Exterior kitty doors...are they a good thing for outdoor kitties?

[terianne]

My answer is no.  We went to the expense years ago to add a kitty door and built it into the back side of the house on the deck.  This is when we had more kitties and used to let them go outside.  

Every morning we woke up to find yet another little critter that fell victim to one of our kitties attacks...  Let me see here...there were birds, mice, chipmunks, snakes, frogs, shrews, bunnies, squirrels  and more that we had to either chase to get them out of the house or pick up the remains.

Not to mention one night, we had a raccoon we named "couch boy" because he'd sneaked in every night to invade the cat food bowl and then we found him lounging behind the sofa one cold wintery day...LOL

Well...we finally closed off the kitty door for good.  Lesson learned...  Our kitties are indoor kitties now.

 

[yayi]

It is common for indoor outdoor cats to bring in their prey. They are gifts and/or trophies to be shared with you. 

 

[ettina]

My cats are indoor/outdoor (well, the kitten is indoor-only but will go outdoors when she's older) and we never use a cat door. They have to ask us if they want to go out.

Partly, it's because here in Canada it gets pretty cold in winter, and a cat door would cool our house down quite a bit. But also because of the issues you described. I'm fine with my Katrina being a huntress, but I don't want her gifts indoors. And I certainly don't want to let in unfamiliar cats or other animals. I think Katrina also appreciates her house being off-limits to neighboring pets. (Even if she is mad about us getting a kitten!)

My Dad has fantasized about making a microchip-detecting cat door, that can tell who's trying to get in and only let our cats in. But I'm not sure I'd want a cat door even then. It's nice to know where my cat is, and it's simple to decide to keep her in for a few days (eg if we're going on a trip).

 

[terianne]

It is common for indoor outdoor cats to bring in their prey. They are gifts and/or trophies to be shared with you. 

Yes, our kitties loved us very much and brought in many, many "gifts"...LOL Some of those gifts were left in very inconspicuous places and only found once the rotting smell became so strong only then they were found. Thank goodness our kitties are all indoors now and the cat door is a thing of the past. :lol3:

I think the worst gift ever brought in was the snake that Daisy proudly held in her mouth as it curled itself up around her face...YIKES!