Is it okay to let my cat outside once or twice a day?

[RJD]

I have a new cat. Cute guy. We are in the country and he is indoors wuite a bit. Ive started letting him outside a few times a day where he explores the garden area, chases a few birds, and stays close by the house. The sentiment in the family is that by letting him out these few times I am confusing him. They believe indoor cats remain indoorsand outdoor cats remain outdoors.

Thoughts and comments please?

Thanks in advance. Be well

 

[misterwhiskers]

I wouldn’t let him loose. Can you build a catio?

 

[Kat0121]

I wouldn’t let him loose. Can you build a catio?

I agree. Being in the country doesn't guarantee safety. There may not be any or as many cars but there are other dangers such as predators. You can train him to wear a leash and harness or if you are able, an enclosed area. You can also get a pet stroller and take him for walks.

 

[neely]

Welcome to TCS! Congrats on your new cat. My first question before thinking about letting him out would be is he neutered?
If not, TCS has an Article that discusses the importance of spaying/neutering a cat:
How Much Does It Cost To Get A Cat Fixed – Cat Articles

This subject comes up rather frequently and I thought a few of these threads might help you to make a decision one way or the other:
Letting My Inside Cat Go Outside?
Are You Supposed To Let Your Cats Outside?

 

[r-kins]

Can you take him out on a harness? It's a good bonding activity for person and cat, and a lot of cats really enjoy it. You can keep him safe while also enriching his world.

 

[Hellenww]

It's not a simple question. There are considerations: How old is he? Is he neuteered? How long have you had him? Do you have predators? Does he seem to have common sense?

I let my indoor cats come outside if I'm out and keep an eye on them. I think of them like toddlers. Everything is interesting but since they are indoor cats they have no experience with outdoor dangers or know how to avoid them.

 

[RJD]

Thank you very much for the feedback and for everyone who has taken the time to respond.

Ill be reviewing all the great information shared.

Thank you. Be safe and be well.

 

[ArtNJ]

Well...indoor/outdoor cats are a well known thing. There are millions of them. Three or four in my little neighborhood alone. So your family is not well informed about that.

As far as whether its a good idea, well, sometimes they don't come back. Cars, predators or just getting lost. Sometimes they come back with nasty wounds - quite often from fights with other cats. Mine (when I had indoor/outdoor cats) were cowards and retreated to the house at the first sign of an invader, so they have never had wounds. A neighbors indoor/outdoor had a nasty wound though. And there are always fleas and ticks to think of. I've never had an issue with fleas, but my random suburban town certainly has ticks, and the indoor/outdoor cat definitely brought them inside. And I definitely had to go to the doctor and get antibiotics for a tick bite. There are definitely people that don't notice a tick bite (you don't always get the classic bullseye rash) and have very nasty complications. If folks get to telling stories, lots of folks on here lost cats to predators, cars or for unknown reasons in the past, and that is why they don't approve of it now.

And sometimes years go by and everything is fine and the cat really enjoys being outside. The dead birds not so much, but it is up to you whether you care about that.

Personally, I'm of the belief that if there are no predators, and not a lot of traffic, its not an unreasonable thing per se, but I'd still only recommend it if there is a specific reason for it. For example, a rescue that is really pining for the outside a lot more than usual, or inter-cat fighting that you just can't solve caused by one cat having too much energy. Doing it by default seems like unneeded risks to me. I wouldn't rationalize it by thinking the cat always stays by the house or there are no real risks, because in time your cat will likely wander further. Your risks may be smaller than average, and may be acceptable to you, and that is fine, but certainly understand that the risks are there.

YMMV.

 

[Caspers Human]

I'd say that it's your call. Let your cat live indoors or outdoors as much as you want. He's your cat. You decide.

Since you live away from the city, it's probably safer but, any time a cat goes outdoors without supervision, there's always a danger from predators, diseases, injury, cars and mean-spirited people. These are just the risks you take. Fact of life.

The only problem that I see is that, with most cats, once they get a taste of the Great Outdoors they'll always seem to want to go outside. The more they go out, the more they'll want to go out. It's natural for cats to act this way because they want to maintain their territory.

It would be better if you have a fenced in yard. If you don't have a fenced in area, you can build them a catio.

Bottom line: Indoors is better but it's ultimately your decision.