The MLP Arena

Pony Talk => Off Topic => Topic started by: Vintergatan on March 21, 2013, 10:40:42 AM

Title: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Vintergatan on March 21, 2013, 10:40:42 AM: So, this question popped up in many cat-related posts and I thought it would be nice to have one topic dedicated to this.

I grew up with cats, and despite my distaste for it, my family always let them go out as they please. I grew up with this being the standard.
When I moved to Iceland and got my cats, everyone expected me to let them out freely, like most people do here. It took me a long while to let my first cat outside on her own, and I was so incredibly stressed that I just couldn't do it. Since then, people have been treating me like I'm some sort of a criminal for not letting my cats go out (I have 3 now).
This of course bothers me because I know how many cats here get hit by a car (cars are a big problem here for many reasons) and also, my cats get so much attention and love every day, that I really don't believe they feel trapped.

However, my ever brilliant mom realized that one part of our garden is perfect for our kitties, so we fenced it off and now they can go there when the weather is nice outside, so we found a middle ground :)

I would love to hear people's opinion on this. What do you do? What is usually done where you live?

Some pics of my solution:

This is the area we used. We put the grass on it (the floor was made of concrete) and eventually put nets between the pillars that are sticking out on top of the fence
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And this is our kitties enjoying themselves
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Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: HavACrumpet452 on March 21, 2013, 10:44:54 AM: When I owned cats they were indoor only. In fact, my family trains the cats to hate the outdoors by squirting them with a water bottle if they go out the open door, after a few times they have no desire to go near the door. I don't believe any domestic animal should be allowed to roam free. We don't let dogs roam the neighborhood unleashed. I've heard that cats who are outdoors have a lifespan of a few years vs the 15 year lifespan of an indoor cat. Outside there are cars, other animals, sick sick human beings who will do anything to a cat, disease, poison, and all sorts of things to kill a cat. Sure if I had my own place with a yard I might get one of those outdoor cat enclosures which is basically a frame with netting, but they wouldn't roam free.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Like A Tea Spoon on March 21, 2013, 10:56:33 AM: I don't know about the country in where you live, but here in the United States, Feline Leukemia is a serious problem. There is no cure, it's feline AIDS and it's highly contagious, especially in strays who happen to fight for territory, breeding and such. Keeping a cat indoors helps prevent the chance of them getting infected by cats with feline leukemia.

I absolutely believe it's up to the cat owner to decide between letting the cats out or keeping them strictly indoors.

Cats who are strays or outdoor cats risk a lot of health issues as well as being attacked by other stray animals and getting hit by cars. They also have higher chance of getting parasites and spreading them to humans ( ring worm, which is a fungus infection, I believe ).

I had one cat, spayed female under two years old that I let out one morning and she vanished. She usually never left the patio area or the stair case in front of our home. She just never came back... I always felt that if I had kept her strictly indoors, she would still be here with me. She was super friendly and our Animal Control doesn't pick up cats so I only hope she was taken in as a "stray" by a neighbor. :( I don't want to think coyotes ( a problem here in Georgia ) or another animal had something to do with her vanishing though, it breaks my heart.

PS;

I also believe a lot of cat owners simply don't care or think to care about what might happen to a cat that simply vanishes from home. It's so hard here to give kittens away for free much less find people willing to take care of them like they would a caged bird or dog. They figure that the cat is able to care for itself :mad:

We took in a stray mom and her six kittens and I had to practically post kittens for adoption nearly every day and still had a hard time finding homes for them. All I asked was an adoption fee of a small cheap bag of cat food to feed the stray colony mom came from.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: tulagirl on March 21, 2013, 10:59:13 AM: My cat is a Persian. He has a disease. I can't let him outside, because if he eats anything it could kill him. I have seen enough dead cats from dogs that run loose down our neighborhood streets. I wouldn't at this point ever let a cat go outside unless I had a cat play yard with a roof and sides they could not get out of. Plus we have huge owls. I would never forgive myself if my cat lost its life in these ways. I grew up with cats being outside also.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Icicle on March 21, 2013, 11:02:39 AM: I haven't had cats for quite a few years, but when I was living at home all of our cats were outdoor/indoor cats. Honestly, while I loved being able to just be out with my friends and suddenly get attention from one of them I hated it. We lost about three or so cats due to them being outdoor cats (two for certain we know were hit by cars and the other got hurt while outside and went missing for a bit and he was just too weak when he came home), and one of them never came back inside (she was skittish to begin with when my dad/sister got her from the pound and she just went out one day and never wanted to come back in). The only cat that remained of the ones I had over my childhood is no longer an outdoor cat (if he's still alive, I haven't spoken to my family in quite a long while) due to my sister and father having to have moved from the house I grew up in and they didn't want him getting lost or hurt from the unfamiliar territory, so there's at least that.

If I ended up with a cat sometime in my life again it will be strictly an indoor cat. The ONLY way I would take a cat of mine outside if it was on a leash or I could set up like a kitty run in our yard (We certainly have plenty of space for one, at least!)
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Vintergatan on March 21, 2013, 11:11:47 AM: I must admit that I am glad that I'm not the only one believing it's best for kitties not to go roaming outside on their own (I'm definitely in the minority here :S)

Fortunately, we don't have to worry about diseases and animal import is kept under very strict control (this being an island and all) but all other dangers mentioned are absolutely real here too. Plus, a huge problem we have is with cats killing birds - another thing I don't want my cats to do as I love birds!

Does anyone here maybe have some statistics on the life span of cats depending on this? HavACrumpet452, do you know where you heard that? I would really love to have some facts to show to all the people that bugged me for "not letting my cats feel freedom" :S

Oh, and just a note, if you "accidentally" post a picture of your kitty here, I won't complain ^^
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: HavACrumpet452 on March 21, 2013, 11:22:03 AM: I think its pretty much taken as fact on a lot of vet and pet sites. All you have to do is look up life expectancy of an outdoor cat on google and it will come up with lots of sources saying they have small lifespans.

http://www.petco.com/Content/ArticleList/Article/13/2/181/Reasons-to-Keep-Your-Cat-Indoors.aspx

http://www.cat-world.com.au/indoor-vs-outdoor-cats

http://pets.webmd.com/cats/features/how-to-care-for-an-outdoor-cat

As for diseases, no matter where you live cats can pick up things like mange, ringworm, and toxoplasmosis. Anything parasitic.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: OLumeVaSti on March 21, 2013, 11:24:17 AM: Quite honestly, my cat is just kind of dumb. I don't trust her to go outside. She has already been ran over once.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Vintergatan on March 21, 2013, 11:27:06 AM: Thanks for the links :):) I just don't like googling stuff like that for fear that something really bad and graphic might come up :(

As for the disease, they can't pick it up if it doesn't exist in Iceland. Not saying we don't have any though, we still give shots to our pets once a year, but only for very specific things (for example, rabies doesn't exist here so we never give them shots for it)
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Skeen on March 21, 2013, 11:28:48 AM: My cats are indoor only, but recently we've been letting Ember outside under our direct supervision (and on the suggestion of our vet) to let her work off some of her anxiety. It keeps her occupied and interested without the interference of any of the other cats, and she is much calmer the rest of the time. She does like to pee in the flower beds. :) We're not letting her out on her own though, and there's no way we can get a harness on her.

Since Ember goes outside all of them will be getting flea medication within the next month, and I keep them fully vaccinated already.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: CrimsonEtClover on March 21, 2013, 12:11:16 PM: My cats come in and out all day, and are put outside for the night. They stick to our property for the most part. I don't know who explained property lines to them, but they have a pretty good grasp of it. They have their updated shots, and just *love* basking in the sun and eating grass... plus, Wolverine chases strays out of the yard to protect my chickens and outdoor bunnies.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: mylittleponylover92 on March 21, 2013, 12:24:34 PM: My cats are indoor, poor things! They both are abroad in the middle east.

The reason is quite a legitimate one....our first cat was a rescue and was found with a large abscess on her head. My dad found her lay in the street howling....he picked her up and she flopped and went really weak. He found a discarded box and took her with him to the vets. She was only a few weeks old...we think her mother abandoned her.

At first we thought she was blind since she didn't react to hand movements in front of her eyes. The vet kept her for a few days, she had to have fluids injected into her stomach as she was so dehydrated. He then went to treat her abscess....he ended up scooping it out quite far down - so she was left partially brain damaged. Anyways, when she got stronger my parents brought her home...since shes been with us shes improved lots but her co-ordination is no where near as good as a normal cat. She cant track objects quickly and misses jumps.

She escaped once and we found her after an hour or so....she was panting like crazy. Basically the vet said she was panicking and although she wants to go outside she cant handle it and gets lost.

So she cant go out since she cant find her way home...also Im not sure she would go tinkle outside either! Shes wayy to used to her litter tray! I compare her with our other cat and there is a big difference to their capabilities, the kitten is lightening fast and can jump amazingly!

The other cat is a rescue (just coming up to a year with her!) but we dont think its fair to let her out and not the other! She's improved our other cats life, she has company now and they play a lot! ^.^

Oh and the new rescue has no tail bless her....she lost it but my mum saved her life. The infection had grown so far down she now has a stump left. But shes healthy and normal now! ^.^
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Skelletonimp on March 21, 2013, 12:30:41 PM: We used to have four cat's who could all go out when they wanted.
We live in a very small, green town, and cat's are pretty safe to walk around.
We only have one cat since all the others passed away.
Since she's alone she prefers to stay inside, and only goes outside when she has to ... use the loo, or when she likes to get some fresh air. Most times she stays in our garden, but sometimes she walks up and down the street.
When I walk the dog though the park she sometimes follows us there and find her own way back.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Rhubarbpie on March 21, 2013, 12:30:50 PM: My kitty is an inside kitty. She has been all her life, before I met my boyfriend, she lived with me on a 3rd floor flat, then a ground floor flat in the centre of town, again unsuitable for indoor kitteh's. Now we (me, Honey and the BF) live in a house, but its right on a main road with bus route and since I believe her to have the road sense of a squished hedgehog, I don't let her out. As far as i can tell, she has only escaped once, during a heat wave we had a couple of years ago, one of us left the kitchen window open, I realised I had not seen her for a while so I went to the kitchen to rattle the bikky box and she came sauntering in through the window with a look on her face that said "Mom, did you KNOW that was outside??" I nearly dropped dead from shock!!! She's never been out since, though these days she is getting on a bit in years and she's perfectly happy snoring gently by the fire or,if its sunny, on her back with her feet in the air!!

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(http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby_pie/8530685909/)
2011_1221FF20130009 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby_pie/8530685909/) by Rhubarb Pie1 (http://www.flickr.com/people/ruby_pie/), on Flickr

Here she is niffling Lucky!!
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: FantasticFirefly on March 21, 2013, 12:34:00 PM: Ours are indoor 99% of the time but I answered "under supervision" we have a deck off the living room they can sun themselves on when we're home and the weather is nice. It's up high, has a high railing so they're not wandering off.

Quote
My cats are indoor only, but recently we've been letting Ember outside under our direct supervision (and on the suggestion of our vet) to let her work off some of her anxiety
Huh, The vet suggested that for one of ours.... she had piddle problems so thinking it could be an infection we booked her at the vet. They said it could be due to stress but there was nothing medically wrong and perhaps letting her out would make her feel better. But crating her at night for a few months and replacing floors went a long way to correct her habit. Once the back is fenced safely I'm not opposed to getting a harness and letting them play. We didn't want to let her or any of the others to wander off on their own as they could get eaten by a cougar (yeah, we have them!), in a fight, hit by a car, poisoned or catching a disease that could spread to the other girls.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: ShortyBoo on March 21, 2013, 12:39:32 PM: My brother and his wife had a cat when they lived in Arizona. After just a couple of months, their neighbor poisoned it because he was upset the cat would come in his yard. They found him dead in their driveway. Their cat got along with all four of the dogs they had at the time and even learned to bark. They never got another cat after that.

I don't have any cats because I'm allergic and so is my mom, but I love them regardless. There are tons of strays where I live now. At least eight. Two of them are pregnant. Normally, I wouldn't mind them, but they constantly fight and make tons of noise. They also love digging up our garden and using it as a litter box. Between the cats and squirrels, we're lucky if the flowers survive more than a day once they bloom. It just keeps getting worse as more of them are born out here. Two people on my street feed the strays, but they don't do anything else for them. Animal control won't do anything about stray cats, so we're stuck with them.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: FantasticFirefly on March 21, 2013, 12:49:15 PM: :( My parents took in a cat (already outdoors) before I was born. when I was about 3 someone poisoned him and his kidneys shut down. They spent well over $1000 trying to save him but nothing worked.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Kiwi on March 21, 2013, 12:55:44 PM: The 2 cats my parents had while I was growing up were both indoor/outdoor cats. They were primarily indoors (sleeping, eating, etc), but with their backgrounds I don't think we could've kept them 100% indoors (plus they did their bathroom outside, which is nice on us). Both were born feral but we got them young (one in the city, one from the barn).

The cat my parents have now is indoors only, except the occasional time she goes out on a leash/harness.

The cats hubby and I have/had are all indoors - mostly because we were in apartments so it was easier, but they are/were all sucky lazy ~~chickens~~ cats, so they were good.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: pinkkittywinks on March 21, 2013, 01:01:22 PM: my kitty is an indoor kitty.

we got her from the RSPCA and she is physically disabled due to cruelty by her last owner. she cannot run/walk/jump like a normal cat so she cannot go outside since she couldn't run away or jump to escape.

love pkw xxx
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: DreamLight on March 21, 2013, 01:05:25 PM: My cat goes out everyday when my brother goes to school and then he only sits on the sidewalk. From time to time he darts out the door some times we catch him some times we just let him go. My cat isn't much of an outdoors cat (though he thinks he is) so with in a day or two it's back.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: BlueChaos on March 21, 2013, 01:11:06 PM: I don't let my cats outside at all. There is a huge problem with coyotes here, and they will eat a cat if they can catch it.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Skeen on March 21, 2013, 01:27:38 PM: Quote from: FantasticFirefly on March 21, 2013, 12:34:00 PM
Huh, The vet suggested that for one of ours.... she had piddle problems so thinking it could be an infection we booked her at the vet. They said it could be due to stress but there was nothing medically wrong and perhaps letting her out would make her feel better. But crating her at night for a few months and replacing floors went a long way to correct her habit. Once the back is fenced safely I'm not opposed to getting a harness and letting them play. We didn't want to let her or any of the others to wander off on their own as they could get eaten by a cougar (yeah, we have them!), in a fight, hit by a car, poisoned or catching a disease that could spread to the other girls.

That's why we take Em out, because she gets stressed and pees on things. She's on Prozac but she's figured out the pills are in her pill pocket treats and she won't take them on her own anymore, and it ends up being a bloody mess if we have to force-feed it to her. We have the carpet in the living room up so we can stain the concrete and that has helped with her, but taking her out for half an hour seems to make her happy, and so very few things do we can't deny it from her. :( We crated her as a baby but again, it is a bloody fight to get her in a crate now.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Refuse to Dance on March 21, 2013, 01:36:10 PM: Kes is indoors only but occasionally, she too,goes out on a leash and harness. I had to desensitize her as a kitten from the outside because she was an abused runaway at about 4-5 months old. But she's made improvement and is a different cat from when I got her.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Rhini on March 21, 2013, 01:51:38 PM: Both my cats are strictly indoors, and the few times I have attempted to take them outside they have panicked and screamed until I took them back inside XD Sam walks okay in a harness so I took him outside one nice day to sit in the grass. It went okay until some people nearby started to make noise and then he tried to run and I had to pick his silly bottom up and carry him up two flights of stairs as he yowled like I was killing him XD He won't even go on the patio, i've tried to carry him out and he absolutely panics and claws me up trying to get back in. Mira is too dumb to be let outside anyways, she's just not very bright and something would probably happen to her in under 5m in.

After having my best friend lose both her cats under a year old, one of whom I was super close to and like a second mom to, I couldn't even fathom it. One was hit by a car and the other ate rat poison. Such senseless deaths :( I see dead cats on the road alll the time here, and I've seen coyotes wandering around. Every time I see a dead one a knot forms in my stomach and it makes me sick just to think about it.

They do like to run out the door into the communal hallway in the apartment building, but it's a closed hall with no way to get out unless someone were to open two different doors for them. That's about as "outside" as they're ever likely to get and they seem very content to keep it that way :P They love looking out the window and sleeping in the sun though! I always keep part of the blinds open for them.

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Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: FantasticFirefly on March 21, 2013, 02:06:59 PM: Quote
That's why we take Em out, because she gets stressed and pees on things. She's on Prozac but she's figured out the pills are in her pill pocket treats and she won't take them on her own anymore, and it ends up being a bloody mess if we have to force-feed it to her. We have the carpet in the living room up so we can stain the concrete and that has helped with her, but taking her out for half an hour seems to make her happy, and so very few things do we can't deny it from her. :( We crated her as a baby but again, it is a bloody fight to get her in a crate now.

Yeah, I ripped up all the carpet to the bare sub floor, then enzyme cleaned and killz primed over everything. I was so much happier living with that for a few months before we bought new flooring... I didn't realize how bad her problem really was until I tore up the carpet and could see all the spots. She's so tiny and so are her piddles not as ammonia smelling as other cats, which is why I had worried about a health issue. The house still smelled something awful despite me being regular with a carpet shampooer. Oh the other places I cleaned catpee from.... at least when she peed in the vent the duct below had an open ceiling (unfinished basement)! I took it apart and washed the duct line as well.... just nasty, worst cleanup ever. Thankfully ours is a little doll besides that, and is now behaving and didn't mind being in a crate at bedtime. If she was a blood drawer she would have become basement cat. lol.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Skeen on March 21, 2013, 02:16:36 PM: Ember is a black cat so we do call her Basement Cat. :) We almost named her Bitey. And I sympathize with the smell. I just decided people can't come over anymore, even if the house doesn't smell. I just can't take that chance that it does and people notice. I think I should own stock in Hoover (or whoever made our carpet shampooer) and in Nature's Miracle.

We're leaving the living room as stained concrete for now, but tile later if we get tired of the concrete. The bedroom and my office will be recarpeted, just not right now. I have to pay to build a fence and a retaining wall first!
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: barbgirl1999 on March 21, 2013, 02:19:13 PM: We have a cat at our house, and she's strictly outside. We live out in the country and she wandered up as a feral kitten. She wouldn't let anyone catch her or touch her when she was little, but we started feeding her, so now she just hangs around in the back yard and keeps the mice at bay, lol.

Every other cat I've ever had has been strictly indoor though.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: kaoskat on March 21, 2013, 02:26:05 PM: My cat is indoor only. My "husband's" cats (who really belong to my MIL) are outdoor cats.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: cyberunicorn on March 21, 2013, 02:33:29 PM: I used to have a cat with my nan a few years ago. He was always an out door cat. originally he lived two doors down as a kitten with 13 other cats and a dog. He was let out on the odd occasion as they believed that they should be kept "indoors" for the most part. When he was let out he came over to my nans garden where me and my brother would play with him and my nan feed him. he tried to come inside but as she already had a cat he cold not come in as she would have killed him. Then once I turned 11 he disapeared and after a while numerous crosses appeared in the back garden of his house. So we thought nothing more of it I moved up to secondary school and he soon became a happy memory.

fast forward to year nine. (so three years later) I go up to my nans after school and on top of the old coal bunker is a black and white cat that clocks me and comes running and screaming at the top of his voice. I recognise him at once as Bambi the cat from the past but my nan had already being out and had mistaken him for ryan another black and white cat that lived local. But he had 1/2 a black head where bambi had a full one. So it took a while to convince her but it was certainly him. So as I am trying to convince her the front door is open and he snuck in and made him self at home on the sofa. where he stayed for many years after he was free to come and go but always came home. (well he tried to move in for nearly 14 years how could we kick him out)

it turns out that his original owner was keeping him under the steps and one day they were reported for how they kept the dog so the RSPCA must have looked at the condition of the other pets or something but someone that lives across the road said that they saw him jump from the first floor in to the garden (how he was not hurt is beond me) then leg it towards my nans garden. I am guessing that the rspca did not look for him. but out of everything that was taked from the house he was the only survivor as everything was put down for various reasons. We had to have him put to sleep when he was 22 years old and had a tumor in his mouth
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Vintergatan on March 21, 2013, 02:43:12 PM: Cyber, that is such a heart breaking and at the same time heart warming story!

22 years - WOW! But i feel so sorry for him and the other pets that were kept so poorly and then got put down :(:( I just wish everyone was as lucky as Bambi!
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: cyberunicorn on March 21, 2013, 02:54:18 PM: Quote from: Vintergatan on March 21, 2013, 02:43:12 PM
Cyber, that is such a heart breaking and at the same time heart warming story!

22 years - WOW! But i feel so sorry for him and the other pets that were kept so poorly and then got put down :(:( I just wish everyone was as lucky as Bambi!

more like persistent :haha:

he was an amazing cat and he never turned evil no matter what they did to him
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Refuse to Dance on March 21, 2013, 03:01:45 PM: Quote from: cyberunicorn on March 21, 2013, 02:54:18 PM
Quote from: Vintergatan on March 21, 2013, 02:43:12 PM
Cyber, that is such a heart breaking and at the same time heart warming story!

22 years - WOW! But i feel so sorry for him and the other pets that were kept so poorly and then got put down :(:( I just wish everyone was as lucky as Bambi!

more like persistent :haha:

he was an amazing cat and he never turned evil no matter what they did to him

Gotta love cats who are persistent! Kessie is very much so and has persevered after what she went through too!
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Majesty on March 21, 2013, 03:04:24 PM: My cat is indoors only. You don't have to worry about fleas, parasites or getting hit by a car or hurt by another animal.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: nollilols on March 21, 2013, 03:15:09 PM: I had cats years ago. They lived outside generally. And yeah, they ultimately met unfortunate fates - one ran away, one ate rat poison and the third got cat leukaemia, though whether that had anything to do with being an outdoor cat, I don't know. All that said, they were wild cats, taken from a wild litter at my uncle's place. They were never properly tamed, we more provided them with shelter and food than anything. I was a child at the time - if I ever had cats as an adult, I would ideally have an enclosed yard that they could go out into, and they would live in the house.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: shockponie on March 21, 2013, 03:18:21 PM: My first apartment with my husb (then bf) had a TERRIBLE cat problem. Strays were allll over the place. I probably wouldn't have had such a problem with it if I weren't allergic or if they were at least semi-nice. I lived on the third floor and every time I walked downstairs, there were at least 3 cats on some part of the stairs/railings or chilling on or under my car. When I had to walk my dog down these three flights of stairs (3-4 times daily), cats would swipe at him with their claws out. The possibility of them scratching his eyes out was a huge concern!!! My dog was being friendly & just thought they were playing. He was only a little puppy then & let them swipe. I hate to say it, but it got to the point where I would use my leg to push them to the side if they came up to him aggressively. I never kicked them even though they made me very angry and at times I wanted to. I complained to the management and called animal control dozens of times, but neither would do anything about it.

ETA I hate neglectful owners.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: kezrob23 on March 21, 2013, 03:23:29 PM: My roxy girl is indoors only!! She's 7, and my other half adopted her for me after our ginger tigger died from cat aids, then a week later my ginger Leo got hit and killed by a car. Yep, 2 cats died in one week. So no way was she going outside!!! Also she has cystitis, and a special diet, so can't have her eating random stuff. My OH hates that's she in 24/7, but obviously, I rule the roost :biggrin: she's not the most pleasant of cats, my kids have copped plenty of bites and scratches, but she is the most gorgeous tortoise shell :)
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Refuse to Dance on March 21, 2013, 03:37:39 PM: Quote from: kezrob23 on March 21, 2013, 03:23:29 PM
My roxy girl is indoors only!! She's 7, and my other half adopted her for me after our ginger tigger died from cat aids, then a week later my ginger Leo got hit and killed by a car. Yep, 2 cats died in one week. So no way was she going outside!!! Also she has cystitis, and a special diet, so can't have her eating random stuff. My OH hates that's she in 24/7, but obviously, I rule the roost :biggrin: she's not the most pleasant of cats, my kids have copped plenty of bites and scratches, but she is the most gorgeous tortoise shell :)

I know what you mean about special diets. My Kes is on a special diet as she can end up with a sensitive stomach and things like that. I put her on light wet food (low calorie) so she can have more wet and moisture in her diet. She's not even 2 yet and I had her since about 5 months old but she definitely only goes out occasionally and only if we are there with her on harness.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Sky_Rocket_Sammie on March 21, 2013, 03:40:33 PM: My cat is indoor only. For several reasons, mostly living close to the main drag in town. He'd be road kill in no time. Plus I'm in an apartment and can't install a cat door. He'd be stuck waiting to let him in.

Growing up my cats where indoor/outdoor with no problems. Though I lived in various houses with medium sized fenced back yards. Plus several dog doors, that they learned how to use.

My godparents lived in a rural area and always had to keep their cats inside. Hawks,eagles and coyotes.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: rybett on March 21, 2013, 04:22:36 PM: My clowder is indoor only with the exception of Lily Blossom. She's part Siamese and high strung/high energy. She occasionally gets to go out with a harness if it's not too windy. Given where I live, not regularly. ;) Everyone likes to sit on window sills, sleep in sun patches. If the deck door is open, I will have several kitties sitting in front of the screen. Must find kit pics...
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Moony on March 21, 2013, 04:54:35 PM: I have 5 siamese mix kitties and an orange and white tabby that are all strictly indoors only. My family has never had an outdoor cat. We also front declaw our kitties so they would not fair all that well outside. One of the kitties like to go out into the attached garage when my mom comes home xD The others have no interest in going outside even when we are letting the dogs out for potty breaks. They do all love sitting by the screen door when it is nice outside :)
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: lovesbabysquirmy on March 21, 2013, 05:52:33 PM: Absolutely not. Too many risk factors. I might think differently if they were a barn cat on my farm but even so, they are still mostly around one location... not wandering yards and gardens.

It really angers me that there are owners that let their cats wander... if it likes the sunshine and the wind and the grass, put it on one of those 3 foot swirly ground spike things, and harness it up under supervision.

Too many cats in our neighborhood choose our vegetable gardens as their bathroom - and toxiplasmosis (spelling) is NOT something to joke about when you have little developing ones about. :( Not to mention cars, poisons, dogs, coyotes, hawks, geese (up here anyway), diseases, pests, injury, other cat/animal fights and sadistic people.

When I was living in Utah there was a total creep/s in our neighboorhood - this individual/s came at night and hunted down all the cats outside, killed them and left them on their owners' doorstep with a manifesto about vermin. *siiiiiiiiiigh* We did not have cats but we lost a dog to the &@#^*@Q/s.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Summer-blade on March 21, 2013, 06:21:47 PM: When I lived with my mom we let the cats go outside until I was about 9 and my favorite cat was hit by a car I vowed from then on all my cats would be indoor only. It cuts back on health issues and safety concerns and keeps me from having heart palpitations over a cat gone missing for a few days.

I don't have a cat any more but where I live it would NOT be a good idea to let a kitty just run wild. The combo of a ton of dangerous spiders, snakes and cars is not good news for any kitty. I like the solution of a fenced in kitty yard my mom and I did the same thing at our old house and made a large 'kitty cage' out of wood and chicken wire and put it on the porch. I took our cats out there everyday before school and brought them back in after I got home.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: invaderhorizongreen on March 21, 2013, 06:30:56 PM: well our current kitties were born in the old but looked after barn across from us and mom kitty was starving,so we stole all 5 of them and found homes for 3 of them 12 years ago. They go in and out as they please but bobo I think got attacked by an owl or something and almost lost his tail, had half of his back left foot pad almost torn off, and wound up loosing a toe. He also wound up with puncture wounds on his head but is still a happy loving kitty even to the vet that took care of him, he was trying to hug everyone. Our oldest kitties lived to be 16 and 17 years respectively, and I still miss them.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Saber-Toothed Crow on March 21, 2013, 06:52:24 PM: My kitty will venture outdoors, but her range is limited. She only will go out when we are at home' and then it's basically just to sleep in our gardens. We allow her out because we live in a very low traffic area, and because she stresses majorly when she can't go outside. She doesn't like the snow in winter, and she will actually become depressed and listless when she can't go out. We have to shovel a little pathway to keep her happy since she won't step in the snow. She also prefers to use one of the gardens as her litterbox (which we've dubbed cat poo alley!) and will only use her indoor litterbox if all else fails. She is basically like a dog, and will beg at the door to be let out if she has to go potty! And for those wondering, we keep her littlerbox very clean. We scoop it whenever she uses it, and give it a thorough cleaning regularly. She just prefers to go outdoors.

I know for my next cat though I will be keeping him/her strictly indoors, or else allowed out on a leash for supervised walks.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: BlackCurtains on March 21, 2013, 07:04:36 PM: My cats have always been indoor and my eldest (13) has no interest in going out. The younger one (she's 10) will hang around the doors and cry or try to run out when someone comes in, but when she actually gets out there she freezes or crawls under the car and you have to go get her. I don't know why she wants to go out so bad, but it's always been that way. Maybe because she was a stray when I found her, but then you'd think she'd associate the outside with bad things. She's a weirdo though :lol:

She does go out on the lanai, which is screened in. I have a picture since it was recently rescreened-

Spoiler
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But you'll notice the very cat unfriendly pools of water, which were a cause of much arguing and panic between my family and I when we first moved in. Everyone would just let them out there, unsupervised. There were times when I would wake up, everyone would be gone and my cats would be outside! They had both fallen in the pool, Mouse completely head under once. I was livid. I would rant and rave about how I did not want MY cats outside unsupervised. How dangerous it was not just with the pool, but insects, and the freaking BOBCATS that stroll through the yard. I looked out once to see a young bobcat nose-to-nose with one of my cats through the screen :mad:

My family finally started taking me seriously after I blew up enough at them, and now only Mouse goes out when someone else is out there. Bass still has no interest, even if the door is left open. She'll smell the air but always comes back in. Mouse has gotten very good at coming in when you tell her. She'll race the dog to the door to be the first back in the house :lol:
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: LadyMoondancer on March 21, 2013, 07:25:20 PM: My cats are indoor only, although I do take one of them out on a harness and leash once in a while. The other one doesn't like the harness and doesn't really like being outside so he pretty much stays indoors all the time.

Additionally, my cats are dumb about plants and I'm sure they'd accidentally eat a lily or something and die if I let them outside.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: scarlettkitty81 on March 21, 2013, 07:31:09 PM: My kitty Scarlett has always been an indoor kitty. She is happy to just sit in the window and watch the world outside. on occassion she will travel the halls of my apt building but that is as far as she goes. She pretty much freaks out once outside her comfort zone so I have no worries of her ever escaping to the great outdoors lol
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Glacia471 on March 21, 2013, 08:14:28 PM: Mine are strictly indoor cats. If I had them on leashes, I wouldn't mind taking them outside for walks, but definitely not without one. We have raccoons, opossums, coyotes, deer, skunks, wild turkeys, various other stray cats, and a busy highway near my house, and there's no way I would put my cats at that kind of risk :yikes:
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Koudoawaia on March 21, 2013, 09:04:41 PM: Outdoor cats do not last long on my street. I think all the stray dogs running around are to blame. >=/ So, my cat is entirely indoors because I want her to live a long and safe life.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Galactica on March 21, 2013, 09:32:26 PM: Indoor only- but we built them a cat run that they love- not nearly as nice as the op's- just a converted chain link dog run that connects to the basement. Cats love it- and it keeps them safe.

Outdoor cats just don't live long and I love our furbabies...
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Eviecorn on March 21, 2013, 09:59:33 PM: My cats are indoors only. Too many predators around.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: CrimsonEtClover on March 21, 2013, 11:23:42 PM: Quote from: Rhini on March 21, 2013, 01:51:38 PM

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This picture makes me so happy<3 A black kitty in the sunshine always warms my heart! Your other cat is beautiful as well.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: kellyponyfeathers on March 21, 2013, 11:57:17 PM: All my cats are indoor-only, though my siamese mix enjoys going out for walk on her harness and leash, and I take her out pretty frequently. Cats that go outdoors DEFINITELY have a MUCH shorter life expectancy due to the dangers of the outdoor world (cars, diseases, cars, dogs/coyotes, cars, stupid people with guns, and especially cars). During my years as a vet assistant, I saw a heartbeaking number of hit-by-car kitties. However, I do think that being able to go outside is good for kitties psychologically, as long as they can be kept physically safe. I hope to buy my first house or condo soon, and when I do, I definitely want to have some sort of fenced enclosure so they can go outside. I'm not exactly sure what I want yet, either a fenced enclosure (like a "kitty run"), or a whole fenced and kitty-proof backyard, or at least a porch with animal-grade screening.

kitten pic of my gorgeous Nebula
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Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Summerlycoris on March 22, 2013, 02:38:55 AM: We used to let our cats outdoors during the day, but now we have a cattery for them. It's a lot safer since so many dogs roam our suburb.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Beldarna on March 22, 2013, 03:15:22 AM: My cats are indoors. We live on the sixth floor for one, for the other we have the short lifespan of an outdoor cat, we have deseases, dogs, other cats, humans and traffic and the list goes on. I want my babies to be with me for many years. We also have a law here that states that cats and dogs are to be supervised and controlled when outdoors and how easy is it to controll a loose cat? Not that everyone follow that law or even know it exists but oh well..

I do take them out on a leash during summer. One is a bit scared to be out. He likes the feel of the wind but prefer to sit on my knees, the other one stalks around and the third one just sits on the spot I placed her and eat grass. We also have a huge glassed in balcony where they spend most spring and summerdays and they seem to enjoy life very well. :)
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: SALTY5621 on March 22, 2013, 03:31:00 AM: mhm. mine live outside while im at school and come in at night
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: lose on March 22, 2013, 03:35:52 AM: I have 3 cats and they all lived inside only for years and years. Now i live in a sort of country area and on a big block, they go outside only during day light and only for a few hours. There is a huge paddock surrounding my house and they love to play in there and chase the feral rabbits, but mostly they love being inside getting cuddles and attention. Also they are the biggest sooky cats i've ever seen! I think keeping them inside for so long has made them very loving, i don't know anyone else who has 3 males cats who get along like my furbabies do.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Aflame on March 22, 2013, 05:04:08 AM: mine go out in harnes as there is a path behind the house that alot of dog walkers use and as we dont have a catflap they dont go out without us xaflame
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Rhini on March 22, 2013, 07:15:29 AM: Quote from: CrimsonEtClover on March 21, 2013, 11:23:42 PM
Quote from: Rhini on March 21, 2013, 01:51:38 PM

This picture makes me so happy<3 A black kitty in the sunshine always warms my heart! Your other cat is beautiful as well.
Aww thanks! ^.^ Glad he warms someone else's heart as much as mine. He's my little ham, I've never met a cat more intelligent and funny. He's also a big snugglebunny, he has to get a certain allotment of kisses a day! :heart:

Kelly-Your baby is so beautiful!!
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Mandy85 on March 22, 2013, 09:31:40 AM: My three furrballs are indoor, though they're all trained to walk on a harness. Noisy in particular, loves going for walks:

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(http://www.flickr.com/photos/39868290@N04/5829846765/)
Noisy Smile (http://www.flickr.com/photos/39868290@N04/5829846765/) by WhiteNoise_85 (http://www.flickr.com/people/39868290@N04/), on Flickr

If he so much as sees me reach for his leash he will chirp, jump up on the back of our sofa and wait, so he can shove his head through the harness while I hold it up for him. In our old apartment, we lived on the second floor and he would literally pull me down the stairs because he was so excited to go out, lol.

We live in a small town, and people here probably think I'm nuts to see be being pulled around by a fluffy white cat, walking on a leash as well as any dog. Sometimes I'll take him to the local beach on the off-months, as long as there's no dogs around. He's a purebred Turkish Angora, which is a very high-energy and inquisitive breed by nature, so he likes seeing new things.

I honestly would never let my cats roam free outside, there's just too many dangers. My town is swarming with coyotes and fisher cats and I hear of small unattended dogs and cats going missing constantly, there's always new flyers posted to the local businesses. One of my cats is so goofy and trusting of other animals that I wouldn't put it past her to walk right up to a predator and try to befriend it.

That's not to mention the potential diseases they could pick up, the risk of being hit by a car, getting stranded between tides on the beach or trapped somewhere, eating something toxic, some creep harming them, or someone taking them into their home where I'd never see them again. They're all microchipped, but that only goes so far if they're never scanned.

There's also the destruction of property to consider. In my old place, our neighbors' cats were an absolute nuisance. Fighting in our driveway in the middle of the night and waking up half the block, killing birds around our backyard feeder and leaving body parts strewn everywhere, marking on our back door and stairs, picking fights with our cats through the windows, and using our veggie garden as a litter box where we had to throw all of our plants out.

Some of the neighbors were having the same issues with the same cats, even thinking they were ours at one point and came over to complain (hey, there's always cats in these peoples' windows, it has to be them!). We commiserated along with them and insisted our cats would never be allowed to roam. Last summer, one even tore a hole in a screened window and got into our basement, where my housemate's (indoor) cat promptly found him and got into a pretty nasty fight where my friend's cat needed stitches.

We were at our wits end and we could never track down the owners. Most of the cats wore a collar, so we know they belonged to someone, but they were always quick to dash away when approached. I imagine their owners were none the wiser at what their pets were up to and how much aggravation they were causing for others. Maybe they didn't care?
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: flutterwry on March 22, 2013, 10:30:20 AM: I am absolutely pro-indoors. A safe balcony or safe garden may be ok, but no further.

My family used to let their cats go out - so many of them where ran over by a car and one of them was probably killed by the neighbour's stupid hunting dog, others just went away and never came back... it's so horrible!
I always told them: "P-l-e-a-s-e let the cats stay indoors - you live too close to the street!" - but they didn't listen: "No, a cat needs to get out!" - And outside, Barney died, Speedy and Nermal, Molly, Barbie and her baby, Blinky and Blitzi, Blacky and many more...it's so sad to even think of it! None of them got older than seven years. Not until last year, when my father's absolute favourite, Miss Sophie, died painfully after she got stuck in a tilt-and-turn window (those ghastly things you don't have in the US and UK, afaik) when she wanted to get out, they are now very, very slowly beginning to understand...

So all my cats are kept indoors, even though this is still pretty much frowned upon over here. Nonetheless, last year something bad happened, which made me even more careful. We moved to another town. The door of the new flat did not close properly due to a loose screw in the lock, and I didn't notice that. So my curious tomcat got out - and the stupid son of our stupid neighbours (Wonderful start, isn't it?) let him out of the house... I searched for Mr. Cat for over an hour and finally found him sitting under a car, scared, in pain, blood flowing out of his mouth. I still don't know what exactly had happened. However: 500 bucks for the vet, Mr. Cat's upper and lower jaw were broken. Many tears. Had to feed him with a syringe. I never ever want to go through this again!
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Sprinkles on March 22, 2013, 10:35:31 AM: When I was living with my parents still, we had two cats that were kept in the barn and they spent 99% of their time outside. Only came inside for the night, to eat, and to follow us in the barn.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Radiance on March 22, 2013, 10:51:25 AM: It depends. When I lived in an apartment or neighborhood I kept my cat inside. Now that I live in a rural area on a quiet dirt road and have a piece of property fenced off, I let Simon outside when he wants to go. I also have two large dogs that keep raccoons and possums away and keep strays from coming around. Simon is a homebody, he'll go out and sit on the porch or garden for a bit then he wants back in. He does not go out at night. If he were an adventurous kitty that wandered I'd keep him inside. But he usually keeps to a five foot radius around the house :)
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Galactica on March 22, 2013, 04:04:41 PM: Quote from: flutterwry on March 22, 2013, 10:30:20 AM
I am absolutely pro-indoors. A safe balcony or safe garden may be ok, but no further.

My family used to let their cats go out - so many of them where ran over by a car and one of them was probably killed by the neighbour's stupid hunting dog, others just went away and never came back... it's so horrible!
I always told them: "P-l-e-a-s-e let the cats stay indoors - you live too close to the street!" - but they didn't listen: "No, a cat needs to get out!" - And outside, Barney died, Speedy and Nermal, Molly, Barbie and her baby, Blinky and Blitzi, Blacky and many more...it's so sad to even think of it! None of them got older than seven years. Not until last year, when my father's absolute favourite, Miss Sophie, died painfully after she got stuck in a tilt-and-turn window (those ghastly things you don't have in the US and UK, afaik) when she wanted to get out, they are now very, very slowly beginning to understand...

So all my cats are kept indoors, even though this is still pretty much frowned upon over here. Nonetheless, last year something bad happened, which made me even more careful. We moved to another town. The door of the new flat did not close properly due to a loose screw in the lock, and I didn't notice that. So my curious tomcat got out - and the stupid son of our stupid neighbours (Wonderful start, isn't it?) let him out of the house... I searched for Mr. Cat for over an hour and finally found him sitting under a car, scared, in pain, blood flowing out of his mouth. I still don't know what exactly had happened. However: 500 bucks for the vet, Mr. Cat's upper and lower jaw were broken. Many tears. Had to feed him with a syringe. I never ever want to go through this again!

Oh no!!! Your poor baby! I am SO GLAD you found him and fixed him- that is such a scary and sad story!

My cat almost died too- she LOVES going outside, someone who was visiting didn't know better and let her out. It was only 15 minutes later that I realized what had happened- I looked for her everywhere, and found her just across the alley looking very strange- she was vomiting and vomiting - just stomach fluid and pink foam (blood it turns out) We found out she had eaten some of the weeds that the darned neighbor had sprayed with "round up" and was poisoned-
She was okay but it was quite a scare. If she had had any more she would have died or had neurological damage ...

She has lost the crazy drive to get outside since we built a cat-run/cattery though. It was super easy too- we just got one of those chain link dog runs you can find on craigslist, and then cut a small hole in the chain link on the side facing the house (flush to the tiny basement window). There is a stepladder on each side for easy access, and we shut it at night (because a raccoon can still kill an animal through chain link). a stepladder on each side for easy access. Then I attached some outdoor worthy (plastic) cat seats to the chain link, and most recently, a friend donated a tree they had cut down- the cats are so happy in there, and my troublesome little cat actually prefers to use the restroom out there too...
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: ashes on March 22, 2013, 06:47:00 PM: I don't have cats, but my parents do. They have one kitty who is indoor/outdoor, but then three who are indoor only. One of those cats is deaf, so he's inside for obvious reasons. They also have about 4 outdoor kitties as well, whom they have trapped and had fixed, but remain outside (but they feed and water them).

My parents have also trapped and fixed other stray cats spanning the past 15 years.

Quote from: HavACrumpet452 on March 21, 2013, 10:44:54 AM
I've heard that cats who are outdoors have a lifespan of a few years vs the 15 year lifespan of an indoor cat.

Growing up my cat was an indoor/outdoor cat. And he lived for 13 years - he passed away under my parents' bed while I was away at college. He also had yearly check-ups and never had any parasites or diseases.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: STLGusty on March 22, 2013, 08:31:11 PM: My two cats - Buddy and Dirtball - are indoor cats. They are both fully declawed, so we definitely wouldn't let them out for that safety reason alone. On raaaare occasions, my husband and I will let them wander around the front yard as long as we are both out there with them. They are literally about a foot from us the entire time, because I'm scared to death something will happen to them. They usually only get to stay out for about three minutes, because all they want to do is gnaw on grass. They just look like two fat cows grazing, lol. Once we make them stop gnawing on grass, they are content to go back instead. Silly cats.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: nollilols on March 23, 2013, 01:34:07 AM: Woah I always thought declawing was cruel.... no? It's illegal in Europe as far as I know.. though apparently not in Ireland, upon a quick google, vets are just highly recommended not to do it and can face disciplinary action if they do. O.o
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: flutterwry on March 23, 2013, 02:49:08 AM: Quote from: nollilols on March 23, 2013, 01:34:07 AM
Woah I always thought declawing was cruel.... no? It's illegal in Europe as far as I know.. though apparently not in Ireland, upon a quick google, vets are just highly recommended not to do it and can face disciplinary action if they do. O.o
In Germany it is strictly forbidden and falls under animal cruelty. (And right so, dare I say.) Amputating a cat's claw is only allowed if a medical indication (tumors, gangrene etc.) requires it, and in this case only the infected phalanxes are removed, the others are left intact.

Quote from: Galactica on March 22, 2013, 04:04:41 PM
Oh no!!! Your poor baby! I am SO GLAD you found him and fixed him- that is such a scary and sad story!

My cat almost died too- she LOVES going outside, someone who was visiting didn't know better and let her out. It was only 15 minutes later that I realized what had happened- I looked for her everywhere, and found her just across the alley looking very strange- she was vomiting and vomiting - just stomach fluid and pink foam (blood it turns out) We found out she had eaten some of the weeds that the darned neighbor had sprayed with "round up" and was poisoned-
She was okay but it was quite a scare. If she had had any more she would have died or had neurological damage ...
Thank you, Galactica! It was a hellride. Wanted to have a party that day, was in the middle of preparations - and then this. We raced to the next vet as fast as possible, swearing at red traffic lights, and I nearly swooned because I was so scared that one of his inner organs could be damaged - and on our way there called everyone to cancel. It was one of the sh....ier days of my life, definitely.
But sweet Jesus, your story is horrible, too - I'm glad to hear your little furball is fine again!
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: kellyponyfeathers on March 23, 2013, 04:09:37 AM: Quote from: Rhini on March 22, 2013, 07:15:29 AM
Quote from: CrimsonEtClover on March 21, 2013, 11:23:42 PM
Quote from: Rhini on March 21, 2013, 01:51:38 PM

This picture makes me so happy<3 A black kitty in the sunshine always warms my heart! Your other cat is beautiful as well.
Aww thanks! ^.^ Glad he warms someone else's heart as much as mine. He's my little ham, I've never met a cat more intelligent and funny. He's also a big snugglebunny, he has to get a certain allotment of kisses a day! :heart:

Kelly-Your baby is so beautiful!!

Thank you! :) Yep, I love all my pets very much, but Nebbie is the dream kitty I've always wanted. Besides being a fairly good leash walker for a cat, she also likes to ride on my shoulder. Bestest kitty ever!

OK *grin* I have to share the stupid song I made up for her. I can't help it; it just popped into my head.

"Nebbie's (very silly) Kitty Song:

My name is Nebbie
I am a kitty
You're going to love me
'Cause I'm so pretty

I have a sister
I have a brother
I'm siamese-ies
Just like our mother

My fur's so soft
My eye are blue
Would you believe that
My points are too

I ride on shoulders
I go for walks
Like taking car rides
And having talks

My name is Nebbie
I am a kitty
You're going to love me
'Cause I'm so pretty

Nebula and her sister (Cricket, black shorthair) and brother (Hamlet, gray medium hair) are all feral-born. Their mother is a stray siamese mix that lives in the field near my old apartment; she has dark brown points and white paws. She didn't want to be a pet, so I had her spayed and vaccinated, then released her when the kittens were 2 or 3 months old (can't remember exactly). Though she's a mix, Nebbie was lucky to inherit really nice markings and particularly soft fur.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Filthy on March 23, 2013, 04:55:36 AM: My cats are all indoors only. My area is not ideal for taking them for a walk (I live in the middle of the city). I sell kittens only to indoor homes, walking on a leash or in a catproof enclosure is fine though, it's in the sales contract too. I've seen too many roadkills and had relatives and friends have their cats simply go missing never to be seen again.

About declawing, completely illegal here unless absolutely necessary for medical reasons. I can't believe anyone could do that to their cat and I wish those people would have their fingers & toes amputated from the first digit so they'd know how it feels. Absolutely sick procedure IMO and there's no good excuse for having it done, it doesn't benefit the cat in anyway, quite the opposite.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Vintergatan on March 23, 2013, 05:51:36 AM: Quote from: kellyponyfeathers on March 23, 2013, 04:09:37 AM

"Nebbie's (very silly) Kitty Song:

My name is Nebbie
I am a kitty
You're going to love me
'Cause I'm so pretty

I have a sister
I have a brother
I'm siamese-ies
Just like our mother

My fur's so soft
My eye are blue
Would you believe that
My points are too

I ride on shoulders
I go for walks
Like taking car rides
And having talks

My name is Nebbie
I am a kitty
You're going to love me
'Cause I'm so pretty

Hahaha, you gotta love how insane our pets make us! That poem is adorable :)

Every time I talk to my cats, I remember this

http://xkcd.com/231/

As for declawing, it is so strange to me that I don't even know what it means apparently :S I always thought it was cutting the nails of kitties and i felt that was pretty bad because they can't climb around, but apparently this is much worse :(
I see cat claws as their main tools of life.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: kezrob23 on March 23, 2013, 06:01:30 AM: and the number 1 reason for keeping your cat indoors just happened here. 10.30pm, a warmish night so my front door is open with the screen door closed. my cat is minding her own business at her own front door, when all of a sudden there is the most horrendous noise, banging on the screen door, cats screaming and howling. one of my irresponsible neighbours cat is at my door, attacking my cat in her own home??? and it woke my kids up!!! this is almost a nightly thing, but it's normally via the windows - which ends up costing me a fortune in curtains. my cat tends to be a bit of a nasty when she gets razzed up, i know to close the front door with a broom when this happens, as she'll go you. my OH did not know this. tipping he's gonna have a sore foot tomorrow :lol:

oh, and declawing is also illegal here too...(tho it would save my curtains... and my kids arms, legs and faces :lookround:)

this is my roxy girl sitting in the high chair. cause she can, cause she's a cat :P
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Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: January Joy on March 23, 2013, 06:31:57 AM: My cats are not allowed outside (with the exception of one who behaves enough to walk on a leash), the reasons being:

1.) I live about 1500 feet from the busiest main road in the county
2.) If that weren't bad enough, the people who live on my street already drive like maniacs (keep in mind this is a narrow, private road where kids play and ride their bikes and people walk their dogs - meaning nobody has any excuse to be going over 20 mph)
3.) There are other stray cats in this area and feline leukemia is a very real possibility for my cats if they were to get out and fight with these strays.
4.) We have coyotes in the area
5.) There are some sick people in this world who think its okay to poison/beat/torture stray animals

Edit: On the subject of declawing I completely disagree with it as well. I don't know if it is illegal here now or if there are vets who refuse to do the procedure regardless, but when my dad and his gf got their cat 15 years ago they had him declawed because they would rather save their furniture rather than have their cat live a pain-free life. They have another cat now who was a stray and I have been reminding them every so often about those "caps" they can put over the cats claws as an alternative to declawing.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: flutterwry on March 23, 2013, 07:24:53 AM: Quote from: kellyponyfeathers on March 23, 2013, 04:09:37 AM
"Nebbie's (very silly) Kitty Song:
[...]
I ride on shoulders
I go for walks
Like taking car rides
And having talks
How awesome is that? :D :heart:

Quote from: Filthy on March 23, 2013, 04:55:36 AM
Absolutely sick procedure IMO and there's no good excuse for having it done, it doesn't benefit the cat in anyway, quite the opposite.
Very much agreed to you! If someone is more worried about their furniture than about their pets' well-being, then they should restrict themselves to pet rocks, but not some living animal. Period.

Quote from: Vintergatan on March 23, 2013, 05:51:36 AM
As for declawing, it is so strange to me that I don't even know what it means apparently :S I always thought it was cutting the nails of kitties and i felt that was pretty bad because they can't climb around, but apparently this is much worse :(
It is. I used to believe that it was more of a manicure, just shortening them if the claws grow too long. But then I found out that it is the amputation of the finger tip (http://www.declawing.com/the-truth-about-declawing) with plenty of risks and negative side effects on the cat.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: HavACrumpet452 on March 23, 2013, 08:09:56 AM: Declawing is still legal here. My childhood cats had it done back in 1990 when I was too little to be opposed to it. It really does some damage to cats and I've known cats who couldn't walk correctly and who bled a bit from their toes their entire life after it.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Vintergatan on March 23, 2013, 08:27:34 AM: OMG! that is absolutely horrendous ... I don't even know what to say :(

Quote from: flutterwry on March 23, 2013, 07:24:53 AM
If someone is more worried about their furniture than about their pets' well-being, then they should restrict themselves to pet rocks, but not some living animal. Period.

Absolutely :(
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Roccoriel on March 23, 2013, 08:30:21 AM: I don't currently have cats. MY cats growing up were indoor/outdoor, but since then my mom has kept all of her cats indoors. It's just dangerous for them out there, with cars, other animals, and even people who like to do nasty things to poor kitties. Also, with so many bird populations being negatively affected by outdoor and stray cats, I think it's just environmentally irresponsible to let cats wander outside. If I get another cat, it will definitely be indoor only.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Melodia on March 23, 2013, 08:42:37 AM: I keep my kitties inside, I have found a way to keep them from kicking litter out of their litterbox and it keeps the house nice and clean I would like to share:
Get a plastic storage crate, ( the ones they sell at walmart with lids for like 6$) That is big enough to hold your kitties litterbox inside of it. Then, cut out the front of one of the sides of it so the kitty can go inside. you can throw away the lid. The three walls of the storage bin will be so high that kitty can't kick her litter out of the box. this is what I use ^^ it has saved me alot of sweeping hehe just thought I would share.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: FantasticFirefly on March 23, 2013, 08:54:59 AM: The youngest is turning nine, so in the mid 2000's when I got her and her mum spayed. I thought it was strange the vets were pushing me to get them both declawed at the same time. "it'll be easier with recovery doing both at once" I kept saying no. This was in the GTA (big city, just outside of Toronto Canada). I didn't want it done period.

I haven't had much issues with picking, even with the deaf girl. Big posts, Tall enough for the cat to sit and fully extend and stretch solve most problems, they LOVE extending their front legs and pulling down. Also being consistent with a water-bottle when they pick at things they're not allowed solved the rest. Mom was outdoors and litter-trained when I got her but had many bad habits. even being deaf and a little over 1 year old when I got her she was actually very easy to train -sign language kitty. Her kitten on the other hand will behave when we're around and will attempt mischief when she thinks we can't see her. Not picking, but hopping up on counters. ugh. I have sanitizer and sanitize the counters before I make anything. But I have some nice furniture, solid wood TV stand that's beautiful and a linen covered chaise they haven't touched- but could easily rip up both to ribbons if I didn't leave them a proper space to do their picking.

Here's older pictures of them. Mom and baby are filled out, more fluffy. :) I love their little manes they got.
Baby:
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Mom:
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Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Salli on March 23, 2013, 09:22:22 AM: I used to think that cats were evil and destructive and incapable of not being destructive. After watching a couple of seasons of 'My Cat From Hell', Jackson Galaxy totally changed my mind. I realized that I knew nothing about what cats needed (and why they destroy things). So, I implemented the lifestyle that Jackson recommended for cats and then we rescued 2 from the Humane Society.
I LOVE my kitties. LOOOOVE.
They were a bit skittish at first (I also have 2 kids) but are turning into quite the lap cats :) Thanks to Jackson G, I feel like I have 2 lovely, furry friends instead of 2 giant, destructive pests. I HIGHLY recommend watching the show (especially season 1) if you are stressed out by your cat or if you are thinking about having them declawed. Your cat is filling a need when it is destroying something. The fix may be easier than you think :)

Anyway, my kitties go in and out as they like. They usually come in at night. We live in a pretty quiet suburban area and they are pretty street-smart. Although they mostly hang out in our yard (1/3 acre) and the yard of the nice older lady next door. I am so grateful that I had the chance to have cats in my life and enjoy their company (and their mousing abilities XD). Thank you, Jackson Galaxy!

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Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: bagheera86 on March 23, 2013, 09:29:35 AM: um. Mine live exclusively outside, she hated being indoors and would become terribly destructive, she lived to be 20 though. But she did have her own kennel and blankets and cushions to keep her warm, luckily there's no snow here and in the winter I made sure she had extra blankets, warm food/hot water bottle. She passed away from a thyroid problem.

But I was lucky with her, she was always at home, she would visit our neighbours garden but she never wandered too far from the house. It all depends on the cats really, and your local weather conditions and what not. I guess I lucked out with her.

Don't shoot me >_<
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: kellyponyfeathers on March 23, 2013, 10:45:31 AM: Quote from: bagheera86 on March 23, 2013, 09:29:35 AM
um. Mine live exclusively outside, she hated being indoors and would become terribly destructive, she lived to be 20 though. But she did have her own kennel and blankets and cushions to keep her warm, luckily there's no snow here and in the winter I made sure she had extra blankets, warm food/hot water bottle. She passed away from a thyroid problem.

But I was lucky with her, she was always at home, she would visit our neighbours garden but she never wandered too far from the house. It all depends on the cats really, and your local weather conditions and what not. I guess I lucked out with her.

Don't shoot me >_<

It depends on the cat. Some of them really are miserable inside and become destructive. I reay think they'd rather take their chances outside and be happy, instead of being stuck inside and miserable.

About 2 years ago I started feeding an orange cat that had been dumped when his owner moved. At first he acted scared and lost. But after he had a reliable food source, he seemed to get used to the outdoor lifestyle. He learned to hunt and seemed confident and happy. Eventually I found him a home with a family that wanted a pet/working barn cat who would hunt mice in their small barn. They had a few acres with a house and small barn set well off the road; it was the perfect match. He's extremely happy at his new home and doesn't even want to come inside; he gets the best of both worlds, familt pet and working mouser.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Vintergatan on March 23, 2013, 10:53:52 AM: I agree :) It's not necessarily the best option to keep a cat indoors. The orange tabby on my pictures above, he was a foster kitty we had for a few months and he was extremely energetic and grew up used to the outside, so we let him out ^^ There was really no other option for his well-being as well as the well-being of my other kitties and my house :P
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Rhubarbpie on March 23, 2013, 11:16:53 AM: Gotta say, much respect to the ladies and gents who have leash trained their kitteh's!! I attempted to train Honey on a leash and i still have scars on my arm from when I tried to put a leash on her!!
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Flitter on March 23, 2013, 11:51:42 AM: My boys only go out on leashes and closely supervised by me.
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I try to get them out about once a week if the weather is nice and usually will do their nail trims and brushing on my back porch. They seem to enjoy lying in the grass experiencing the different sights, sounds and smells of being outside but typically tire of it after about 45min and want to go back inside. XD
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: okiegurl1981 on March 23, 2013, 12:08:38 PM: Meet Nibs the Cat. Her hobbies include sleeping in strange places, sitting in the middle of whatever project I have going on, and plotting world domination.
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She comes and goes outside as she pleases, and she's pretty much house trained. As in, she's trained us to open the door for her when she sits in front of it and meows. She's really supposed to be an outside cat, since mom is allergic, but that doesn't stop her from sleeping on my mom's bed every chance she gets, lol. We live kinda out in the country, so we don't really have to worry about cars. She's current on all her shots and spayed, and she likes to chase the neighbor's weenie dog out of our yard. XD
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: BlackCurtains on March 23, 2013, 12:33:05 PM: My oldest kitty is declawed :( It was at my mother's insistence and one of the conditions for her to allow me to get a cat. I was in highschool and had wanted a cat for years (this was in the 90s). At the time it wasn't something I thought much about and was still a pretty normal thing to do, everyone I knew with cats had them declawed. Luckily, she hasn't had any of the major issues that can develop from it.

That said, I'd never do that now and my other kitty has claws... in fact she likes to pull the old sheaths off and spit them in my bed :lol:
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Refuse to Dance on March 23, 2013, 12:36:59 PM: My Kes is declawed so if she goes outside it is only on the harness with the leash. It's not bad, but with living in a rented apartment you don't own and the carpet cannot be switched for another three years, everything was tried. I didn't want to do it but she scratched up my parents upper floor carpet My father is retired and my mom most likely not long after him, so like me they cannot afford new carpet right now. It doesn't help that the carpet was wrongly installed. I love her and I didn't want to give her away.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: nollilols on March 23, 2013, 12:53:30 PM: Quote from: BlackCurtains on March 23, 2013, 12:33:05 PM
At the time it wasn't something I thought much about and was still a pretty normal thing to do, everyone I knew with cats had them declawed. Luckily, she hasn't had any of the major issues that can develop from it.

I still can't believe it's normal practise anywhere. I know that's easy for me to say, living somewhere it's pretty much illegal, but it seems incredibly inhumane, and I have to agree with what numerous other posters have said - if someone's living conditions require a declawed cat, they shouldn't have a cat, absolutely end of. I understand though that unfortunately even cruel practises can go unconsidered when they're really common practises - I used to assume because pet shops sold hamster cages of a certain size that it was okay to use those cages (I wouldn't dream of using a petshop cage now!) - so I just hope it becomes less and less common. And I'm really glad your kitty hasn't developed any issues! :)
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: BlackCurtains on March 23, 2013, 01:23:27 PM: Quote from: nollilols on March 23, 2013, 12:53:30 PM
Quote from: BlackCurtains on March 23, 2013, 12:33:05 PM
At the time it wasn't something I thought much about and was still a pretty normal thing to do, everyone I knew with cats had them declawed. Luckily, she hasn't had any of the major issues that can develop from it.

I still can't believe it's normal practise anywhere. I know that's easy for me to say, living somewhere it's pretty much illegal, but it seems incredibly inhumane, and I have to agree with what numerous other posters have said - if someone's living conditions require a declawed cat, they shouldn't have a cat, absolutely end of. I understand though that unfortunately even cruel practises can go unconsidered when they're really common practises - I used to assume because pet shops sold hamster cages of a certain size that it was okay to use those cages (I wouldn't dream of using a petshop cage now!) - so I just hope it becomes less and less common. And I'm really glad your kitty hasn't developed any issues! :)

You forgot the first part.

Quote from: BlackCurtains on March 23, 2013, 12:33:05 PM
It was at my mother's insistence and one of the conditions for her to allow me to get a cat. I was in highschool and had wanted a cat for years (this was in the 90s).

It was the 90s. I was 15-16 years old. I feel bad about it now, but I can't take it back. It's one of those things you learn from. My mother was wrong about a lot of things, that one included.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: nollilols on March 23, 2013, 01:26:37 PM: Quote from: BlackCurtains on March 23, 2013, 12:33:05 PM

You forgot the first part.

It was the 90s. I was 15-16 years old. I feel bad about it now, but I can't take it back. It's one of those things you learn from. My mother was wrong about a lot of things, that one included.

No no, I wasn't ignoring the first part, that's why I said later in my post that I understand people don't think about common practises because they're just that - common. I wasn't blaming you, or your mother for that fact, I was literally only commenting on the more general concept that it was ever so commonplace that people did it as a matter of routine. Not criticizing the people who did do it without knowing better. :) I may not have phrased it well!
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: CrazyCatLady on March 23, 2013, 01:52:29 PM: My kitties have passed on, but all 3 were inside only cats. Samantha was our first cat, my son found her in the backyard when he was 7. It was either let him live in the yard (to protect her) or let her in the house. We lived on a busy street and I didn't want to worry about her getting run over, or getting in fights. Even though she was originally an outdoor cat, she had no problem adjusting to life inside.
Our other 2 cats were adopted as kittens (6 weeks & 3 months), and never knew anything except life inside. They had the run of the whole house and seemed happy. They did like to sit on the screened-in back porch when it was warm.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: STLGusty on March 23, 2013, 02:54:23 PM: Quote from: BlackCurtains on March 23, 2013, 01:23:27 PM
It was the 90s. I was 15-16 years old. I feel bad about it now, but I can't take it back. It's one of those things you learn from. My mother was wrong about a lot of things, that one included.

I wouldn't feel bad about it! The vets know what they are doing. :) As long as you keep kitty protected after the procedure, it's all good. It'd be more cruel to have that done then throw the cat outdoors and have nothing to fend for itself with. I'm sure your cat still live a happy a healthy life. Both of mine do (TOO happy most of the time, if you ask me! Spoiled little things...)
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Refuse to Dance on March 23, 2013, 03:09:42 PM: Quote from: BlackCurtains on March 23, 2013, 01:23:27 PM
Quote from: nollilols on March 23, 2013, 12:53:30 PM
Quote from: BlackCurtains on March 23, 2013, 12:33:05 PM
At the time it wasn't something I thought much about and was still a pretty normal thing to do, everyone I knew with cats had them declawed. Luckily, she hasn't had any of the major issues that can develop from it.

I still can't believe it's normal practise anywhere. I know that's easy for me to say, living somewhere it's pretty much illegal, but it seems incredibly inhumane, and I have to agree with what numerous other posters have said - if someone's living conditions require a declawed cat, they shouldn't have a cat, absolutely end of. I understand though that unfortunately even cruel practises can go unconsidered when they're really common practises - I used to assume because pet shops sold hamster cages of a certain size that it was okay to use those cages (I wouldn't dream of using a petshop cage now!) - so I just hope it becomes less and less common. And I'm really glad your kitty hasn't developed any issues! :)

You forgot the first part.

Quote from: BlackCurtains on March 23, 2013, 12:33:05 PM
It was at my mother's insistence and one of the conditions for her to allow me to get a cat. I was in highschool and had wanted a cat for years (this was in the 90s).

It was the 90s. I was 15-16 years old. I feel bad about it now, but I can't take it back. It's one of those things you learn from. My mother was wrong about a lot of things, that one included.

My cat hasn't developed any issues either. And she has adapted quite well. I tried everything to stop her from destroying things: redirection and showing her where to scratch, scolding, squirt bottle (which she would stop if you point it at her or squirt her, but then go right back to it), claw caps( and those she tried to rip off and hurt her paw). Nothing worked.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: nollilols on March 23, 2013, 03:20:18 PM: Quote from: STLGusty on March 23, 2013, 02:54:23 PM
I wouldn't feel bad about it! The vets know what they are doing. :)
The vets also know what they're doing here, where they generally refuse to do it on the grounds of cruelty even though its not illegal, and in every country where it's illegal due to cruelty.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: MilkyTaroMochi on March 23, 2013, 04:23:17 PM: visitors can't see pics , please register or login

Meet Freckles, aka "Meemers". He's going to be 14 in June, was about 3 months old when I got him, and has been basically an 85% outdoors cat, although my parents do let him inside the house everyday, including whenever it gets very cold outside. Ever since we got Freckles, he'd been an outdoors cat (my sister was allergic, and my mom wasn't too fond of cats at the time, and didn't want him to scratch the furniture. She think he's cool now. :) ).
He generally stays in the garage nowadays and has a few cat beds in a small corner under some shelves. My parents crack the garage door open for him so he can go and hang out in the front yard as he pleases during the day (they park their cars outside). He never really leaves too far from the yard, excluding when he decided to chill at the next door neighbor's yard.

There was a time a few years ago when after the night of the 4th of July, Freckles disappeared for five days. I was worried sick and even printed out missing cat flyers in the neighborhood. I started to think he was hit by a car, catnapped, killed by a dog/coyote/mountain lion (although i am certain mountain lions don't live in the area,), or had even wandered off to pass away due to old age. But he showed up about the 6th day at 2am, at the backdoor of the house, as if nothing was wrong. He did have a scratch on his muzzle, but that was nothing compared to the battle wounds he'd come home with when he was younger. :( The people in our old neighborhood referred to Freckles as "King of the Cats" due to all the fights he'd get into with other cats.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: kellyponyfeathers on March 23, 2013, 06:54:00 PM: Regarding the debate over declawing, I certainly don't encourage it. All 7 of my cats still have their claws. But let me say this: There's plenty of REAL cruelty and neglect in this world. I think we should concentrate on solving that problem before we worry about differences of opinion with things like declawing. As long as the owner has the procedure done correctly and responsibly, and takes good care of the cat otherwise with proper food, love, and medical attention, I don't think declawing should be condemned so harshly. If it's necessary to keep peace in the household, and if it's the price a homeless cat pays for a lifetime of free food and care, then maybe it's not such a horrible tradeoff.

I've worked as a vet assistant, and I've known plenty of very dedicated cat owners who also made the choice to have their cats declawed. Claw caps don't always work well (I've known vets who didn't really recommend them because they can become uncomfortable as the claws grow and very difficult to get off). And with proper pain meds, most cats are quite numb to the procedure and recover easily; I've seen them act playful and high on painkilling drugs after surgery. That said, some cats don't react as well to the drugs, especially when they're older. Kittens seem to bounce back a lot more easily; that's why some vets recommend having it done at the same time as neutering, figuring that if you're gonna do it, do it then. In rare cases, some cats even seem to understand perfectly well what was done to them without their approval, and they can hold a grudge about it for life. When this happens, it's usually in mature cats that are newly declawed, and some owners have said it changed their relationship with their cat for the worse. So the decision to declaw certainly isn't one to be taken lightly.

So anyway, declawing is something I sort of frown upon personally, but I've seen too many peaceful households with happy declawed cats to really condemn it.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: FantasticFirefly on March 23, 2013, 07:17:20 PM: I agree with you kellyponyfeathers, and as I mentioned in my post- sometimes it's the vet's office themselves pushing clients to get this procedure done on their cats. I had to say no a number of times before they booked ours for a spay only.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: aellos on March 23, 2013, 07:38:43 PM: Most of our cats have been inside cats, though I remember one we had when I was young that was an inside outside cat. I don't think she lived long, but it was also on a farm. And we had coyotes.

My cat is an inside cat. She seems fine with that. When we were in our apartment, she would look warily at the open door but wouldn't go anywhere. She seems perfectly content inside.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: FeatherFang on March 23, 2013, 08:57:06 PM: Growing up, our cats were always indoor/outdoor cats. We moved frequently, however, so we'd do things like keep them indoors for a month after a move (no matter how loudly they wailed!) to ensure they knew THIS was home now. We were fine until we moved to a more urban area. In the space of two years, we lost two cats to cars. The other two were more content to stay close to home, and died of old age.

Since I've been on my own, I've had two cats. One, Miken, was primarily indoor. "Primarily" because whenever we were home in the city, I kept her strictly indoors (and she seemed quite content with that!). When we were at my parents' in the country, she was allowed outside during the day (and at first only on a leash), but called back in during the evening to avoid larger night predators. Whenever we heard or spotted signs of feral dogs or coyotes, she'd be kept indoors. She'd also come in on her own on windy days (air was NOT supposed to move!). I lost her to bone cancer in her jaw at 14 yrs.

The other cat is strictly indoor because she has lupus. She's indoor by her own choice. Going outdoors, even on a leash, overstimulates her and triggers a mild seizure. If the whole family is outside, then she sits at the door and cries for everyone to come back in. The only time she's ever tempted by outside is when there are hummingbirds around - she seems fascinated by anything like strobing lights.

Right now I'm sharing living space with a family that has four cats, three of which are declawed. Normally I'm of the "NEVER DECLAW!" camp, but even I have to admit these cats, all of whom were declawed as kittens by a careful and attentive vet (the same one that figured out my Griffin's lupus condition), and they all act perfectly fine.

However, I'm being reinforced on the "indoors, and outdoors under controlled conditions only" camp. Two of their cats are indoor by choice (there's SKY out there!!), but the other two regularly come home with nasty wounds, and I know they've lost two cats to neighborhood dogs that run around loose.

One of the cats also kills an alarming number of birds, which puts me of a mind about an environmental article talking about the number of bird species that appear to be dwindling in large part due to domestic and feral housecats. Not exactly a balanced ecosystem, that.

All that aside... loving the pictures of all the kitties!

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That's my "chimera" kitty Griffin. Not much of a huntress, as you can tell. That was a bird that got into the house... she was just irritated to be woken from her nap!

And "chimera" because she has talons more than claws, tends to walk sideways like a crab, has a tail that regularly gets mistaken for a snake (and fangs to go with it on the other end!), and has an illness that shares its name with a wolf.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: kittybethy on March 23, 2013, 09:42:18 PM: My cats are indoor cats (we live outside city limits and have coyotes/snakes/owls, and lots of dangerous animals here). Also, we have no fence in our back yard.

We let the kitties go out when the weather is nice, but only if someone goes out with them and watches them!
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Nana-Rena on March 24, 2013, 05:02:26 AM: We currently have one cat. We are looking to get him a friend. Our kitty is a four year old castrated tomcat Mr. Gaius B. Catullus. He is an indoor cat, because we live in the city and he would not be able to go out, even if we wanted him to, which we do not. I have had too many friends and relatives who live in the country, who have lost their cats or they have been killed.

I want to keep mr Gaius safe and sound because he is my furry buddy, no matter how annoying he is and even though he doesn't scratch his scratching pole but prefers our coach.
He has been micro chipped in the unlikely even that he were to get lost.

He is a happy house cat and my little helper. Oberve, mr Gaius helping with my dissertation!

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Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: nollilols on March 24, 2013, 05:08:41 AM: Oh my god Gaius is the best name for a cat ever. It makes me think of Richard Wilson in Merlin and that makes it even better! I so want a cat called Gaius!
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Nana-Rena on March 24, 2013, 10:10:40 AM: Ours is named after Gius blatr on Gattlestar Galactica. he is also a hedonist and an escape artist, although my fiancee insists that we aren't so nerdy as to name a cat after a scifi tv show, so he says Gaius is named after Gaius Catullus the roman poet. I know better though :lol:!

Mr. Gaius is very friendly and playful and he gets along with other cats, dogs and even rabbits, when we still had them.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Vintergatan on March 24, 2013, 10:28:18 AM: Kitty pics are adorable!!
FeatherFang, I can't believe how chilled your kitty is wit ha bird in front of him! :O

Nana-Rena - what a coincidence! my cats are scholars as well! One of mine helped me do my final paper in environmental law, and another seems to like to help my husband while he's doing physics, lol!

Deep musings on cases regarding Environmental Impact Assessment in the European Union - who knew cats cared about such things!
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Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Refuse to Dance on March 24, 2013, 12:47:13 PM: My Kes:

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And Here she is showing who she's partially named for (Sophie Lancaster)

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Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Jocelyn on March 24, 2013, 12:52:20 PM: We have three cats, and we let the two older ones go out, but only while someone is watching them. They know that they're not supposed to go beyond the yard or too close to the road, as well. The youngest goes a bit wild andd reckless once he's outside, so we don't quite trust him yet. He only ever gets out under very, very close supervision.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Kaeldre on March 24, 2013, 01:19:21 PM: Both of our babies have been indoor cats. We didn't want them getting into fights, diseases, run over, etc.

Scruffy, our previous kitty, slipped out the backdoor into the backyard and came back in with a horrible case of fleas! Korra, our current kitty, was an outdoor cat before we adopted her and is always trying to slip out the door when we're not looking. The closest thing they have/had to going outside is the box window in our kitchen that overlooks the backyard.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: nollilols on March 24, 2013, 01:31:37 PM: Gah all the photos of cute kittehs ._. I want a kitteh.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Nana-Rena on March 24, 2013, 02:07:11 PM: Quote from: Vintergatan on March 24, 2013, 10:28:18 AM
Kitty pics are adorable!!
FeatherFang, I can't believe how chilled your kitty is wit ha bird in front of him! :O

Nana-Rena - what a coincidence! my cats are scholars as well! One of mine helped me do my final paper in environmental law, and another seems to like to help my husband while he's doing physics, lol!

Deep musings on cases regarding Environmental Impact Assessment in the European Union - who knew cats cared about such things!
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Oh my! Intellectual kitties all around! Mr. Gaius also helped my fiance with his MT, by writing his comments when he walked all over the keyboard, when my fiance wasn't looking. So considerate and helpful! :lol:
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: theamazingfetus on March 24, 2013, 02:19:01 PM: Only one of my cats goes outside, and we only let him out where it's warm, not raining, and never after dark. He used to run around our large property and bring back all kinds of animals but now that he's an old man he just lays down on the porch and howls at anything going past. He really loves he outside and I can't imagine not letting him get outside when the weather is fine because he gets REALLY grumpy and grouchy and depressed if we make him stay indoors. It would be mean to make him stay inside.

The other two would be allowed outside but they hate it and don't have any will to leave the house, so it's not really an issue.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Flickerswift on March 26, 2013, 01:59:03 PM: I have three cats, one is 19, one 13, and the last is 3. All are expected to live into their mid 20s. How the heck do I have a 19-year-old cat? I only feed him vet-approved cat food (Science Diet dry kibble) and never let him go outside unless he's in my lap or supervised on a leash, and even that is very rare. Once or twice a year at most. He has most of his teeth, no real heath problems, and he still gets around the house, leaps on the counters (bad kitty!), fights with the other cats, and glares suspiciously at the neighbors through the window. He's in such good shape, the vet refuses to believe his age! I lived in the mountains for a good while, so if I'd let any of my babies outside alone, they'd have been coyote chow long ago... Even now, closer to the plains, the coyotes are still a problem, and so are the cars. I refuse to let anything happen.

Is it mean to no let your cat go outside? Considering all of mine are still perfectly happy to purr when I pick them up and have no destructive or unwanted behavior (not counting the chasing and occasional biting of other cats), I'm going to say they haven't suffered a darn bit from 3-19 years inside. Would they like to go out? Yes. (Well, 2 of them, one is afraid to leave the house for some unknown reason...) But they're perfectly content to laze around all day in the sunshine as well. Have an image of His Royal Majesty Snowflake (19) from last October of him looking drugged in the sun:

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Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: karrie91 on March 26, 2013, 02:24:52 PM: I have 7 cats. 6 of them are allowed to go outside whenever they want. It use to be only 5 of them, since those 5 were born outside from a stray I took care of. But now Benny, our indoor only cat, has decided he too must go when he pleases. This has been going on for 3 years now and all my boys always come home. :)

Chloe, the one female in the house, does NOT go outside. She's about 10 years old and not good with other cats and can't defend herself. Though all the boys are afraid of her :P
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Galactica on March 26, 2013, 06:31:17 PM: I love the "helpful" cat pics- my cat likes to help out too. When she was smaller, she was really good at filing...
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Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Rad on March 26, 2013, 08:48:33 PM: Our cat was a stray but we keep her indoors; we live in a duplex so there's no fenced in backyard. I dunno how she'd take to a leash... probably not like it though! We take her outside when we put her in the car to go to my in-laws' to do laundry. She hates the car; but she goes from the car to the house just fine. During the warmer months on the random and few days one of us is on our front porch, she's allowed outside but she has to stay in sight. Every once in a while when I come home, I'll drop stuff off inside the house then go back out for the mail or make another trip to the car; I'll boot her outside for a few minutes but she only ever stays on the steps. Lol, usually she hates this but ends up enjoying it!
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: kezrob23 on March 28, 2013, 08:26:49 PM: Quote from: Galactica on March 26, 2013, 06:31:17 PM
I love the "helpful" cat pics- my cat likes to help out too. When she was smaller, she was really good at filing...
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oh I just love this pic!! So purrfect :)
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: True on March 28, 2013, 11:51:35 PM: my two are "mostly" inside cats -___- and i say that grudgingly.. they WERE full time inside cats with the exception that MAYBE once a year, my mom would take our male cat out on a lead around the yard for a couple of minutes. however she started dating this man who against MY WILL turned our cats into part time outside cats... I cant even express how mad I was at him for this.. let me just start off by mentioning that both our cats have no front claws, and spent the better part of their lives inside. they have no wild cat instincts. He also brought home 2 more cats, the female was not fixed, of course she got pregnant, 3 different times before we found her a new home... we had so many cats around our yard i really hated it :/

dont get me wrong, i love cats, but i hate feeling like a cat hoarder, luckily all of these cats stayed outside, but that meant they were mostly feral and almost impossible to re home once they took off on there own.. this guy was awful.. we were still dealing with all these cats up until 2 years ago and he left 6 years ago. now its finally down to the original TWO house cats we started with. but they constantly try to escape, and usually are successful in the summer, since my mom doesn't seem to care..

the reasons i dont like them going out, aside from the no claws, and lack of instinct mentioned above. we live on a sort of busy road. not really busy how some people might think. but its a well used road, and people rarely abide speed laws on it. second we live in the woods, with LOTS of people who let there dogs run loose, along with many other wild animals. weve actually had regular black bear in our area lol. my cats are also old >.<

im not against the idea of outside cats, and i would possibly be ok with it IF i lived someplace else, with less traffic and maybe less wildlife. along with the cats still having claws and means to defend themselves if they needed to.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Vintergatan on March 29, 2013, 04:21:49 AM: I want to congratulate all of you guys who have such old kitties! I can only hope that my cats live that long (they are all still relatively young). If you have any secrets to share please don't hesitate :)

And TrueVampiress that is so infuriating!! I got so angry at my father this summer when he was visiting because he insisted on opening a window leading straight to the street. To me that is the worst kind of disrespect! we have one rule in the house, and that is to not open windows randomly (we have a few that are openable and one that is always open) and he couldn't even do that one thing! so yeah, i definitely know how it feels :( but at least your kitties are ok.

Galactica, that picture is incredible!! You better watch out though before it becomes one of the lolcats (which it totally should though :D)

My helpful kitty decided to help around the bathroom last night by going into the toilet paper bag and taking a nap :)

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Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: HavACrumpet452 on March 29, 2013, 12:03:55 PM: If there's one thing I think more people outside of the US need to invest in, its screens on their windows. I don't understand how so many people can open windows without screens and let the bugs in.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: lovesbabysquirmy on March 29, 2013, 12:57:02 PM: Quote from: HavACrumpet452 on March 29, 2013, 12:03:55 PM
If there's one thing I think more people outside of the US need to invest in, its screens on their windows. I don't understand how so many people can open windows without screens and let the bugs in.

Screens are dangerous because they pop put of windows when children lean on them. Kids don't realize that the screen won't hold their weight and they topple right through. Also screens are damaged easily and are expensive & aggravating to repair/install.

I think if there was another epidemic wave of disease caused by insects, we would probably have more screens... :( After all, mosquito netting is hugely important in Africa but here in N. America, we crank up the A/C and spray the pesticides.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Vintergatan on March 29, 2013, 03:33:14 PM: Mosquito nets are common in Serbia, but most often they are just a net you buy and fix yourself to the window. and I do remember instances where kids would forget themselves and break through it! I was always specifically taught to watch out for them. But then, in Iceland, for obvious reason, they are not common at all, but people barely have openable windows here (my windows are so tight when they open that my CATS barely squeeze through).
I just googled to see what kind of screens you have in the US and they seem much sturdier and handier (especially when you can manipulate them, as in pull them up and down and such). Definitely seems like a good idea when you have an indoor kitty :)
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: SilvrStar7 on March 30, 2013, 01:13:25 AM: My cats only go outside if they are supervised by me. As a lover of cats and a Conservation major in college, I have been caught in the crossfire many times when it comes to the indoor/outdoor cat issue. Nearly ALL animal conservation groups are anti-TNR, and approve of lethal removal of cats. They vilify cats, and many people in these groups straight up hate them. If people just kept their cats indoors, it would make life for everyone and everything so much easier. They do so much damage to wildlife and the environment that's under so much stress already. Not to mention all the sick people out there that enjoy running them over, torturing them, etc. Makes me sick to my stomach.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: fingerpaints on March 30, 2013, 02:57:40 AM: I have 3 kitties, 2 are strictly indoors only (both 14 years old from the same litter) and we have our old gal who is 18, and came to us in poor condition at 13, she can't jump as she is a little weak in the back end, so we let her out in the back yard under our supervision. She just enjoys wandering around and sometimes laying in the sun :) so we figure why not. She is never left outside for any longer than a couple of minutes on her own though, as she is deaf and starting to go blind as well, our yard is well fenced in, but we don't want to risk another animal possibly getting in and attacking her so we keep a close eye on her.

I understand why others let their kitties outside, but think its a good idea to keep them indoors to save them killing wildlife (birds and stuff) and also they can't eat horrible stuff like bugs which can make them sick. I had a kitty for a very short period when I was younger, she used to go and kill snakes, and bring them up and leave them on the back doorstep. She didn't come home after about number 10 :( I would say that the snake won that battle unfortunately.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Rhini on April 01, 2013, 09:33:20 AM: So I tried to be nice to my kitty and take her outside on her harness yesterday since it was an absolutely beautiful day. Nooooope XD Cried, screamed, tried to crawl back into my arms. When I finally picked her back up she just shook and buried her face in my neck. So much for that!
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: clones_rebellion on April 01, 2013, 10:50:41 AM: I have two cats and a dog. I won't let the newest kitty out and she's fine with that. But the older kitty likes going out. I live on an extremely busy road and had a dog get killed and another kitty get hit on this road. (After 14 stitches, he was okay.) We now have a fenced in section in the back yard for the dog and older kitty. The dog can go out whenever he wants, but if the kitty goes out I supervise him anyway since we have had Great Horned owls in the area and they have been known to kill cats. I'm not taking any chances!
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: bagheera86 on April 02, 2013, 08:13:15 AM: Quote from: lovesbabysquirmy on March 29, 2013, 12:57:02 PM
Quote from: HavACrumpet452 on March 29, 2013, 12:03:55 PM
If there's one thing I think more people outside of the US need to invest in, its screens on their windows. I don't understand how so many people can open windows without screens and let the bugs in.

Screens are dangerous because they pop put of windows when children lean on them. Kids don't realize that the screen won't hold their weight and they topple right through. Also screens are damaged easily and are expensive & aggravating to repair/install.

I think if there was another epidemic wave of disease caused by insects, we would probably have more screens... :( After all, mosquito netting is hugely important in Africa but here in N. America, we crank up the A/C and spray the pesticides.

Maybe the thing here is too not let kids hang on screens? XDD Everyone in Australia has screens on their windows! I think flat screen tvs are killing kids more nowadays though.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: FantasticFirefly on April 02, 2013, 06:37:49 PM: Quote
Screens are dangerous because they pop put of windows when children lean on them. Kids don't realize that the screen won't hold their weight and they topple right through. Also screens are damaged easily and are expensive & aggravating to repair/install.

:| I grew up with screens, when we were little and there were a few things we got scolded to NEVER do ever. Sitting on the window sill was one (going with strangers and touching chemicals was another). Everyone in Ontario had screens on their windows, it was really strange moving to BC and I don't see screens anywhere! in ON the windows were usually closed in the summer too if you had AC cause it's hot and sticky. here the summer weather is lovely but I'm terrified of the wasps that fly in if I open the windows. Now I'm scared of a cat falling/jumping out. I want screens!
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Tilas on April 03, 2013, 02:27:56 PM: My cat Garfield is an indoor/outdoor cat. He comes and goes as he pleases. We built a "cat ladder" tot he 2nd floor window just so in the summer we can leave it open for him to go in and out all he wants. In our neighborhood, we are the only people with dogs and only our one neighbor has a cat. He loves to hang out with Mittens and they sun together on the neighbors deck. Garfield is very smart, he stays within our block, and will actually look both ways before crossing the road in the rare chance he goes across the street. We've never had to worry about him, his usual "route" is to go next door and hang out with Mittens and his family, or go into the forest behind the house and hunt birds. Very rarely he'll continue through the woods and pop out at the clinic to say hi to mom lol.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Jinxxy on April 03, 2013, 05:35:23 PM: My Kitty doesn't get to go outside. Even if he were the aloof type of alley cat with street smarts there are still way more things that come into play that you and the cat can't control (no matter how capable you think her to be)
Dogs, Disease, cars, poison, parasites etc.. These things are out of both cat and owners control.

I also like my cat to be clean and friendly and not to learn any nasty habbits like spraying. My cat is exceptionally nice to people and even dogs. While we're out on walks (yes, I walk my cat) he actually goes up to them. This exact behavior that I love in my cat could get him killed in the big bad world.

I have heard from a few cat owners that think keeping a cat indoors is cruel when cats need to "be let outside to be cats" but why does nobody make this argument for ANY other pet?

I don't feel passionately about this issue as other however (like declawing) because I know there are several instances where an owner has no choice but to keep a cat outdoors ( a feral adopt for example) and some just prefer it that way. Some people want different things from a pet cat than I do and having a pet that is part wild is what appeals sometimes.
But for me, and my own personal pets, I'd never ever think it was worth the risk!

Outoor enclosures though are something else! I would love to have one for my cat!
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Stormness_1 on April 04, 2013, 05:00:01 PM: Our cats are inside/outside. I'd love to keep them inside, but it's just not possible with our motley crew.

Pussa is our cat, but she's more like a neighbourhood cat, she never goes into ANYONE's house, ever. She hates the inside, but she was a rescue and won't let anyone but me pick her up either, and she won't go near anyone in a swishy skirt. Ra is a siamese/burmese mix, and she's plain crazy. If she's locked inside you come back to complete destruction, and if she's stuck inside with you, she goes completely potty, and will attack you and annoy you until she's 'released'. Our senior cat, Macbeth, followed my sister-in-law home from school as a kitten, and she's ours now, so that makes her about 19, and she's senile, the poor dear. Completely crackers. She's developed a licking obsesion, and will lick everything, including her fur until it comes out. One day inside will cause her to remove about 20% of her fur from boredom and stress, and leaves clumps of wet, black fur all over the house! not to mention we have two dogs, who are more inside-y than the cats are, but refuse to toilet inside. *sigh* rainy days are fun at our house! So we have louvres that open to leave a route out, around and down to the backyard for access 24-7. All the animals are neutered, and thankfully we've only ever had outside-related dramas with Pussa, who was hit by a car once. The cats usually hang around the yard though, so other than pussa, I'm not really worried about them, and we've never had any other dramas.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: angel_rose on April 06, 2013, 01:19:35 AM: My husband refuses to let ours go out. I'd let them but he is right that it's safer not to. It's a challenge with a couple of them that try to run out all the time. They do have their own "cat proof" screened in porch that my husband built out of metal.
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Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Applecrumble on April 06, 2013, 04:27:07 AM: We live in a very standard neighbourhood, and our cats go out. But we need to open the door for them, because we don't have a catflap, so essentially they only go out under our supervision. They aren't really brave though, they usually come back in five minutes. But in summer, when we are outside as well they stay by our sides the entire day.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Nana-Rena on April 06, 2013, 08:39:29 AM: Quote from: Galactica on March 26, 2013, 06:31:17 PM
I love the "helpful" cat pics- my cat likes to help out too. When she was smaller, she was really good at filing...
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OMG that is jsut the cutest kitteh ever! She's even smiling! Like; "Lookit! I are in ur folderz doin' ur filing :cool:"
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: Vintergatan on April 06, 2013, 02:53:49 PM: Quote from: angel_rose on April 06, 2013, 01:19:35 AM
My husband refuses to let ours go out. I'd let them but he is right that it's safer not to. It's a challenge with a couple of them that try to run out all the time. They do have their own "cat proof" screened in porch that my husband built out of metal.
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wow, this looks great!! Well done, your husband :) I wish more people had the opportunity to make these kinds of things :( hopefully I will live to see the day when houses and apartments are not built just for people but for pets too.
Title: Re: Do you let your cat/s go outside?
Post by: bagheera86 on April 07, 2013, 02:06:51 AM: visitors can't see pics , please register or login

Well this is Marcus my visitor cat (after I said 'oi, home time i'm going in, i keep play time to about 10 minutes exactly each time, but our yard is I dunno, like disney land for him xD), so I'm guessing his owners let him do what he pleases? He does visit everyone though and not just me.

He wasn't around for a while, but now he's back and hanging around like a bum until dark. While I'm all OMG GO HOME OKAY? XD I know where he lives and it's a 5 minute walk but, I'd feel silly escorting someone else's cat home!

I don't hate him coming about (cuddles! but I make sure NOT to feed him), but I do worry, but crazy lady has moved so that's one big threat gone.