Feeling bad/having "cognitive dissonance" about having an indoor cat

[Nekochi]

I have an indoor cat who gets an 1 hour walk a day, on a leash. I do my best to make him happy.

However, I live in the Nordic countries and indoor/outdoor cats vs. indoor-only cats debate is going strong here. I have also read some studies that suggest letting your cat roam free because it is just better for their mental health. Even some vets recommend you to let your cat roam free. I get so often comments like "wHy dO yOu imPriSon yOur pOoR cAt" and "hArnEss wALkS aRe jUsT nOt eNoUgH."

And yeah. I sometimes just feel like getting a cat was a mistake, because I obviously cannot let him roam free because I live in the city. He isn't even 1 year old and he already seems so bored; just eats and sleeps and begs for food. He is sometimes interested in the playtime but it takes a lot of work. We try to play with him every day, though. We hide and throw treats as well, but we can't do that as much because he is already a bit overweight. Puzzle feeders are used almost every time he eats.
I really don't know what to do. Should I just rehome him and give him to someone who lives in the countryside so that he can live life more suitable for cats? Or should I just take him outside more often or get him a friend?

 

[maggiedemi]

I would get him a friend cat to play with if you can. I wouldn't let him outside though. Too dangerous with wildlife & cars.

 

[jenny2035]

If you aren't terribly attached to him, I would find him a home in the country. If you can't bear to part with him, get him a friend - make sure its the opposite sex and give them several weeks to warm up to each other.

 

[tabbytom]

I have an indoor cat who gets an 1 hour walk a day, on a leash. I do my best to make him happy.

However, I live in the Nordic countries and indoor/outdoor cats vs. indoor-only cats debate is going strong here. I have also read some studies that suggest letting your cat roam free because it is just better for their mental health. Even some vets recommend you to let your cat roam free. I get so often comments like "wHy dO yOu imPriSon yOur pOoR cAt" and "hArnEss wALkS aRe jUsT nOt eNoUgH."

And yeah. I sometimes just feel like getting a cat was a mistake, because I obviously cannot let him roam free because I live in the city. He isn't even 1 year old and he already seems so bored; just eats and sleeps and begs for food. He is sometimes interested in the playtime but it takes a lot of work. We try to play with him every day, though. We hide and throw treats as well, but we can't do that as much because he is already a bit overweight. Puzzle feeders are used almost every time he eats.
I really don't know what to do. Should I just rehome him and give him to someone who lives in the countryside so that he can live life more suitable for cats? Or should I just take him outside more often or get him a friend?

There are many one cat only owners and I'm one of them. It is safer to keep the cat indoors rather than the outdoors as indoor in safer than the outdoors. A cat that living outdoors have a worst mental health as compared to the cat living strictly indoors because a cat that is living outdoors have to battle with the elements and also fend for himself and get into fights band get killed by cars and cat haters that kill cats and this all this does not contribute to the mental health of a cat.

A cat that is strictly indoors can be happy. A cat that is indoors have someone to love him and that makes the cat happy. The normal life of a cat is eat, sleep and play. 5 to 10 minutes a few times a day of play will keep the cat happy. Just like humans, a cat needs love too and that's where the cat gets from his owner.

Have a cat tree at the window for your cat. A window is a cat tv for cats. He can watch the world go by and that will entertain him too.

My boy is strictly indoors and I play with him a few times day depending on his mood. Sometimes he does not want to play at all. He sleeps several hours a day and that's normal for cats. He never goes outside. He is very happy being indoors.

Rehoming a cat is very stressful for the cat as the cat may not adjust to the new home and environment and that'll be bad for his mental health. Getting a friend for him may work and may not work because of all the introduction you have to make and if goes well, it's good and if it does not, it is stressful both for the cats and yourself. I'm not discouraging you of getting a friend for him but I have to state the truth. Not all introductions are successful and you have you accept it.

If he likes his walks and you don't mind that if that keeps him happy, keep walking him on the leash. Other than that, strictly indoors for a cat is not an offense.

 

[Nekochi]

Thank you for your inputs. No, I am not gonna let him outside by any means.
I am attached to him, but all I can think about is his happiness.

 

[KittyFriday]

My cat is indoor-only aside from supervised time outside. He spent about the first 9 years of his life as an indoor/outdoor barn cat ("indoor" was the barn). Having grown up in the country with all of our cats in that arrangement....Friday was darn lucky to make it those 9ish years before I brought him indoors. He had food, water, shelter, and vet care but it's a rough life and there are a lot of dangers out there.

Sometimes I feel a little guilty, but he's almost 13 now and I really don't think he would have made it this far if he were outside. He does like to go outside, but doing it in a safe way is paramount. I live in an urban area now and so many cats that are allowed outside die young because there are just so many things that can harm them.

Outdoor cats are terrible for small wildlife too; Friday's pretty lazy anyway and has never been much of a hunter, but in general they are absolutely terrible for birds, rodents, and reptiles.

I've always been kind of fascinated by people that are really blasé about their dogs/cats and just let them do whatever and take a bunch of risks. Probably because I've seen firsthand that when things go wrong they often go very, very wrong so I just don't take the chance.

 

[ArtNJ]

Indoor cats live longer, thats been studied. There are millions and millions of indoor cats that dont get to go for walks, and if they have an engaged owner, they are plenty happy.

Its true that indoor only cats have some boredom when young, and do tend to get inactive as they age. Happy, but inactive - on average. If your really stressed about doing the right thing and your cat is young, you could consider getting a playmate. Young cats accept new cats a higher % of the time then older cats do.

Its funny how perspectives differ. Tons of people on this forum had indoor/outdoor cats die tragically. I'd say the majority opinion here is that indoor only is better. But if you live in a country where there are a lot of folks in rural communities without a lot of car dangers or dangerous predators, I get why folks might have a different view.

Many of us torture ourselves over things without good reasons so I get it. But you dont have a good reason to beat yourself up over this. Your an A+ cat owner, that is clear. Work on accepting that. The world will find ways to kick us sooner or later, so we have to work hard not to do it to ourselves.

 

[danteshuman]

If you can, build him a catio and hang some bird feeders by the catio.

That said I lived in DK. During the winter you would see a single short trail of paw prints in the snow into the yard, and back to the house! The cats were going out, going pee and coming right back inside where it was warm! During the warmer months we saw them less.

 

[Nekochi]

Thank you for your kind words everyone <3 I really appreciate your comments and inputs. Maybe I am just being too harsh to myself.

If you can, build him a catio and hang some bird feeders by the catio.

That said I lived in DK. During the winter you would see a single short trail of paw prints in the snow into the yard, and back to the house! The cats were going out, going pee and coming right back inside where it was warm! During the warmer months we saw them less.

I wish I could build him a catio! But I live in an apartment. :/
I am from Finland and it's pretty same here! xD He doesn't really appreciate this cold autumn weather and that makes entertaining him even more difficult.

 

[rubysmama]

He isn't even 1 year old and he already seems so bored; just eats and sleeps and begs for food.

Sounds pretty normal for a cat, actually. However, it is true, indoor only cats can become bored. TCS even has an article on the topic, that you might find helpful: Bored Cat? What Cat Owners Need To Know (Including 10 Actionable Tips) - TheCatSite

Also there's this one: 7 Proven Ways To Get Your Cat To Be More Active - TheCatSite

And How To Make Your Home Bigger (at Least For Your Cats) - TheCatSite

As for those negative comments about you keeping your cat safe, try to ignore them. Many years ago, my family had a cat that wasn't even a year old get hit and killed by a car. It was absolutely horrible, and could have been avoided, if we'd just ignored his desire to go outside. Back then, though, indoor/outdoor cats was the norm, probably like it is still in Finland. Hopefully in time, more countries will come to realize that keeping cats indoors only makes sense on many different levels.

 

[Alldara]

Thank you for your kind words everyone <3 I really appreciate your comments and inputs. Maybe I am just being too harsh to myself.



I wish I could build him a catio! But I live in an apartment. :/
I am from Finland and it's pretty same here! xD He doesn't really appreciate this cold autumn weather and that makes entertaining him even more difficult.

If he will tolerate a jacket, you could consider walking him twice daily like a dog. Magnus loves to jacket up and go on a walk.

A cat bed by a closed window is great as well. Many cats all over the world have cozy apartment life and learn how to occupy themselves.

A friend would be great for him! Keep at the enrichment items, and check out other ideas as well.

Not every day will be easy though. Magnus has currently been yelling since 9:30 as he'd like a walk that shouldn't happen until 16:30.

If you have a balcony you can use chicken wire to allow him out on it safely.


Even here in Canada I've had negative comments. I lived in a rural area and a neighbour shot my indoor/outdoor cats as a child (we rushed him to surgery and one was okay, one wasn't). I'll never be able to be convinced to let them out unsupervised as a result.

 

[FrazzledMumbly]

Some cats are less active by nature! My boy is definitely the type to nap all day and play in slow, short bursts apart from his little night zoomies- but I offer play time multiple times in the afternoon and his needs are met.

My housemate's cat of a similar age is the opposite. He will do backflips off the walls and play fetch any time of day or night. He'll bring his favorite toy from across the house and toss it around himself if nobody's free to do it for him.

A nice window view, cat tree, and maybe some bird videos while out of the apartment can go a long way in keeping a lazier furchild content. If you have the space and your cat likes others, I def agree that a second cat is optional but always a good idea.

 

[Caspers Human]

It's YOUR damned cat! As long as you aren't abusing it, treat YOUR cat the way YOU see fit!

No! Keeping a cat indoors is NOT abuse! Every cat I have ever owned, for fifty seven years, has been an indoor, house cat. They were all happy, healthy and well-adjusted. I've never had a problem.

If somebody else doesn't like the way you keep your cat, tell them to GO FLY A KITE!

 

[arr]

Every indoor/outdoor cat I’ve ever had just one day “disappeared”. Whether they just wandered away or were killed, I will never know. I’ve never seen any of them live to a ripe old age. Most people I know with outdoor cats have had the same experience.

I don’t do indoor/outdoor anymore. Better to be bored and a little overweight than dead.

Your cat gets an hour walk everyday, that’s amazing and very stimulating and that in itself goes a long way, even if you do nothing else. Very few cats get walked. If he likes walks, maybe he will like going for rides with you when you run errands. Maybe you can get one of those cat backpacks and he can be an “adventure cat”. Put up bird feeders in windows, get some tall cat trees, if your apartment allows you to hang things, get some cat shelves and make a cat highway. Buy some cat tunnels, save cardboard boxes and packing paper for him to play with. If he isn’t a year old yet, he will most certainly accept a friend of around the same age. Personally I would get another boy for him. Boys are more laid back than girls, in my opinion, and their play style is different than girls. Girls like to hunt and catch toys, boys love to chase and wrestle, generally speaking.

I also feel that indoor only cats are more attached to their owners, not quite as independent, which I like. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad about your choice. I feel that people who let their cats out are either not very attached to their cats (would you let your dog or child out, especially in a city, to just roam around for several hours or overnight unsupervised? I didn’t think so) or they have not yet had to face the tragedy of seeing their cat hit by a car, dead from rat poison or antifreeze, or mauled by a wild animal, or just disappeared, and you never get any closure. So while they are still living in la la land, don’t let them get to you.

 

[IndyJones]

I will just leave you with this.

If anyone tells you off for having an indoor cat just show them this.

 

[chou_chou]

In my own opinion, letting them outdoors would indeed be better for their mental health. Similarly, us humans reverting to our outdoor, hunter-gatherer lifestyle is also probably better for our mental health even if we die earlier from curable diseases or trauma. But I think after so many years domesticating cats and creating these unsafe populated areas, leaving cats and their prey (birds, reptiles) vulnerable to injury & ecological damage, letting them freely roam is not the best choice long term even if means they are less stimulated by their environments.

We have to weigh the pros and cons unfortunately. If I had cats living somewhere like a farm in Iceland, where they’re unlikely to come across many densely populated areas or predators, I would probably let them out to go mousing. They get into all kinds of scuffles even without those threats though, with other cats and even birds…one of my outdoor cats was constantly going to the vet for injury from crows some instances were pretty severe and she ended up missing when she was 7 years old.

 

[catloverfromwayback]

Twenty years ago my five cats in suburban Australia were indoor-outdoor most of their lives. No car accidents or worse, thank god, but one was in so many fights our vets joked they'd be building a new wing of the clinic because of all the money we spent getting him patched up, and another was such a hunter she once killed nine birds (that I knew of) in a fortnight, and a third once spent weeks lock in someone's garage because she went poking in when they were putting furniture in there and got too scared to come out.

My current pair have always been indoor only since I adopted them. Phoebe is nine and Daisy six. They sleep the day away (as is normal for cats) and are quite likely to start cavorting the minute I turn the lights off. Phoebe likes to chase shadows (we have almost daily health visitors who happily indulge her), her two toys occasionally, or her tail. Daisy is much more sedentary. She's a clingy cat; if I'm on the bed with her, she's happy.

The official attitude in Australia (city councils etc) is very much that cats are required to be kept inside. I know people who let their cats roam, and these days I side-eye them tbh.

 

[danteshuman]

Bird feeders by a window is magic. It entertains cats like nothing else.
squirrels love unsalted walnuts and unsalted peanuts so those are bound to attract squirrels
I buy hog bird food (bird food coated in chili oil) so squirrels (& all mammals) will leave my bird food alone.

If you have a balcony you could let him out on the balcony in a harness/leash. Or take him for a daily walk at the same time every day. …. If you want to commit to that.

 

[IndyJones]

Bird feeders by a window is magic. It entertains cats like nothing else.
squirrels love unsalted walnuts and unsalted peanuts so those are bound to attract squirrels
I buy hog bird food (bird food coated in chili oil) so squirrels (& all mammals) will leave my bird food alone.

If you have a balcony you could let him out on the balcony in a harness/leash. Or take him for a daily walk at the same time every day. …. If you want to commit to that.

The squirrel buster feeders work well too. I have also uses the caged feeders which also keep crows off.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Although both danteshuman and IndyJones are absolutely correct in keeping squirrels and crows out of bird feeders, if the MAIN concern is amusing your cat, both squirrels and crows (or any of that family) are HIGHLY entertaining for cats to watch.