Are your cats Indoor, Outdoor, or Both?

[Fluff-n-Feathers]

I have 1 cat that is strictly indoors. This is to protect him from fleas, ticks, diseases and the fishercats that got my neighbor's cat

 

[la dee da]

My cat is totally indoors. I would love to let her roam around outside, but that's just not doable for me. She could be killed by dogs, hit by a car, get sick/injured and die before she could ever return, taken by a good samaritan and never seen again or worse, taken by a animal tormentor and tortured before death. I could never live with myself if my beloved cat dissapeared or got hit and I saw her dead or worse injured on the road...I saw what that does to a cat and never, ever want to see it happen to mine

. I have no objection to those who have outdoor or outdoor/indoor cats (as long as said cats don't cause trouble for neighbors), but I myself couldn't do it...too soft a heart. I hope someday when I get a house of my own to make a nice big run for her but until then it's indoor only kitty for me!

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Mine is both and we love her

Originally, she came to our house as a stray and had a litter of 4 kittens in our window well. While we took the kittens to an adoption center, she stayed with us. She loves to be outdoors, but only ever come in to sleep, eat/drink, to cool down or get out of bad weather. Otherwise she is outside enjoying the day. And she goes to the bathroom outside too so we don't have a litter box

If she ever wants to go outside she just sits by the door. She seems small and a bit skinny but still eats well and is a healthy weight. Plus she holds her own against other cats and chases off any strays

Oh, and another thing, she doesn't try to catch birds

She's satisfied with mice, moles, rabbits and the occasional frog

 

[Campine Lover]

The average life span for a cat that goes outside is 2-5 years?!? Ya right! Examples of some of my past cats:
Oliver- 9 years
Polly-11 years
Bobby- 14 years
Morgan-15 years
Burry bear- 12 years

Current cats- (Still alive)
Bonnie- 9 years
Dusty- 8 years
Squeak- 4 years

They ALL were/are allowed to go outside when it please them. My cats (and chickens) will beat up any dog who puts even a pawstep over the property line. The other day, someone was walking a crazy german sheperd by, and Dusty, who is VERY VERY SMALL, flew over the fence and wacked him on the snout before he could react. lol. The chickens find it quite amusing to see how fast the cats run if they chase 'em, so there's no problem there. People these days don't understand that cats have sharp teeth, quick claws, and legs that can run pretty darn fast or climb a tree if need be for a reason.

 

[woodmort]

We have 5 cats living here because the food is good, plentiful and appears on a regular basis--although it has cost them the equipment necessary to reproduce. 2 are strictly indoor cats, one of which is pure white with long hair and orange ears so we really don't want the responsibility of cleaning him up--while he'd really like to go out and does on occasion,sneak out if a door is left ajar (he can open the sliding glass door there is a crack wide enough to get a claw into.). These freedom jaunts have not gone well for him as he's come face to face with a free ranging chicken which temporarily, at least, cures him of the need to see the world. The other is kept in because she is so darn wild that my wife--who adores her--is afraid she will run away. In truth she has not the least desire to go out and would be back in in a minute if it were to happen. I rescued this cat as a kitten from our woodpile but, since it was I who took her to the vet for her initial exam and shots, she has decided I am to be feared and will not have anything to do with me.

The other 3, 2 of which were captured and deposited in the local SPCA and the 3rd who wandered in here, are allowed access to the outside at any time during the day but are in locked down from dusk to dawn. Periodically during the course of the day they will come to the door and give forlorn looks that cause the nearest human to open the door and admit them--checking first to make sure they aren't bearing gifts. At which point they will make a cursory check of their food dish, request some food that is not there, pause only to sample a morsel or two of the proffered tidbits and wander to a door on the opposite side of the house to return to the outdoors. (Often, they don't stop at the food dish but use this shortcut to get from the front yard to the back or visa versa.) While we have a year 'round bird feeder in the tree just off our deck, songbirds don't seem to be high on their menu--we actually lose more birds from their crashing into the house windows that the cats get--their main prey is of the furry variety. Voles, mice, baby rabbits and chipmunks are high on the list--the latter being the main prey during maple seed season. While some of these are eaten, most of the bodies are deposited on the mats in front of the doors where they will be in the way of foot traffic. It should be noted that these animals are usually hunted off our property and dragged home. The mice living near the chicken coop or that come into the cellar are considered emergency rations not to be hunted unless there is some sort of catastrophic disaster. The lone exception being the one indoor cat who, if she discovers a nest of young mice in the cellar, will carry each one up to our bedroom and offer it to my wife--usually while under the cover of darkness. Only because she will play with it on top of the sleeping adults is this "toy"discovered and removed, only to have her return shortly with another and another and another until the nest is empty.

In the 46 years we've live here--outside of town on a secondary road--we've shared our lives with a total of 14 cats--one we moved here with a couple that our kids rehomed on us--counting the current 5. (We also had a promiscuous purebred Persian that my daughter wanted to breed who kept escaping, getting pregnant and had a total of 18 kittens before we gave up and had her spayed. We kept only two of her kittens, the rest went to pet shops.) Of the 9--outdoor cats all--3 died as the result of being hit by vehicles, one was lost to a predator (probably a horned owl) and the other 5 died of natural causes--4 were 17 or older. In the same time period we've had 5 dogs, 2 killed on the road and one by a coyote, the others died of old age--lost the last one 15 yrs ago.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

I can't believe the average lifespan of an outdoor cat is 2-5 years. Maybe a feral cat who doesn't have food/water and a good place to sleep (wether its inside a building, under a porch, ect...) We used to have a BUNCH of cats 35+ outside cats (except a couple who slept with me or my elder sister) when I was a kid. We had to rehome most because of a fire that destroyed our house - we kept 5 and had them fixed when we moved. of those 5 we were able to keep one only made it to about 5 yrs- she was deformed from birth, two lived to be 8, one lived to be 12, and the other I had to put down two years ago at the ripe old age (and 4 moves in her lifetime - country and or city) of 18 yrs. Bogus - the 18 yr old lived outside 90% of the time for her 18 years - she came in occassionally to sleep with us at night, or for R&R when it was hot - otherwise she was outside.

There had been a siamese cat that was dropped off as a adolescent at my mom's workplace - that cat died by presumably coyote last year but had been at that plant for 10 yrs.

I feel sorry for 100% indoor cats because alot of those cats I've met are over weight and very lazy. My cats while lazing about a few hours here and there - are off and about around the yard, checking out the chickens, harassing my scardey cat ducks, mousing, playing with each other, and climbing trees, and come in at night to sleep (2 sleep in bed with me or lets say use ME as a bed). My cousin has 2 indoor cats - one is a teeny tiny thing that weighs all of 5 lbs and is 3 yrs old - the other is 8 yrs old and so freaking fat he can't even properly wash himself - and all he ever does is lay about except to try and escape...you guessed it outdoors - but she won't let him outside without a leash and harness - but thats her cat and her choice - but again I can't help feeling sorry for that cat - he seems so miserable sitting on the couch by the window starring outside all day and a fuzzy cat watermelon (he's like 25+ lbs)

 

[momdrinkstea]

I think it really depends on situation, and the owners.

We have 2 cats right now, indoor/outdoor - during the day they can go out,
but they come in at night (OWLS!).
They like being out in nice weather, but if it's raining/snowy/cold, they stay inside.
We live on a country road, not lots of traffic, neighbors a ways down, so our cats
bother no one.

My mother lives in town (small yards) with a dog, her neighbors have 14 cats!
They poo & pee in everyone's yards, dig up beds, chase songbirds, lay on tables &
cars, and spread oodles of fleas. They keep having kittens too....

So I think it depends on space/location and owner responsibility.

 

[Beekissed]

My cats live outdoors....but come in a little each day to "visit" with the family. Primarily, though, they are outside cats. I agree with the OP...outside is optimal living for a cat and being forced to live indoors all the time may be "safe" but is it really living?

You have a nocturnal predator living in a big box with no way to be what they were designed to be(and, no, unless you are overrun by mice they can not fulfill all their instincts by "hunting" your house mice). It would be the same as us humans never setting foot out the door...safer, by all means, but not really what I call living.

A cat's health is improved by eating their natural diet and the exercise they gain from hunting. I'm sure their mental health is much improved by it as well. My cats are extremely healthy and well-socialized...no vetting needed here.

I feel the same way about dogs....they have fur and were created for outdoors living. They may really enjoy being indoors with the humans but outdoors is where the real doggy life is at...they can run, develop pack instincts, scent all the exciting smells on the air, roll, dig, play to their heart's content. Not quite the same as lounging on the couch all day, is it?

My dogs are muscular and fit, no obese house dogs here. Their coats gleam and their eyes are bright, their senses are not dulled by being in an all human environment. They don't have to go to the vet for diabetes, skin disorders, impacted picky glands, etc. They exercise themselves and are quick of foot and have quick reactions to anything out of the ordinary in their scent field.

In a nutshell, they are all dog and very happy...one only has to watch them for a few minutes to see how alive they are. I've seen enough house dogs to notice that the majority of them are obese, slow moving and wouldn't know how to be a real dog if their lives depended on it.

To quote one of my favorite movies..."I'd rather have one day of wonderful than a whole lifetime of nothing special".

 

[Campine Lover]

well said

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Quote:
I couldn't agree more -

well said. My dogs and cats are indoor/outdoor - and my dogs I have now one is 4 and the other 10 - I have had to take them to the vet for 2 things - spaying/immunizations and each had to have a surgery - my 10 year old pit mix was attacked by a fighting pitbull and have to have stitching and a drain in her neck from the damage done. the 4 yr old shepherd/chow mix had to have reconstructive survery on her leg when she jumped out of a tree and shattered it. (yes the dog is nuts and thinks she's a cat). They are supplied with food, scraps, treats, water, walks if weather allows it, and playtime everyday. - neither has been 'sick' a day in their life and they can go in and out essentially as they please. My cats I have right now - are 2 and 3 years old they've all been vaccinated and spayed/neutered and I have had no issues with them. Out of the dozens of cats i've owned or fostered only 3 had any illnesses - one had a brain tumor we think and died and the other was sick from a kitten - was allergic to detergants and aresol air freshners - so she didn't stay in the house much at all and she had kidney issues all her life - they eventually failed on her when the cat with the suspected brain tumor suddenly died- she grieved her so hard we suspect it caused her kidneys to fail when she was 6 a couple months after Tinkerbell died - but she lived a great life of a great outdoor cat.