House / outdoor cat query

Hello again all.

I was just wondering how many of your cats are house pets and how many are allowed to roam.

When I planned to get my cats, I was going to put a cap flap in the back door. Then when I got them, the shelter advised that I keep them in for 6 weeks to get them used to 'home'. Now I find that I'm too scared to let them roam in case something happens to them.

They have lots of toys, and I play with them a lot to try and keep them from getting bored. They seem content enough, no problems or anything, but I do still worry though that they're missing out on something by being confined to the house.

I was just wondering what you all thought.

Cheers

Kx

 

My kitty is an indoor cat, but whenever i get the chance, i try to take her outside with me on her harness and leash even sometimes if i'm just making a trip to get something out of my car. She enjoys going out to get some fresh air and one of her favorite things to do is lounge out in the window sill and stare outside at the birds in the tree, but she never cries to go out and I have never let her free roam outdoors. I don't work and I usually don't have classes more than 2 or 3 days a week, so I'm home a lot during the day and she gets plenty of play time with me to burn off her excess energy. I personally feel that its much safer for your cat to stay indoors with lots of playtime and exercise, then if possible supervised outings either on a leash and harness or in an enclosed area where theres no danger of them being chased by loose dogs or wild animals or of them running out to the street and getting hit by a car or ingesting poisonous plants, bringing home "presents", picking up nasty parasites like fleas and worms, etc. There's an argument on both sides and I've seen it pop up on here a few times since I've been here. My personal belief is that the pros outweigh the cons for having an indoor cat as long as proper outlets are offered so the cat isn't bored to death. JMHO.

 

Hi

I have an outdoor cat, but I know alot of people here have strictly indoor cats. As long as you provide them with scratching posts, toys and everything they needs to be active, it shouldn't be a problem :wink:
But be sure you are determined (?) from the beginning. Once a kitten has been outside, it's hard to keep it from going out again. At least that's my experience...

 

I used to let my cats outside until I lost my 9 year old kitty whom I'd had since she was 6 weeks old :cry: and all of our neighbors have lost cats too so it's wildlife related.

I do give my kitties outside time with a leash/harness and I let them go on my porch on nice days...but no more roamers for me.

And now that I no longer do that I've eliminated one more stressful factor of my life - wondering if they are safe.

I remember when my Sessy (the one who I haven't seen for 2.5 year) came home with a huge open wound on her belly which required many stitches (and ER vet bill) to close. She'd slipped coming down a tree and sliced her belly open (or that is what the vet thinks since the wound was so ragged).

Then the time I had to take my Tami for heat stroke, a bite wound, the time she climbed up onto the engine of the car (thank God she survived that).

So as you can see - the possibilities and dangers are endless to our much-loved cats allowed to roam in the outside world. I won't subject them to it anymore than I would allow a small child to play in the road...

 

Hi. My cats are currently indoor only cats. I live in the city and there are way too many dangers (including a bunch of stray cats).

Growing up, we let our cats out. We lived in a suburban area. However, my one cat was hit by a car and by some miracle, she survived and lived to be nice and old. It wasn't a second thought to let the cats out when I was growing up.

But, now, I know too many things that could be a danger and I don't want to take the risk.

I agree about the fact that once you let a cat out, they get a taste of it and it's hard to keep them in. I do let my one cat out on a harness sometimes, and she's always the first to try and escape. The other cats have no interest.

It is possible for your cats to have a happy, fulfilling life indoors. I have let my cats out in the past, and my in-laws still let their cats out. It's your ultimate choice on what you do. But, I guess you know that there are risks if you decide to do so.

 

Vene (Venus) escaped the house when my mom opened the front door. She was hit by a car and died July '03. :cry: Milo, her brother loves to go outdoors and this summer, he got very sick x3 and all his littermates, Sunny and Ashes et al (living with other people on a farm) are either dead from wildlife or missing in action. I think they are definitely safer indoors. Rene (Serena) would love to go outdoors but if I gave her that option, she'd be like Vene, wanting to go out all the time and face dangers. The best way to go is harness/leash or keep them indoors. If not, a cat enclosure would be best. It can be built for a low cost. :mrgreen:

 

Thanks for all the replies. I think you've convinced me that I'm doing the right thing already! My little fur balls are far too precious to risk to the great outdoors.

My partner has talked about building them a 'run' outside. Has anyone done this?

 

I think Dolly did, but I haven't seen her posts here lately. Chessmind is planning to build one for Romeo and Juliet. He's got the work plans and everything. You might want to PM him for some advice. Good luck. Your kitties are so lucky! My hubby won't let us have a cat enclosure but he ended up having a sunroom built for the kitties and they hang out there a lot.

 

I don't let my cats outside.
I live on a busy city street though. I am not sure if I would let them out if I lived elsewhere.

When I was a kid, we always had indoor/outdoor cats. I feel like the kitties are happier this way. If they had a chance to learn to protect themselves outside and such.

If my DH and move to a more rural area this summer, I still don't think I'll let Hunter out. Maybe I'll get a harness for him.

How do you guys' cats do with harnesses????

 

When I first put a harness on Vianne, she was about 6 months old. I let her wear it around for a couple hours for several days inside the house. Once she got used to it, i clipped the leash on it and walked her about the house. She wouldn't walk on it at first and it took a lot of coaxing and treats and PATIENCE! Once she walked decently well with the leash INside, then we began to venture OUTside. She was timid at first, but after being out a couple minutes, her curiousity got the better of her and she began wanting to explore and smell everything! I have a hint to offer tho, as I had to learn this the hard way.....2 things, 1. make sure that your cat's harness fits properly and is good and snug without being so tight that its uncomfortable-kitties can be great escape artists and slip right out of a harness that doesn't fit. and 2. don't get the type of harness with a plastic clip buckle. kitties are highly intelligent and Vianne has been known to simply squeeze these with her teeth to pop them open. I would recommend the metal buckle type with the little sizing holes which need fingers to undo. Good luck with that! :y_the_best:

 

at the bottom of this link there are plans for building outside cat enclosures

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Poin ... doors.html

 

a bit late on the post my first post here was about the same thing i let ollie out on the patio where he cant get out wen i do i leave the door open and he will keep cuming back to make sure we r still here if we leave the room the min he noticces he will run around to find me. ollie got used to the harness quickly the first few times he did try and eat it! he dont cry to go out wen i let him in and close the door(wen it gets drak i get him in just incase) and this works f0r me, my main concern was the other cats that live next to me they marked there bit already n its the top bit of the grass outside my flat so i didnt want him gettin beat up. good luck i hope u find pppppppppuuuuuuuuurrrrrrfect harmoney for you and ur cats indoor or out

 

My cats are indoors but Copper goes out with us sometimes and only if I stay right near the porch. He is such a chicken, he'll just let him self back in the storm door if he hears something and it's not properly closed. I tried the harness on him first. I found if I turned it upside down, he couldn't get out of it.
Miss Brina WAS an outside cat until she got fixed and had to come in to recover. After that, I couldn't bear letting her back out and worrying about her. She has NEVER tried to go back out---except that time my nephews were here and terrorizing them. She does like to sit in an open window and sniff and always watches out the front window.

 

All of mine are indoors only except for one and he only gets to go outside on a harness. When I move I plan to build a cat run but I would never feel comfortable just letting mine roam.

 

Nice link Mary! :y_the_best:

 

I had big plans to build one, until I have seen a total of three coyotes on my property. With the amount of coyotes around here, I think it would be too risky to build an enclosure. I would be worried that somehow a hungry coyote(s) could get into the enclosure somehow. Or even just hurt them with their teeth/claws through the wire enclosure. :shock:

 

another thing I've noticed since being a converted to having inside-only cats...I'm better able to stay on top of their health. Since scooping becomes a part of the daily ritual - and those of us with multiple cats all know whose pooh belongs to who it's easier to see any differences in the daily potty habits. Much like a mother changing their child's diaper...you quickly now something is amiss on that end of the works.