In Or Out?

[kmsmith]

It depends on the circumstances and what you think is best for, have read a lot on this recently and it seems in cases where they might be rivaled by other cats it can be kinder to keep them indoors and save them the stress of fighting for territory..

There's a good book by John Bradshaw called Cat Sense that covers a lot of stuff like this and it's really worth a read for any cat lover.


Think it's too subjective for there to be a right and wrong answer
xx

 

[Merlin77]

It depends on the circumstances and what you think is best for, have read a lot on this recently and it seems in cases where they might be rivaled by other cats it can be kinder to keep them indoors and save them the stress of fighting for territory..

There's a good book by John Bradshaw called Cat Sense that covers a lot of stuff like this and it's really worth a read for any cat lover.


Think it's too subjective for there to be a right and wrong answer
xx

Yeah I've read Cat Sense (twice, actually, it's a good book!) and his advice and knowledge is great.

 

[rubysmama]

I voted for Ruby, so went for "yes" as she is perfectly content to stay inside.

I just posted about her in the Can A Home Cat Survive If Released In The Street? so won't repeat myself, but Ruby was taken to the shelter by a woman who rescued her from the street. I think Ruby's bad experience outside taught her that inside is better. In the 4 years I've had her, she's gone as far as sticking her nose out the open door, but that's it. She's content to be an inside cat, which is exactly the way I want it.

 

[Margret]

They are allowed outside in the garage sometimes.

Be careful with cats in garages, though. Our garage has oil on the floor from years of having cars parked there, which occasionally had oil leaks. I can just imagine Jasmine deciding to roll on the garage floor and getting that stuff in her coat .

There's a lot of coyotes and other predators here in the US, and cars. All my childhood cats disappeared, except the one who got hit by a truck. It's the not knowing that hurts, they don't come home to die and you never know what got them. Only two of my cats lived until 10 or 11 years old, the rest disappeared pretty young.

The only cat I've ever had that I trusted outside on her own was Sweet Thing, and she'd been living outside before she came to us; she knew how to avoid cars and predators.

Jasmine wants to go out, but when I take her for a walk on a leash she suddenly gets frightened, of all the wrong things. A car driving by a block away? Scary. A neighbor who wants to admire the pretty kitty? Scary. Big bunny rabbits with back legs that could disembowel a cat? Prey!! There's no way I'd ever try to transition her to an indoor/outdoor cat, except with a catio.

Margret

 

[maggiedemi]

Yeah, I don't really like letting them out in the garage, but they love it so much. The car isn't in there right now, but we will be putting it in there soon when the weather gets bad. I try to walk around the car when it's in there and make sure no leaks of anything.

 

[Cataria]

I didn't vote because I think it really depends on the cat and even the situations they've lived.

All my cats are indoor only. All of them like to look out the window at outside, but only two of them, the most bold and outgoing ones, have ever been interested in actually stepping out the door. Shade will just roll around on the porch for awhile and want back in. Henna I don't trust at all because her idea of an outdoor adventure was sneaking out the second story window in the middle of the night and exploring the rooftops... XD Total heart attack fodder!

Some of my cats are former strays (one I'd even still consider mostly feral), and they are terrified of outdoors now -- they like looking out the window, don't get me wrong, but they run from the room if they see the door open. One of my former strays, Peridot, made me feel so sad for him -- he was a very visible, friendly stray that was hanging around the neighborhood for a few weeks/months. I took him in at the end of August and verified no one was looking for him. Anyway, some of my neighbors who used to pet and play with him when he was still a stray were wondering how he was doing, so I took him outside over to their house so they could see him. The moment I got him outside, he was so scared! I put him down and he ran back to my house; I think he was afraid I was throwing him out! My heart totally broke for him, especially because I think, taking into account his estimated age (7 years), his friendliness, and the fact that he was already fixed, he was abandoned. The poor guy!