill cats and their kittens is a horrible person no decent person could look into there face and just kill them.

 

And what about people? They are 100000 times more destructive than cats and humans are overpopulated at 7 BILLION and counting! I'm sure if humans were killed for this purpose too it would help the environment and species a LOT more but oh no we can't do that! Because where the most special animal >->

 

How would it be harassing or killing there inside animals? And I don't see a bunch of feral cats grouping together to take out a outside dog

And I would defend the cat with my life, he would have to get threw me to kill that cat so if he is so determined to harm me to kill the other then yes I will defend myself and the cat will lethal force if I have to.

 

Who said anything about breeding? I already stated that all feral's should be fixed so there would be no breeding. Just a place for them to live the rest of their life where it is not harmful.

 

But it seems we will not be agreeing on anything about this, we will just have to agree to disagree.

[maylin]

Thats completely wrong. Mass killing a ton of humans would do wonders to fix the environment. I mean sure its ethically wrong and im not advocating it and etc etc but mass killing problematic species definitely helps.

Ah yes, I agree, what I mean its its not a good acceptable fix. Killing just causes violence and fights over all, making everyone hate each other and fight for what they think is right. A better fix is one without violence that can slow down the problem with it stopping the problem at the end.

[Red2111]

re: outdoor cats and ban's.

 

i disagree with the government banning outdoor cats. first off how would they enforce it? kill on sight? trap and release? trap and kill? and what about indoor cats that escape? so a ban is not realistic imo even with a fine, you'd have to rely on an owner coming to claim the animal if it didn't have a chip or tags before collecting the fine. not to mention clans of wild cats help keep down the rodent population (which can easily overwhelm a neighborhood or city if left unchecked and cause all kinds of diseases)

 

in South Mississippi we have a problem with people just straight up abandoning animals (one of our dogs was abandoned in our neighborhood and adopted us, i've also taken 5 or 6 different gods to the humane society as well as a liter of Kittens since i've lived down here). our Humane Society does a free "trap, spay/neuter & release" program for feral cats all you have to do is pay $50 for the trap. they also offer low cost spay/neuter option as well. imo, this seems the best and most effective method.

 

if i see a dog wandering the streets, i'll try to catch it myself and take it to the shelter if i have time (if i dont i'll call the dog catcher). and before you lot go warning me about "catching a stray dog you dont know is dangerous" realize that i have 7+ years of experience working with dogs and cats in a professional manner (as a groomer and a vet tech). so handling animals and reading their body language is something that i'm proficient in and i dont need a lecture about safety with strays

 

 

 

i have 2 tomcats at my house. both rescues that were from feral litters.

 

Woody is a 6 year old neutered male. he was found at a few weeks of age stuck in a lumber yard between two pieces of wood. i adopted him around 6 months of age from the vets i worked at. he has no drive to go outside in the 5 1/2 years i've owned him, though he does sit at the door or pace the window calling for me when i step outside with the boys (our 2 dogs). i've taken him outside before, holding him. he's less concerned with running away or chasing anything and more interested in eating plants ... any plants

 

 

Cowan is a 4 month (weighed about 3 pounds a few weeks ago) old tom (he goes for his 3rd set of shots this friday ) who i found in the middle of the road (literally in the middle, hugging the dotted white lane separator on a four lane road ate 7:30am in the morning) on the way to work one morning back in September. he was a little ball of orange fluff squeezed into a tight ball, i didnt even think twice about stopping traffic to scoop him up. he's named after the road we was found on and was about 4 weeks old when i found him. he had no worms, no broken bones and no abrasions; though we battled with diarrhea for a good month after i took him in

 

this was taken the day i found him, he weighed 1.6 pounds (this was the Saturday after i found him at the vets office)

 

 

 

both of my kids (the dogs are called 'boys' and the cats are called 'kids' ) are indoor cats. until Cowan gets neutered he stays in a back bedroom with the door closed and Woody, myself and the boys (my two dogs) come into visit him for a few hours each day. he has a harness that he wears, when i take him out of the room he's on a leash. (i dont want to risk him escaping out the door, not being able to find him or him marking in the house.

 

he's going through the insane kitten stage and has his little quirks from being from a feral clan. he's toy aggressive *sigh* something i'm trying to break him of but is slow going. i broke him of food aggression early on *nods* i can pet and mess with him while he's eating and take the food away without a grown or a paw pushing my away but toys he will play tug-shark with (try and tug away, or clamp on and not let go of) and will growl and play keep away and push me away with his paws. so we've still got a bit of work with him. he takes baths and tolerates his nails being clipped and being brushed very well though and is starting to learn that growling and hissing isn't the way to ask me to put him down and will only lead to being held longer

 

the trade game doesn't work with Cowan (re: toy aggression), but he has a high food drive and loves treats. so we're going to try the trade game with treats and teaching him "drop it" and "leave it" *nods* i think using this positive reward methods will break him of the toy aggression (at least with me anyways)

 

 

 

Set spaying and neutering laws in place, a ban on outdoor cats and have the harsh consequence of ones spotted outside being culled. Can't keep a cat indoors? Don't want to risk it? Don't have a cat.

 

well that escalated quickly.

 

so my Cowan, who is a kitten from a feral litter and is quick as a blink of an eye, escapes out the door. you'd have him "culled" or killed if he's spotted outdoors?

 

you do realize that indoor cats and especially kittens escape outside and are quick enough to disappear due to curiosity before owners can catch them, only to so up hours later after they've gotten done with there unexpected walk about.

 

so you'd punish us responsible owners by killing our babies my baby Cowan or my child Woody ever escaped and someone decided to "cull" them; i'd be culling them right back, if you get my drift.

Edited November 26, 2014 by Red2111

[MedievalMystic]

There's an estimated fifteen MILLION of them in Australia alone. You can probably do the math.

 

If there are tons of feral cats anywhere, it's because of people not being responsible with their pets, it's not the cats fault. If people would spay/neuter and stop abandoning unspayed/unneutered cats, there wouldn't be an issue. People can piss and moan about all these wild cats running around till doomsday, and that's anywhere, but unless PEOPLE are willing to change, nothing changes.

 

And as far as Australia goes, well, maybe if people hadn't hunted the Tasmanian Tiger into extinction there wouldn't be a huge ferel cat population.

 

It seems that most issues on this planet go right back to US, sad to say..

 

Maybe it's time for another war. (Just kidding!)

 

Maylin, I like your idea. I think in some areas feral cats are trapped and spayed/neutered...I saw something about this on TV a while back but can't remember the details...and there is a 'cat sanctuary' somewhere as well, just for feral cats. I think they get spayed then live out there lives there and a lot of people come by just to feed them. I can't remember the details of where that is though...it's been awhile since I've seen it.

Edited November 26, 2014 by MedievalMystic

[sparkle10184]

Yes, it is the fault of the humans. I get that. I understand that completely. But that's just all the more reason for us to find a way to fix it. We made a problem and now it is up to us to mend that problem.

[RWyvern]

I can see that people appear to be offended by what I said and I apologise, I was getting a little heated up. And then I was an idiot and didnt bother to make any edits. I don't aim to offend any of you personally, don't take it personally, it was my mistake of not waiting until I'd calmed down a bit and rechecked my post. Allow me to remove that part.

 

Anybody heard of enclosures? It wouldn't hurt a cat to be let outside in one of those. Cats are like the only domesticated animals where people think it's alright to let them run unchecked. I personally don't get that mentality, but then again I've always been extremely cautious with my animals.

 

I'm one of those people with an opinion nobody can agree on. I should just clarify, before anybody thinks I'm a cat hater, that I adore cats. It's exactly how I feel about rats. I adore the little things to death (not literally!) but I *get* that they're a huge problem in many places. Do any of you think I'm a psychopath who wants to kill all these cats for fun?

 

I don't want to have to see fifteen million cats dead. But it's the only solution I can see working. They're a problem. Get rid of the problem.

 

As for the Tasmanian Tiger, MM, I *get* that people have done horrible things and will continue to do so. I'm NOT defending mankind. But seeing as we DID kill off the Tiger we might as well do what we can to replace it. I don't want anyone thinking that just because I see violence as the only fix here that I'm a flat out supporter of humanity and enjoy seeing the mass slaughter.

[sparkle10184]

I don't like the idea of killing cats, but if it's the only solution then I have to agree with it. I think TNR is great when possible, but if there are hundreds of cats and they're destroying the wildlife? Culling may be the only fix.

[Omega Entity]

If there are tons of feral cats anywhere, it's because of people not being responsible with their pets, it's not the cats fault. If people would spay/neuter and stop abandoning unspayed/unneutered cats, there wouldn't be an issue. People can piss and moan about all these wild cats running around till doomsday, and that's anywhere, but unless PEOPLE are willing to change, nothing changes.

 

And as far as Australia goes, well, maybe if people hadn't hunted the Tasmanian Tiger into extinction there wouldn't be a huge ferel cat population.

 

It seems that most issues on this planet go right back to US, sad to say..

 

Maybe it's time for another war. (Just kidding!)

 

Maylin, I like your idea. I think in some areas feral cats are trapped and spayed/neutered...I saw something about this on TV a while back but can't remember the details...and there is a 'cat sanctuary' somewhere as well, just for feral cats. I think they get spayed then live out there lives there and a lot of people come by just to feed them. I can't remember the details of where that is though...it's been awhile since I've seen it.

I recall seeing an article somewhere that Disneyworld actually has a thriving feral cat population - they spay and neuter any new occupants, keep them fed, and keep them up-to-date on their medical care, and the cats keep their pest population down:

 

http://www.alleycat.org/page.aspx?pid=873

[MedievalMystic]

RW, your post didn't offend me personally. It takes a whole lot more than that to offend me. lol

 

But really, even if you killed every single feral cat in Australia...or anywhere...the problem still isn't solved. All you've done by killing those feral cats is start the cycle over at square one. As soon as the first batch of millions is annihilated it's just a matter of time before the population of ferals is right back up there when people continue to get cats, leave them unspayed and unneutered and abandon them when they become inconvenient. Unspayed female cats can have 4 litters a year, capable of having a litter of what, 3-6 kittens, every 3 months and then those have kittens and those have kittens and...yeah. Before you know it, you've got hundreds then thousands then millions, all over again. You can kill millions upon millions upon millions of feral stray cats, but the cycle will never, ever stop unless people change and become more responsible. Unfortunately, for every person that becomes responsible and aware, there's 3 morons that aren't. To me, this problem is unsolvable. It simply won't ever end, sad to say, because of the population of idiots, aka 'PEOPLE' that don't give a crap.

 

Right now, we're looking after a stray female that just had her 3 kittens. Now, I'm going to have to dish out a couple hundred dollars to spay her because I feel it's the right thing to do. I mean, what else? Leave her whole and watch her breeding out of control and my entire neighborhood be swamped with strays...all hanging around my house? No thanks. I resent the stupid * that left that cat here then took off out of state, leaving her to become someone else's...MY...problem. But, like I said, the world is full of those types. Eradicate them and problem solved. **evil laugh**

Edited November 27, 2014 by MedievalMystic

[sparkle10184]

Let's TNR those idiots who abandon their cats. At least then they can't breed more idiots...