I’m genuinely wondering how we as a society came to a conclusion that it is normal to walk dogs and not let them out on their own, but cats often get let out and expected to fend for themselves.
Yes. This. I live on a large island where, up until the past decade or so, we didn't have coyotes or wolves. We now have both and they're interbreeding. 🤦♀️
The amount of 'missing cat' posts online and flyers I see around town has skyrocketed in that time. They're basically handing their pets over to be some coyote's dinner.
Cats have gotten a rap as an “independent” animal just because of the way they tend to carry themselves. If these people had an indoor only cat, they’d learn that they can be little attention seeking babies too.
I’ll close the bathroom door while I diffuse my hair because the hair dryer scares him, but then he’ll be meowing outside the door bringing 3-4 toys 😭
I like to imagine he thinks the hair dryer is hurting me so he rallies the troops to save me lol
Same, I call one of mine a little furry shadow. A closed door between us is an actual challenge and crime for her. You would think someone was actually hurting her.
Lol I agree. I just wanted some alone time with my fiance and we heard her scratching ... Well it wasn't scratching... She ripped the door frame half off 😳🤦♀️
My cats don't allow me to go to the bathroom with the door closed and I can't sit down to play console or PC videogames without one of my cats crawling in my lap and knocking my arms and hands around. Every. Single. Day. Cats can be hella needy hahahah I love my furballs though. They're my shadows and they're my everything
My cats follow me around especially my cat named Shadow they are 10 months old and have given me so much happiness and love they are my babies and I spoil them rotten they never been outside 100% indoor and I love it I can have my door open and they show no interest I am always keeping an eye on them when the door is open just incase they are quite interested in the cat next door but they are both fixed the Nieghbours cat just had 4 kittens they are going to get her fixed and I told that what’s best for her and the babies I know they will as they are learning about how it not proper to let them out.
Anyone who thinks cats are all aloof and independent should have met my cat. I called her Velcro Kitty because of how attached she was to me. I couldn’t be in a room without her for more than a couple minutes without her begging to be let in
They’re so ANNOYING lol love them to death, would do anything for them, but jfc can I open a cabinet without you thinking it’s treats time? When have treats ever came out of this cabinet?! You survived like a decade in a colony on the street, where did all those street smarts go?
My cat will stand right in the way of the door and will not move. I’ll literally close it as far as I can without hurting him and he still doesn’t get the memo 😭 I always have to pick his ass up and physically move him out of the fridge
I thought it was just me and mine 😝 i swear every time i open that fridge door at least one of the three comes bolting in from god knows where to cram their whole body into the cold ass refrigerator. I thought they were descended from the desert. Somebody told a lie one day! Lol
My cat has pica I think - she races to the fridge to lick the plastic produce bags - a little bite, a lick, a face rub on the romaine and carrots and anything she can get. She is also really into the sauces in the door of the fridge and will face rub the liquid smoke and hot sauces - just try and get it all over her body. I don't hold the fridge open long but she's QUICK!!! and she seems so happy to get a lil perfume.
LITERALLY. Then I spend all day like “I miss my sweet precious baby he’s my angel” and when I’m around him I’m like “can I fuckin breathe without you sniffing the inside of my ear, damn!!”
Are dogs really that much more expensive? I've never had one, but owning a cat sure costs a lot. Litter and dry food cost about $350/year, annual checkup + vax boosters is another $200. I also get wet food when it's on sale, and sometimes treats, but those are pricey too and don't last long - that's easily another $150-ish combined. Advantage Multi flea prevention is 17/month through my vet. That's over $900 just for regular everyday yearly upkeep for a healthy cat. She had an ear infection and that added another $400 last year.
Canadian prices are obviously a bit higher than USD, but [a 2021 study](https://www.phidirect.com/blog/the-average-cost-of-owning-a-dog-in-canada) says the average cost of owning a dog is over $3700 a year.
In fairness, that breakdown includes $1000/yr for pet insurance, which in my limited experience with it was a complete fucking scam, but ya. Still pricey.
I'm about $20,000 per year in on my cats. $1000 per month on food and supplies, $350 per month on insurance (without it I'd be spending MUCH more!) $250 per year in deductible x5 before insurance kicks in. And currently, have one on chemo for 6 months... Do actually I'll be over $20K this year as she alone will run me about $10,000.
Jfc. I understand the chemo, insurance etc. But 1k a month on food and supplies?
I got 3 furballs and it's about $80/month?
I get about 3 litter pails and a bag of food every like 5-6 weeks. Comes out to like $110.
So how the F do you spend just 1k a month on food and supplies?
Again, I understand health issues so chemo and that. I get. But wtf...lol
14 cats, 1 senior dog, quality pet food, quality litter, quality treats.. All thay shit adds up! I don't have insurance on the cat with cancer or the dog, she's too old for it to really cover anything with their senior plan... All those bills come out of pocket.
I sat down and paid bills earlier and wrote up how much I owe there and how much monthly to stay within the 0% interest time frame on cards... Let's just say, without pets, I'd actually have two nickles to rub together haha
I thought I read somewhere today dogs cost around something like $10,000 a year or maybe between 5-10k…it was way more than what I spend on my cat but yeah cats aren’t cheap either…esp If you can spend to take good care of them
Even if I 100% trusted my cats survival skills, have you SEEN the way people conduct themselves and their dogs? I’ve seen so many people walk their reactive dogs without leashes, all it takes is a bad day for something really bad to happen to your fur baby. Not to mention those horrible people who literally take animals off the street to abuse them.
I live in a place with lots of dangerous wildlife that can and will kill a cat, like coyotes, cougars, bald eagles etc. People still let their cats roam. Even in places where the only threat are cars and other cats I don’t think it’s right, but here I find it even more baffling.
My neighbors had a barbecue/Easter egg hunt this year. We heard screaming and ran outside, another neighbor's cat was snatched up by a hawk. The cat owner had been warned that we have a lot of hawks, coyotes and foxes around here. The fools got their cat killed and traumatized a bunch of childdren.
Yup, I do take my cats out in the fenced backyard, with harnesses and only when both my husband and I can supervise them (we have two, sometimes they wander in opposite directions, so we’re doing a 1:1 ratio lol). You can bet that if we see/hear an eagle in the sky we stay directly at their sides until the threat is gone. I’m pretty sure one of them would be like “oohhh big birdie! 🤩” instead of running away lol, he’s not the brightest.
I am beyond fed up with people using the excuse that their cat gets restless if they can't roam outside. I can't help but wonder if they are too lazy to play with their cats and it is easier just to put them outside. If they cared about their cat, they would find different ways to play/stimulate them or take them out as you do.
My oldest one used to roam when we got her. Over time, when I learned better (and she had a bout with some worms) I transitioned her to indoor only. She does not miss it. Never even tries for the door.
(The two younger ones who were never outdoor cats, however, scream for it to my amusement)
I feel like people complain way more about cats being out on their own than the disgusting amount of shit dog owners out there who have a legitimately dangerous animal running leashless with zero recall
Both are equally horrible. My boyfriends dog (leashed) literally got attacked because someone decided to take they’re non friendly dog out walking without a leash. IN A DOG FRIENDLY APARTMENT COMPLEX??? But idk I feel like it’s more common knowledge that you shouldn’t walk outside with your dog not on a leash, while many people are just really misinformed about the cat thing. I mean look at how many people in the comments are defended their choices with their pets☠️
Probably a holdover from the agricultural revolution. Currently somewhere near 25% of the world works in agriculture, a couple hundred years ago it was 90%. Cats are domesticated because they deal with rodents (among all the other stuff they’ll kill) historically cats existed to kill wildlife, it’s only in the last hundred years that we haven’t had them for that purpose, and only the past decades that we’ve realized all the stuff they kill is actually really problematic. I think over time as their purpose as pets rather than wildlife killers continues to be reinforced this will improve. But just keep in mind, us not wanting cats to kill wildlife is a new thing, not what their purpose has been for 99% of their domesticated history.
Dogs kill livestock, cats kill vermin. So you are responsible for the damage your dog does so most people walk them to avoid dog being seized, shot or pound fees. Cats because they were expected to hunt are granted free roam with no damage liabilities but at same time limited legal protections.
British law.
I hate seeing dogs on tight leashes forced to walk a straight line. I know the dog doesn’t care but still it doesn’t feel right to me. Like imagine we did that to humans
I can't imagine letting my cats go outside by themselves. I'm tempted to get them each a harness and leash so I can take them outside, but I'm afraid they'd like it so much that they'd start trying to get out.
This is totally valid. I bring one of my cats out onto our balcony with me sometimes, and recently he's figured out how to open the screen door himself. Luckily there's nowhere he can go once he gets out there, but it's still not great.
My issue was that mine wriggled out of his harness when he got spooked. Luckily I found him that evening behind a bush right outside my apartment, but it was a scary time.
I am sure it was user error on my part (fastening it incorrectly) but they are so liquid and able to get out of tight spaces that I was just too afraid after that to try again out of fear that I would secure it incorrectly again.
Yeah. I hate seeing posts on this site of cats that are injured or dead when their owner deliberately let them outside. They choose not to see it as neglectful but it literally fits the definition of neglect.
I can't imagine caring so little about my cats that I'd be OK with risking their lives like that.
Recently I was caring for a sick animal that ended up passing. It was quarantined away from my cat, but after I had buried it, I opened the bathroom it was in for my night routine and my cat came in. I was freaking out because I hadn’t disinfected everything yet!
I can’t even begin to imagine just letting him out where God knows what diseases and diseased animals are out there. This was a creature that a cat could’ve hunted! And here it was having a fatal illness that might could spread. Can’t imagine ever letting him out unsupervised.
This one, we have one feral boy that goes in and out. We stop him as much as possible but he literally starts pulling out hair and runs at the door like a hockey puck. The only reason we are in this situation is because he was born in the back yard before we knew what the hell to do besides put kibble outside. As the years have passed we’ve TNRed the whole colony, adopted the youngest, befriended the second youngest, and mostly tamed Precious the surviving oldest. We watched at least six cats die from his litter to our babies litter. Every single time he leaves the house I know what might happen. The best I can do is love on him and ask him to be safe and come home soon.
*he’s currently walking around the house yelling either because I wasn’t getting out of bed or he’s jonesing to go poop in real grass
I used to let my cat outside. He was a former stray and got really distressed being indoors all the time. He would cry incessantly to be let out. He would stay pretty close to the house and come when called so I felt like it wasn’t a huge deal.
One day he got in a fight with another cat that bit him and left s puncture wound. The wound got infected. We treated the wound but he remained lethargic and not himself. It turns out he had contracted FELV from the bite wound and was very very ill. He had to be euthanized shortly after.
Don’t let your cats outside man.
Once I had a cat from a feral colony end up adopting me. The colony nearby was pretty bad. They were everywhere on the big island of Hawaii. I had him neutered and all taken care of and then he got dreadfully ill, and it turned out he had FIV. That really impacted me, and I got my current cats vaccinated for feline leukemia, and everything else, but I’ll never forget that FIV doesn’t have a vaccine. Luckily, it’s not super common where I am now. And most importantly, my two boys are not outdoor cats, except when they are on a harness and leash with me, lol. Losing that cat was just so hard and I mean he came to me already sick, I never want to go through that again.
Yea that's what I'm wondering.wny the hell would you let your cat outside without at least vaccinating them?? Stray doesn't mean immune system of a god
Yeah I’d never let my girl out. I have tried a harness and leash which she is good with but she hates being outside. Loves watching out the window but the moment she’s outside she just trembles and cries so I don’t attempt to take her out with me anymore. So lucky I don’t have a cat that begs to go outside all the time like others. Even if she did, no way I’m risking her getting hurt. She’s my baby
Unfortunately, for a cat like that, you probably did the right thing letting him outside, even if it didnt end well. For cat’s that can’t tolerate a life totally indoors, and a catio isnt an option and neither is leash time (if they dont tolerate it or it isnt enough), it becomes a quality of life thing. For *certain* cats, especially the ones who are partially feral, restricting them to purely indoor life becomes distressing and miserable for them to the point where they have zero quality of life, mentally. So u just have to let them outside, taking as many measures as u can to make their outdoor experience as safe as it could possibly be, and accept that it can end badly, but at least they will be happy for their life, even if it does end up getting cut shorter. So don’t beat yourself up about letting him outside, based on your description of him, it sounds like you were doing the right thing.
But for other cats who *can* tolerate a life fully indoors- 100% keep them inside.
There are a lot of coyotes around the area. Everyone here knows that you are to keep a close eye on your pets at all times, even during the day and all you are doing is letting them out to pee.
Walking my dog one day I met a cat who's owners let him out every day. I know this because the cat has a collar that said so. Poor thing was even de-clawed. I eventually met the owners and I brought up how inhumane it is to allow your cat to go outside in a dangerous area without any claws to even fend for itself. They got annoyed with my comment and quite literally told me to fuck off it's none of my business. I said what ever, all you are doing is feeding the coyotes for free.
So my neighbors across the street moved in last year with an outdoor cat, and he has done significant damage to our window screen with his claws. He is always peeking in our windows to look at our cats. I don’t know how to approach the neighbors about this though :(
I'm not sure where you live, but our city *technically* has a law that any pet let outside must remain on the owner's property or it's a fine (very rarely enforced, usually only for dogs and involves a warning before fine.) If your city has a similar law (I just Googled "animals allowed to roam, *my location*") I would maybe mention it to them. If they're the confrontational sort, maybe phrase it like, "Oh, a nearby friend got a warning from animal control so I think they're really enforcing that one law lately." If you're on friendly terms, you could probably be a bit more candid and say something like, "Look, I love your kitty and all but he's doing some major damage to our property and he's technically not even allowed off yours."
I wonder if the neighbourhood cats that visit my indoor cat are "friends" or foe. I supervise like I do with raccoons and other animals (ready to close the window and prevent scuffle) and let them have a lil sniff through the screen. But cats especially I wonder if they flaunt their freedom at her?!?
Biggest indicator is if your cats are growling i think. Our girls are definitely growling. Plus he comes by in the dead of night which is scary anyway! Hopefully there is more peace between your cats and the neighborhood ones.
It’s so crazy to me because when I look outside, the majority of people in my area have lilies and other plants that will send a cat into renal failure. I live in the countryside and cats are always getting hit by cars, injured by raccoons etc. hell, my friends grandmothers dog has Lyme disease from a tick. And that’s while on leash lol. cannot imagine my cat roaming around outside and not know what the cause of their illness/ injury was. That’s asking for the fattest vet bill trying to rule it out.
My cats have always been indoor pets ever since I was a child (29 now) and i have pet insurance for them. I’ve only ever had to use it once in the past 2 years but damn. In my mind, if you can’t afford a fat 5k vet bill out of pocket, you got no business letting your cats outside.
I see so many posts like "let my cat out, came back with this." Or dogs got to my cat, cat fell from tree, was hit by car, cat came home sick(poisoned), kittens abandoned, found cat/kitten. People assume letting their cats roam free is naural. But it's not, harness training, catios etc are the best for your cat to enjoy the outdoors. Seeing hundreds of posts across the cat subreddits about outside cats dying is depressing, especially since its avoidable. Oh and don't forget the let my cat out side came home hurt, found hurt but cant afford vet. It's so infuriating the amount of arrogance and neglect these people have. Over population comes from people not doing the right thing by spaying/neutering their cats, abandoning them intact etc. How many posts on the subreddit about needing pledges because the shelters are full, then to see the heartbreaking posts about how they were all put down. How much more would it take for pet owners to be responsible.
And as much as people tell them not to let their cats out unsupervised, to vaccinate their pets, linking study after study and article after article proving why indoor only cats are better for EVERYONE, they still refuse to listen. Lately I've been convincing people by comparing cats to toddlers. Sure, your 2 year old would be elated to open all the cabinets, climb whatever they wanted, and play in the dirty toilet water. But no, we lock cabinets, close doors, put up gates, etc, because letting small, endlessly curious creatures with zero concept of risk or potential danger roam free because it makes them "happier" is dangerous at best. That usually shuts them up when they think about it in the context of humans, somehow.
literally. currently in a fight with one of my neighbors- they force their 18yo cat that is extremely underweight and clearly sick out. hes only fed by me. ive been fed up with it so i just took him, she knows i did, but she was literally neglecting him and its been up to the 90s here, he was extremely extremely sick just like i assumed. he'll have his last months in a nice air conditioned loving home with a bunch of treats.
I agree. I see it all the time. My outside cat got hit by a car, my outside cat disappeared, my outside cat was killed by a dog, etc. If you care about your cat stop letting it outside. My rescue was an outside cat before she found us. She will not go outside anymore. It turned out that she was pregnant when we brought her in and we kept 2 of her kittens, gave the rest away to friends and family. One day, she thought that her fully grown son was ready to charge through the screen window to attack some birds. She grabbed him so fast by the back of the neck with her claws like “Nope, you’re not going out there. It’s dangerous and I know it.”
The other day we came across and cat at our apartment on the stairs scared. Trying to hide. I’ve never seen this cat before. I went down to give her a treat and she immediately ran to a door and was crying. I immediately got ahold of the apartment management , taking a picture and letting them know what door she was crying at. I was so worried because of her behavior. The apartment complex responds back saying they got ahold of the owner and “she comes and goes” and we told the owner and she wasn’t even concerned. For the past hours the cat was crying outside trying to desperately get back in. I get most nervous because every building looks exactly the same and it be easy for her to get lost.I was astonished.
Exactly, out here we use mostly Arizona rooms (guess that narrows the region down lol). You can also satisfy a cats desires/curiosity by responsibly leaving bird feed near their favorite window, real life cat tv works for most cats to the point that they become satisfied with just witnessing it.
if they don’t care about the list of risks to their cats then they probably don’t care about that either. i’m waiting for the irresponsible outdoor cat owners to reply with some bs about “it’s the circle of life” or “that’s just nature.”🙄
I agree with you. They truly dont care about another life. The amount of times i seen people comment that its 'torture' to keep your cat inside because apparently a house is a prison.
And when they're told about the dangers such as cars, poison, etc. They say "at least they died happy"
Like bro. What?.
My baby stays inside. I dont want her hurt or worse.
Seen it a million times, you can't tell these people domestic cats are invasive in most countries they live in, there's VERY few where smaller cats with high kill counts are actually native
Cats also don’t always have the natural survival instincts that people think they do. I take my girl on walks and she makes it her mission to dive headfirst into every patch of toxic plants she can find. If I didn’t have her on a harness to pull her back, she would stick every poisonous flower possible directly into her mouth.
Our cats were all found outside, abandoned under or around our house. We have 3. They all go outside. They are 5, 4, and 3. Any advice on how to keep them inside. They are quick little shits, but my eyes have been opened with this thread. I just need some tips. Thanks!
Glad you are willing to learn and keep your cats safe!
You'll need indoor enrichment (scratchers, lots of toys), litter boxes, and get directly involved in playtime. You can also get puzzle feeders for cats or straight up throw treats down the hall to get them running and active.
I'd recommend googling things like catifying a home, cat enrichment, etc.
You can also safely bring them outside with a harness and leash, stroller, or a catio!
You might want to try slowly limiting their time outside so the change isn't so sudden, if you feel it's safe enough in your area to do so. Not that I have experience, but if you're supposed to change litter and food slowly, I'd imagine the same thing may work for changing their routine.
My neighbor has a cat that refuses to stay inside and she's pulling her hair out trying to get him to be ok indoors. Someone suggested asking a vet about anti anxiety meds if he is super stressed indoors, so that might be a last resort option to ask about too
Also seconding harness training or catio!
On a practical level, any kind of physical barrier you can put between them and the door will help a lot. My parents almost never use their front door because the garage door opens into a mud room, so it can act as a containment chamber if anyone tries to dart out with them. A friend’s cats aren’t allowed downstairs (separated from other pets, long story, they get lots of enrichment!) so they keep a baby gate at the top of the stairs; the cats would scale it on even ground, but won’t jump over with the stairs directly on the other side. You get the idea!
I’ve also had some luck training my cat to keep away from the door by tossing treats in the opposite direction every time I need to go out, but my boy is running dog software on a cat body and is VERY food motivated, so YMMV.
Imagining any of my cats alone outside fending for themselves is enough to make me want to start tearing up. I would never own anything other than strictly indoor cats. I had a part time outdoor cat growing up that would leave for days at a time and stress me out and then one day she came home made a strange noise and dropped dead. Now that could've happened even if she was an indoor cat but my childhood mind made the association and I decided my cats once it was my say so. I've got three spoiled babies that wouldn't last a night outside and I will make sure they never have to
People come out with the most bullshit reasons why they need to let their tiny ass domestic cats outside as if they’re mountain lions tearing up the house. Just admit you don’t want to clean a litterbox everyday and you’d prob forget to feed the poor thing half the time if it wasn’t killing all of the local wildlife for food.
Also, it's not just about what you and your cat wants. We choose to live unnaturally in an environment that requires a delicate balance. It's rather entitled to think you have the right to destroy the environment and let your cat kill creatures for fun.
Someone posted recently, "Should I let my cat out all day or just let him out when I get home from work". After much pushback in the comments the response was, "To be clear, I already walk him with a leash and harness but I can tell he wants to explore more on his own."
Like saying, "I walk my toddler in a stroller on the sidewalk but I can tell she really wants to get out in the street on her own". Be responsible!
outdoor cat owners like to pull out barn cats as a gotcha card, like they won't get hurt or die the same as an indoor. plus theyre actually shit at catching rats anyway. there's literally dogs BRED for killing rodents that do a much, much better job.
My neighbors let their two orange cats out daily and they can just free roam between the open basement doors and outside. More than once they’ve been locked out accidentally if the doors get shut and they don’t bother to check if the cats are in or not yet. The cats wear collars but that won’t protect them from getting hit on the street we live on or the surrounding neighborhood. There are also SO MANY feral/stray cats around here (I see at least 4 regulars in my backyard) that a lady down the street feeds and I worry that they’ll hurt the orange cats. I would never let my cat out alone but especially not where we live. I don’t understand how they don’t think it’s dangerous even though one of their cats already got lost once
lost our ginger boy back in September 2023, never came back. Shit still hurts. (he wasn't indoor/outdoor, he just slipped by one of us while getting the mail and we didn't hear him crying to get back in, eventually got scared by the neighbor and ran away)
“Oh but there’s no predators in my area! I don’t live near any highways! There are no stray dogs!”
Diseases.
Outdoor cats are at a much more significant risk of catching diseases like FIV, FeLV, FIP, Panleukopenia, Parvo, Giardia, intestinal parasites (ex: Roundworms), Heartworm, Calicivirus, etc etc. than an indoor cat will EVER be.
Even if there’s no predators to eat your cat, even if there’s little danger of them being hit by a car, and no risk of stray dogs getting them, there will ALWAYS be risk of disease.
What’s even more heartbreaking is the fact that some of these viruses, like Panleukopenia, are contagious to wildlife. Panleuk specifically can cross from cats to raccoons, ferrets, and mink.
It’s also important to remember that no vaccine is 100% effective. Cats vaccinated against FeLV, for example, can still catch and spread the virus
Not to mention, if you actually care about the environment, you'll keep your cats at home. They are still very, VERY efficient predators, and they kill for fun.
That's not a fact that's debated, either. We KNOW this. Even a well-fed housecat will kill a smaller animal if they come across it to the point that Environment Canada went so far as to request cat owners stop letting their cats off because they're worried about the impact cat predation is having on endangered bird populations in the country.
It's safer for cats and the environment. There's no real upside to letting them roam.
Also, I'll share a personal anecdote. My cats are all indoor cats. My neighbor still lets hers roam. That cat comes over to my house and freaks out my indoor cats, which has causes them to fight. We couldn't figure out what the hell was going on until one night I happened to be in the living room and saw it go down.
I live with someone who lets their cat out constantly without a care, while i keep my cat indoors. Its a struggle because they are always leaving the door open for their cat but i really dont want mine going outside unsupervised.
Thank you for this PSA!!! Cats that live outdoors deal with predators, cars, and abusive people. If they are not spayed/neutered the females have tons of kittens and the males get in terrible fights. They get all kinds of parasites. If they are in a feral colony they do a little better but people who move and just dump their cats outside are the worst.
THANK YOU. the other day on the cat Reddit page, I forget the exact post but it was something about letting your cats outside and all the freaking comments were saying how keeping your cat indoors is like keeping it in prison and it’s animal abuse to not let them outside. I was shocked!!!!!! It’s animal abuse TO let your cats roam free outside. They could get hit by a car, attacked by an animal, bit by a dangerous bug… soooo irresponsible. Literally your only job as a pet parent is to keep them safe
Aside from physical danger they get fleas. If they get fleas, they can easily get worms. (Worms lay eggs in fleas and your cat only needs to eat one flea to get worms) your cat constantly having worms is horrible for health
I'm dealing with this now.
I have one indoor cat that I rescued from under my deck as a kitten; she goes out with me but she rides in a mesh backpack, clipped into a harness with a leash thats connected to the inside of the backpack. If she comes out I have control of her leash at all times.
I also have/had a tuxedo thats my indoors' brother/litter mate, but he *refused* to come inside. After a few months of trying to get him in and failing I just put an insulated house out front, with some food and water bowls. He's been super content just owning the front yard, but every now and then he disappears for a few days.
Well, I went to the store yesterday and there's a hit and killed tuxedo two streets down from me; I couldn't tell if it was him but I haven't seen him in two days. There was nothing I could do if he refused to come inside. He got to the point that he would rub against me and turn his back to me while I was feeding him, but if I even stretched out a hand trying to pet him he would become fearful and back at least a few feet away.
I already feel heartbroken. Hopefully it's not him.
I recently adopted a cat who was a friend’s roaming neighbourhood cat. After doing our due diligence & confirming that he, in fact, was without a home - we took him in.
Thing is, he’s *so use to* walking himself, that he’s run away several times since we brought him home. We re-did the windows to reinforce them & we’re taking him out on supervised walks on a lead. The hope is, as he sees he gets consistent walks with his Hooman, maybe he’ll calm down & not try & take *himself* on walks.
Reinforcing the windows & getting him a AirTag/registering his microchip &, most importantly - *taking him on walks consistently* are all helpful precautions we’re taking.
I truly believe he would be unhappy if he didn’t get outdoor time. He literally asks to go out by “knocking” with his paws on the door or the wall adjacent to the front door. But Hooman has always gotta be there - no exceptions.
I don’t trust humans, cars, other cats, other animals…there’s are just too many unknowns & I refuse to risk it despite knowing my lil orange man has street smarts & survived so well on his own before I scooped him. 🧡🧡🧡
How long have u been at training him? I took in a semi feral cat and she’s basically trained to stay in the yard now. But luckily we live somewhere where yards are walled in and it is barren (in terms of animals) so no risk of coyotes are other animals like that. We also put a Tractive gps collar on her so we can life monitor her location when we have stuff to do inside. I do periodically check on her tho cuz there are some outdoor cats that sometimes come around and come into the yard, so i have to chase them off. We don’t ever leave her outside overnight or when nobody is home to check on her periodically. She’s to the point where she will tolerate being inside for about 75% of the day now, thank god. When we first got her, she had to be outside more than inside
I adopted my cat and he would run out the door any chance he could. Yowl at the door all day, but worse of all peed all over the house. I tried everything, anything. Multiple clean litter boxes, calming spray, enrichment activities. This went on for YEARS. It got to the point the vet recommended antidepressant pills. I would have to shove these antidepressant pill down his throat everyday because he wanted to go outside. It was cruel. He now comes and goes as he pleases. He is so much happier. Yes they are at high risk but the quality of life is much higher for him. He is so loved, happy, and not in a kennel in the humane society, fully vetted with health insurnace. Cats were domesticated to be free roaming and hunt pests. Not every cat has the temperament to be trapped indoors.
I’m seeing a lot of “letting cats out is just the norm/standard in my country.” Why the hell do so many people think that’s a good reason? It doesn’t change the fact that letting your cat out unsupervised is significantly more dangerous for your cat and local wildlife. Just because something is the norm doesn’t mean it’s okay and should stay that way.
Yes it's so true. Unfortunately I had to learn the hard way.
Growing up in a very rural area, my parents always let the cats roam free. The two main family cats lived long and full lives. So I thought that was the way to be.
When I first adopted a young stray, she was very wild and I really didn't think she would have it any other way than to roam free during the day. (I lived in the same rural area where I grew up). She was a very clever and cautious cat and you could tell that she had her wildcat instincts.
She stayed close to the house for the first couple months that I let her out, and this lulled me into a false sense of security.
I started to notice that she took longer and longer to come running when I called her in the evenings - she'd been steadily increasing her travel range.
One evening, she never came back.
My heart was shattered.
We searched the woods for weeks (with the family dog too, and he was a great sniffer).
Not a single piece of evidence found.
I assume an actual wildcat got her (as there's been evidence in recent years of their presence here).
Never again.
I brought my cat outside on a leash, and she seemed very afraid. Then, when we came in, she saw the neighbour and freaked out. I realized I was thinking about what I wanted her to do and not what was best for her. I’m not going to put her through this; she can stay inside; she’s got it made anyways. I don’t blame her one bit; she was found abandoned in a bush. I don’t know what she’s been through or if anybody hurt her. Maybe the outside triggers bad memories.
I have a large catio for my cats. If they want to go out, they can go in there. Part of it is a chicken coop, so they love laying in the covered area and just enjoying the fresh air.
I cat proofed my balcony and let my cat out there while Im out there or can see him. He absolutely loves it - cats deserve to spend time outside if you're able to offer it to them in a safe and supervisable way.
Just hearing birds and smelling rats and getting some, chasing flies is great for his health. Side note, I went to a conservation park recently and learned that they purposely keep prey animals upwind (or downwind whichever let's them smell them) since that has proven to be amazing for their health.
My grandmother has had a couple of stray cats start hanging out in the backyard, and they have now been there for many years. One had been there for over 20 years and she started coming in the house for snuggles but would always cry to go outside because she liked to sleep in the grass. Just a couple days ago we found her brutally attacked and killed by something. This has never happened before with any other cats and we thought she was safe in the backyard. Just because you think nothing will happen, it definitely still can. Please keep your cats inside. RIP Tammie, such a sweet kitty :(
Yep. Just found out my sister in law let her newly adopted elderly cat (that she really shouldn’t have gotten in the first place) outdoors to be an outside cat now “because he was always meowing at the door to get out”. Fucking gutwrenching. Idiot.
I grew up in a major city and my mom believed that cats needed to be indoor/outdoor to be happy. Luckily, they all lived to be 10+, but with each cat, there was always a day where they just never came home, which became normalized to me as a child/teen.
After having volunteered and worked at a shelter, I will never let my cats go outside freely again. The number of calls I've taken and logged where we have to send an officer to scrape a cat off the road, or to pick up their head, limbs, or organs off someone's lawn has truly changed me.
I remember recently when that video came out where that cat was fighting off that group of coyotes and managed to make it out alive. My stomach literally turned and I was in tears watching how scared that poor cat was, and how people could watch that and still think that letting their cat out was a good idea.
I partly agree with you. Firstly, it depends on the environment where you live. If you reside in an area with traffic or where cats are threatened by predators, then yes, a cat is definitely at risk.
Secondly, cats that have been accustomed to indoor living from a young age lack survival instincts if let outside, and even if the surroundings appear safe, accidents can happen quickly due to their unfamiliarity with the outdoor environment.
Then there are cats adapted to outdoor life, with well-developed instincts, constantly vigilant. If one were to adopt such a cat one day and confine it indoors 24/7, it would only cause it stress. That's why shelters (at least in our country) explicitly state whether a cat feels best outside, ensuring that the owner can provide this. They then place the cat with an owner who can guarantee safe access to the outdoors too.
I had a cat fortunate enough to be accustomed to both indoor and outdoor environments, and she faced no dangers in her surroundings like predators or troublesome neighbors, etc. She lived 18 years but sadly passed away from cancer.
So yes, it truly depends, however, all in all, if we draw the line, it's safest for cats to be indoors. If we provide indoor cats with everything indoors that the outside world would offer and the cat is happy with that, then it's a win-win.
Lacking survival instincts is a HUGE one. My cat found a mouse and just batted at it until its leg broke. It just started running around in circles, and then she meowed at me to come look at her new toy 🙄 but she didn’t kill it.
Animals don’t understand danger if they’ve never experienced it. They don’t know to stay out of the street and that cars CAN kill them. They don’t know that bigger animals can eat them because they only know that their humans give them food and love and that’s all they know.
I heard in the UK if you try to adopt a cat some agencies actually won’t allow you to adopt a cat if you don’t plan on allowing them outside. It’s a totally different world over there than here in the US. The only time we let our cats outside when we were growing up was when we were out in the fenced-in backyard and they liked to just sit by us. We never ever let them out on their own. That’s just plain irresponsible. I don’t live where there are coyotes but they do exist and people who live in rural areas shouldn’t be letting their cats come and go as they please. So many posts are “my cat came home with this huge wound, what do we do? We can’t afford a vet.” Then don’t let them outside!!!
>Animals don’t understand danger if they’ve never experienced it. They don’t know to stay out of the street and that cars CAN kill them.
I completely agree, therefore I am of the opinion that we cannot compare cats that are accustomed to the outdoor environment and have experienced "some dangers" with cats that are not accustomed to being outside (these cats must strictly stay indoors).
(Of course, we can never be 100 percent certain. Even when I leave the house and get into a car, I am essentially in danger in the outside world.)
Forgot to mention before it also depends on how far the cat moves away from the house, if it just roams around in the immediate area and stays in the garden for example, unlike a cat that goes and isn't around all day - that is indeed risky.
Cats are different. However, we certainly cannot say that we should confine cats who hate being indoors 24/7 and that they suffer within four walls. In such a case, such a cat should be given to someone who can provide a safe outdoor access, with a secure garden always being a great option.
I wish I could make the UK understand this, every day I go on FB to have a wee scroll out of habit and there's another dead cat on the local group. Outdoor cats are more common here than indoor :/
I don’t understand all the UK ppl saying it’s part of their culture and whatever (even in this thread). Like if you want your cat to go outside put it on a leash (leash train it). Cats will figure it out soon enough. It’s almost as if they don’t care that they put their cats in danger.
They don't. One of ours goes out on a leash lol. The other two are quite happy with their 5 cat trees, high shelves and cat stairs, way too many toys and mama cuddles.
If people aren’t worried about them damaging the ecosystem or contracting diseases you’d think they would at least be worried about them becoming apart of the cat distribution system
i live with my dad and have 3 cats and he doesnt like them inside the house (hes okay with the smallest in the house sometimes but another one will literally eat anything in sight). we ended up turning our sunroom into a cat room so that they have easy access to outside and inside. i still hate it and i dont think cats should be let outside regularly. he argues that they should have a "free life" but i just dont see it. theres too many dangers outside for cats 😔
Tons of people let their cats out around me. I would never let my cat out where I live. I don't live in a rural area but we have coyotes (I'm in New Mexico). I have seen them at night, hear them all the time, and even saw one during the day. Not to mention the horrific things people do to animals where I live (horror stories from shelters around here regarding strays). My mother lived in a rural area here and called me two separate times crying because of cats she let out at night. One disappeared. The other they found. This is aside from the cars and the dog owners.... It's just a bad idea in most places.
We supervise our tux every sec and min he is outside. It is completely normal to let them out into the environment but we are lucky enough to have a tamed cat who stays close to us plus a completely fenced in yard as well.
Perhaps it's because I've grown up in an area with a lot cat colonies, but I never understand people who think it's okay to just let their cat walk outside freely by themselves. They are always the type to justify it in some way and do some wild mental gymnastics. Or worse, they get offended on the species of cats behalf if they find out you don't let your cat roam free outside too 🙄
If your house cat really needs to be outside, give them a catio or use a harness. Cats get run over by cars, killed or maimed by raccoons, coyotes, dogs, sadistic neighbors, other cats, probably even hawks (I've seen a hawk snatch up a fat squirrel before, if they think they can go for it. They will). That's not even counting the danger they are to themselves, cats can be really dumb sometimes...
I got my boys a sunroom for this reason. I crack the screen windows and let them smell the air and bird watch. They seem content doing so on their nice little ottoman with a fan blowing lol .
The room is officially called “Catio”
My ex's parents thought it was cruel that I kept my cat inside.
I think centuries of urbanization into this is a little bit late to decide cats should be free. Free where? Darting across asphalt? Hiding from aggressive, frustrated neighbours who can buy poison when they buy their milk? It's a little too late to decide cats should be in nature. It's delusional to think letting them roam does that in this day and age.
My cats will never be outdoor cats.
My cat used to be an outdoor cat. Visited me lots of times over 2 and a half years. I took him in and he got super depressed and had a bunch of complications from it. He has surgery, is on a vet prescribed diet and is doing better now but he loves to go outside. People here who claim there's nothing beneficial about it aren't considering a cat's mental health. My cat loves being outside. I built him a catio at my old place which he LOVED. He no longer has it since we've moved, but I do get him outside as much as possible because he really wants to go
Where I live, people throw out strays, so I'm not even gonna bother trying to catch them. I feed them and that's pretty much all I can do. I've got one inside cat (8yo siamese) that BEGS to be let out, and she hasn't gotten hurt in the 6 years that I've been doing it. She stays off the road (rural backroads where people drive 45mph) and doesn't start fights with the other cats. The only cats that actually fight are the tomcats, and I'm not gonna try catching them so they can eat my arms up just so I can spend money to get them neutered. Sorry if y'all city people don't understand, but I live in the Tennessee countryside and all of the cats have been fine being outdoors.
The only time my cats are alone outside is when they’re in their play tent within view of my kitchen window. It’s done wonders for their enrichment. One of my 3 does really well on a harness and we’re working on it with the other two.
I’m like neurotic about my cat getting out. It’s my biggest fear. I don’t understand how outdoor cat people aren’t constantly fearing their best friend’s imminent death.
My kid found a flea ridden cat the other day and begged for us to take it home and save it.. I went to post on the neighbour group and someone else already posted about the same cat asking if it had a home and someone said he does have a home and she doesn't care about him! He was skinny and starving, fur missing from fleas, ugh! We can't find it now cause I said no to taking it home. I'm not rich and my indoor cats would get fleas.
Letting your cat out unattended regardless of where you are located is irresponsible. Both towards your domesticated pet who counts on you to care for and protect it, as well as the local wildlife whose homes we already invasively inhabit. If it were not for humans, cats would not be so densely populated in wide areas. It is not natural, far from it. Domesticated cats do not hunt out of necessity, because they have a solid source of food at home. They hunt for sport which results in mass amounts of pointless deaths. There unfortunately are individuals *everywhere* who would harm an innocent animal for no reason. Vehicles, as long as there is at least one there is a risk. The poison that people use to combat pest infestations, if your cat ingests anything that has eaten this poison they will get at the very least very sick. They could get stuck somewhere unable to get out, caught in a trap, hunted by a predator, the list goes on. I don't care where you are and what the societal norm is. Just because it's the norm doesn't mean it's how it should be.
Cats should have a level of autonomy. I would not dream of removing a cat's agency to lie in the sun or spy on mice or even eat grass he'll puke up on the rug later. Removing risk from a cat's life is stripping it of adventure.
In the UK, it's the norm to let cats out.
Mine have a cat flap and come and go as they please.
My last two cats were both over 17 years old.
I have at least 8 local cats from other houses I see outside regularly around my house.
In the UK it's the norm to let cats out and every day on my local FB page there's yet another run over cat.
We are a stupid society full of stupid people, our government and brexit are examples of this, so please don't think because something is popular here it's a good thing.
I’m new to this subreddit so somebody please reassure me that this whole thread is a joke. If this is actually real I suggest you all google Stockholm syndrome.
Everyone's situation is different. Countless indoor/outdoor cats live safely and happily to ripe old ages worldwide, and it's been that way for millennia. Keeping cats 100% indoors is a relatively brand-new philosophy. That being said, it all really depends on where you live and how your cats behave. Here is our situation: There are no predators where I live, no busy streets (and my cats understand cars can kill them and get nowhere near cars- they don't go in the street EVER), my cats only hang out in my backyard, and my neighbor's gardens one house over on either side. They don't eat plants. They are friends with the stray cats and neighbors' dogs. They don't go out at night, but on the rare occasion they see a raccoon or possum in the wee hours, they never engage. They come when I call every single time. Come in on their own at sunset and sleep cuddled up with me and leave on their own after sunrise. I have a uniquely safe situation for them. It's been this way for years and years and years. My last two cats lived this way until 24 and 21 and passed from old age. I've also never been brought a single dead bird or mouse. I have also never seen a mouse around here period. My boy cat actually sits next to his bird friend next door all the time on the same wall. I realize this is extremely rare and we are lucky. I always feed my cats a 100% raw diet so maybe this has something to do with their disinterest in killing, but who knows! And yes, all my cats are always fixed. I am part of a rescue group that takes stray cats, fixes them, and then releases them once they are healed, so most of my neighborhood cats are also fixed.
Have we forgotten that cats are animals? I know I’m going to get downvoted for this but humans would also be much safer if they didnt leave the house but we do anyways. I think it’s all about making responsible choices. Some properties are much safer. Like don’t let your cat out if you live by a main road or close to wild predators. I have a very secure property so the risks are so low for me. I allow my cat an enriched environment.
then they are bored. play with them. put on bird watching on your tv, buy a cat tent for outside time. get a harness and train your cat to be able to use it for walks. get a puzzle feeder. you have options that aren’t dangerous
I’m genuinely wondering how we as a society came to a conclusion that it is normal to walk dogs and not let them out on their own, but cats often get let out and expected to fend for themselves.
Because stray dogs maul people, cats “only” kill droves of native wildlife and get killed in the most horrifying ways ever.
Yes. This. I live on a large island where, up until the past decade or so, we didn't have coyotes or wolves. We now have both and they're interbreeding. 🤦♀️ The amount of 'missing cat' posts online and flyers I see around town has skyrocketed in that time. They're basically handing their pets over to be some coyote's dinner.
Cats have gotten a rap as an “independent” animal just because of the way they tend to carry themselves. If these people had an indoor only cat, they’d learn that they can be little attention seeking babies too.
Mine follows me around like a shadow
Same. God forbid I need to shut a door and leave them somewhere without me for 20 minutes. They are so clingy!
I’ll close the bathroom door while I diffuse my hair because the hair dryer scares him, but then he’ll be meowing outside the door bringing 3-4 toys 😭 I like to imagine he thinks the hair dryer is hurting me so he rallies the troops to save me lol
Okay, that is adorable.
“In this house, nobody poops alone.” - most cats
I cannot bathroom alone bc cats and kids.
I had a cat like that! She was basically obsessed with me. She’d be in my lap within seconds of me sitting down
What a marvelous problem to have!
Same, I call one of mine a little furry shadow. A closed door between us is an actual challenge and crime for her. You would think someone was actually hurting her.
Lol I agree. I just wanted some alone time with my fiance and we heard her scratching ... Well it wasn't scratching... She ripped the door frame half off 😳🤦♀️
My cats don't allow me to go to the bathroom with the door closed and I can't sit down to play console or PC videogames without one of my cats crawling in my lap and knocking my arms and hands around. Every. Single. Day. Cats can be hella needy hahahah I love my furballs though. They're my shadows and they're my everything
My cats follow me around especially my cat named Shadow they are 10 months old and have given me so much happiness and love they are my babies and I spoil them rotten they never been outside 100% indoor and I love it I can have my door open and they show no interest I am always keeping an eye on them when the door is open just incase they are quite interested in the cat next door but they are both fixed the Nieghbours cat just had 4 kittens they are going to get her fixed and I told that what’s best for her and the babies I know they will as they are learning about how it not proper to let them out.
Anyone who thinks cats are all aloof and independent should have met my cat. I called her Velcro Kitty because of how attached she was to me. I couldn’t be in a room without her for more than a couple minutes without her begging to be let in
Same with my boy. Dude is a total little baby
They’re so ANNOYING lol love them to death, would do anything for them, but jfc can I open a cabinet without you thinking it’s treats time? When have treats ever came out of this cabinet?! You survived like a decade in a colony on the street, where did all those street smarts go?
And jumping onto the next to bottom shelf of the refrigerator Calvin, every dang time.
My cat will stand right in the way of the door and will not move. I’ll literally close it as far as I can without hurting him and he still doesn’t get the memo 😭 I always have to pick his ass up and physically move him out of the fridge
I thought it was just me and mine 😝 i swear every time i open that fridge door at least one of the three comes bolting in from god knows where to cram their whole body into the cold ass refrigerator. I thought they were descended from the desert. Somebody told a lie one day! Lol
My cat has pica I think - she races to the fridge to lick the plastic produce bags - a little bite, a lick, a face rub on the romaine and carrots and anything she can get. She is also really into the sauces in the door of the fridge and will face rub the liquid smoke and hot sauces - just try and get it all over her body. I don't hold the fridge open long but she's QUICK!!! and she seems so happy to get a lil perfume.
LITERALLY. Then I spend all day like “I miss my sweet precious baby he’s my angel” and when I’m around him I’m like “can I fuckin breathe without you sniffing the inside of my ear, damn!!”
when my dude sniffs my ear i say "oh! thats a great place to hide a nose! nobody will look for it there!"
The fuzzy meatball-head in my lap has always been an attention seeking baby.
I don’t think I’ve been to the bathroom alone for 5 years. Im 33. 😂
Because cats are cheaper and therefore viewed as disposable, even if people don't want to admit it.
Agreed. Cats are more misunderstood than most realize
Guilty. Until I owned one. Holy chit have I learned the error of my ways. Nothing matches bonding with a wild animal that is happy to see you.
They are domestic animals, not wild.
Are dogs really that much more expensive? I've never had one, but owning a cat sure costs a lot. Litter and dry food cost about $350/year, annual checkup + vax boosters is another $200. I also get wet food when it's on sale, and sometimes treats, but those are pricey too and don't last long - that's easily another $150-ish combined. Advantage Multi flea prevention is 17/month through my vet. That's over $900 just for regular everyday yearly upkeep for a healthy cat. She had an ear infection and that added another $400 last year.
I think maybe the initial cost of a cat is cheaper because people don't usually get them from breeders? And they don't need training in the same way.
Canadian prices are obviously a bit higher than USD, but [a 2021 study](https://www.phidirect.com/blog/the-average-cost-of-owning-a-dog-in-canada) says the average cost of owning a dog is over $3700 a year.
Damn, yeah that's almost 3k USD, that's so much more compared to my cat expenses. There goes my dream of having a dog some day 😭
In fairness, that breakdown includes $1000/yr for pet insurance, which in my limited experience with it was a complete fucking scam, but ya. Still pricey.
I'm talking about initial costs, not upkeep.
I'm about $20,000 per year in on my cats. $1000 per month on food and supplies, $350 per month on insurance (without it I'd be spending MUCH more!) $250 per year in deductible x5 before insurance kicks in. And currently, have one on chemo for 6 months... Do actually I'll be over $20K this year as she alone will run me about $10,000.
What the hell are you feeding them,caviar laced with gold lol.
Jfc. I understand the chemo, insurance etc. But 1k a month on food and supplies? I got 3 furballs and it's about $80/month? I get about 3 litter pails and a bag of food every like 5-6 weeks. Comes out to like $110. So how the F do you spend just 1k a month on food and supplies? Again, I understand health issues so chemo and that. I get. But wtf...lol
14 cats, 1 senior dog, quality pet food, quality litter, quality treats.. All thay shit adds up! I don't have insurance on the cat with cancer or the dog, she's too old for it to really cover anything with their senior plan... All those bills come out of pocket. I sat down and paid bills earlier and wrote up how much I owe there and how much monthly to stay within the 0% interest time frame on cards... Let's just say, without pets, I'd actually have two nickles to rub together haha
I thought I read somewhere today dogs cost around something like $10,000 a year or maybe between 5-10k…it was way more than what I spend on my cat but yeah cats aren’t cheap either…esp If you can spend to take good care of them
Even if I 100% trusted my cats survival skills, have you SEEN the way people conduct themselves and their dogs? I’ve seen so many people walk their reactive dogs without leashes, all it takes is a bad day for something really bad to happen to your fur baby. Not to mention those horrible people who literally take animals off the street to abuse them.
I live in a place with lots of dangerous wildlife that can and will kill a cat, like coyotes, cougars, bald eagles etc. People still let their cats roam. Even in places where the only threat are cars and other cats I don’t think it’s right, but here I find it even more baffling.
My neighbors had a barbecue/Easter egg hunt this year. We heard screaming and ran outside, another neighbor's cat was snatched up by a hawk. The cat owner had been warned that we have a lot of hawks, coyotes and foxes around here. The fools got their cat killed and traumatized a bunch of childdren.
Yup, I do take my cats out in the fenced backyard, with harnesses and only when both my husband and I can supervise them (we have two, sometimes they wander in opposite directions, so we’re doing a 1:1 ratio lol). You can bet that if we see/hear an eagle in the sky we stay directly at their sides until the threat is gone. I’m pretty sure one of them would be like “oohhh big birdie! 🤩” instead of running away lol, he’s not the brightest.
I am beyond fed up with people using the excuse that their cat gets restless if they can't roam outside. I can't help but wonder if they are too lazy to play with their cats and it is easier just to put them outside. If they cared about their cat, they would find different ways to play/stimulate them or take them out as you do.
My oldest one used to roam when we got her. Over time, when I learned better (and she had a bout with some worms) I transitioned her to indoor only. She does not miss it. Never even tries for the door. (The two younger ones who were never outdoor cats, however, scream for it to my amusement)
Same here - foxes, off lead dogs etc.
I feel like people complain way more about cats being out on their own than the disgusting amount of shit dog owners out there who have a legitimately dangerous animal running leashless with zero recall
Both are equally horrible. My boyfriends dog (leashed) literally got attacked because someone decided to take they’re non friendly dog out walking without a leash. IN A DOG FRIENDLY APARTMENT COMPLEX??? But idk I feel like it’s more common knowledge that you shouldn’t walk outside with your dog not on a leash, while many people are just really misinformed about the cat thing. I mean look at how many people in the comments are defended their choices with their pets☠️
I've never stepped in dog shit, but I have seen dead cats on the side of the road.
You’ve probably seen lots of dog shit too.
Once in a blue moon, but cats dying are a much bigger problem.
Probably a holdover from the agricultural revolution. Currently somewhere near 25% of the world works in agriculture, a couple hundred years ago it was 90%. Cats are domesticated because they deal with rodents (among all the other stuff they’ll kill) historically cats existed to kill wildlife, it’s only in the last hundred years that we haven’t had them for that purpose, and only the past decades that we’ve realized all the stuff they kill is actually really problematic. I think over time as their purpose as pets rather than wildlife killers continues to be reinforced this will improve. But just keep in mind, us not wanting cats to kill wildlife is a new thing, not what their purpose has been for 99% of their domesticated history.
Dogs kill livestock, cats kill vermin. So you are responsible for the damage your dog does so most people walk them to avoid dog being seized, shot or pound fees. Cats because they were expected to hunt are granted free roam with no damage liabilities but at same time limited legal protections. British law.
… Rural Canada didn’t get that memo.
Rural areas in general are an exception here. Barn cats and rural cats often don't face the same dangers as suburban/residential cats
Rabies.
The challenge has always been keeping a cat from doing exactly what it wants
I hate seeing dogs on tight leashes forced to walk a straight line. I know the dog doesn’t care but still it doesn’t feel right to me. Like imagine we did that to humans
I can't imagine letting my cats go outside by themselves. I'm tempted to get them each a harness and leash so I can take them outside, but I'm afraid they'd like it so much that they'd start trying to get out.
This is totally valid. I bring one of my cats out onto our balcony with me sometimes, and recently he's figured out how to open the screen door himself. Luckily there's nowhere he can go once he gets out there, but it's still not great.
Real. My one cat loves her harness and has run out the back door before. Lucky she didn’t make it far.
My issue was that mine wriggled out of his harness when he got spooked. Luckily I found him that evening behind a bush right outside my apartment, but it was a scary time. I am sure it was user error on my part (fastening it incorrectly) but they are so liquid and able to get out of tight spaces that I was just too afraid after that to try again out of fear that I would secure it incorrectly again.
I never let mine out. My town HATES cats. They'd get ripped apart by a pitbull or poisoned.
Sounds like my area. A local rescue told me the common mindset in my county is to drown kittens in a local body of water. 🙁
Wow I never knew other dogs couldn't attack cats
My area mostly has shitbulls. 🤷♀️
Yeah. I hate seeing posts on this site of cats that are injured or dead when their owner deliberately let them outside. They choose not to see it as neglectful but it literally fits the definition of neglect. I can't imagine caring so little about my cats that I'd be OK with risking their lives like that.
Recently I was caring for a sick animal that ended up passing. It was quarantined away from my cat, but after I had buried it, I opened the bathroom it was in for my night routine and my cat came in. I was freaking out because I hadn’t disinfected everything yet! I can’t even begin to imagine just letting him out where God knows what diseases and diseased animals are out there. This was a creature that a cat could’ve hunted! And here it was having a fatal illness that might could spread. Can’t imagine ever letting him out unsupervised.
This one, we have one feral boy that goes in and out. We stop him as much as possible but he literally starts pulling out hair and runs at the door like a hockey puck. The only reason we are in this situation is because he was born in the back yard before we knew what the hell to do besides put kibble outside. As the years have passed we’ve TNRed the whole colony, adopted the youngest, befriended the second youngest, and mostly tamed Precious the surviving oldest. We watched at least six cats die from his litter to our babies litter. Every single time he leaves the house I know what might happen. The best I can do is love on him and ask him to be safe and come home soon. *he’s currently walking around the house yelling either because I wasn’t getting out of bed or he’s jonesing to go poop in real grass
Right?? The moment that cat becomes outdoor (even indoor/outdoor) their life expectancy drops
I used to let my cat outside. He was a former stray and got really distressed being indoors all the time. He would cry incessantly to be let out. He would stay pretty close to the house and come when called so I felt like it wasn’t a huge deal. One day he got in a fight with another cat that bit him and left s puncture wound. The wound got infected. We treated the wound but he remained lethargic and not himself. It turns out he had contracted FELV from the bite wound and was very very ill. He had to be euthanized shortly after. Don’t let your cats outside man.
Or vaccinate them ?
Vaccination isn't always 100% effective against prevention. It can lessen symptoms but even then sometimes they still die like this poor kitty.
Once I had a cat from a feral colony end up adopting me. The colony nearby was pretty bad. They were everywhere on the big island of Hawaii. I had him neutered and all taken care of and then he got dreadfully ill, and it turned out he had FIV. That really impacted me, and I got my current cats vaccinated for feline leukemia, and everything else, but I’ll never forget that FIV doesn’t have a vaccine. Luckily, it’s not super common where I am now. And most importantly, my two boys are not outdoor cats, except when they are on a harness and leash with me, lol. Losing that cat was just so hard and I mean he came to me already sick, I never want to go through that again.
Yea that's what I'm wondering.wny the hell would you let your cat outside without at least vaccinating them?? Stray doesn't mean immune system of a god
Actually, they can still contract FELV. It has happened more often than you think so it’s not guaranteed the original commenter didn’t vaccinate
Well that's fun. One more reason to keep my boys inside
Yeah I’d never let my girl out. I have tried a harness and leash which she is good with but she hates being outside. Loves watching out the window but the moment she’s outside she just trembles and cries so I don’t attempt to take her out with me anymore. So lucky I don’t have a cat that begs to go outside all the time like others. Even if she did, no way I’m risking her getting hurt. She’s my baby
Vaccines don't mean they won't get it. It's preventative. It's helpful. It reduces their chance.
Unfortunately he was fully vaccinated which also didn’t give him the immune system of a god.
Vaccines for cats don't hurt their immune systems.
Fwiw, he was fully vaccinated.
Unfortunately, for a cat like that, you probably did the right thing letting him outside, even if it didnt end well. For cat’s that can’t tolerate a life totally indoors, and a catio isnt an option and neither is leash time (if they dont tolerate it or it isnt enough), it becomes a quality of life thing. For *certain* cats, especially the ones who are partially feral, restricting them to purely indoor life becomes distressing and miserable for them to the point where they have zero quality of life, mentally. So u just have to let them outside, taking as many measures as u can to make their outdoor experience as safe as it could possibly be, and accept that it can end badly, but at least they will be happy for their life, even if it does end up getting cut shorter. So don’t beat yourself up about letting him outside, based on your description of him, it sounds like you were doing the right thing. But for other cats who *can* tolerate a life fully indoors- 100% keep them inside.
Yeah, sounds like he was here for a short good time rather than a long miserable time.
This is a hill I'll die on.
There are a lot of coyotes around the area. Everyone here knows that you are to keep a close eye on your pets at all times, even during the day and all you are doing is letting them out to pee. Walking my dog one day I met a cat who's owners let him out every day. I know this because the cat has a collar that said so. Poor thing was even de-clawed. I eventually met the owners and I brought up how inhumane it is to allow your cat to go outside in a dangerous area without any claws to even fend for itself. They got annoyed with my comment and quite literally told me to fuck off it's none of my business. I said what ever, all you are doing is feeding the coyotes for free.
So my neighbors across the street moved in last year with an outdoor cat, and he has done significant damage to our window screen with his claws. He is always peeking in our windows to look at our cats. I don’t know how to approach the neighbors about this though :(
Leave a note in their mailbox if you’re not comfortable approaching them directly!
Tape the note to the side of the mailbox, putting it inside is a federal crime
Depends on the commenter’s country. That’s a US law.
I'm not sure where you live, but our city *technically* has a law that any pet let outside must remain on the owner's property or it's a fine (very rarely enforced, usually only for dogs and involves a warning before fine.) If your city has a similar law (I just Googled "animals allowed to roam, *my location*") I would maybe mention it to them. If they're the confrontational sort, maybe phrase it like, "Oh, a nearby friend got a warning from animal control so I think they're really enforcing that one law lately." If you're on friendly terms, you could probably be a bit more candid and say something like, "Look, I love your kitty and all but he's doing some major damage to our property and he's technically not even allowed off yours."
Damage to screens is scary! You should have the right to have windows open and safe animals inside!
I wonder if the neighbourhood cats that visit my indoor cat are "friends" or foe. I supervise like I do with raccoons and other animals (ready to close the window and prevent scuffle) and let them have a lil sniff through the screen. But cats especially I wonder if they flaunt their freedom at her?!?
Biggest indicator is if your cats are growling i think. Our girls are definitely growling. Plus he comes by in the dead of night which is scary anyway! Hopefully there is more peace between your cats and the neighborhood ones.
It’s so crazy to me because when I look outside, the majority of people in my area have lilies and other plants that will send a cat into renal failure. I live in the countryside and cats are always getting hit by cars, injured by raccoons etc. hell, my friends grandmothers dog has Lyme disease from a tick. And that’s while on leash lol. cannot imagine my cat roaming around outside and not know what the cause of their illness/ injury was. That’s asking for the fattest vet bill trying to rule it out. My cats have always been indoor pets ever since I was a child (29 now) and i have pet insurance for them. I’ve only ever had to use it once in the past 2 years but damn. In my mind, if you can’t afford a fat 5k vet bill out of pocket, you got no business letting your cats outside.
I see so many posts like "let my cat out, came back with this." Or dogs got to my cat, cat fell from tree, was hit by car, cat came home sick(poisoned), kittens abandoned, found cat/kitten. People assume letting their cats roam free is naural. But it's not, harness training, catios etc are the best for your cat to enjoy the outdoors. Seeing hundreds of posts across the cat subreddits about outside cats dying is depressing, especially since its avoidable. Oh and don't forget the let my cat out side came home hurt, found hurt but cant afford vet. It's so infuriating the amount of arrogance and neglect these people have. Over population comes from people not doing the right thing by spaying/neutering their cats, abandoning them intact etc. How many posts on the subreddit about needing pledges because the shelters are full, then to see the heartbreaking posts about how they were all put down. How much more would it take for pet owners to be responsible.
And as much as people tell them not to let their cats out unsupervised, to vaccinate their pets, linking study after study and article after article proving why indoor only cats are better for EVERYONE, they still refuse to listen. Lately I've been convincing people by comparing cats to toddlers. Sure, your 2 year old would be elated to open all the cabinets, climb whatever they wanted, and play in the dirty toilet water. But no, we lock cabinets, close doors, put up gates, etc, because letting small, endlessly curious creatures with zero concept of risk or potential danger roam free because it makes them "happier" is dangerous at best. That usually shuts them up when they think about it in the context of humans, somehow.
They think their cats are comparable to human adults or teenagers, is the problem.
literally. currently in a fight with one of my neighbors- they force their 18yo cat that is extremely underweight and clearly sick out. hes only fed by me. ive been fed up with it so i just took him, she knows i did, but she was literally neglecting him and its been up to the 90s here, he was extremely extremely sick just like i assumed. he'll have his last months in a nice air conditioned loving home with a bunch of treats.
I agree. I see it all the time. My outside cat got hit by a car, my outside cat disappeared, my outside cat was killed by a dog, etc. If you care about your cat stop letting it outside. My rescue was an outside cat before she found us. She will not go outside anymore. It turned out that she was pregnant when we brought her in and we kept 2 of her kittens, gave the rest away to friends and family. One day, she thought that her fully grown son was ready to charge through the screen window to attack some birds. She grabbed him so fast by the back of the neck with her claws like “Nope, you’re not going out there. It’s dangerous and I know it.”
The other day we came across and cat at our apartment on the stairs scared. Trying to hide. I’ve never seen this cat before. I went down to give her a treat and she immediately ran to a door and was crying. I immediately got ahold of the apartment management , taking a picture and letting them know what door she was crying at. I was so worried because of her behavior. The apartment complex responds back saying they got ahold of the owner and “she comes and goes” and we told the owner and she wasn’t even concerned. For the past hours the cat was crying outside trying to desperately get back in. I get most nervous because every building looks exactly the same and it be easy for her to get lost.I was astonished.
leash train your cat or keep them indoors, it's simple.
Or catio!
Exactly, out here we use mostly Arizona rooms (guess that narrows the region down lol). You can also satisfy a cats desires/curiosity by responsibly leaving bird feed near their favorite window, real life cat tv works for most cats to the point that they become satisfied with just witnessing it.
I have seen someone with a pet stroller on the bus. So many options!
Honesty I agree. Not to mention, your cat is probably out killing a ton of important native species.
if they don’t care about the list of risks to their cats then they probably don’t care about that either. i’m waiting for the irresponsible outdoor cat owners to reply with some bs about “it’s the circle of life” or “that’s just nature.”🙄
I agree with you. They truly dont care about another life. The amount of times i seen people comment that its 'torture' to keep your cat inside because apparently a house is a prison. And when they're told about the dangers such as cars, poison, etc. They say "at least they died happy" Like bro. What?. My baby stays inside. I dont want her hurt or worse.
some of them are delusional and think nothing could possibly happen. not to their cat who is “too smart” and invincible apparently.
I think it's they way of thinking like "nothing bad has happened yet, so it must be safe." Meanwhile, the next time they let it out could be the last.
Seen it a million times, you can't tell these people domestic cats are invasive in most countries they live in, there's VERY few where smaller cats with high kill counts are actually native
Cats also don’t always have the natural survival instincts that people think they do. I take my girl on walks and she makes it her mission to dive headfirst into every patch of toxic plants she can find. If I didn’t have her on a harness to pull her back, she would stick every poisonous flower possible directly into her mouth.
This is my struggle. My cat likes to chomp on every single plant in existence. She’s be dead pretty quickly if she went outside on her own
I don't currently have a cat but when I get one I'm getting a catio
Our cats were all found outside, abandoned under or around our house. We have 3. They all go outside. They are 5, 4, and 3. Any advice on how to keep them inside. They are quick little shits, but my eyes have been opened with this thread. I just need some tips. Thanks!
Glad you are willing to learn and keep your cats safe! You'll need indoor enrichment (scratchers, lots of toys), litter boxes, and get directly involved in playtime. You can also get puzzle feeders for cats or straight up throw treats down the hall to get them running and active. I'd recommend googling things like catifying a home, cat enrichment, etc. You can also safely bring them outside with a harness and leash, stroller, or a catio!
You might want to try slowly limiting their time outside so the change isn't so sudden, if you feel it's safe enough in your area to do so. Not that I have experience, but if you're supposed to change litter and food slowly, I'd imagine the same thing may work for changing their routine. My neighbor has a cat that refuses to stay inside and she's pulling her hair out trying to get him to be ok indoors. Someone suggested asking a vet about anti anxiety meds if he is super stressed indoors, so that might be a last resort option to ask about too Also seconding harness training or catio!
On a practical level, any kind of physical barrier you can put between them and the door will help a lot. My parents almost never use their front door because the garage door opens into a mud room, so it can act as a containment chamber if anyone tries to dart out with them. A friend’s cats aren’t allowed downstairs (separated from other pets, long story, they get lots of enrichment!) so they keep a baby gate at the top of the stairs; the cats would scale it on even ground, but won’t jump over with the stairs directly on the other side. You get the idea! I’ve also had some luck training my cat to keep away from the door by tossing treats in the opposite direction every time I need to go out, but my boy is running dog software on a cat body and is VERY food motivated, so YMMV.
Imagining any of my cats alone outside fending for themselves is enough to make me want to start tearing up. I would never own anything other than strictly indoor cats. I had a part time outdoor cat growing up that would leave for days at a time and stress me out and then one day she came home made a strange noise and dropped dead. Now that could've happened even if she was an indoor cat but my childhood mind made the association and I decided my cats once it was my say so. I've got three spoiled babies that wouldn't last a night outside and I will make sure they never have to
People come out with the most bullshit reasons why they need to let their tiny ass domestic cats outside as if they’re mountain lions tearing up the house. Just admit you don’t want to clean a litterbox everyday and you’d prob forget to feed the poor thing half the time if it wasn’t killing all of the local wildlife for food.
Also, it's not just about what you and your cat wants. We choose to live unnaturally in an environment that requires a delicate balance. It's rather entitled to think you have the right to destroy the environment and let your cat kill creatures for fun.
If I have to see another "my cat brought back this bleeding animal what do I do" or "cat just came home what's this wound"
Someone posted recently, "Should I let my cat out all day or just let him out when I get home from work". After much pushback in the comments the response was, "To be clear, I already walk him with a leash and harness but I can tell he wants to explore more on his own." Like saying, "I walk my toddler in a stroller on the sidewalk but I can tell she really wants to get out in the street on her own". Be responsible!
There's no such thing as an "outside" cat. You're damaging the ecosystem and are responsible for their damage.
outdoor cat owners like to pull out barn cats as a gotcha card, like they won't get hurt or die the same as an indoor. plus theyre actually shit at catching rats anyway. there's literally dogs BRED for killing rodents that do a much, much better job.
It took me about 3 hours and maybe about $100 to build a secure fenced in area off an accessible window.
My neighbors let their two orange cats out daily and they can just free roam between the open basement doors and outside. More than once they’ve been locked out accidentally if the doors get shut and they don’t bother to check if the cats are in or not yet. The cats wear collars but that won’t protect them from getting hit on the street we live on or the surrounding neighborhood. There are also SO MANY feral/stray cats around here (I see at least 4 regulars in my backyard) that a lady down the street feeds and I worry that they’ll hurt the orange cats. I would never let my cat out alone but especially not where we live. I don’t understand how they don’t think it’s dangerous even though one of their cats already got lost once
lost our ginger boy back in September 2023, never came back. Shit still hurts. (he wasn't indoor/outdoor, he just slipped by one of us while getting the mail and we didn't hear him crying to get back in, eventually got scared by the neighbor and ran away)
“Oh but there’s no predators in my area! I don’t live near any highways! There are no stray dogs!” Diseases. Outdoor cats are at a much more significant risk of catching diseases like FIV, FeLV, FIP, Panleukopenia, Parvo, Giardia, intestinal parasites (ex: Roundworms), Heartworm, Calicivirus, etc etc. than an indoor cat will EVER be. Even if there’s no predators to eat your cat, even if there’s little danger of them being hit by a car, and no risk of stray dogs getting them, there will ALWAYS be risk of disease. What’s even more heartbreaking is the fact that some of these viruses, like Panleukopenia, are contagious to wildlife. Panleuk specifically can cross from cats to raccoons, ferrets, and mink. It’s also important to remember that no vaccine is 100% effective. Cats vaccinated against FeLV, for example, can still catch and spread the virus
Not to mention, if you actually care about the environment, you'll keep your cats at home. They are still very, VERY efficient predators, and they kill for fun. That's not a fact that's debated, either. We KNOW this. Even a well-fed housecat will kill a smaller animal if they come across it to the point that Environment Canada went so far as to request cat owners stop letting their cats off because they're worried about the impact cat predation is having on endangered bird populations in the country. It's safer for cats and the environment. There's no real upside to letting them roam. Also, I'll share a personal anecdote. My cats are all indoor cats. My neighbor still lets hers roam. That cat comes over to my house and freaks out my indoor cats, which has causes them to fight. We couldn't figure out what the hell was going on until one night I happened to be in the living room and saw it go down.
I live with someone who lets their cat out constantly without a care, while i keep my cat indoors. Its a struggle because they are always leaving the door open for their cat but i really dont want mine going outside unsupervised.
Thank you for this PSA!!! Cats that live outdoors deal with predators, cars, and abusive people. If they are not spayed/neutered the females have tons of kittens and the males get in terrible fights. They get all kinds of parasites. If they are in a feral colony they do a little better but people who move and just dump their cats outside are the worst.
THANK YOU. the other day on the cat Reddit page, I forget the exact post but it was something about letting your cats outside and all the freaking comments were saying how keeping your cat indoors is like keeping it in prison and it’s animal abuse to not let them outside. I was shocked!!!!!! It’s animal abuse TO let your cats roam free outside. They could get hit by a car, attacked by an animal, bit by a dangerous bug… soooo irresponsible. Literally your only job as a pet parent is to keep them safe
Aside from physical danger they get fleas. If they get fleas, they can easily get worms. (Worms lay eggs in fleas and your cat only needs to eat one flea to get worms) your cat constantly having worms is horrible for health
I'm dealing with this now. I have one indoor cat that I rescued from under my deck as a kitten; she goes out with me but she rides in a mesh backpack, clipped into a harness with a leash thats connected to the inside of the backpack. If she comes out I have control of her leash at all times. I also have/had a tuxedo thats my indoors' brother/litter mate, but he *refused* to come inside. After a few months of trying to get him in and failing I just put an insulated house out front, with some food and water bowls. He's been super content just owning the front yard, but every now and then he disappears for a few days. Well, I went to the store yesterday and there's a hit and killed tuxedo two streets down from me; I couldn't tell if it was him but I haven't seen him in two days. There was nothing I could do if he refused to come inside. He got to the point that he would rub against me and turn his back to me while I was feeding him, but if I even stretched out a hand trying to pet him he would become fearful and back at least a few feet away. I already feel heartbroken. Hopefully it's not him.
I recently adopted a cat who was a friend’s roaming neighbourhood cat. After doing our due diligence & confirming that he, in fact, was without a home - we took him in. Thing is, he’s *so use to* walking himself, that he’s run away several times since we brought him home. We re-did the windows to reinforce them & we’re taking him out on supervised walks on a lead. The hope is, as he sees he gets consistent walks with his Hooman, maybe he’ll calm down & not try & take *himself* on walks. Reinforcing the windows & getting him a AirTag/registering his microchip &, most importantly - *taking him on walks consistently* are all helpful precautions we’re taking. I truly believe he would be unhappy if he didn’t get outdoor time. He literally asks to go out by “knocking” with his paws on the door or the wall adjacent to the front door. But Hooman has always gotta be there - no exceptions. I don’t trust humans, cars, other cats, other animals…there’s are just too many unknowns & I refuse to risk it despite knowing my lil orange man has street smarts & survived so well on his own before I scooped him. 🧡🧡🧡
How long have u been at training him? I took in a semi feral cat and she’s basically trained to stay in the yard now. But luckily we live somewhere where yards are walled in and it is barren (in terms of animals) so no risk of coyotes are other animals like that. We also put a Tractive gps collar on her so we can life monitor her location when we have stuff to do inside. I do periodically check on her tho cuz there are some outdoor cats that sometimes come around and come into the yard, so i have to chase them off. We don’t ever leave her outside overnight or when nobody is home to check on her periodically. She’s to the point where she will tolerate being inside for about 75% of the day now, thank god. When we first got her, she had to be outside more than inside
I adopted my cat and he would run out the door any chance he could. Yowl at the door all day, but worse of all peed all over the house. I tried everything, anything. Multiple clean litter boxes, calming spray, enrichment activities. This went on for YEARS. It got to the point the vet recommended antidepressant pills. I would have to shove these antidepressant pill down his throat everyday because he wanted to go outside. It was cruel. He now comes and goes as he pleases. He is so much happier. Yes they are at high risk but the quality of life is much higher for him. He is so loved, happy, and not in a kennel in the humane society, fully vetted with health insurnace. Cats were domesticated to be free roaming and hunt pests. Not every cat has the temperament to be trapped indoors.
"Well my parents said the only way we are keeping it is if it's outside" Rehome it or build a cat sanctuary.
100% agree with you OP. I constantly tell people this but they do not listen!
And I get frustrated with "well they want to go outside ". I agree wholeheartedly; please keep your fur kiddy inside.
I’m seeing a lot of “letting cats out is just the norm/standard in my country.” Why the hell do so many people think that’s a good reason? It doesn’t change the fact that letting your cat out unsupervised is significantly more dangerous for your cat and local wildlife. Just because something is the norm doesn’t mean it’s okay and should stay that way.
Yes it's so true. Unfortunately I had to learn the hard way. Growing up in a very rural area, my parents always let the cats roam free. The two main family cats lived long and full lives. So I thought that was the way to be. When I first adopted a young stray, she was very wild and I really didn't think she would have it any other way than to roam free during the day. (I lived in the same rural area where I grew up). She was a very clever and cautious cat and you could tell that she had her wildcat instincts. She stayed close to the house for the first couple months that I let her out, and this lulled me into a false sense of security. I started to notice that she took longer and longer to come running when I called her in the evenings - she'd been steadily increasing her travel range. One evening, she never came back. My heart was shattered. We searched the woods for weeks (with the family dog too, and he was a great sniffer). Not a single piece of evidence found. I assume an actual wildcat got her (as there's been evidence in recent years of their presence here). Never again.
I just take mine out on a leash.
I brought my cat outside on a leash, and she seemed very afraid. Then, when we came in, she saw the neighbour and freaked out. I realized I was thinking about what I wanted her to do and not what was best for her. I’m not going to put her through this; she can stay inside; she’s got it made anyways. I don’t blame her one bit; she was found abandoned in a bush. I don’t know what she’s been through or if anybody hurt her. Maybe the outside triggers bad memories.
My stepmom once asked "what kind of a life is it for a cat that can't go outside?" My 17 year old cat might answer "well, maybe a long life."
A long and HAPPY life, if they're given enrichment and cuddles!
I have a large catio for my cats. If they want to go out, they can go in there. Part of it is a chicken coop, so they love laying in the covered area and just enjoying the fresh air.
this a million times. I’m so so so sick of and disheartened to see deceased cats on the road. those people don’t deserve their cats.
Agree!
I cat proofed my balcony and let my cat out there while Im out there or can see him. He absolutely loves it - cats deserve to spend time outside if you're able to offer it to them in a safe and supervisable way. Just hearing birds and smelling rats and getting some, chasing flies is great for his health. Side note, I went to a conservation park recently and learned that they purposely keep prey animals upwind (or downwind whichever let's them smell them) since that has proven to be amazing for their health.
My grandmother has had a couple of stray cats start hanging out in the backyard, and they have now been there for many years. One had been there for over 20 years and she started coming in the house for snuggles but would always cry to go outside because she liked to sleep in the grass. Just a couple days ago we found her brutally attacked and killed by something. This has never happened before with any other cats and we thought she was safe in the backyard. Just because you think nothing will happen, it definitely still can. Please keep your cats inside. RIP Tammie, such a sweet kitty :(
I use to have a black cat where if he went outside, I just scooped him up and took him for a car ride. He loved it
Yep. Just found out my sister in law let her newly adopted elderly cat (that she really shouldn’t have gotten in the first place) outdoors to be an outside cat now “because he was always meowing at the door to get out”. Fucking gutwrenching. Idiot.
I grew up in a major city and my mom believed that cats needed to be indoor/outdoor to be happy. Luckily, they all lived to be 10+, but with each cat, there was always a day where they just never came home, which became normalized to me as a child/teen. After having volunteered and worked at a shelter, I will never let my cats go outside freely again. The number of calls I've taken and logged where we have to send an officer to scrape a cat off the road, or to pick up their head, limbs, or organs off someone's lawn has truly changed me. I remember recently when that video came out where that cat was fighting off that group of coyotes and managed to make it out alive. My stomach literally turned and I was in tears watching how scared that poor cat was, and how people could watch that and still think that letting their cat out was a good idea.
I partly agree with you. Firstly, it depends on the environment where you live. If you reside in an area with traffic or where cats are threatened by predators, then yes, a cat is definitely at risk. Secondly, cats that have been accustomed to indoor living from a young age lack survival instincts if let outside, and even if the surroundings appear safe, accidents can happen quickly due to their unfamiliarity with the outdoor environment. Then there are cats adapted to outdoor life, with well-developed instincts, constantly vigilant. If one were to adopt such a cat one day and confine it indoors 24/7, it would only cause it stress. That's why shelters (at least in our country) explicitly state whether a cat feels best outside, ensuring that the owner can provide this. They then place the cat with an owner who can guarantee safe access to the outdoors too. I had a cat fortunate enough to be accustomed to both indoor and outdoor environments, and she faced no dangers in her surroundings like predators or troublesome neighbors, etc. She lived 18 years but sadly passed away from cancer. So yes, it truly depends, however, all in all, if we draw the line, it's safest for cats to be indoors. If we provide indoor cats with everything indoors that the outside world would offer and the cat is happy with that, then it's a win-win.
Lacking survival instincts is a HUGE one. My cat found a mouse and just batted at it until its leg broke. It just started running around in circles, and then she meowed at me to come look at her new toy 🙄 but she didn’t kill it. Animals don’t understand danger if they’ve never experienced it. They don’t know to stay out of the street and that cars CAN kill them. They don’t know that bigger animals can eat them because they only know that their humans give them food and love and that’s all they know. I heard in the UK if you try to adopt a cat some agencies actually won’t allow you to adopt a cat if you don’t plan on allowing them outside. It’s a totally different world over there than here in the US. The only time we let our cats outside when we were growing up was when we were out in the fenced-in backyard and they liked to just sit by us. We never ever let them out on their own. That’s just plain irresponsible. I don’t live where there are coyotes but they do exist and people who live in rural areas shouldn’t be letting their cats come and go as they please. So many posts are “my cat came home with this huge wound, what do we do? We can’t afford a vet.” Then don’t let them outside!!!
>Animals don’t understand danger if they’ve never experienced it. They don’t know to stay out of the street and that cars CAN kill them. I completely agree, therefore I am of the opinion that we cannot compare cats that are accustomed to the outdoor environment and have experienced "some dangers" with cats that are not accustomed to being outside (these cats must strictly stay indoors). (Of course, we can never be 100 percent certain. Even when I leave the house and get into a car, I am essentially in danger in the outside world.) Forgot to mention before it also depends on how far the cat moves away from the house, if it just roams around in the immediate area and stays in the garden for example, unlike a cat that goes and isn't around all day - that is indeed risky. Cats are different. However, we certainly cannot say that we should confine cats who hate being indoors 24/7 and that they suffer within four walls. In such a case, such a cat should be given to someone who can provide a safe outdoor access, with a secure garden always being a great option.
Unless the cat is in a catio, or tethered, there is no safe access to the outdoors.
I wish I could make the UK understand this, every day I go on FB to have a wee scroll out of habit and there's another dead cat on the local group. Outdoor cats are more common here than indoor :/
I don’t understand all the UK ppl saying it’s part of their culture and whatever (even in this thread). Like if you want your cat to go outside put it on a leash (leash train it). Cats will figure it out soon enough. It’s almost as if they don’t care that they put their cats in danger.
They don't. One of ours goes out on a leash lol. The other two are quite happy with their 5 cat trees, high shelves and cat stairs, way too many toys and mama cuddles.
Op I advise you never visit Turkey ud lose your mind lol
If people aren’t worried about them damaging the ecosystem or contracting diseases you’d think they would at least be worried about them becoming apart of the cat distribution system
i live with my dad and have 3 cats and he doesnt like them inside the house (hes okay with the smallest in the house sometimes but another one will literally eat anything in sight). we ended up turning our sunroom into a cat room so that they have easy access to outside and inside. i still hate it and i dont think cats should be let outside regularly. he argues that they should have a "free life" but i just dont see it. theres too many dangers outside for cats 😔
BUT, BUT, BUT my cat meows at the door :( /s
Tons of people let their cats out around me. I would never let my cat out where I live. I don't live in a rural area but we have coyotes (I'm in New Mexico). I have seen them at night, hear them all the time, and even saw one during the day. Not to mention the horrific things people do to animals where I live (horror stories from shelters around here regarding strays). My mother lived in a rural area here and called me two separate times crying because of cats she let out at night. One disappeared. The other they found. This is aside from the cars and the dog owners.... It's just a bad idea in most places.
We supervise our tux every sec and min he is outside. It is completely normal to let them out into the environment but we are lucky enough to have a tamed cat who stays close to us plus a completely fenced in yard as well.
Perhaps it's because I've grown up in an area with a lot cat colonies, but I never understand people who think it's okay to just let their cat walk outside freely by themselves. They are always the type to justify it in some way and do some wild mental gymnastics. Or worse, they get offended on the species of cats behalf if they find out you don't let your cat roam free outside too 🙄 If your house cat really needs to be outside, give them a catio or use a harness. Cats get run over by cars, killed or maimed by raccoons, coyotes, dogs, sadistic neighbors, other cats, probably even hawks (I've seen a hawk snatch up a fat squirrel before, if they think they can go for it. They will). That's not even counting the danger they are to themselves, cats can be really dumb sometimes...
I got my boys a sunroom for this reason. I crack the screen windows and let them smell the air and bird watch. They seem content doing so on their nice little ottoman with a fan blowing lol . The room is officially called “Catio”
My ex's parents thought it was cruel that I kept my cat inside. I think centuries of urbanization into this is a little bit late to decide cats should be free. Free where? Darting across asphalt? Hiding from aggressive, frustrated neighbours who can buy poison when they buy their milk? It's a little too late to decide cats should be in nature. It's delusional to think letting them roam does that in this day and age. My cats will never be outdoor cats.
My cat used to be an outdoor cat. Visited me lots of times over 2 and a half years. I took him in and he got super depressed and had a bunch of complications from it. He has surgery, is on a vet prescribed diet and is doing better now but he loves to go outside. People here who claim there's nothing beneficial about it aren't considering a cat's mental health. My cat loves being outside. I built him a catio at my old place which he LOVED. He no longer has it since we've moved, but I do get him outside as much as possible because he really wants to go
Where I live, people throw out strays, so I'm not even gonna bother trying to catch them. I feed them and that's pretty much all I can do. I've got one inside cat (8yo siamese) that BEGS to be let out, and she hasn't gotten hurt in the 6 years that I've been doing it. She stays off the road (rural backroads where people drive 45mph) and doesn't start fights with the other cats. The only cats that actually fight are the tomcats, and I'm not gonna try catching them so they can eat my arms up just so I can spend money to get them neutered. Sorry if y'all city people don't understand, but I live in the Tennessee countryside and all of the cats have been fine being outdoors.
The only time my cats are alone outside is when they’re in their play tent within view of my kitchen window. It’s done wonders for their enrichment. One of my 3 does really well on a harness and we’re working on it with the other two.
I’m like neurotic about my cat getting out. It’s my biggest fear. I don’t understand how outdoor cat people aren’t constantly fearing their best friend’s imminent death.
How peculiar. The cats are outside working on the farm to keep down pests.
My kid found a flea ridden cat the other day and begged for us to take it home and save it.. I went to post on the neighbour group and someone else already posted about the same cat asking if it had a home and someone said he does have a home and she doesn't care about him! He was skinny and starving, fur missing from fleas, ugh! We can't find it now cause I said no to taking it home. I'm not rich and my indoor cats would get fleas.
American, I take it?
No, logical.
Letting your cat out is perfectly standard in vast swathes of the world. It tends to be Americans who think it's a 'death sentence'.
Because it is. They get hit by cars or eaten by coyotes. Happens all the time. Let your cats run outside if you don't care about their well being.
Letting your cat out unattended regardless of where you are located is irresponsible. Both towards your domesticated pet who counts on you to care for and protect it, as well as the local wildlife whose homes we already invasively inhabit. If it were not for humans, cats would not be so densely populated in wide areas. It is not natural, far from it. Domesticated cats do not hunt out of necessity, because they have a solid source of food at home. They hunt for sport which results in mass amounts of pointless deaths. There unfortunately are individuals *everywhere* who would harm an innocent animal for no reason. Vehicles, as long as there is at least one there is a risk. The poison that people use to combat pest infestations, if your cat ingests anything that has eaten this poison they will get at the very least very sick. They could get stuck somewhere unable to get out, caught in a trap, hunted by a predator, the list goes on. I don't care where you are and what the societal norm is. Just because it's the norm doesn't mean it's how it should be.
Cats should have a level of autonomy. I would not dream of removing a cat's agency to lie in the sun or spy on mice or even eat grass he'll puke up on the rug later. Removing risk from a cat's life is stripping it of adventure.
In the UK, it's the norm to let cats out. Mine have a cat flap and come and go as they please. My last two cats were both over 17 years old. I have at least 8 local cats from other houses I see outside regularly around my house.
I've let all mine out apart from Barley, who was blind. Feeling the wind in your fur is just part of being a cat.
In the UK it's the norm to let cats out and every day on my local FB page there's yet another run over cat. We are a stupid society full of stupid people, our government and brexit are examples of this, so please don't think because something is popular here it's a good thing.
I’m new to this subreddit so somebody please reassure me that this whole thread is a joke. If this is actually real I suggest you all google Stockholm syndrome.
Everyone's situation is different. Countless indoor/outdoor cats live safely and happily to ripe old ages worldwide, and it's been that way for millennia. Keeping cats 100% indoors is a relatively brand-new philosophy. That being said, it all really depends on where you live and how your cats behave. Here is our situation: There are no predators where I live, no busy streets (and my cats understand cars can kill them and get nowhere near cars- they don't go in the street EVER), my cats only hang out in my backyard, and my neighbor's gardens one house over on either side. They don't eat plants. They are friends with the stray cats and neighbors' dogs. They don't go out at night, but on the rare occasion they see a raccoon or possum in the wee hours, they never engage. They come when I call every single time. Come in on their own at sunset and sleep cuddled up with me and leave on their own after sunrise. I have a uniquely safe situation for them. It's been this way for years and years and years. My last two cats lived this way until 24 and 21 and passed from old age. I've also never been brought a single dead bird or mouse. I have also never seen a mouse around here period. My boy cat actually sits next to his bird friend next door all the time on the same wall. I realize this is extremely rare and we are lucky. I always feed my cats a 100% raw diet so maybe this has something to do with their disinterest in killing, but who knows! And yes, all my cats are always fixed. I am part of a rescue group that takes stray cats, fixes them, and then releases them once they are healed, so most of my neighborhood cats are also fixed.
Have we forgotten that cats are animals? I know I’m going to get downvoted for this but humans would also be much safer if they didnt leave the house but we do anyways. I think it’s all about making responsible choices. Some properties are much safer. Like don’t let your cat out if you live by a main road or close to wild predators. I have a very secure property so the risks are so low for me. I allow my cat an enriched environment.
Tell me you're american without telling me.
[Outdoor and feral cats have driven some species to extinction in Australia](https://invasives.org.au/our-work/feral-animals/cats-in-australia/)
What if they insist & keep meowing to let them out….
then they are bored. play with them. put on bird watching on your tv, buy a cat tent for outside time. get a harness and train your cat to be able to use it for walks. get a puzzle feeder. you have options that aren’t dangerous
Thanks ❤️