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Post by Yuka on Nov 1, 2006 12:16:23 GMT -5
I've heard a lot of different things about this. Now, I don't agree with keeping a cat entirely outdoors... but I also believe that, in the right circumstances and if the proper precautions are taken, cats should be allowed to roam at will. Maybe this is because that's what we did with Misty - we had her spayed and fitted her with a loose bell-collar, took her for a walk on a harness and let her play in the garden whenever she wanted. Now she pretty much owns the neighbourhood (or she thinks she does!). Since her vaccinations are up to date and we live in an area far from any real roads, I never thought it would be a problem... but one of my friends said it's cruel to let any pet cat out of the house for any length of time, and that those who do shouldn't be allowed to keep cats. For my part, I think it's okay to let cats outside as long as the danger is absolutely minimal... it allows them to get exercise and meet other cats in the area. I was young when we got Misty (not that that's an excuse)... I'm curious to know what other people here think about this.
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Post by nocturne on Nov 2, 2006 12:48:48 GMT -5
I believe cats should be allowed to go outside...but kept within a certain area. Looking through the window, I can see the remains of what a neighborhood cat caught sitting on a chair cushion.
I have nothing against cats. However, I have EVERYTHING against what cats can sometimes do.
Confused? Of course you are, don't try to hide it. And I quote (With partial editing):
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Post by Kiddo on Nov 2, 2006 13:17:29 GMT -5
I believe it depends on your location. I think certain areas can be dangerous for cats - for instance, I live in a college town near some very busy roads and party avenue. Nemo is very friendly and can remove his collar at will (oh, I tried to keep the thing on him) so if he were to go outside I'm certain that some student would take him home and keep him. Furthermore, there's a good chance he'd get run over. Finally, he's not very street-savvy and I imagine if I let him outside I'd never see him again. There have been a couple locations where we've allowed our cats to go outside. In Texas we had outdoor cats and nothing happened to them (they kept the deadly snake population down so the neighborhood loved them) and then in Connecticut we had them outside. After Merlin vanished for three days and then came back with a pretty badly injured leg (we're not sure what happened to him) my parents decided to convert the cats to indoor animals. Those that were still street-smart enough were allowed outside, those that weren't were only allowed outdoors on leashes. When we moved to Ohio the situation was such that we couldn't let them outside. The neighborhood had primarily dogs, there were too many cars, and the atmosphere was just completely different. So we have kept the cats indoors ever since. I believe that some areas are safe for cats to be allowed outdoors and some cats are smart enough to be safe about it. However, I myself would never allow my cats outdoors. I would worry far too much about their safety, no matter my location. Argon got stolen. Rat got hit by a car. Something hurt Merlin's leg. All of my grandma's outdoor cats were killed by a bobcat within the space of a few days. And altough we've had plenty of cats that have been outdoor cats and were fine I just wouldn't want to risk something happening to my Captain Nemo. There is the exception of some cats that just can't be indoors cats. Eme went insane from the stress of being in a house, vanished for three years, and is back now as an outdoor only cat. My parents got her vaccines and feed her but we can't bring her indoors again. Some cats just can't handle it but those that can I belive should be kept indoors for their safety. |
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Post by kamikatze24 on Nov 2, 2006 16:03:53 GMT -5
I agree with Kiddo. It depends on the cat.
I can't keep my cat in my apartment only.
We (that is, my brother and my dad) once tried to lock him into our garden; they spent one day fixing the gates to my tom-cat couldn't get out. He spent the whole day watching them, then jumped over the hedge XD
So we gave up the project and let him go. We couldn't keep him home, he started to get wild, bumping against the doors, windows, scratching at them, meowing and rambling around.
On the one side of our house, there is a big, frequented street, on the other hand, a huge park with gardens. In all the - now 12, I think - years he lives here, he only came back (probably) hit by a car once. He is very intelligent, so he seems to be aware of the danger. But since from time to time some cars also pass the park (there is a sports center in it), he may have also got hit by that.
Oh, yes, and he got cat-napped once, but luckily we found him again in the pound. We had just spend 100 Euros vaccinating him, and could pay that fee again... But now we're smarter, and he wears a collar with our telephone number on it and the massage "cat gets home by himself". Since then, nobody has tried catnapping him again.
On the other hand, the kittens my brother has (he has his own apartment) are so stupid they'd never survive the wild. They sure do need more space to roam about than his flat, but there is no way they can get it - would you let them free in my place, they'd surely run onto the street and get killed by a car.
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Post by Kat on Nov 3, 2006 1:32:16 GMT -5
[shadow=purple,left,300]Yes, I agree that it's all in the cat. You might want to keep your precious Persian indoors for most of the time, but rambunctious little alley cats need space to move and mark their territory. Our cats are merely strays that wandered in and decided to settle, spending a few nights out visiting some friends.
Then again, our street isn't a very busy one, thus not too dangerous for cats (but still dangerous nonetheless if a van just happened to be speeding in this part of town). It also depends on the surroundings - if you live in a very busy suburb where cars run to and fro, or where dogs, stray or otherwise, abound, you might want to keep your cat within a certain space where it can still be free to play around and explore and at the same time stay within your sight.
Oh, and if you like letting your queen (that's a female cat) explore farther reaches than your backyard, it might be a good idea to spay her so that she doesn't bring home unwanted kittens, unless of course, you do plan on having kittens in your house. And when your cats do come back from their leisurely stroll, check them over for wounds or small cuts that may need attention, or anything that just doesn't seem right.[/shadow]
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Post by Huntress on Nov 7, 2006 10:54:26 GMT -5
This whole discussion seems a bit strange to me o0 You tend to sound like cats cannot be kept indoors-only at all. Well, they definitely can, providing they get enough attention, and they won´t be unhappy that way. If it´s not safe to let them out, why do that?
It kinda depends of how you\'ve raised the cat. Our late cat lived indoors for all those six and a half years of his life, minus the time he came camping with us. There was a time when we tried to let him out, first he was scared, then went all crazy and started asking out all the time. It passed after we didn\'t let him out anymore, though. And our new kitten lived outdoors for the first two months before we got him (and I know that one of his little siblings died under a truck shortly before) but now he\'s indoors only and has no problems with it either. When they don´t know what to ask for, they won´t ask for it.
Now the female of the neighbors is a different angle of the story. She used to go out. Brought home several sets of kittens. I don´t know what they did with the kittens and I don´t wanna know either as our hometown has no veterinarian and that family is Russian (shallow, I know, but I´ve lived my whole life in this town and I do know what that nation is like >>) But later they stopped letting her out and she only got to the balcony . Our balconies are connected so eventually she started coming in to our flat and sitting by the front door asking out. And she kept jumping up to the doorknob in attempts to open the door. Result? Most of the doorframe is horribly scratched. Eventually I got sick of it and cut the cat\'s claws. The neighbors haven´t come complaining yet xD Good for them, as I know which doorframe will then be showed to them >>
To sum the whole ramble up... take care of yer cats, peoples. They can easily be kept indoors-only, they\'ll just need more attenion in that case. They´ll also be just fine when let outdoors, they´re independent enough for that, but in that case you indeed need to make sure that roaming the streets is safe for them. (And have them fixed. The poor kittens don´t deserve that.)
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Post by Komori on Nov 7, 2006 22:37:21 GMT -5
It's funny. No one ever considers letting their dogs loose outside without leashes.
I personally hate it when people let their cats have roam of the neighborhood. My mom has a bird-friendly garden, and there've been some cats using it as their personal hunting grounds. When my mom found a dead chickadee in the yard, she had to stop feeding the birds so the cats would go away.
And we think cats got to the wild rabbit family that was in our front yard.
I'm sorry, I don't think people should let their pets hunt. Period.
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Post by Tdyans on Nov 7, 2006 22:47:46 GMT -5
It's funny. No one ever considers letting their dogs loose outside without leashes. You'd be surprised.  But you do have a point. While most places have leash laws for dogs, not much seems to be expected of cat owners, at least in terms of there being legal consequences for anything that they let their animals do-- probably because dogs are generally more of a potential danger to humans and pets. But cats allowed to run loose can cause their fair share of problems. |
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Post by Nimras on Nov 7, 2006 22:48:44 GMT -5
I've fought, and I've resisted... But I have to post it.  From my four indoor - only cats.... |
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Post by insanepurpleone on Nov 7, 2006 22:55:31 GMT -5
I think it's okay to let cats outside as long as they'll be safe. My cats live outside because my dad won't let them in the house, but they've been okay for the most part. I live in a pretty rural area, and the road in front of my house gets very little traffic. We did have troube with coyotes a few years ago, so we tried to keep them in the shed at night, and a few have been hit by cars, but for the most part they've been okay.
If I lived somewhere where there was more traffic or where they would be more likely to get lost and taken, then I would feel that they needed to be kept inside most of the time purely for safety reasons.
I would prefer that my cats be allowed inside at least part of the time, because then I'd feel they'd be safer, but I think either way they should be allowed both if it is possible.
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Post by breama on Nov 8, 2006 15:49:48 GMT -5
I think it's ok to let a cat outside if it is neutered or spayed, has not been de clawed, has a collar of some sort, does not live close to a busy street and is smart enough to stay away from things such as cars and ill tempered dogs. For me, though, it is a risk I am not truely willing to take.
Cats love to go outside. Cats can love it inside as well. Our cats are all very happy inside. We keep the windows open so they can bask in the sun. We do take them out from time to time but we watch them and they don't venture from the yard. A car or someone they do not know starts to come inching down our rural road, they run inside. They're spoiled rotten as they should be.
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Post by kamikatze24 on Nov 8, 2006 16:22:23 GMT -5
But cats allowed to run loose can cause their fair share of problems. What kinds of problems? Okay, cats may scare away the little birdies or attack rabbits. And people who keep rabbits should lock them in anyway (at least into a certain fenced area, I mean, not necessarily a cage). But cats aren't the only predetors around. There are also coyotes, foxes, martens, buzzards, stray dogs, etc. etc., (depending on where you live). A couple of stray cats on the street don't do much harm to people, not even to allergic one, nor do they leave traces to step on like dogs do. Cats get rid of mice and rats. This was the very reason why we even got ourselves a cat, not only because my brother and I wanted a pet. |
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Post by Nimras on Nov 8, 2006 16:33:51 GMT -5
Cats can spread parasites.
Cats dig up gardens, and eat plants. (Prized roses seem to the the problem in my neighborhood)
They kill local wildlife in huge numbers. Since they're in a higher concentration than true 'wildlife' is in, it's actually a huge problem.
They cause car accidents when then bolt out onto the road.
Cats fight with other neighbors cats -- vet bills and lawsuits are not fun.
Cats use neighbors yards (and flowerbeds, or childrens sand boxes) and their own personal litter box.
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Post by Schefflera on Nov 8, 2006 17:02:11 GMT -5
But cats allowed to run loose can cause their fair share of problems. What kinds of problems? Okay, cats may scare away the little birdies or attack rabbits. And people who keep rabbits should lock them in anyway (at least into a certain fenced area, I mean, not necessarily a cage). But cats aren't the only predetors around. There are also coyotes, foxes, martens, buzzards, stray dogs, etc. etc., (depending on where you live). A couple of stray cats on the street don't do much harm to people, not even to allergic one, nor do they leave traces to step on like dogs do. Cats get rid of mice and rats. This was the very reason why we even got ourselves a cat, not only because my brother and I wanted a pet. The cats people let roam around my parents' neighborhood deposit foul-smelling urine, feces, and discarded, chewed, rotting prey on other people's property. They jump up to leave muddy footprints on cars. They enter the territory of properly restrained pets and harass them. One entered a fenced yard containing an eighty-pound dog and picked a fight. I am not terribly impressed if cat owners are arguing that cats should be allowed to roam free while other people restrain their pets, whether it's to protect the cats or to protect them from the cats. Especially since if you can't keep your cat inside a fence, you should be able to predict that it's not staying outside other people's fences. |
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Post by kamikatze24 on Nov 8, 2006 17:37:16 GMT -5
No, actually, I live in an area whithout any stray dogs. My cat and two others are the only "stray" ones, and nobody has complained about him ever since I thought him to not mistake the play sand box for a litter box.
Now that I read your comments, I can understand you. I just tell you, it is impossible to keep my cat indoors. We've tried for about a year, and gave up. He's always up-to-date vaccinated, castrated, wears an anti-flee collar, he's house-trained and keeps the rodents away from our house (we had great problems with mice before his time). And I HAVE tried using a line, like with dogs. He managed to wriggle himself out of it even when we were afraid he couldn't breath properly. As long as nobody complains about him and he's clever enough to come back home every day without getting overrun by a car, I think it's OK.
It depends on where and in what situation you live.
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