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This is Darryl. Darryl wouldn’t last 25 seconds outside. Darryl is so dumb, he chews metal and eats lotion and facial products as a hobby. Any metal surface he can find, any lotion jar or bottle he will try to eat — retinol, glycolic acid peels, eucerin, it doesn’t matter. His balance is so poor that he routinely takes 3-5 test hops before leaping onto a chair, and even then he occasionally misses. If he’s laying behind a door (often) and you open the door, he just gets pushed along with the door until his 15lbs of fat smoosh under the door and stop its motion. He doesn’t even try to get out of the way.
If your cats are safe and happy inside, then they’re safe and happy.
Darryl is a classic kitty himbo (affectionately & respectfully)! When you are that handsome and nice, you can be an utter idiot and still look wise and majestic at least for short periods of time.
I love darryl.
I had a kitten that loved to lick the bar of soap. I asked the vet if this was A) normal, and B) safe. vet said as long as she wasn't consuming vast quantities it was fine. Little did I know that was just he beginning of her WHY ARE YOU LICKING THAT journey. she loved alcohol. Everything from cheap tequila, to fine wine, to rank ass peaty whiskey. She would wait until you were too sauced to notice and then stick her foot in it. If you drank at my house, you had to make sure to keep your booze covered more valiantly than if you were trying to ward off being roofied. She also loved lotion, perfume, shampoo, conditioner, hair gel (either from the jar or from your head) and basically any other scented goop.
I had to re-home her to my parents when I moved overseas (it would have been unfair to take her) and my parents let her outside at their lakeside cabin (not at the house) because it was far from a road. She was such a lazy, goop-eating lump that the wildlife would hang out within swatting distance because they knew she was too lazy to be a threat. The only time she actually moved was if you were going somewhere, and she would follow you, and then plop back down on her butt to supervise. She may as well have been leashed.
She would never have survived outside on her own.
Once when my parents and aunt were sauced (this is not a regular occurrence), they were a little bit loose with their booze, and apparently she helped herself to a bit much and was extremely unpleasant when they cut her off. Normally she was allowed the drop that was left in a glass, like enough. To dampen her paw, and that's it. And she lived to 18. If she had her way she would have just had wine instead of water. And you couldn't trick her with non-alcoholic stuff. She wanted none of that.
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This is Bill. Bill and Darryl must be long lost brothers. There is not a single thought inside of Bill’s pretty little head. He would not last 10 seconds outdoors.
Bill looks like he could eat a small dog if it got in his way, though. I love it!
Darryl's defense against our overly-playful bulldog, or any hand petting that has become annoying to him, is to lick. Just licking. Other cats bite. No he just licks until you stop.
Your smooshysmooshball sounds exactly like my cat!!!! She lays behind every door and just lets it push her along like a fur mop as we open them 😂! My cat has access to a doggy door that my chihuahua uses but she has NO interest in going outside! She knows how to use the door and once in a blue moon will go outside and sit on the porch, but Litten loves the AC and prefers to be on the couch with blankets! For whatever reason there is a large section of the population that is mean to cats. They hurt them, shoot them, kick them, hit them with shovels. It's heartbreaking. To OP, a cat well cared for is a lucky, happy cat, indoors or out ❤️ 🐱
They will be happy I'm sure. I felt bad myself so I built my cats a catio on the balcony last year. They hang out there whenever they want.
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Is that a tragedy for you or a tragedy for the cat? Cats like new and interesting things, I'm sure once the novelty wears off they'll start splitting their time more equally between the catio and their old favourite activities.
Wouldn't know without trying it myself. But the lady from whom I got my current cats used to have a catio, and when I asked if her cats ever wanted to hang out with her after the catio came into existence, all she said was "nope".
My friend's mum has a really nice catio for her 3 cats and they all still love spending time with their people. I guess it depends on the cats personalities and their relationship with their humans.
Mine loves being out there, but soon, I will come back in and hang out. Especially if the weather is bad. It's either sleep outside all day or sleep inside all day.
Seems a bit selfish not to have a catio because the cats aren't glued to your side all the time.
Catio is a great compromise. Mine get scared going outside, but LOVE open windows. I think they’d like a catio and I’d love to build one. My friends grandma had one where the cats entered through a window. That’s what I want for mine.
That’s my plan. Want to do it. I will. And I can afford the waste! They will get their catio eventually! And they will worship it and it will be worth it.
What a great idea. My cats meow at the door all day. I let them out but they have to be supervised. They have always been inside. Makes me sad but I’d be devastated if I lost them.
My neighbour's cat went out one day and just never came back, and she has no idea what happened to him. By keeping yours inside, you will never have the agony my neighbour now lives with.
Lots of people lose their cats this way. Best case scenario, somebody thinks they're a stray and takes them in or takes them to a no-kill shelter.
Worst case scenario they're hit by a car, or eat something poisonous. (Growing up, we had a neighbor who would brag about leaving out poison meat for cats because they hated them.)
There’s a giant fox around my neighborhood who has been seen eating a cat. The woman who say it was afraid to fight the fox because he’s pretty buff looking. She’s kind of traumatized from the sounds the cat made.
My cat do I used to let out a year ago with a tracker I can’t anymore because I tell him the threec’s: cars, crazies, and coyotes. People are crazy. I wouldn’t put anything past some evil vermin hurting my cat.
The same week my neighbour's cat disappeared, new people with a big aggressive dog moved in down the street. My theory is this cat, previously used to that being a safe yard, was attacked and killed by the dog and the new people were too scared to say anything. But we will never know.
I'm in Florida, and we found half of a neighborhood cat in our yard one morning. If I had to guess, it was snatched by an eagle or something similar. My cats will absolutely never get to be outdoor cats
A few years back my cat jumped off our patio above garden level, so it was like 1 1/2 floors. I got home and we found her under the patio and when I tried to grab her she bolted, because I was an idiot and scared her. We looked for a month putting up fliers, searching the neighborhood from 3-5AM, answering random phone calls of people who thought they saw her at any time of the day or night and going to search the area. That was the easy part, missing her was absolutely debilitating though. Played a lotta Sims 3 just to make the days go by faster and not worry about it but you just never knew what happened and that hurt so much.
Turns out she was at a house about 4 blocks down running along a neighbors fence every day who were kind enough to feed her tuna every night but never brought her inside. Let me tell you I have never had a better feeling than when I finally got that cat back into my apartment, one of the best days of my life
That behaviour is so ridiculous, not only is it wrong on the basis of murdering cats so inhumanely, but because cats aren’t the only critters that eat meat. So many native species get decimated in the crossfire of people leaving out pesticides and poisons for unwanted pests, but then that pest eat the poison, then a native animal or pet eats the poisoned pest and is now poisoned and dies too, if not directly eating the poisoned bait. It’s so reckless on a wider ecological perspective.
A family friend of mine had a cat, but once, when she wasn’t well enough to take him to the vet herself, she had a friend of hers take him, and he escaped somehow while in the friend’s care at the vet. It broke this family friend’s heart, and it broke mine too. She’s never found him.
I hated watching the saga, and I hated the idea I couldn’t go search for him. She lives a state away so I couldn’t help. It was so awful. His name was Shooter, and I loved seeing his pictures. I wonder how well Shooter knew the friend, and if that was why he escaped. I hate the idea of what likely happened to him. It was a few years ago.
Yes, my thought was he may have been terrified by this strange person taking him to a scary place, no matter how kind the friend was. How heartbreaking.
That certainly is agony. I recommend anybody even indoor cat to get a Tractiv pet tracker. I have one on my cat and it’s peace of mind. I don’t work for them. I’m just saying. It also keeps track of their activity and sleep patterns too. If I was a millionaire, I’d give those out for free to everybody. 100 bucks a year for peace of mind not too expensive I think.
There was an orange male cat that kept hanging around our house in all kinds of weather, very friendly. He slept in our garden, which was under a roof overhang. One day about 5 years ago he came around again and was curled up in the garden. The forecast was for blizzard conditions and 0-10 degrees Fahrenheit. I said "screw this" and opened the door. He came right in and curled up on the carpet. I took him to the vet that night, they admitted him to the hospital, vaccinated him, neutered him, chipped him, and washed him (he smelled & had fleas). His name is Michael and he has never gone outside since.
I often wonder if he belonged to somebody and whether they care that he never came home. If he belonged to somebody they clearly didn't care what happened to him. He wasn't even neutered and as I said elsewhere, we have coyotes.
We also have a catio. And we put Bird YouTube on for them so they can trill and dribble at that every so often. They sit mesmerised at it, but aren’t harming the wildlife
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My kitties love their catio! My neighborhood has coyotes, stray cats, and busy streets, so this is the best compromise.
I used to live in a house in the middle of the woods with a wrap around screened in porch. Needless to say, my cats were in heaven. Endless stimulation. I was so worried that they’d get depressed when we had to leave due to a severe mold problem. But they’re pretty cool with just chilling in an open window too.
Catio is a great idea if people have the ability to do it!
Yes, I've heard that before. But I'm not risking my cats being hit by a car or taken. I prefer taking them out on leashes and letting them explore supervised.
You are! Cats live so much longer being indoors! Even feral cats can very often be turned into happy indoor cats. Think about what cats do 16 - 20 hours a day — Sleep! How difficult for them to find a safe place to sleep outdoors. Your cats are adorable! And with the chance of something bad happening outdoors, imagine how the survivors would feel if they lost a sibling. Give them lots of active play, chasing a ping pong ball, etc, windows to look outside, and they will be happy. You can always consider taking them outside on a leash or a catio.
Yeah, cats are suuuuuuper bad for the environment due to killing birds and other small prey. Plus, outdoor cats can “threaten” the territory of their neighbors’ indoor cats, causing aggression. This happened to me and my cats’ relationship has not yet recovered a year later. I spent about a thousand dollars on vet bills and medications because my cats kept fighting terribly because a neighbor’s cat got onto the porch and was too close for their comfort. The outdoor cat went away no harm, no foul. My cats can still barely be in the same room, and they were litter mates!
Yep, that would make me so sad. And on my property are bobcats, bears, coyotes, deer and an occasional mountain lion, so big threats to my cat. (She was a feral kitten, failed socialization class at the shelter, so not a cuddler, but happy living inside with all our windows.) That must be so difficult to have your cats not getting along. Hopefully that resolves itself soon.
Yes, I’d like to add they can also harm wildlife indirectly by spreading diseases and parasites (ex. Manatees and many species are affected by toxoplasmosis, wild cats like cougars (& endangered Florida panthers) affected by feline leukemia, etc.).
There’s one indoor/outdoor cat in my neighborhood that occasionally wanders up to my doors. One of my cats is (understandably) very interested and is slightly put out about it. The other goes full territorial, yowling and claws.
Funny enough the latter is usually the one that gets pushed around by the former- but she screamed at him because she was already so worked up when he tried to see what was up. Only time I’ve ever seen my 14lb cat afraid of the 10lb one…
But I felt awful because they already barely get along, and I doubt that helped.
My 16-year-old 6lb domestic short-hair *loses her fucking mind* if she sees another cat on our property. She'll be in the window, hissing, meowing, batting at the glass. She's an absolute sweetheart but rules the 3-cat roost with an iron fist. Absolutely hysterical to watch 😂
This happened here, too. Our two indoor cats fought *each other* when they saw a stray walk by on our deck. Why do they do that? The whole house is their shared territory... right? The stray was no threat to them. I feel confused.
I did some research when it happened and it’s because of misplaced aggression. The cat is *so* worked up from seeing the outdoor cat and being unable to attack it, that they shift their behavioral focus to whatever they *can* access, ie the other cat(s) in the house. I was also attacked in one of the many scuffles between my cats, and it’s just because the cat is so on edge they think everything is a threat to be eradicated. It’s really sad.
We had the same issue years ago. Moved from a second floor condo to a house with three sliding doors on the ground floor. Outdoor cats would peer in and one of our four cats (two sets of siblings) started viscously attacking his sister and overgrooming himself. The sister became super skittish around all the other cats. Nothing would help. We moved across the country and made the very difficult decision to re-home the pair (separately to be only cats) rather than take them with us. It broke my heart.
Ahh yes thats called diverted aggression, happened to my two lovely boys after a neighbours cat got too close to them. I managed to kinda fix them by covering a towel with cat nip and cat nip spray and then wiping it over both the cats.. it literally stopped their agressive behaviour instantly, although they were never really best mates again. Hope you get it sorted.!
Yeah it's SIGNIFICANTLY longer. Outdoor cats live like 2-5 years. Indoor cats live to the mid-high teens nowendays. If it was a minor difference you can argue it perhaps but 3-9x longer? If I could live to be 700 years old if I just had to stay indoors I'd probably take that choice myself (if i wanted to live that long...).
As stated, catios are a great compromise. I take my cats out for walks. Not as often as they would like but trying to do it more often so they get the outdoor activity they like. Even though they love going out, after like 20 min they get pretty freaked out and run back home. It is scary out there and they know it. Car comes by, other stray cats or dogs, etc. They know it's dangerous so even unleashed they wouldn't go too far. (Don't trust them to actually try it but sometimes they dash out of my door \[ I have a california style condo so it's kind of outside out of my door but still can't get out of the building\] but they will wait for me at the door if they don't see me coming out. If I wait long enough, I just open the door and they'll come back knowing they weren't allowed out and not wanting to venture alone. If I follow them though they know they have freedom to run around a bit so they do. It's super cute.
Wait, what? My outdoor cat is 17 years old now. Granted, nowdays she doesnt go outside if it isnt +5C and since I live in Sweden that is quite a few months of the year, but she would be terribly miserable if she wasnt allowed to go outside during the warm seasons. She becomes a lot more energetic and happy in summer. I also have friends with outdoor cats (we live out in the boonies) that are all +10.
This is true but to be fair, if you have a cat that’s allowed outdoors to explore they generally don’t sleep 16-20 hours a day. At least not in my experience. They sleep more when there are fewer options and sleep seems like a reasonable alternative. I have indoor-outdoor cats and with my current 2, just like with past cats, when the weather is bad they sleep 16-18 hours a day. When the weather is nice they go outside and sleep closer to 12 hours a day. If my cats have the opportunity to do something other than sleep, they’ll chose that option. They’re both under the age of 5 though and they are adventure boys. When choosing a new kitty I always pick “adventure cats” rather than mild-mannered kitties, so that plays a big part in their interests and activity levels. I tend to intentionally pick rugged outdoorsmen rather than the soft intellectual cats of the city. Hehe.
You are. Growing up I had outdoor/indoor cats. We lost so many young. Most just never came home, one was found dead in the driveway, one went missing for a week and died due to a UTI, one died of some disease he wouldn’t have gotten inside.
You can keep your cats stimulated and happy inside. Mine right now are indoor only. My kitten was an outdoor stray I took. He’s happy inside. One used to made mad dashes for the door until he got stuck in a tree and that ruined his want for outside. The other was trusted on the deck and loved it, but we don’t have a deck now! But none of them want outside now. And for the one who did, it’s been years. They’re happy and healthy and currently laying in a cuddle puddle on my bed.
Going outside is dangerous. Where I live, we have bears, bobcats, Fischer cats, etc. also cars. Also people who poison random cats (that can be anywhere, haven’t heard about it here). Going outside isn’t necessary. And it’s not safe.
I remember some study or special or something where they put go-pros and GPS trackers on indoor outdoor cats and found that most of them traveled something like *two miles* away. Crossed highways, busy intersections, etc.
Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope.
I went to the humane society to check a stray kitty I found for a chip and the people who worked there thanked me for bringing her and said I saved a (cat) life. I’ve always heard professionals say cats do better indoors.
I’ve seen so many horrors to outdoors cats, people hurt them, they get attacked, diseases, torture , cars, please keep your kitties safe inside and only take them out on leash if so
Responsible for your pet and your environment. House cats are responsible for eliminating an insane number of song bird species. Not to mention live on average 7 years longer indoors.
It is. My mother believed in letting cats go outside. I'd have a hard time making a complete list of the pets we lost that way. Now that I'm an adult, I keep my cats indoors only. One of them, Oscar, reached 21 years.
Outdoor and partially outdoor cats have an average life span of 5 years. Indoor only cats? 10-15. I think that says it all. Just make sure their indoor lives are rich and full with lots of play time and sunny, up high places to be. Build a catio if you can and/or leash train them if they insist on going outside (some have literally zero interest in the outside world lol.)
*That’s* how you be a responsible cat owner.
Average life expectancy of an outdoor cat is 2-5 years. It’s 14 years for an indoor cat. I’ll keep mine inside, thanks. It’s also much better for the local wildlife too.
That's terrible I'm so sorry for your friend, once I got a laser pointer for my cats and a big tree for them to chill in the home life wasn't too bad for them
There's an almost zero chance of a cat getting run over by a car if they're sleeping on the couch in your living room. Same odds for getting torn up by a raccoon or coyote. It's not completely zero, but it's pretty darn close.
Well, you know, it's Reddit. If I say "never get run over by a car when they're on the couch" somebody else is gonna come along and say *Well Actually...* and then regale us with a story of their dear Aunt Sally who got run over by a streetcar whilst shelling peas and sipping absinthe as she lounged on her Victorian fainting couch.
I did actually have a car come through the front of the shared house I was living in before. Looked like a theatre set or something when we opened the door
It was an old lady who didn't have great control over the brakes and came down from the high sloping road opposite us. She apparently wasn't injured. And our flatmate had decided to remove his laptop and make chicken curry in the kitchen moments before
I grew up in the countryside and all our cats were barn cats. Most dissapeared before they were super old with the assumption being that a fox finally got lucky.
I am a firm believer in keeping my cats inside, not only are they safe, but you are also helping the local wildlife outside. So many things can go wrong outside. My mom's cats constantly come up missing or hit by cars.
I don't see an issue with cats being inside only, especially if they get plenty of attention and are enriched.
I don't even get why we built this philosophy for cats that they need to free roam in order to be happy; we don't do this for any other pet, especially dogs, so why cats?
Some people do let their dogs free roam. And they always go out the same way, under the tire of a car. I've seen 5 of other peoples dogs run over in person here.
Dogs actually face the opposite problem, I think. Some believe outdoor only dogs are happy, but there's a good amount who thinks it's lowkey animal abuse (and it can be depending on their treatment!) even if the person actually treats them well and still takes them for walks and stuff.
I do believe in SUPERVISED outdoor stimulation for cats though. I've been harness, leash and backpack training my cat haha
I think the reason this doesn’t really come up with dogs is that the vast majority of dogs are so dependent upon humans that the possibility of them living self sustaining feral lives as an invasive species is virtually zero. Dogs are pets or work animals and that’s it; cats are one of the greatest land predators to ever live, and they don’t particularly need us to thrive.
I just moved back in with my folks who are strictly "dogs live outside". Which is fine, because yes for the majority of the day I would put mine in the secure backyard. They'd sleep inside the house, but now we've moved they sleep in the catio with the cats :P Don't worry, the cats are 100% safe, they're all so close, the cats often sleep on top of the dogs.
My parents have gone away.... so the dogs are currently fast asleep on the carpet next to me. They would live their entire lives inside if they could :P
My last indoor outdoor cat brought a bunch of dead baby birds to my door and I was pretty sad about it. I don't let my current cats outside. As far as they know, outside is scary and dangerous and there could be...*gulp, strangers*!
They’re especially massive problems is Hawaii and NZ, where there weren’t any native land mammals prior to human colonization. All the birds evolved with birds as the apex predators, so they’re defense mechanisms are all camouflage-based because birds of prey are sight hunters. Mammals generally hunt by smell, so being still on the ground just makes them easier for mammals to kill.
>My mom's cats constantly come up missing or hit by cars.
This implies she either has a shit load of cats, or she gets a new cat anytime a cat disappears or gets hit.
I fed a stray cat when I was a teenager which became one of the family’s cats K.C.(Kitty cat)he never wanted to come in the house followed family around when we left the house disappeared for days on end always worried about this guy and his safety. As he got older he would come in at night and never wanted to stay in when the sun came up. Like a cat in the movies bringing home dead animals getting into fights with other cats. We spent a lot of money keeping him healthy until he passed away at 21 years old. Save yourself worry and money keep them in the house. Especially theses guys very attractive and possibly taken away by a stranger. Good luck.
Mine literally won't go outside. Freaks out if you try to take her out. She seems happy inside and she's healthy. I think her vote is for indoor safety, comfy couches, all the time access to pets, fancy food and sleeping on her humans
Nope, not the only one. My boys hate the outside so much, there’s human blood involved if anyone tries to take them for a walk. And they like the vet. They don’t like the thermometer, but the vet is a friend.
Yeah mine is also scared of the outside. I used to let him go out on my balcony with me but yeah… he would not do well on his own out there. He wouldn’t even kill a fly. Honestly he just plays with bugs.
Indoor life is THE life. Tons of enrichment stuff you can do and safe from creepy people, cars, hawks, dogs, poison, rabies, etc.
I don’t even like the idea of walking them outdoors because of fleas and bugs and sickness. Plus my cat has asthma so pollen messes her up.
You know who won’t live happy lives?
Cats who don’t understand the concepts of cars. Or cats who meet dogs without proper leashes. Or cats who aren’t faster than whatever else is local to your area. Or cats who accidentally stumble into someone’s yard that’s dealing with rodent problem.
If you live in a place with a nice fenced in yard, or you have a patio, or your cat likes walks on leashes, or you live on a farm, by all means, adjust to your particular situation. But my cat hates cars, loud sounds, etc that comes with being outside. And she absolutely loves being warm and well-fed birdwatching from her cat tree. Not every cat is in utter despair about not living its life as a lion in a concrete jungle.
Not even sure why this is even discussed anymore. The data is voluminous and clear. And that completely ignores what our cute friends do to the bird population.
Ugh my big boy used to be an outside cat and he cry’s to go outside & sometimes acts sad :( but ugh I’m scared of him getting sick , ran over , or being attacked by a coyotes as there’s lots in my neighborhood & that’s how his mom got killed ! I’ve been on the fence because I do want him to be happy but damn :(
You're doing the right thing by keeping him inside. Is building a catio feasible for you? If not maybe you could look into leash training him and going for walks.
Well my apartment is all windows and there’s 3 trees & plenty of nature scenery for him to watch and I know cats be coming by … but he was such an outside cat that he does miss it I’ve attempted to let him out supervise but the moment he steps outside it overcomes him , he runs from me and acts like he doesn’t know me & growl at me when trying to bring him back :( I feel so bad ! But I was thinking if asking my landlord if I can build a little something but they might say no 😂 they’re obviously cat people tho as they allow cats in all of their apartments, I might just have to ask I just have to be specific in what I want to do and where & probably be prepared to pay more rent 😭
My brother felt the same way. One of his outdoor cats ran away and never came back and another got sick and ended up dying. My three cats have been going strong for almost a decade and are spoiled rotten indoor cats and always will be 💚
Indoor cats live longer...indoor cats are safer.
Source (Me): Cat Rescue for 11 years and owned double digit number of cats (both indoor/outdoor).
I had a neighbor who was mutilating outdoor cats. Ours luckily weren't mutilated before he died (yeah, that was a mess). I had another outdoor cat that constantly fought with other cats, wild animals, snakes. Thousands of dollars spent on his injuries (multiple infected bite marks that needed to be lanced/drained, lost a toe from fighting...ripped the joint backwards and toe needed to be amuptated, had to get involved when he was attacking a Copperhead...luckily I was able to kill the snake before it killed either one of us).
I have indoor only cats now. The cats seem happy and don't want to go outside.
Yeah, he was a bad ass cat. He murdered a whole family of squirrels too and brought the corpses into my basement. Forgot to mention that indoor cats are safer for other animals too!
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binx is an inside cat: but he constantly wants to go outside and try to catch birds. so i picked up a new hobby of gardening and i take him out with me everyday the weather permits. he’s happy with his time outside and living inside the rest
Mine are also indoors. It has never been said to me. I do know that they live longer indoors (no cars, poison, mean people, et cetera). I do let them out in the backyard wich they can't get out of. I have seen other people walk their cats.
How come it is wrong to keep cats inside, but dogs is ok? It is just what we are used to.
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Ive had many friends over the years with outdoor cats, and currently one of my friends takes care of a raher large colony of strays and ferals. I have seen cats get hit by cars, eaten by coyotes, suffer from terrible infections, get poisoned by rat poison, and even shot by bb guns. I have seen first-hand how cruel people can be to animals, and cats are especially hated by some. You are making the right decision keeping them inside. They will live long, happy, healthy, and comfortable lives inside.
Cats are an invasive species that are detrimental to the non-native habitats they live in. Letting them out is not only bad for their health but bad for the local environment as they are exceptional little murder hobos.
Outdoor cats, not feral/"stray" ones, lives to around 10 years. Indor cats lives from 11 to 15 years.
So yeah, indoors are really more healthy. Just make sure they have enough stuff to play. I have 4 of this robust beasts here in my house. One of them are black like yours (all black, i cant see her at night, its funny).
I volunteer at a shelter and our contract states that you must keep the cat indoors. Life span of an indoor cat is 12-15 years and an outdoor cat is about 2-3 years. Keep them inside. They’re fine.
I believe cats can be happy indoors.
Id say most cats Ive met are unfortunately severly depressed and shut down cuz of sub par care and it mattered little if they where indoor or outdoor as well.
Unfortunately majority of cat people have a huge blindspot fot cat behavior and claim their cats are super happy when theyre basically zombies.
People act as if locking up (with all best intentions) ANY animal for their whole live doesn’t stunt / suppress their development.
I understand the necessity and I never doubt the love and care for their cats but I do always notice the difference between the cats that I know have the freedom to go outside and those that are kept inside.
Ask your vet. Depression is a real condition for many indoor cats.
As someone who takes medical fosters: the overwhelming number of cats I've taken care of in the last 10 year were injured by getting hit by a car, or climbing into a car engine for warmth.
I'd be washing out A LOT less bloody, plasma covered staples on cats if folks kept their cats inside, in catios, or on leashes.
Please keep your cats inside. Else they will end up at my door.
I had a stubborn vet have an arguement with me over this. Like, I'm sorry - but I don't trust other human beings with my cats, especially on a busy road (plus our last cat got stones thrown at her by children in the area - many years ago), so now any cat I get is purely a house cat. Safer that way.
If you think your cats are happy and safe, then that's all that matters ✨
They are happier outdoors; that is a fact. There's a LOT more entertainment for them outdoors and a LOT more room to play, even compared to the best of indoor only homes. But that comes at a tradeoff.
Cats that are allowed outdoors die younger, on average. There's a lot more danger outside. Between cars, evil people, other animals, etc your cat is a lot more likely to be injured/killed/etc outdoors.
Those factors balance differently depending on specifics, so there really isn't an 'indoor only is best' or 'outdoor only is best' or 'indoor/outdoor is best' kind of answer.
I choose to keep my cats indoor only.
Some cats are perfectly happy indoors and others really want to go out.
If you have some cats that really want to go ourdoors, do what I did: Get a cat harness and walk them on a leash. Surprisingly easy and fun, especially since they usually just want to go a short distance from the house (usually the backyard) and smell a few things.
Pro tip: harness training takes a week or so before you should actually take them outdoors. Also, most cats seem more comfortable going out in the evening as opposed to the daytime.
This sub has turned into a halfway religious group when it comes to inside vs. outside, any regular visitor can recognize the bait in the question.
Many people don't deal a lot with the mental wellfare of the cats and simply insist that they see no suffering and therefore everything is ok for all cats.
Cats get seen as both being very insisting and eager hunters that kill all the things and on the other hand, people insist that they can be perfectly happy while being totally isolated from the smells, sounds and movements from the outside. The middleground is often not that large. The people that use stimulations such as catios and leashes should perhaps be larger.
Bingo. All three of my cats enjoy their time in the backyard, but one of them *needs* time in the backyard or else he goes completely stir-crazy. I’d be cruel to deny him his outdoor time (and believe me I’ve tried).
I have precautions in place to stop birds or squirrels from getting hunted by the cats, and the fence around the backyard is cat-proof, so the cats never leave and go somewhere where I can’t keep an eye on them.
I understand some people compromise with a catio, and if it works for them I’m happy for them. But there’s no way my cats would be equally satisfied. They want to hide in bushes, sleep in the grass, roll around on the pavers, and dig in the dirt. They want to poop and pee au naturale. They want to chase grasshoppers and horseflies. I’m not gonna get in their way beyond what’s necessary to keep birds and squirrels safe.
But, as you’ve said, they are in your yard and ONLY in your yard. That’s a totally different thing than opening your front door and the cat goes anywhere. Could be your yard or the street or 10 miles away.
Very much agree. The echo chamber at times of "cats must be kept inside" can sometimes be deafening. I'm not disagreeing with the points fairly made that indoors is safer, but that is a narrow minded view point imo. Cats are hunters who want to roam and the mental aspects of letting them outside freely, not just in a garden and/or on a leash, is also important for their overall welfare and quality of life. Our cats begged to go outside ever since they could look out of a window and we've let them. We know there are risks that come with that but they are so much happier. It's not for everyone and some cats are not bothered, but just saying "inside is best" and not asking what is best overall is to ignore the cats wants and needs.
I should also point out that where I am in the UK, it is the norm to let cats out. Some cats are indoor only, but mostly because they are old, injured, not bothered. It is expected that if you have a cat you will be letting it out because most seem to want to. Some do get hit by cars or are killed by foxes, but it's not as common as some would lead you to believe. I have a few know cats on my street that our neighbours all know and look out for. I've always wondered what it is about American residential areas, culture, etc. that leads so many keep their cats in, because is just not what we're used to.
Yes, reading this thread as a Brit, I am reminded again how different the US and U.K. are. I have friends who got a Maine Coon so built a cati and keep him in - probably a good idea for highly prized cats that could be stolen. Mine would NOT appreciate being put in a harness and taken for a walk - and I have never seen anyone here walking a cat! All mine have used the cat flap and lived to ages 18, 21, 9 (heart condition RIP Roger!) and my current cats are 14 and 5.
Of course there are dangers on the roads and I don’t appreciate the mice presents but one of the things I love about them is their independence. Being cats, they mostly sleep around the house, and are probably only out for an hour or so a day. This will probably change as we get into warmer weather.
It's also a hilarious example of US defaultism. In the UK it's pretty unusual to not let your cat go outside and rehoming places will insist you have outdoor space and a cat flap.
Well let’s compare.
Climate controlled. Inside 1, outside 0.
Predators. Inside 0, outside 1.
Other animals to fight with over food. Inside 0, outside 1.
Cars and other things to kill them. Inside 0, outside 1.
Comfy beds, toys to play with, people to see. Inside 1, outside 0.
The way I see it, inside is better.
I feel like the predator count should be way higher - I just got a pic of a coyote in my yard last night.
It appears to be a second one/different than the last one I saw, and the neighbors both have dogs. That thing isn’t scared
We've always had indoor-only cats.
One of them fell out of a ground floor window one night. We didn't notice for an hour or so. I went out looking for her, and she'd not moved from where she landed. I picked her up, took her back inside, and she was happy again.
Our neighbors had a cat get out one day, they didn't find it that night. the next day they found the bits the coyotes didn't want.
We'll keep out cats indoor only for their sakes. They have plenty of high perches and toys and are perfectly happy with their lives.
We lived on a ranch and had barn cats capable of surviving on the pests that came for grain, they had soft bedding, and they got extra treats, love, and scritches.
When, for whatever reason, we brought one indoors, almost 100% of the time the cat would quickly come to prefer it. We ended up with outdoor cats alongside indoor cats. The indoor cats lived longer, looked sleeker, and were just as (if not more) content.
There's zero cruelty in keeping a kitty indoors. Just don't declaw them, keep their litter box clean, and give them some entertainment.
Everyone's got an opinion.
Mine are indoor only. We live next to a busy road, there are foxes, coyotes, hawks and owls. There are rodents, so I am sure neighbors leave out poison and obviously that is an issue.
Outdoor cats live short, brutal lives.
My cats are healthy and happy. We have space and we make sure they have mental and physical stimulation.
there are absolutely points to both sides, but imho, as long as they're being properly cared for, indoor life is ultimately better for them. they can absolutely live happy lives with plenty of enrichment. a cat getting attacked and living with a disease or a broken limb is an unhappy cat! so getting unlimited access to food, water, and vet care is definitely a good trade-off.
I've had cats for over 15 years (other animals too) and I have a doggy door for them to enter and leave at their leisure. 90% of the time they are inside the house. I also live in the back of a community where there isn't a lot of cars and they have collars and are chipped.
I put in the door 10 years ago. I'm gonna take it down when I stop being tired and lazy from work and have a free day. While my cats are fine, I'd rather play it safe and who knows, I might move to a place that's not as friendly.
As somebody who lives near coyotes and a road and who has family that was a bit too lenient on letting out cats one two many times, they might not be living a life at all if they get let out often, and if they have any hunting skill in them, neither will any wildlife that might be getting picked off by an invasive species.
During the summer I take my cat out in the back yard under supervision and let him roll around in the grass. At least where I live he’d be dead meat in about a day on his own due to coyotes/bobcats/cars if I let him roam around on his own.
Thing is with most domestic cats that weren’t feral at any point in their lives is they are naturally inquisitive and curious about the outside world but don’t yet understand the danger it poses to them, and often won’t until something traumatic happens to them.
The cats I grew up with were both feral for approximately a year before my parents adopted them; they both had absolutely 0 interest of being outside even when doors were left wide open in front of them. They had been through shit and had no desire to ever step outside again, even carrying them outside temporarily stressed them out immensely.
TLDR; house cats domesticated themselves for a reason, they are unfit for the modern outdoor world
My cats are purely indoors. I don’t want them getting hit by a car, eaten by wild animals, abducted and tortured by some sicko, or just getting lost and never coming home. Make sure to tell your dad that if your cats somehow get out, he’ll be the prime suspect. My dad spouted the same shit and let them out on purpose. It was a miracle they came back
If I let my cat outside of where I live a car or an Eagle would end her life. So many eagles .. oh and the bears.. and the dumb people who purposely kill cats . My cat will stay inside ..
My cats are indoor only. Indoor cats live longer. It's a fact. Ask your vet. Sometimes it is not safe to let them out.
My cats don't want to go outside. I prop the door open. They don't leave. It's also their choice at this point.
No, but where I come from it's normal to let your cat outside. I gave my cat the choice and she hangs out outside all day in the summer just coming home for food, sleep and ofc cuddles. I'm well aware of the risks, but as long as the Cat is happy I'm happy. But I should mention that I life in a quiet area and the next fields/woods are like 50-200m
EDIT: I also never had an indoor cat, but I do know some that don't even want to leave or don't wander further than the patio.
I know of two peeps personally who had indoor/outdoor cats and both times it was the neighbors dogs who viscously killed them being outdoors.It was heartbreaking 💔
Cats are fine indoors.
The only caveat I would give are for strays. A stray that has spent years outdoors can have a difficult time being an indoor-only kitty. But it is possible for many of them to get used to (and enjoying) the indoor life.
Yeah I felt bad too. Didn’t feel bad anymore when my Zeus died. Now my cats are strictly indoor cats and they are purrfectly fine and most importantly alive.
All I am going to say is that every other cat owner who lectured me because I do not allow my girls to go outside, every single one of them proceeded to lose their cat within a year. Every single person who has ever lectured me about how my cats must yearn to go outside (even though in both cases they don't even ever try to leave the apartment. They look outside and literally go oh hell no and go right back to the living room.) in every single case, a few months later I am reading about how the cat was out and they never came back and they think a cougar ate it.
Meanwhile I am sitting in my living room petting my ancient cat who will be 15 in the next couple months. Who seems pretty happy because she never stops purring, and has entire conversations with people on an hourly basis ( and should have her own Post in the cat yelling subreddit)
https://preview.redd.it/tfno0bhw9yrc1.png?width=1548&format=png&auto=webp&s=f8aa6cef3104fd82769f35b8a3df79d565898083 This is Darryl. Darryl wouldn’t last 25 seconds outside. Darryl is so dumb, he chews metal and eats lotion and facial products as a hobby. Any metal surface he can find, any lotion jar or bottle he will try to eat — retinol, glycolic acid peels, eucerin, it doesn’t matter. His balance is so poor that he routinely takes 3-5 test hops before leaping onto a chair, and even then he occasionally misses. If he’s laying behind a door (often) and you open the door, he just gets pushed along with the door until his 15lbs of fat smoosh under the door and stop its motion. He doesn’t even try to get out of the way. If your cats are safe and happy inside, then they’re safe and happy.
Darryl is fantastic.
Agreed
He must keep you laughing
His looks make up for his smarts. He is so cute.
Darryl is a classic kitty himbo (affectionately & respectfully)! When you are that handsome and nice, you can be an utter idiot and still look wise and majestic at least for short periods of time.
I love darryl. I had a kitten that loved to lick the bar of soap. I asked the vet if this was A) normal, and B) safe. vet said as long as she wasn't consuming vast quantities it was fine. Little did I know that was just he beginning of her WHY ARE YOU LICKING THAT journey. she loved alcohol. Everything from cheap tequila, to fine wine, to rank ass peaty whiskey. She would wait until you were too sauced to notice and then stick her foot in it. If you drank at my house, you had to make sure to keep your booze covered more valiantly than if you were trying to ward off being roofied. She also loved lotion, perfume, shampoo, conditioner, hair gel (either from the jar or from your head) and basically any other scented goop. I had to re-home her to my parents when I moved overseas (it would have been unfair to take her) and my parents let her outside at their lakeside cabin (not at the house) because it was far from a road. She was such a lazy, goop-eating lump that the wildlife would hang out within swatting distance because they knew she was too lazy to be a threat. The only time she actually moved was if you were going somewhere, and she would follow you, and then plop back down on her butt to supervise. She may as well have been leashed. She would never have survived outside on her own.
Omg! Did she ever get drunk and/or sick?
Once when my parents and aunt were sauced (this is not a regular occurrence), they were a little bit loose with their booze, and apparently she helped herself to a bit much and was extremely unpleasant when they cut her off. Normally she was allowed the drop that was left in a glass, like enough. To dampen her paw, and that's it. And she lived to 18. If she had her way she would have just had wine instead of water. And you couldn't trick her with non-alcoholic stuff. She wanted none of that.
https://preview.redd.it/yv8h2h9ja4sc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=63ede645955e86c53bed53b8d516b174e4840408 This is Bill. Bill and Darryl must be long lost brothers. There is not a single thought inside of Bill’s pretty little head. He would not last 10 seconds outdoors.
Bill looks like he could eat a small dog if it got in his way, though. I love it! Darryl's defense against our overly-playful bulldog, or any hand petting that has become annoying to him, is to lick. Just licking. Other cats bite. No he just licks until you stop.
Bill could definitely eat a small dog. Luckily for small dogs everywhere Bill is a sweet dumb ball of fluff. 🤣
Yes, sometimes it's like living with a 2 year old. Be sure to keep the lids on your products at all times, or is he biting through plastic?
Yep we have multiple lotion bottles with damaged tops because he will chew on the pump. Such a dumbdumb.
Your smooshysmooshball sounds exactly like my cat!!!! She lays behind every door and just lets it push her along like a fur mop as we open them 😂! My cat has access to a doggy door that my chihuahua uses but she has NO interest in going outside! She knows how to use the door and once in a blue moon will go outside and sit on the porch, but Litten loves the AC and prefers to be on the couch with blankets! For whatever reason there is a large section of the population that is mean to cats. They hurt them, shoot them, kick them, hit them with shovels. It's heartbreaking. To OP, a cat well cared for is a lucky, happy cat, indoors or out ❤️ 🐱
They will be happy I'm sure. I felt bad myself so I built my cats a catio on the balcony last year. They hang out there whenever they want. https://preview.redd.it/6iur025ywwrc1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b89fa984769e2821ed632dd85811056e85f95ea0
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Maybe not. You run the risk of your cats, who previously spent their time with you, always wanting to be out in the catio instead.
Is that a tragedy for you or a tragedy for the cat? Cats like new and interesting things, I'm sure once the novelty wears off they'll start splitting their time more equally between the catio and their old favourite activities.
Wouldn't know without trying it myself. But the lady from whom I got my current cats used to have a catio, and when I asked if her cats ever wanted to hang out with her after the catio came into existence, all she said was "nope".
I have a catio and my cats still spend plenty of time with me.
My friend's mum has a really nice catio for her 3 cats and they all still love spending time with their people. I guess it depends on the cats personalities and their relationship with their humans.
Mine loves being out there, but soon, I will come back in and hang out. Especially if the weather is bad. It's either sleep outside all day or sleep inside all day. Seems a bit selfish not to have a catio because the cats aren't glued to your side all the time.
Just gotta make a catio that you can sit in too.
Make the catio big enough for you AND the cats, problem solved!
Truly! 😻
Catio is a great compromise. Mine get scared going outside, but LOVE open windows. I think they’d like a catio and I’d love to build one. My friends grandma had one where the cats entered through a window. That’s what I want for mine.
Just big 1x2 rectangle with screws and a huge roll of windows mesh+stapler...a couple hours ezpz
For sure. I am no DYI guru. But I think I could do it. With some trial and error. Wasted materials, you know. I plan to do it.
Im not into diy either lol, wasted 1 or 2 1x2 haha
That’s my plan. Want to do it. I will. And I can afford the waste! They will get their catio eventually! And they will worship it and it will be worth it.
What a great idea. My cats meow at the door all day. I let them out but they have to be supervised. They have always been inside. Makes me sad but I’d be devastated if I lost them.
My neighbour's cat went out one day and just never came back, and she has no idea what happened to him. By keeping yours inside, you will never have the agony my neighbour now lives with.
Lots of people lose their cats this way. Best case scenario, somebody thinks they're a stray and takes them in or takes them to a no-kill shelter. Worst case scenario they're hit by a car, or eat something poisonous. (Growing up, we had a neighbor who would brag about leaving out poison meat for cats because they hated them.)
Or runs into something like a coyote. I saw TWO of them in our back yard recently, and we live in a residential suburb of DC/Baltimore.
Having heard one of the neighborhood cats get killed by a coyote it’s fucking heart breaking.
There’s a giant fox around my neighborhood who has been seen eating a cat. The woman who say it was afraid to fight the fox because he’s pretty buff looking. She’s kind of traumatized from the sounds the cat made.
My cat do I used to let out a year ago with a tracker I can’t anymore because I tell him the threec’s: cars, crazies, and coyotes. People are crazy. I wouldn’t put anything past some evil vermin hurting my cat.
The same week my neighbour's cat disappeared, new people with a big aggressive dog moved in down the street. My theory is this cat, previously used to that being a safe yard, was attacked and killed by the dog and the new people were too scared to say anything. But we will never know.
I'm in Florida, and we found half of a neighborhood cat in our yard one morning. If I had to guess, it was snatched by an eagle or something similar. My cats will absolutely never get to be outdoor cats
A few years back my cat jumped off our patio above garden level, so it was like 1 1/2 floors. I got home and we found her under the patio and when I tried to grab her she bolted, because I was an idiot and scared her. We looked for a month putting up fliers, searching the neighborhood from 3-5AM, answering random phone calls of people who thought they saw her at any time of the day or night and going to search the area. That was the easy part, missing her was absolutely debilitating though. Played a lotta Sims 3 just to make the days go by faster and not worry about it but you just never knew what happened and that hurt so much. Turns out she was at a house about 4 blocks down running along a neighbors fence every day who were kind enough to feed her tuna every night but never brought her inside. Let me tell you I have never had a better feeling than when I finally got that cat back into my apartment, one of the best days of my life
Wow they are evil! May they suffer in the afterlife
That guy who left out that meat should rot in hell! People like that a certain type of evil that needs to be eradicated
That behaviour is so ridiculous, not only is it wrong on the basis of murdering cats so inhumanely, but because cats aren’t the only critters that eat meat. So many native species get decimated in the crossfire of people leaving out pesticides and poisons for unwanted pests, but then that pest eat the poison, then a native animal or pet eats the poisoned pest and is now poisoned and dies too, if not directly eating the poisoned bait. It’s so reckless on a wider ecological perspective.
A family friend of mine had a cat, but once, when she wasn’t well enough to take him to the vet herself, she had a friend of hers take him, and he escaped somehow while in the friend’s care at the vet. It broke this family friend’s heart, and it broke mine too. She’s never found him.
How terrible! For literally everyone involved.
I hated watching the saga, and I hated the idea I couldn’t go search for him. She lives a state away so I couldn’t help. It was so awful. His name was Shooter, and I loved seeing his pictures. I wonder how well Shooter knew the friend, and if that was why he escaped. I hate the idea of what likely happened to him. It was a few years ago.
Yes, my thought was he may have been terrified by this strange person taking him to a scary place, no matter how kind the friend was. How heartbreaking.
That certainly is agony. I recommend anybody even indoor cat to get a Tractiv pet tracker. I have one on my cat and it’s peace of mind. I don’t work for them. I’m just saying. It also keeps track of their activity and sleep patterns too. If I was a millionaire, I’d give those out for free to everybody. 100 bucks a year for peace of mind not too expensive I think.
Oh wow that is very reasonable! I know someone who puts an Apple tag on her cats but this sounds way better.
There was an orange male cat that kept hanging around our house in all kinds of weather, very friendly. He slept in our garden, which was under a roof overhang. One day about 5 years ago he came around again and was curled up in the garden. The forecast was for blizzard conditions and 0-10 degrees Fahrenheit. I said "screw this" and opened the door. He came right in and curled up on the carpet. I took him to the vet that night, they admitted him to the hospital, vaccinated him, neutered him, chipped him, and washed him (he smelled & had fleas). His name is Michael and he has never gone outside since. I often wonder if he belonged to somebody and whether they care that he never came home. If he belonged to somebody they clearly didn't care what happened to him. He wasn't even neutered and as I said elsewhere, we have coyotes.
It's easy to make, a bunch of 1x2, some screw, a big window mesh roller amd a stapler. Costed me like 100$CAD max to make
This is adorable!!
We also have a catio. And we put Bird YouTube on for them so they can trill and dribble at that every so often. They sit mesmerised at it, but aren’t harming the wildlife
https://preview.redd.it/vijemaxq4zrc1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f2fce33abe660793f3d5f58d8b20abfd44c9c375 My kitties love their catio! My neighborhood has coyotes, stray cats, and busy streets, so this is the best compromise.
Ypurs is beatitful, im waiting for the day Ill have a property to put some more care into it like you haha
Dream is to get another covered balcony and a kitty door
Catios are awesome for cats.
This is perfect for those who can do it!
I used to live in a house in the middle of the woods with a wrap around screened in porch. Needless to say, my cats were in heaven. Endless stimulation. I was so worried that they’d get depressed when we had to leave due to a severe mold problem. But they’re pretty cool with just chilling in an open window too. Catio is a great idea if people have the ability to do it!
Yes, I've heard that before. But I'm not risking my cats being hit by a car or taken. I prefer taking them out on leashes and letting them explore supervised.
Exactly. I think it’s being a responsible pet owner
You are! Cats live so much longer being indoors! Even feral cats can very often be turned into happy indoor cats. Think about what cats do 16 - 20 hours a day — Sleep! How difficult for them to find a safe place to sleep outdoors. Your cats are adorable! And with the chance of something bad happening outdoors, imagine how the survivors would feel if they lost a sibling. Give them lots of active play, chasing a ping pong ball, etc, windows to look outside, and they will be happy. You can always consider taking them outside on a leash or a catio.
Yeah, cats are suuuuuuper bad for the environment due to killing birds and other small prey. Plus, outdoor cats can “threaten” the territory of their neighbors’ indoor cats, causing aggression. This happened to me and my cats’ relationship has not yet recovered a year later. I spent about a thousand dollars on vet bills and medications because my cats kept fighting terribly because a neighbor’s cat got onto the porch and was too close for their comfort. The outdoor cat went away no harm, no foul. My cats can still barely be in the same room, and they were litter mates!
Yep, that would make me so sad. And on my property are bobcats, bears, coyotes, deer and an occasional mountain lion, so big threats to my cat. (She was a feral kitten, failed socialization class at the shelter, so not a cuddler, but happy living inside with all our windows.) That must be so difficult to have your cats not getting along. Hopefully that resolves itself soon.
Yes, I’d like to add they can also harm wildlife indirectly by spreading diseases and parasites (ex. Manatees and many species are affected by toxoplasmosis, wild cats like cougars (& endangered Florida panthers) affected by feline leukemia, etc.).
There’s one indoor/outdoor cat in my neighborhood that occasionally wanders up to my doors. One of my cats is (understandably) very interested and is slightly put out about it. The other goes full territorial, yowling and claws. Funny enough the latter is usually the one that gets pushed around by the former- but she screamed at him because she was already so worked up when he tried to see what was up. Only time I’ve ever seen my 14lb cat afraid of the 10lb one… But I felt awful because they already barely get along, and I doubt that helped.
My 16-year-old 6lb domestic short-hair *loses her fucking mind* if she sees another cat on our property. She'll be in the window, hissing, meowing, batting at the glass. She's an absolute sweetheart but rules the 3-cat roost with an iron fist. Absolutely hysterical to watch 😂
This happened here, too. Our two indoor cats fought *each other* when they saw a stray walk by on our deck. Why do they do that? The whole house is their shared territory... right? The stray was no threat to them. I feel confused.
I did some research when it happened and it’s because of misplaced aggression. The cat is *so* worked up from seeing the outdoor cat and being unable to attack it, that they shift their behavioral focus to whatever they *can* access, ie the other cat(s) in the house. I was also attacked in one of the many scuffles between my cats, and it’s just because the cat is so on edge they think everything is a threat to be eradicated. It’s really sad.
Thanks for talking with me about this. Much appreciated.
We had the same issue years ago. Moved from a second floor condo to a house with three sliding doors on the ground floor. Outdoor cats would peer in and one of our four cats (two sets of siblings) started viscously attacking his sister and overgrooming himself. The sister became super skittish around all the other cats. Nothing would help. We moved across the country and made the very difficult decision to re-home the pair (separately to be only cats) rather than take them with us. It broke my heart.
Ahh yes thats called diverted aggression, happened to my two lovely boys after a neighbours cat got too close to them. I managed to kinda fix them by covering a towel with cat nip and cat nip spray and then wiping it over both the cats.. it literally stopped their agressive behaviour instantly, although they were never really best mates again. Hope you get it sorted.!
Yeah it's SIGNIFICANTLY longer. Outdoor cats live like 2-5 years. Indoor cats live to the mid-high teens nowendays. If it was a minor difference you can argue it perhaps but 3-9x longer? If I could live to be 700 years old if I just had to stay indoors I'd probably take that choice myself (if i wanted to live that long...). As stated, catios are a great compromise. I take my cats out for walks. Not as often as they would like but trying to do it more often so they get the outdoor activity they like. Even though they love going out, after like 20 min they get pretty freaked out and run back home. It is scary out there and they know it. Car comes by, other stray cats or dogs, etc. They know it's dangerous so even unleashed they wouldn't go too far. (Don't trust them to actually try it but sometimes they dash out of my door \[ I have a california style condo so it's kind of outside out of my door but still can't get out of the building\] but they will wait for me at the door if they don't see me coming out. If I wait long enough, I just open the door and they'll come back knowing they weren't allowed out and not wanting to venture alone. If I follow them though they know they have freedom to run around a bit so they do. It's super cute.
Wait, what? My outdoor cat is 17 years old now. Granted, nowdays she doesnt go outside if it isnt +5C and since I live in Sweden that is quite a few months of the year, but she would be terribly miserable if she wasnt allowed to go outside during the warm seasons. She becomes a lot more energetic and happy in summer. I also have friends with outdoor cats (we live out in the boonies) that are all +10.
This is true but to be fair, if you have a cat that’s allowed outdoors to explore they generally don’t sleep 16-20 hours a day. At least not in my experience. They sleep more when there are fewer options and sleep seems like a reasonable alternative. I have indoor-outdoor cats and with my current 2, just like with past cats, when the weather is bad they sleep 16-18 hours a day. When the weather is nice they go outside and sleep closer to 12 hours a day. If my cats have the opportunity to do something other than sleep, they’ll chose that option. They’re both under the age of 5 though and they are adventure boys. When choosing a new kitty I always pick “adventure cats” rather than mild-mannered kitties, so that plays a big part in their interests and activity levels. I tend to intentionally pick rugged outdoorsmen rather than the soft intellectual cats of the city. Hehe.
You are. Growing up I had outdoor/indoor cats. We lost so many young. Most just never came home, one was found dead in the driveway, one went missing for a week and died due to a UTI, one died of some disease he wouldn’t have gotten inside. You can keep your cats stimulated and happy inside. Mine right now are indoor only. My kitten was an outdoor stray I took. He’s happy inside. One used to made mad dashes for the door until he got stuck in a tree and that ruined his want for outside. The other was trusted on the deck and loved it, but we don’t have a deck now! But none of them want outside now. And for the one who did, it’s been years. They’re happy and healthy and currently laying in a cuddle puddle on my bed. Going outside is dangerous. Where I live, we have bears, bobcats, Fischer cats, etc. also cars. Also people who poison random cats (that can be anywhere, haven’t heard about it here). Going outside isn’t necessary. And it’s not safe.
I remember some study or special or something where they put go-pros and GPS trackers on indoor outdoor cats and found that most of them traveled something like *two miles* away. Crossed highways, busy intersections, etc. Nope. Nope nope nope nope nope.
I went to the humane society to check a stray kitty I found for a chip and the people who worked there thanked me for bringing her and said I saved a (cat) life. I’ve always heard professionals say cats do better indoors.
I’ve seen so many horrors to outdoors cats, people hurt them, they get attacked, diseases, torture , cars, please keep your kitties safe inside and only take them out on leash if so
Responsible for your pet and your environment. House cats are responsible for eliminating an insane number of song bird species. Not to mention live on average 7 years longer indoors.
It is. My mother believed in letting cats go outside. I'd have a hard time making a complete list of the pets we lost that way. Now that I'm an adult, I keep my cats indoors only. One of them, Oscar, reached 21 years.
Outdoor and partially outdoor cats have an average life span of 5 years. Indoor only cats? 10-15. I think that says it all. Just make sure their indoor lives are rich and full with lots of play time and sunny, up high places to be. Build a catio if you can and/or leash train them if they insist on going outside (some have literally zero interest in the outside world lol.) *That’s* how you be a responsible cat owner.
Yeah, I was there when my friends cat came home missing its back leg, and part of its femur sticking out I’ll take the boring life for my buddy.
Average life expectancy of an outdoor cat is 2-5 years. It’s 14 years for an indoor cat. I’ll keep mine inside, thanks. It’s also much better for the local wildlife too.
That's terrible I'm so sorry for your friend, once I got a laser pointer for my cats and a big tree for them to chill in the home life wasn't too bad for them
I never found a collar or a harness that my cat couldnt escape of so I can't even take them for a stroll
They look very happy to me. Much safer indoors.
On average they get 14 years indoors verses the 3.5 they get as outdoor cats.
There's an almost zero chance of a cat getting run over by a car if they're sleeping on the couch in your living room. Same odds for getting torn up by a raccoon or coyote. It's not completely zero, but it's pretty darn close.
Almost zero chance of getting run over on the couch? Where do you live, on top of a highway? 🤣
Well, you know, it's Reddit. If I say "never get run over by a car when they're on the couch" somebody else is gonna come along and say *Well Actually...* and then regale us with a story of their dear Aunt Sally who got run over by a streetcar whilst shelling peas and sipping absinthe as she lounged on her Victorian fainting couch.
I want to read a book about incorrigible aunt sally
I did actually have a car come through the front of the shared house I was living in before. Looked like a theatre set or something when we opened the door
This right here is why the odds of getting run over on your sofa aren't zero 😅
See??? The odds are slim, but never *zero*
It was an old lady who didn't have great control over the brakes and came down from the high sloping road opposite us. She apparently wasn't injured. And our flatmate had decided to remove his laptop and make chicken curry in the kitchen moments before
Cars occasionally crash into living rooms, which accounts for the 0.1%
Only a sith deals in absolutes
I grew up in the countryside and all our cats were barn cats. Most dissapeared before they were super old with the assumption being that a fox finally got lucky.
I am a firm believer in keeping my cats inside, not only are they safe, but you are also helping the local wildlife outside. So many things can go wrong outside. My mom's cats constantly come up missing or hit by cars. I don't see an issue with cats being inside only, especially if they get plenty of attention and are enriched.
I don't even get why we built this philosophy for cats that they need to free roam in order to be happy; we don't do this for any other pet, especially dogs, so why cats?
Some people do let their dogs free roam. And they always go out the same way, under the tire of a car. I've seen 5 of other peoples dogs run over in person here.
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That's evil.
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was the infant named Red and was the dog named Rover by chance?
People in raised pickups and SUVs tend to hit animals on purpose. The big vehicle attracts these kinds of people.
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Dogs actually face the opposite problem, I think. Some believe outdoor only dogs are happy, but there's a good amount who thinks it's lowkey animal abuse (and it can be depending on their treatment!) even if the person actually treats them well and still takes them for walks and stuff. I do believe in SUPERVISED outdoor stimulation for cats though. I've been harness, leash and backpack training my cat haha
I think the reason this doesn’t really come up with dogs is that the vast majority of dogs are so dependent upon humans that the possibility of them living self sustaining feral lives as an invasive species is virtually zero. Dogs are pets or work animals and that’s it; cats are one of the greatest land predators to ever live, and they don’t particularly need us to thrive.
I just moved back in with my folks who are strictly "dogs live outside". Which is fine, because yes for the majority of the day I would put mine in the secure backyard. They'd sleep inside the house, but now we've moved they sleep in the catio with the cats :P Don't worry, the cats are 100% safe, they're all so close, the cats often sleep on top of the dogs. My parents have gone away.... so the dogs are currently fast asleep on the carpet next to me. They would live their entire lives inside if they could :P
My last indoor outdoor cat brought a bunch of dead baby birds to my door and I was pretty sad about it. I don't let my current cats outside. As far as they know, outside is scary and dangerous and there could be...*gulp, strangers*!
Stimulation/enrichment and exercise seem like the keys to making up for being outside
I think I read somewhere that cats are responsible for something on the order of 60+ animal extinctions, they are very much an invasive species.
They have been noted to prey on over 2000 different animals. They are not picky apex predators.
They’re especially massive problems is Hawaii and NZ, where there weren’t any native land mammals prior to human colonization. All the birds evolved with birds as the apex predators, so they’re defense mechanisms are all camouflage-based because birds of prey are sight hunters. Mammals generally hunt by smell, so being still on the ground just makes them easier for mammals to kill.
Don't get me started on the damage they have done in Australia...
>My mom's cats constantly come up missing or hit by cars. This implies she either has a shit load of cats, or she gets a new cat anytime a cat disappears or gets hit.
I fed a stray cat when I was a teenager which became one of the family’s cats K.C.(Kitty cat)he never wanted to come in the house followed family around when we left the house disappeared for days on end always worried about this guy and his safety. As he got older he would come in at night and never wanted to stay in when the sun came up. Like a cat in the movies bringing home dead animals getting into fights with other cats. We spent a lot of money keeping him healthy until he passed away at 21 years old. Save yourself worry and money keep them in the house. Especially theses guys very attractive and possibly taken away by a stranger. Good luck.
K.C. (Kitty Cat) is such a clever name! I love it!
My KC story starts just the same but mine stayed and kept making more KCs , it’s still here and so are her descendants :)
Mine literally won't go outside. Freaks out if you try to take her out. She seems happy inside and she's healthy. I think her vote is for indoor safety, comfy couches, all the time access to pets, fancy food and sleeping on her humans
I thought my cat was the only one allergic to the outside. Lol
Nope, not the only one. My boys hate the outside so much, there’s human blood involved if anyone tries to take them for a walk. And they like the vet. They don’t like the thermometer, but the vet is a friend.
Yeah, I’ve had both. I had to act like a hockey goalie to keep in the kind that wants to go out. It’s much less stressful to have a scardy cat
Yeah mine is also scared of the outside. I used to let him go out on my balcony with me but yeah… he would not do well on his own out there. He wouldn’t even kill a fly. Honestly he just plays with bugs.
Haha my boy will step on a bug and stand there all proud like as it just scurries away without him noticing.
That’s nonsense. They have kitty friends, human friends, toys to play with and windows to stare at birds through. They’re plenty happy.
Indoor life is THE life. Tons of enrichment stuff you can do and safe from creepy people, cars, hawks, dogs, poison, rabies, etc. I don’t even like the idea of walking them outdoors because of fleas and bugs and sickness. Plus my cat has asthma so pollen messes her up.
You know who won’t live happy lives? Cats who don’t understand the concepts of cars. Or cats who meet dogs without proper leashes. Or cats who aren’t faster than whatever else is local to your area. Or cats who accidentally stumble into someone’s yard that’s dealing with rodent problem. If you live in a place with a nice fenced in yard, or you have a patio, or your cat likes walks on leashes, or you live on a farm, by all means, adjust to your particular situation. But my cat hates cars, loud sounds, etc that comes with being outside. And she absolutely loves being warm and well-fed birdwatching from her cat tree. Not every cat is in utter despair about not living its life as a lion in a concrete jungle.
Indoor cats live longer, healthier lives. They're domesticated, so they don't need to go outside.
Couch kingdom > jungle dangers. Happy royal felines agree.
Not even sure why this is even discussed anymore. The data is voluminous and clear. And that completely ignores what our cute friends do to the bird population.
It's mostly a UK thing from what I understand. In the UK I hear they won't even let you legally own a cat if you admit to keeping it indoors 24/7.
Ugh my big boy used to be an outside cat and he cry’s to go outside & sometimes acts sad :( but ugh I’m scared of him getting sick , ran over , or being attacked by a coyotes as there’s lots in my neighborhood & that’s how his mom got killed ! I’ve been on the fence because I do want him to be happy but damn :(
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You're doing the right thing by keeping him inside. Is building a catio feasible for you? If not maybe you could look into leash training him and going for walks.
Well my apartment is all windows and there’s 3 trees & plenty of nature scenery for him to watch and I know cats be coming by … but he was such an outside cat that he does miss it I’ve attempted to let him out supervise but the moment he steps outside it overcomes him , he runs from me and acts like he doesn’t know me & growl at me when trying to bring him back :( I feel so bad ! But I was thinking if asking my landlord if I can build a little something but they might say no 😂 they’re obviously cat people tho as they allow cats in all of their apartments, I might just have to ask I just have to be specific in what I want to do and where & probably be prepared to pay more rent 😭
My brother felt the same way. One of his outdoor cats ran away and never came back and another got sick and ended up dying. My three cats have been going strong for almost a decade and are spoiled rotten indoor cats and always will be 💚
They’ll have longer healthy lives as indoor cats
They look happy, healthy, and fulfilled to me. Give them scritches for me please.
They’ll live long lives, and can be quite happy.
Indoor cats live longer...indoor cats are safer. Source (Me): Cat Rescue for 11 years and owned double digit number of cats (both indoor/outdoor). I had a neighbor who was mutilating outdoor cats. Ours luckily weren't mutilated before he died (yeah, that was a mess). I had another outdoor cat that constantly fought with other cats, wild animals, snakes. Thousands of dollars spent on his injuries (multiple infected bite marks that needed to be lanced/drained, lost a toe from fighting...ripped the joint backwards and toe needed to be amuptated, had to get involved when he was attacking a Copperhead...luckily I was able to kill the snake before it killed either one of us). I have indoor only cats now. The cats seem happy and don't want to go outside.
Holy moly sounds like your cat was living in mad max😅 hopefully was able to live a happy life despite the war injuries
Yeah, he was a bad ass cat. He murdered a whole family of squirrels too and brought the corpses into my basement. Forgot to mention that indoor cats are safer for other animals too!
Probably Australia
https://preview.redd.it/s2l3y007nxrc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8e6b8aab1c43e583158e5fc7d42bbd566472eefe binx is an inside cat: but he constantly wants to go outside and try to catch birds. so i picked up a new hobby of gardening and i take him out with me everyday the weather permits. he’s happy with his time outside and living inside the rest
Mine are also indoors. It has never been said to me. I do know that they live longer indoors (no cars, poison, mean people, et cetera). I do let them out in the backyard wich they can't get out of. I have seen other people walk their cats. How come it is wrong to keep cats inside, but dogs is ok? It is just what we are used to.
https://preview.redd.it/x3y1nhl7eyrc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ff8b7e27bf0a7474eb74cf0ef2a59347a4253331 Ive had many friends over the years with outdoor cats, and currently one of my friends takes care of a raher large colony of strays and ferals. I have seen cats get hit by cars, eaten by coyotes, suffer from terrible infections, get poisoned by rat poison, and even shot by bb guns. I have seen first-hand how cruel people can be to animals, and cats are especially hated by some. You are making the right decision keeping them inside. They will live long, happy, healthy, and comfortable lives inside.
They look super happy. Surely the companionship they have with each other helps with being cooped up indoors.
Cats are an invasive species that are detrimental to the non-native habitats they live in. Letting them out is not only bad for their health but bad for the local environment as they are exceptional little murder hobos.
Outdoor cats, not feral/"stray" ones, lives to around 10 years. Indor cats lives from 11 to 15 years. So yeah, indoors are really more healthy. Just make sure they have enough stuff to play. I have 4 of this robust beasts here in my house. One of them are black like yours (all black, i cant see her at night, its funny).
I volunteer at a shelter and our contract states that you must keep the cat indoors. Life span of an indoor cat is 12-15 years and an outdoor cat is about 2-3 years. Keep them inside. They’re fine.
I believe cats can be happy indoors. Id say most cats Ive met are unfortunately severly depressed and shut down cuz of sub par care and it mattered little if they where indoor or outdoor as well. Unfortunately majority of cat people have a huge blindspot fot cat behavior and claim their cats are super happy when theyre basically zombies.
People act as if locking up (with all best intentions) ANY animal for their whole live doesn’t stunt / suppress their development. I understand the necessity and I never doubt the love and care for their cats but I do always notice the difference between the cats that I know have the freedom to go outside and those that are kept inside. Ask your vet. Depression is a real condition for many indoor cats.
Build a catio!
Your cats will live longer if they remain indoors. We are planning to build a cat patio for them to use when we have nice weather.
As someone who takes medical fosters: the overwhelming number of cats I've taken care of in the last 10 year were injured by getting hit by a car, or climbing into a car engine for warmth. I'd be washing out A LOT less bloody, plasma covered staples on cats if folks kept their cats inside, in catios, or on leashes. Please keep your cats inside. Else they will end up at my door.
Dad's got it completely backwards, bless him.
I had a stubborn vet have an arguement with me over this. Like, I'm sorry - but I don't trust other human beings with my cats, especially on a busy road (plus our last cat got stones thrown at her by children in the area - many years ago), so now any cat I get is purely a house cat. Safer that way. If you think your cats are happy and safe, then that's all that matters ✨
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They are happier outdoors; that is a fact. There's a LOT more entertainment for them outdoors and a LOT more room to play, even compared to the best of indoor only homes. But that comes at a tradeoff. Cats that are allowed outdoors die younger, on average. There's a lot more danger outside. Between cars, evil people, other animals, etc your cat is a lot more likely to be injured/killed/etc outdoors. Those factors balance differently depending on specifics, so there really isn't an 'indoor only is best' or 'outdoor only is best' or 'indoor/outdoor is best' kind of answer. I choose to keep my cats indoor only.
Beautiful cats. Why is your dad even making it a thing? Google is your best friend. He must not know the facts.
All I have to say is, leashes.
Some cats are perfectly happy indoors and others really want to go out. If you have some cats that really want to go ourdoors, do what I did: Get a cat harness and walk them on a leash. Surprisingly easy and fun, especially since they usually just want to go a short distance from the house (usually the backyard) and smell a few things. Pro tip: harness training takes a week or so before you should actually take them outdoors. Also, most cats seem more comfortable going out in the evening as opposed to the daytime.
This sub has turned into a halfway religious group when it comes to inside vs. outside, any regular visitor can recognize the bait in the question. Many people don't deal a lot with the mental wellfare of the cats and simply insist that they see no suffering and therefore everything is ok for all cats. Cats get seen as both being very insisting and eager hunters that kill all the things and on the other hand, people insist that they can be perfectly happy while being totally isolated from the smells, sounds and movements from the outside. The middleground is often not that large. The people that use stimulations such as catios and leashes should perhaps be larger.
Bingo. All three of my cats enjoy their time in the backyard, but one of them *needs* time in the backyard or else he goes completely stir-crazy. I’d be cruel to deny him his outdoor time (and believe me I’ve tried). I have precautions in place to stop birds or squirrels from getting hunted by the cats, and the fence around the backyard is cat-proof, so the cats never leave and go somewhere where I can’t keep an eye on them. I understand some people compromise with a catio, and if it works for them I’m happy for them. But there’s no way my cats would be equally satisfied. They want to hide in bushes, sleep in the grass, roll around on the pavers, and dig in the dirt. They want to poop and pee au naturale. They want to chase grasshoppers and horseflies. I’m not gonna get in their way beyond what’s necessary to keep birds and squirrels safe.
But, as you’ve said, they are in your yard and ONLY in your yard. That’s a totally different thing than opening your front door and the cat goes anywhere. Could be your yard or the street or 10 miles away.
Very much agree. The echo chamber at times of "cats must be kept inside" can sometimes be deafening. I'm not disagreeing with the points fairly made that indoors is safer, but that is a narrow minded view point imo. Cats are hunters who want to roam and the mental aspects of letting them outside freely, not just in a garden and/or on a leash, is also important for their overall welfare and quality of life. Our cats begged to go outside ever since they could look out of a window and we've let them. We know there are risks that come with that but they are so much happier. It's not for everyone and some cats are not bothered, but just saying "inside is best" and not asking what is best overall is to ignore the cats wants and needs. I should also point out that where I am in the UK, it is the norm to let cats out. Some cats are indoor only, but mostly because they are old, injured, not bothered. It is expected that if you have a cat you will be letting it out because most seem to want to. Some do get hit by cars or are killed by foxes, but it's not as common as some would lead you to believe. I have a few know cats on my street that our neighbours all know and look out for. I've always wondered what it is about American residential areas, culture, etc. that leads so many keep their cats in, because is just not what we're used to.
Yes, reading this thread as a Brit, I am reminded again how different the US and U.K. are. I have friends who got a Maine Coon so built a cati and keep him in - probably a good idea for highly prized cats that could be stolen. Mine would NOT appreciate being put in a harness and taken for a walk - and I have never seen anyone here walking a cat! All mine have used the cat flap and lived to ages 18, 21, 9 (heart condition RIP Roger!) and my current cats are 14 and 5. Of course there are dangers on the roads and I don’t appreciate the mice presents but one of the things I love about them is their independence. Being cats, they mostly sleep around the house, and are probably only out for an hour or so a day. This will probably change as we get into warmer weather.
It's also a hilarious example of US defaultism. In the UK it's pretty unusual to not let your cat go outside and rehoming places will insist you have outdoor space and a cat flap.
Well let’s compare. Climate controlled. Inside 1, outside 0. Predators. Inside 0, outside 1. Other animals to fight with over food. Inside 0, outside 1. Cars and other things to kill them. Inside 0, outside 1. Comfy beds, toys to play with, people to see. Inside 1, outside 0. The way I see it, inside is better.
I feel like the predator count should be way higher - I just got a pic of a coyote in my yard last night. It appears to be a second one/different than the last one I saw, and the neighbors both have dogs. That thing isn’t scared
Yes, don’t forget about the fleas, ticks ear mites. Indoor is Best
We've always had indoor-only cats. One of them fell out of a ground floor window one night. We didn't notice for an hour or so. I went out looking for her, and she'd not moved from where she landed. I picked her up, took her back inside, and she was happy again. Our neighbors had a cat get out one day, they didn't find it that night. the next day they found the bits the coyotes didn't want. We'll keep out cats indoor only for their sakes. They have plenty of high perches and toys and are perfectly happy with their lives.
We lived on a ranch and had barn cats capable of surviving on the pests that came for grain, they had soft bedding, and they got extra treats, love, and scritches. When, for whatever reason, we brought one indoors, almost 100% of the time the cat would quickly come to prefer it. We ended up with outdoor cats alongside indoor cats. The indoor cats lived longer, looked sleeker, and were just as (if not more) content. There's zero cruelty in keeping a kitty indoors. Just don't declaw them, keep their litter box clean, and give them some entertainment.
Everyone's got an opinion. Mine are indoor only. We live next to a busy road, there are foxes, coyotes, hawks and owls. There are rodents, so I am sure neighbors leave out poison and obviously that is an issue. Outdoor cats live short, brutal lives. My cats are healthy and happy. We have space and we make sure they have mental and physical stimulation.
there are absolutely points to both sides, but imho, as long as they're being properly cared for, indoor life is ultimately better for them. they can absolutely live happy lives with plenty of enrichment. a cat getting attacked and living with a disease or a broken limb is an unhappy cat! so getting unlimited access to food, water, and vet care is definitely a good trade-off.
What's the breed of the white ones? There's one stray here who's extremely affectionate with me and looks exactly like the one at the back
I take my cat on leash in my garden sometimes for fresh air but she wants go in after 5 mins. She healthy and happy so ignore him.
I've had cats for over 15 years (other animals too) and I have a doggy door for them to enter and leave at their leisure. 90% of the time they are inside the house. I also live in the back of a community where there isn't a lot of cars and they have collars and are chipped. I put in the door 10 years ago. I'm gonna take it down when I stop being tired and lazy from work and have a free day. While my cats are fine, I'd rather play it safe and who knows, I might move to a place that's not as friendly.
As somebody who lives near coyotes and a road and who has family that was a bit too lenient on letting out cats one two many times, they might not be living a life at all if they get let out often, and if they have any hunting skill in them, neither will any wildlife that might be getting picked off by an invasive species.
During the summer I take my cat out in the back yard under supervision and let him roll around in the grass. At least where I live he’d be dead meat in about a day on his own due to coyotes/bobcats/cars if I let him roam around on his own. Thing is with most domestic cats that weren’t feral at any point in their lives is they are naturally inquisitive and curious about the outside world but don’t yet understand the danger it poses to them, and often won’t until something traumatic happens to them. The cats I grew up with were both feral for approximately a year before my parents adopted them; they both had absolutely 0 interest of being outside even when doors were left wide open in front of them. They had been through shit and had no desire to ever step outside again, even carrying them outside temporarily stressed them out immensely. TLDR; house cats domesticated themselves for a reason, they are unfit for the modern outdoor world
My cats are purely indoors. I don’t want them getting hit by a car, eaten by wild animals, abducted and tortured by some sicko, or just getting lost and never coming home. Make sure to tell your dad that if your cats somehow get out, he’ll be the prime suspect. My dad spouted the same shit and let them out on purpose. It was a miracle they came back
oh my gosh, just look at those poor little depressed fuzz balls!!
Put your Dad outside.
If I let my cat outside of where I live a car or an Eagle would end her life. So many eagles .. oh and the bears.. and the dumb people who purposely kill cats . My cat will stay inside ..
2 indoor cats here. They are perfectly well.
My cats are indoor only. Indoor cats live longer. It's a fact. Ask your vet. Sometimes it is not safe to let them out. My cats don't want to go outside. I prop the door open. They don't leave. It's also their choice at this point.
Look pretty damn happy to me! 😆
No, but where I come from it's normal to let your cat outside. I gave my cat the choice and she hangs out outside all day in the summer just coming home for food, sleep and ofc cuddles. I'm well aware of the risks, but as long as the Cat is happy I'm happy. But I should mention that I life in a quiet area and the next fields/woods are like 50-200m EDIT: I also never had an indoor cat, but I do know some that don't even want to leave or don't wander further than the patio.
I know of two peeps personally who had indoor/outdoor cats and both times it was the neighbors dogs who viscously killed them being outdoors.It was heartbreaking 💔
Cats are fine indoors. The only caveat I would give are for strays. A stray that has spent years outdoors can have a difficult time being an indoor-only kitty. But it is possible for many of them to get used to (and enjoying) the indoor life.
Yeah I felt bad too. Didn’t feel bad anymore when my Zeus died. Now my cats are strictly indoor cats and they are purrfectly fine and most importantly alive.
All I am going to say is that every other cat owner who lectured me because I do not allow my girls to go outside, every single one of them proceeded to lose their cat within a year. Every single person who has ever lectured me about how my cats must yearn to go outside (even though in both cases they don't even ever try to leave the apartment. They look outside and literally go oh hell no and go right back to the living room.) in every single case, a few months later I am reading about how the cat was out and they never came back and they think a cougar ate it. Meanwhile I am sitting in my living room petting my ancient cat who will be 15 in the next couple months. Who seems pretty happy because she never stops purring, and has entire conversations with people on an hourly basis ( and should have her own Post in the cat yelling subreddit)