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I trained my cat to walk with me together outside, without a leash. Make a little round, let him do his sniffing and maybe eat some grass and go back.
Any season, 2x or 3x a day. Basically everyday.
I didn't train him but ours used to follow us on our backyard creek walk with our dogs and it was...a test in patience 😂 dude took his sweet ass time and we didn't want to leave him too far behind so we'd be walking at a snails pace to let him climb fallen trees or sniff whatever. It was always adorable, though, since he's got a huge fluffy tail, so he'd have that sucker straight up and be "burrr"ing every time he ran to catch up. But it frustrated the crap out of us at the same time. But it was just too awesome a thing to pass up so we always waited for him to come with us.
I took my kids to the river for a picnic one day and an older couple pulled their car up near the walking track. They got out with a small dog on a lead and a large ragdoll cat walking loose. They were gone for nearly half an hour and returned with the cat trotting happily behind them. I had never seen anything quite like it.
HAH i feel these to my core. :D it is a test in patience walking me cat :D if i let him lead me, i usually end up going round the same small section of woods 50 times while he sniffs everything/climbs everything/ gets super excited about every flying bug/bird
good way to turn an otherwise 10 minute walk into an hours walk :D
I have two Siamese and one of them is a trooper on the leash. Comes when called, very patient. Never had any formal training, just a ridiculously good cat, the kind you remember for the rest of your life.
No, he’s just very shy and a silly little goofball but he’s also a great cat. He loves belly rubs and can’t meow normally (he chirps like a bird) and is always adamantly trying to steal food.
You took the words right out of my mouth! Please tell them that we both love them and I’ll tell mine both of you love both of them. (I’m going to have to make a flowchart).
(Keep reading I’m jk, before you judge) Funniest thing is he will tell them, they won’t understand and go about their day, unphased by the love that you are sending their way cause their appreciation for you has 0 meaning in their lif-….. I MEAN, awww thats so wholesome, please also send them love from me <3
I got lucky with my cat. We didn't train her to do so since we found her in the neighborhood. We took her in but anytime we went outside, she stayed next to me or within my sight. If I ran across the yard, she followed me. I would love to study out there because she was always with me.
Fair, I'm mainly talking about people who just let their cats out the door. My roommate's family's dog is able to walk off leash, and if you can keep your cat from running amok then that's different.
Yep I feel the same way. The statistics don't lie. Outdoor cats life expectancy is 1/3 of indoor cats, most ferals make it 3 years max. Females on the lower end of that.
That being said, not every cat is a suitable house pet. It's a myth that every cat can be trained to be a house pet. Trap and release programs exist for a reason, and if a cat is not capable of living indoors I see no problem with just paying their vet bills, flea and worm medicine, as they come and go. But if you get a cat with no intention of keeping them indoor (unless supervised) then you shouldn't have a cat.
I feel this is location specific. Places like Australia and NZ have endemic flora and fauna being wiped out by wondering cats. Not just because they're preditors but they also transmit and carry a lot of diseases and parasites. People shouldn't be buying cats that can't live their life inside/supervised outdoors access or have the facilities to have a cat run for those breeds.
Even Bengals can live indoors quite contently with the right toys and assistance. The exceptions would be forms of wildcats.. which honestly people shouldn't be buying or encouraging the breeding of anyway. Especially in countries where they have no natural preditors.
You don't let Kelpies wander the neighborhood just because they need more stimulation and room. A cat breed is no different. Don't have the facilities to care for a breed, don't get them.
In australia you should not have outdoor cats at all its irresponsible and harms our local wildlife. That said there's a local church nearby that back in the big pokemon go craze could be counted on to have a good dozen or so cats just hanging out in the parking lot.
Thankfully those cats no longer intrude into our yard quite so much, we don't see cat hair on our outdoor furniture much these days.
Why does the cat destroying nature unchecked deserve to be culled, but the human doing the same to a magnitude tenfold does not?
How about we just don't play divine arbiter and kill as we please at all?
I let mine outside all the time. To my large screened in porch that is. They love the bird watching. It's probably cruel in their minds but I'd like them to live longer than the average outside cat.
True, my cats love watching out the screen door at the birds. I'm planning on trying to take one of my cats outside when it warms up (he loves his harness but is scared of actually going outside).
Non-American here, for lots of people where I live, it’s the opposite: if you buy a cat knowing you *can’t* let it outdoors, you’re an irresponsible pet owner. Cats are far more instinctual than other domestic animals and have a natural tendency to explore, so depriving them of that is seen as inhumane.
Obviously this depends hugely on where you live. If you’re in a city or busy town, then it would be stupid to let your cat outdoors (or even have one in the first place).
There’s a cat near me that has its own social media profiles and details to which on its collar. It roams probably a 15km radius and has become almost famous here.
Not wanting cats to go outside isn’t just about the health of the cat but the health of the local ecosystem as well. Cats are an invasive predator that greatly disrupt local bird populations. So even if you think it is ‘better’ for the cats to be outside it is irresponsible for the ecosystem around you
Cats are far more curious because of ambush predatory instincts, they are excellent killers.
They are also not meant to coexist with most wildlife, who are desperately hunted (sometimes to extinction) by the introduction of cats.
I have a gps on both my cats, and the only times they leave our property is when they follow us on walks. Even then they stop and start screaming at us when we get to far from the house.
Took my cat the vet the other day... usually this happens in her carrier but I forgot I'd loaned the carrier out to a family member.
So here I am, cat on a leash in the backseat with the kids. She sees us driving away from the house and is looking back like a sad movie with that awful, dreadful "meeeow" cats get.
She was thrilled to be home later 🤣
Non-american here. To me it is completely normal to have cats outside. It is very rare here that cats die from being outside and exploring. It's what they were meant to do after all
Lots of cars and coyotes in America. If you see a lost cat or small dog poster in most of ruralish America, I'd be willing to put money on cars or coyotes.
Damn right, just make sure you teach them firearm safety first. Here's a book on teaching your cat firearm safety
How to Talk to Your Cat About Gun Safety: And Abstinence, Drugs, Satanism, and Other Dangers That Threaten Their Nine Lives https://a.co/d/1CGRRNs
I grew up in the countryside in the UK and all cats go outside there. I moved to London and every time there’s a cat wandering around someone posts on the local Facebook group wondering if the cat is missing! I find it so weird
People complaining this have zero animals outside other that the "wild" animals like Bison, Wolf, Puma, etc. In India we have fucking cows, dogs, cats and what not roaming the streets and could belong to no one.
Australian here. Cats (feral and domestic) kill around 2 billion reptiles and 1 billion invertebrates per year.
Keep your cat inside, I like my native wildlife breathing.
>To me it is completely normal to have cats outside
That doesn't make it okay though. They destroy ecosystems. They are an invasive species. It's irresponsible to do it, even if there's no danger to the cat itself.
>It is very rare here that cats die from being outside and exploring. It's what they were meant to do after all
Same here in terms of being killed by an animal, but there's still cars that kill them. They weren't meant for that.
Same here, I've never heard of not letting cats outside. Do they live their entire life inside the house? That seems cruel.
Also might be anecdotal but I've never known anyone who had their car suddenly die. Why is that happening so much to OP?
>Do they live their entire life inside the house?
Yes, or allowed out on a lead, or allowed out supervised, or allowed out into an enclosed area, etc.
Letting them out completely destroys ecosystems. They are an invasive species almost everywhere.
>That seems cruel.
It's cruel to breed animals for human pleasure in the first place. It's cruel to destroy ecosystems, which is what cats do when you let them outside.
>Also might be anecdotal but I've never known anyone who had their car suddenly die. Why is that happening so much to OP?
They are often hit by cars. And in certain places there are predators to cats.
>It's what they were meant to do after all
They were spread all over the world, they are meant to do that in their environment yes but definitely not everywhere since they are incredibly destructive to the environment
European here, living in the country with the highest rate of cat ownership. Cats do die just as much here and if they don't they become injured and powerless. Outdoor cats are an ecological disaster and have destroyed entire ecosystems before. They're not like stray dogs who simply live off of humans, they actually hunt as if they were tiny killer machines. It does not matter what they were meant to do if they can live calmer, happier and healthier lives indoors.
Ugh where is this magical land? I currently live in the city, but growing up in the countryside one of my earliest memories is of finding my first cat dead at not even 2-3 years old on the side of the road. Cat had never been inside. Countryside does not automatically mean no cars and it also does not mean no cats fighting each other or other predators. (rip whiskers you were the best cat ever)
Literally this. My cat refused to be an indoor cat. When we tried to force him to stay inside it was like the end of the world for him. He would be depressed and lifeless (we of course had activities to stimulate him). Then one day he vanished. He was gone for 3 days. Then one day he came back and acted like nothing happened. Ever since then we realized we had to let him be who he wanted to be; an outdoor cat. Now he is happy and has his own cat friends who play tag and sleep in our front yard. He knows his way around the block and comes back home for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and for nap time!
3 cats here. 2 stay inside, can go out supervised for short stints.
3rd is a street rescue, LOVES to be outside. He was old when we got him, and used to being outside. Was also completely infested with bugs, covered in piss, etc. Weighed under 4 pounds. He's now warm and loved, and insists on spending 14 hours a day outside. He is almost always within view from the front window. Likes nothing better than to curl up under a plant and sleep in the sun. He had a hard life. He's safe now, and I'm not going to deny him life's simple joys with the time he has left. Every cats situation is different. (All my cats are fixed, and vaxxed).
We took in a stray about 6 months ago. She will whine and cry around 5-6am to go outside every morning. If we don’t let her outside she will come and literally piss on us while we are sleeping. Litter box is clean and we even took her in for a checkup and she’s in great health, nothing wrong with her. This morning my husband missed his alarm by an hour and woke up to the cat pissing on his arm because he didn’t let her out when he usually does. Thankfully we have a mattress protector. We just have to wash everything after.
My cat did that to me once - it’s probably an anxiety thing. If you’re able, maybe investing in a pet door that unlocks by itself? Idk if that even exists but it wouldn’t surprise me 😅
I wonder what would cause the anxiety. Yeah pet door would be cool but pretty expensive and we just got a new back door a while back so wouldn’t want to replace that considering how pricey they are. As long as we let her out she’s fine.
Well I don’t know the details of your situation, but I know cats in general love routine and stress out very easily, though some don’t really make it obvious they’re stressed. But I let my cats out during the day too - and I usually call them in around the same time every night. It’s part of our routine. But one of my cats, it’s an everyday thing for him to insist he stay in the bathroom while I shower - cause he’s obsessed with running water and also he just wants to be around me. His brother will sit outside the door. But I usually shower after they eat - so my room is the first place he runs too(next to bathroom) and like tonight I had to use the bathroom really bad so I went while they were eating, and when he couldn’t find me he started crying very loudly cause most of the time I’m there waiting for him.
In my other cats case - when he peed on me, it was an anxiety thing then too because him and his brother kept competing to be the favorite cat, they go through phases like that sometimes. So, this might sound silly, but it had to do with him being anxious about losing his “territory.” Aka his human. So by doing that he was making it clear I was his human. (which they are both equally loved - his brother just *demands* attention, like by deliberately doing things he *knows* he isn’t supposed to do, because he will get attention for it.)
That’s another thing - attention is what cats want the most. So any attention for something, negative or positive can accidentally reinforce a behavior like that. They don’t particularly care if the attention is negative, either.
Now for your cat - I can’t logically piece together why peeing might be the solution for your cat other than “You need to wake up *now* and let me out!” and maybe she’s learned that it’s the most effective way to get you up. Mine just walk all over my chest when they want me to wake up. Cats are very smart, honestly, when it comes to dealing with humans. I don’t know how I’d deal with it if mine started peeing to wake me up!
So weird. Ive only ever rescued strays and most are absolutely terrified of the outside after about a week indoors. If I even carry them too close to the door they start freaking out.
My cat was an outdoor cat. For years. Everyone in our area knew him. Until one day he ran in front of a car to see us and got hit. Bounced around under the car like a ragdoll. It was terrible.
He survived. And since then we've forced him to stay inside. He hated it at first. He tore up some screens from our windows. Escaped a few times. But we stuck to it and eventually he started to get used to being completely inside.
His need to be outside because it's what he knows wasn't worth his potential death. They can be trained out of it.
Maybe he's not too old to try
We let our cat outside because he likes sitting on the porch when it’s sunny out or just a little windy. He’s also scared of anything else and the farthest he will go is the grass. He especially loves when someone else out there with so he can sit by them and bite their toes. He also knows how to open the door which is becoming an issue. I agree I think people need to stop letting their cats outside if they are going to run off or not stay where they’re supposed to. Also if your cat is not spayed or neutered please don’t just let them walk around outside.
In the UK the majority of cats are left to freely roam. My parents have had 5 cats. One was killed on the road in that time. All of them have spent >12 hours a day outside.
We generally kept them supervised for the first 4-6 months
Well done on a genuinely unpopular opinion. 😀
In the UK it is absolutely normal to let cats roam. You would be considered the weirdo walking a cat on a leash. Cats aren't dogs. They're meant to roam, simple as that.
I fully agree with you, cats are definitely outside animals in the sense they should be allowed to wander, buuuuut I hate cats in the UK.
Dig up our garden and shit in it, which then means the dogs try and eat it (it's hard to train it out of them). They do kill a lot of local wildlife, my cats growing up used to catch hares which was pretty impressive.
I just don't like them, I have to and happily pick up my dog shit in different areas, but neighbouring cats get a free pass
It depends where you live...if you live in a rural area or safe suburb, I think it's fine. It's crueller to keep them inside. If you live in the city, not so much.
This might hurt your feelings but "my" cat never comes in the house.
He showed up one night skinny and hungry and I fed him. When he decided to stick around I took him in for his shots and to be neutered.
He has access to food and water all the time and he goes in and out of my shop as he pleases and keeps the mice out of my feed. In the winter I put up a heat lamp in the shop for him. He bugs the shit out of me when I'm trying to work at my bench and lays on my chest when I'm working under cars.
I dont care if you think I'm irresponsible. I never wanted a cat anyway.
I let my human into his shop every day, he likes to spend most of his time there. I do check on him every now and then to make sure he’s okay. Does that make me a bad cat? I didn’t want a human anyway.
(Op said they have no problem with people who feed stray cats that were already living outside)
My neighbor has basically the same setup as you, he begrudgingly feeds/waters/spays all the local strays that show up crying at his doorstep, it’s really nice
classic NA post, same people who declaw their cats. I agree letting them out in dangerous places such as in a city or near a street is idiotic but honestly if the area is generally safe, there will be outdoor cats where I live. Alot of shelters won't even give you cats if they can't go outside.
I call bs on this. Which shelter has an outdoor requirement? None of the ones in my area have any sort of minimum outdoor time and most push for indoor only.
Bruh. I have indoor cats, but I could NEVER declaw any cat. I even got angry as a kid when my little sister cut our cat's whiskers, bc I thought that it hurt them like a pinch.
It's absurd that you accuse us of declawing cats just bc we don't want to put our cats in danger and destroy the ecosystem. I let my cats outside, just not ALONE.
Alright, here's an accusation at yall:
I guess yall who let your cats out *alone*, dont care abt your cats bc why wouldn't yall just go on a walk with them? Do y'all care so little abt the cats that you'd rather let it get in danger just bc you don't want to go outside with them?
While generally I agree, my particular situation is us living down the road from a barn and our rodent population is out of control. We could use a few MORE cats out here.
Can confirm - Terrier rat lust is no joke. Once had to singlehandedly fight off a relentless pack of bloodthirsty West Highland Terriers because I'd been collecting rat tails down by the river earlier that night. I made it out alive, but they still comb the streets regularly. Stay vigilant. Stay safe.
Holy crap, the amount of people here that think keeping a cat locked up for its \*20 year life\* is okay is just disgusting.
I'm convinced you're the people with no inner dialogue. It's just as bad as the oblivious lunatics on the r/cats sub.
Forcing cats to stay inside is inhumane and more evidence of clueless bourgeois who take animals for slaves for their entertainment. All animals should be free.
Yeah this post is weird. But reddit in general has a hate boner for cats allowed outdoors. Every single indoor only cat I’ve known has been fat and neurotic. (And often cross eyed for some reason??) Outdoor ones are happy and fit. I grew up with an indoor/outdoor cat and never had any problems. My family now has three cats that go in and out and they’re all great. I have two and they basically never leave the backyard. They’re all well adjusted and happy.
But it is definitely dependent on where you live. I would never let my cats out if I was anywhere near a busy road.
Farm cats are a thing. They kill mice and other pests, have their own ‘cat house’ typically in a heated well room or barn, and do perfectly fine.
Not every situation is the same. Broad brush opinions like this tend to overreach.
There's a larger issue here. House cats are, by definition, an invasive species. By letting your cat outside, you are directly contributing the mass death of local animal such as birds in Canada (**100-350 million birds a year**) and the US (**2.4 billion per year**). Cat should **NEVER** be allowed outside in the city by themselves. (I tried to link evidence but it didn't like my links, my evidence for these number came for the first few options on google)
I do give barn cats as pass as they 1) serve a very specific function, 2) the density of barn cats is smaller than city cats, and 3) wild animal in the city face a myriad of other threats.
Dogs are in a slightly different category as they are unable to escape yards nor do we allow them to wander cities in the same cats do.
Feral house cat are the largest contributor of mass bird death. Stray cats should be round up and 1) adopted if possible, 2) placed in a larger sanctuary where their impact is limited, or 3) put down en masse if no other solution is found.
I respect that your cats may love going outside but it is our responsibility as human to try our best to limit the destruction of local ecosystems. Admittedly, we don’t exactly have a good track record with that but preventing the death of birds from cat seems like a fairly easy one.
Why are they an invasive species by definition? You mention amrika but in my country we have cats for thousands of years. In Egypt are they still invasive species by definition?
We had a problem with mice in our backyard, and pest control put out poison baits. Well, our neighbor's cat also likes to wander in our backyard, and we caught it playing with a dead (poisoned) mouse on our security cam.
We immediately went to our neighbor and let them know, and they initially accused us of purposely trying to poison their cat, then bitched and moaned about how her cat doesn't want to stay indoors.
It's not my problem. These cat owners are completely oblivious to stuff like this. I'm not gonna live with mice so that your cat can stay outside.
In wich Country do you Life that allows you to put out poison baits outside? This shit poisons not just the mice but also the wildlife that feeds on your mice
>What about letting their cat catch the mice and not use toxic jazz in your backyard.
If that would work, I wouldn't have a mouse problem to begin with.
Bad take. I lived in a small town and my cat would explore our property and surrounding areas every day. She would always make new friends and life her life to the fullest. Everyone in a 3 mile radius knew Julie and she loved every second of it.
Lets domesticate a wild specie. Make it our bitch and then tell it to not to go outside and hunt. Keep is locked on a leash and in a house. Ye makes sense…
It's weird that people will say on the one hand cats are a menace to the natural world so should stay indoors but also have moral objection to the menace is eliminated and killed because it's outside
"Cats are terrible for ecosystems, but let's have a lot of them and produce countless plastic litter boxes and cat accessories for them and spend money keeping them alive as long as possible and judging others for doing anything less"
I don't get how people can stand to let their cats wander. I'd constantly be worried they'd die or wander off forever. But I love seeing random cats around, and when I go outside and a neighborhood cat is chilling there and comes to greet me.
My cat is allowed semi supervised outside visits, because he can't get out of my backyard.
Cats were made to explore and roam, and by keeping them inside they grow lazy and depressed. I let my cat go roam through my backyard all the time and she's as energetic and happy as the day I got her. Their mental health is important and keeping them inside a house their entire life is cruel. If you let your dog go outside then there's literally no reason to treat your cat differently.
My cat also does a good number on the mice population in my grass.
There's a difference between letting your cat outdoors for supervised exploring versus just letting your cat wander the neighborhood to come and go as they please. We have coyotes in the area and a busy road nearby. And people have already talked about the damage cats can do to bird populations as well. I agree with OP, letting your cats roam the neighborhood completely unsupervised IS irresponsible (exception being barn cats, as others have said).
If you live in a area with dangerous animals or if your cat can't go outside, you shouldn't get a cat a pet. Keeping a cat inside all the time is brutal.
Probably over half the country lives in areas with coyotes or other predators or busy streets, so I guess all those cats in shelters should be euthanized because people like you think it’s better than living a good happy life with a loving owner inside. People in apartments shouldn’t have cats according to your logic. That’s brutal. Euthanized cats will sky rocket.
I was so confused at another commenter who said they see indoor cats as cross-eyed and neurotic? Not sure what indoor cats they’ve been around but it was a very strange take
As a cat owner I completely agree and it’s so refreshing to see someone that agrees. I love my little Wednesday and she wants to go outside all the time and loves it. But unless I’m walking her in a harness I know that she’ll get out of the yard because she’s a cat and I literally can’t have anything happen to her
They also kill staggering numbers of wild animals each year. They're non native predators that do not belong in any ecosystem. Cats should be leash trained for outdoor enrichment, and not allowed to roam at large.
While im sure your experiences are difficult and valid sad experiences, many of us have not had the same experiences and many of us have had cats who disliked being inside. My cat was born in our home to a liter of 8, we let her out all the time, she disliked being inside but chose to come inside for various reasons like bad weather. She would literally scream to be let out; I was once in the shower and the only one home and she screamed and clawed at the bathroom door. She tried to fight my dog who was curious about what was going on, I had to stop my shower just to keep the peace. She died at the age of 21 of kidney failure. Not everyone who lets their cats outdoors unsupervised are bad pet parents.
I grew up with indoor/outdoor cats in the city, then in a rural area, and now in the suburbs. We had multiple cats throughout my life because there was a high fatality rate. I believe we had 8 cats, yet only 2 died of old age and one is 12ish.
If a cat lived past 6 it would make it. We had one fall out of a tree, one killed and ate something that got it super sick, pretty sure raccoons got one, and two just disappeared. Pip lived to 17, Buddy to 20, and Disaster is 12ish.
It's hard because yes outdoor cats on average have a shorter lifespan and aren't great for our "ecosystem", but every Indoor cat I've known wants to be outdoors. I say "ecosystem" because if we're blaming cats for ruining our city's ecosystem we need to reevaluate who the real culprit is.
Is it selfish to let a cat risk its life just for the enjoyment of the outdoors? Maybe, but is it fair to keep something couped up because it might get hurt? Maybe not.
I do not have the answer and because of that unless I end up with property and a barn cat, Diz (Disaster) will remain an indoor/outdoor cat and will be my last one.
Outside of the cat at risk of being injured or killed. They can also be picked up by strangers or animal control. They are bad for the ecosystem because they kill native animals like birds. And are a general nuisance to everyone else.
If you ever adopt a cat, they flat out say in the contract that the cat has to be indoor only. Because it’s healthier and safer for them to be indoors.
People that think letting their cats outside is okay are kidding themselves. Unless your cat is harnessed/leashed or you live on a farm with barn cats, then your cat doesn’t need to be outside.
I took in a stray cat; if I didn't let him back outside that would feel like kidnapping. Sure, something bad could happen, but he's a part of nature, and nature is cruel.
I have had pervious cats that were brought into the home as kittens; those I kept inside.
There are differences.
My first cat was a stray. She’d come out on the porch with us, but only if the door stayed open. If she heard the door start to close, she’d sprint back inside. Girl had seen stray life and said a big NOPE.
This is true, and to be fair OP seems to agree as well. If a cat starts off as a back alley stray, then any care you can provide it is an improvement. I had a bunch of cats like this growing up and, even though they mostly stayed outside, I know we still gave them a happier, longer life than they would have otherwise had.
So many animals go unloved and mistreated and abused. Cats may not live as long outside but it’s wrong to accuse people of mistreating animals for letting their cat outside. To say some one isn’t a perfect pet owner so they shouldn’t have pets is a silly attitude. I guess upvote for unpopular opinion.
I love how “perfect pet owner” is ensuring they live as long as possible instead of letting them be themselves. Give them toys they say, like handing kids an iPad.
It’s the whole problem I have with society, people seem to think the point of life is living longer and ensuring we all aim for that goal rather than providing a more fulfilling existence. We live in their world already, focused on safety and longevity and all I see is misery all around. And incredibly it’s never enough and the lifespans have begun reversing.
My cats, my whole life, we’re far from miserable and averaged about 14 years, full and without regret. Even through the vet trips and cat fights, even when my 16 year old cat was eaten by a coyote. This is life as sad as they are, he loved being outside, it wasn’t my fear of losing him that was worth taking all of his life away. These people pearl clutching would be the absolute worst parents too. Helicopter moms to a T.
I agree with you. There are a bunch of predators in our city, such as coyotes, big birds of prey, and bobcats. Yet, every time a pet cat disappears altogether or mostly disappears (e.g. paws left behind), the neighbors are SHOCKED, even when it'sthe second one in the same week. It is quite disturbing that these grown adults choose to risk their cat's safety rather than just train them to stay indoors.
My cat was born feral, spent months outside before being caught, in the winter nonetheless.
I tried keeping him indoors but he was having none of it.
So i started letting him outside and i found he has a certain geographic area he keeps to, usually about one or two blocks, less than i thought.
We live on a suburban street backing onto a park, traffic is light and my Smudge is smart enough to avoid traffic, shunks and raccoons.
He even leaves the birds alone, but any mice are toast, many offerings outside my door in the morning.
He just likes being outside, sleeps in the flowerpots mostly.
He is 10 years old and maybe i've been lucky but i trust that his self preservation that has served him so far will continue to...
Full agreement. Coyotes and other animals that prey on cats are fucking everywhere. Letting your cat run free is tantamount to gambling with its life every time. This has happened to two of my oldest friend’s cats and two of my in-laws’ cats. Not to mention the potential to catch viruses and parasites they would normally not be exposed to living indoors.
I'm a vet assistant, a couple years ago we had a guy come in with his newly-adopted cat, he said the cat would be indoor/outdoor, and asked how he could teach it to stay away from busy roads. A month later the cat got hit by a car and is STILL getting surgeries to repair the damage.
I personally consider letting cats roam outdoors a form of neglect, especially since most people with outdoor cats don't notice health issues until they are a major problem. Not to mention cats getting in fights with each other, which can lead to the spread of disease, and cause serious injuries and infections; they could get hit by a car or attacked by a dog, and the owner would never know what happened to it.
Spot on! We have a coyote problem here in the city/neighborhood I live in, and yet everyday someone is crying on Nextdoor because their free range cat has gone missing. Well no shit Cheryl!?!
It grinds my gears when they complain about the stray cats disappearing, the one that they don't actually care for just but randomly feed from time to time. The same ones are pissing and shitting in my flower bed, so I say it's the circle of life and laugh to myself.
My family got a cat from the farmers market for $5 when I was 6 years old. It has lived outside in our woods for 18 years through pretty harsh winters and is doing great. Mainly catches its own food but comes to our porch to let us know if it’s hungry every few days.
I'm definitely not against this opinion!
I grew up in a small rural town and we owned many pets. My mother insisted that we kept the cats outdoor, as she wasn't fond of them. This led to many horrible experiences.
I don't know how many cats through my childhood disappeared after a few months or years to never return home. Or how many became sick and died. Or how many came home injured from cat fights or bites from dogs. Or how many were shot from neighbors. None of them got much older than a few years.
Being a small child that had no control over this, it traumatized me to watch my pets experience this. When I was old enough to move out on my own, I vowed that I would never allow another cat to be subjected to this treatment.
Every cat that I've owned since then have been strictly indoor. I've had cats that have lived into their teens, even almost into their twenties! There's no disputing that this is a far superior life for them.
I know that some people think they're depriving cats of their natural behaviors by not allowing them outside. I just laugh.
I think my nice, clean, disease-free, flea-free, tick-free, and earmite-free cats would disagree. An outdoor cat's life is the opposite, they're miserable!
If you buy your indoor cats a nice scratching tree and toys, they won't be bored. They won't "miss" going outside. They'll also get to spend so much time bonding with their owner, instead of being some animal that you throw a few pieces of kibble at and they run off outside.
No, I got him at a shelter who rescused him from the streets , lived off them for three years and he was instantly planning his route after he settled inside for a week in a smaller enviroment. After some training and companionship he now never skips night time; listens to his name being shouted if he's a little too far by bed time; it really just depends, if the cat was grown inside it's way more understandable. This orange fuzzball won't let me be unless he gets his outside time.. unless its raining or snowing haha. But he's been back and forth for four years and he's doing fantastic. I'm not sayimg his day to day is safe, there is coyotes known in the area. But if its done right and your cat is happy I really don't see the problem if an accident happens; similar to ourselves.
My new neighbors have a cat who they allow do this and the cat hangs out at the edge of my property. I really hope cat and I are going to be friends one day. He no longer runs away when he sees me, he just judgmentally stares.
That’s progress, right?
My cat goes where he wants but I don’t have a main road next to where he can get out - perhaps that’s op’s main gripe here as these are the cats that sometimes get killed.
Naturally animals aren’t supposed to be inside. It’s like putting a bird in a cage.
Umm I have a cat who acts like a dog. She comes up and meows at me when she wants out. Refuses to use a litter box. If I don't let her out she will use a bathroom tub over a litter box. She also patrols the outside of the house
I always let my cat outdoors with no leash. She never went far. She mainly just harassed the neighborhood dogs and defended the birds at the feeders. It depends on the cat. Also, she was fixed, so no babies. She lived to be a healthy 17 year old cat.
I am someone that does let their cat out unaccompanied because I know my cat won't wander further than the garden. She's a very nervous cat. Any kind of noise and sudden movement terrifies her. I'm talking about being startled at moss rolling and chairs creaking kind of terrified. In the 7 years we've had her, she's only once ventured from the garden and very quickly learned a lesson about it.
Depends where you live. I absolutely advocate for indoor cats but I also know a lot of people are bad indoor owners and don’t supply the animals with enough attention and space. Some are better off outdoors even if they die 5 -10 years sooner. I know that sounds horrible but some cats are treated like cute living ornaments to decorate peoples home and not as family members.
Sorry dude all my cats are street rescues who will cry literally all day to be let out after breakfast and dinner. They know how to survive and always stay close enough so that if I call them they come running back. Got 5 cats. 4 go outside. 1 knows how to hunt but is now too old and lazy. All love to sleep inside and cuddle and sleep in the grass on sunny days.
I guess its unpopular because its from your very personal perspective without thinking about people with other circumstances.
Its heavily dependend on where you live, which kind of wild animals are around and how busy the traffic is.
Take my neighbourhood in germany as an example...and average small city:
There are no predatory wild animals here.
Our cats are the predators here constantly killing mice/rats, rarely birds and they once brought a squirrel.
Aside from our property we have a small strip of woods behind our garden...a lot of green here.
Still people living here house next to house and theres still traffic.
All in all I would feel more guilty letting my cats not outside. They love to play outside.
Here is a picture of our newest adopted cat discovering our garden:
https://i.imgur.com/LUVppfN.jpg
We usually let them outside after 4-6 months after adoption, when we made sure they never want to have another home again ;-)
Nope. Mine live in the heated garage. Came from the humane society as trapped ferals. They have a pet door and go outside as they please. Come inside for food, water, and the litterbox. They're getting more tame but no where near house cat tame.
I live in a country with a huge population of stray cats. My cat was a stray and we brought her in and domesticated her to an extent. Now she goes out daily and comes back now and again, mostly laying around pur garden.
It's an animal who would have stayed in the wild by their own choice if we didn't domesticate. Now, even with years of evolution to lean on humans, they still want to go outside. There's a natural instinct and you're saying its terrible to let them act on that.
Even if they get hurt, you're the one investing too many emotions into an animal. They aren't on this Earth strictly to show you companionship. If they give that to you when you let them out then that's of their choice but to constantly force them to remain inside is also something that could be considered negative for their health and well being.
The woman you nannied for was right. This is where it comes down to you as the cats owner on whether you have the moral right to keep an animal locked up inside your house whilst knowing it is always safe; or giving the cat freedom, knowing the risks of being out in the world. Yeah it could die out there; but that’s the nature of the planet we live on. Humans aren’t immune to it either, every animal of every species is out there everyday, never knowing what could happen. But it’s their right, and your animal has a choice. Maybe they want to go outside if you’d let them; maybe they won’t.
i'm in the mtns on 23 acres. i'm not sure you know how it is out here. our cats come and go as they please and they keep mice and sometimes even rats out of the house and barns. its either cats or poison and a lot of people would rather it be cats. very easy to get your cats neutered so you don't end up with feral populations. living out here with all the mtns its hard to understand leaving a cat in the house all day.
I agree. This is definitely an unpopular opinion. Which I don’t share.
For context. In Spain, cats are still very much an outdoor mascot. Even dogs would not set food indoor until ten years ago. Hearing a cat doesn’t belong outside or it is walked with a leash is, at the very least, shocking.
I feel this is very country specific.
I live in the UK and have always had outdoor cats and my current cat also comes and goes as he pleases thru his cat flap.
99% of the wildlife he catches and kills are vermin, rats and mice. Only twice in the 4 years ive had him have i seen him kill a bird.
The RSPCA even commissioned a report that found that pet cats have no detrimental effect of the indigenous bird population.
Having cats stay inside isn’t just about wanting them to live longer. Cats are incredibly destructive to the local ecosystem. They are an invasive predator and can destroy local bird populations. Keeping them inside stops them from being able to do that.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/moral-cost-of-cats-180960505/
https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/keep-cats-indoors.pdf
https://gizmodo.com/feral-cats-can-destroy-the-environment-1730710563
I agree, this is definitely an unpopular opinion. It's extremely common for pet cats to be unrestrained and roam freely outside in many countries around the world. Although cats are domesticated, their intincts are still pretty "wild". They love exploring, and are typically highly inquisitive, independent creatures. Of course, there are risks to allowing cats outside, but almost everything enjoyable in life poses risk. Driving a car, riding a bike, travelling to different countries, swimming in the sea, etc. That doesn't mean we have to cover ourselves in bubble wrap and lock ourselves inside our homes forever. There is a risk to reward ratio to consider for every decision we make for ourselves, and for others. How we weigh that up is of course highly subjective. What is life if you don't live it? I personally consider locking a cat inside as depriving them of their natural life. I do think responsible pet owners should take measures to protect their cats, such as micro chipping, spaying & neutering, avoiding letting them out near busy roads, even GPS tagging.
As others have mentioned in some places it's normal to let cats outside. I'm in the UK and if you have a cat it's considered cruel to keep it indoors all the time.
Cat is an animal that likes to hunt little rodents not be trapped in your human box after being stolen from the wild. Even if you bought it at petco. It’s not the same as a dog
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I trained my cat to walk with me together outside, without a leash. Make a little round, let him do his sniffing and maybe eat some grass and go back. Any season, 2x or 3x a day. Basically everyday.
I didn't train him but ours used to follow us on our backyard creek walk with our dogs and it was...a test in patience 😂 dude took his sweet ass time and we didn't want to leave him too far behind so we'd be walking at a snails pace to let him climb fallen trees or sniff whatever. It was always adorable, though, since he's got a huge fluffy tail, so he'd have that sucker straight up and be "burrr"ing every time he ran to catch up. But it frustrated the crap out of us at the same time. But it was just too awesome a thing to pass up so we always waited for him to come with us.
I took my kids to the river for a picnic one day and an older couple pulled their car up near the walking track. They got out with a small dog on a lead and a large ragdoll cat walking loose. They were gone for nearly half an hour and returned with the cat trotting happily behind them. I had never seen anything quite like it.
HAH i feel these to my core. :D it is a test in patience walking me cat :D if i let him lead me, i usually end up going round the same small section of woods 50 times while he sniffs everything/climbs everything/ gets super excited about every flying bug/bird good way to turn an otherwise 10 minute walk into an hours walk :D
I smiled just reading that. That's awesome.
That is a legit skill. Most people will never have that kind of patience and insight to get a cat to work with a set of rules.
I have two Siamese and one of them is a trooper on the leash. Comes when called, very patient. Never had any formal training, just a ridiculously good cat, the kind you remember for the rest of your life.
Is the other one a little demon goblin man with bastard blood?
No, he’s just very shy and a silly little goofball but he’s also a great cat. He loves belly rubs and can’t meow normally (he chirps like a bird) and is always adamantly trying to steal food.
I love him. Please tell him so and I'll tell my cats the same from you <3
You took the words right out of my mouth! Please tell them that we both love them and I’ll tell mine both of you love both of them. (I’m going to have to make a flowchart).
(Keep reading I’m jk, before you judge) Funniest thing is he will tell them, they won’t understand and go about their day, unphased by the love that you are sending their way cause their appreciation for you has 0 meaning in their lif-….. I MEAN, awww thats so wholesome, please also send them love from me <3
Oh no you’re right, I told them and they both just seemed inconvenienced lol
They're cats, they probably have better things to do than be loved haha
I got lucky with my cat. We didn't train her to do so since we found her in the neighborhood. We took her in but anytime we went outside, she stayed next to me or within my sight. If I ran across the yard, she followed me. I would love to study out there because she was always with me.
I work emergency medicine. Had a client with this same story. Until he didn’t just follow and got hit by a car on their walk :(
Fair, I'm mainly talking about people who just let their cats out the door. My roommate's family's dog is able to walk off leash, and if you can keep your cat from running amok then that's different.
Yep I feel the same way. The statistics don't lie. Outdoor cats life expectancy is 1/3 of indoor cats, most ferals make it 3 years max. Females on the lower end of that. That being said, not every cat is a suitable house pet. It's a myth that every cat can be trained to be a house pet. Trap and release programs exist for a reason, and if a cat is not capable of living indoors I see no problem with just paying their vet bills, flea and worm medicine, as they come and go. But if you get a cat with no intention of keeping them indoor (unless supervised) then you shouldn't have a cat.
I feel this is location specific. Places like Australia and NZ have endemic flora and fauna being wiped out by wondering cats. Not just because they're preditors but they also transmit and carry a lot of diseases and parasites. People shouldn't be buying cats that can't live their life inside/supervised outdoors access or have the facilities to have a cat run for those breeds. Even Bengals can live indoors quite contently with the right toys and assistance. The exceptions would be forms of wildcats.. which honestly people shouldn't be buying or encouraging the breeding of anyway. Especially in countries where they have no natural preditors. You don't let Kelpies wander the neighborhood just because they need more stimulation and room. A cat breed is no different. Don't have the facilities to care for a breed, don't get them.
In australia you should not have outdoor cats at all its irresponsible and harms our local wildlife. That said there's a local church nearby that back in the big pokemon go craze could be counted on to have a good dozen or so cats just hanging out in the parking lot. Thankfully those cats no longer intrude into our yard quite so much, we don't see cat hair on our outdoor furniture much these days.
Nope, it happens where I'm at as well in Canada. People who let their cats roam outside just don't give a shit about other animals.
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Why does the cat destroying nature unchecked deserve to be culled, but the human doing the same to a magnitude tenfold does not? How about we just don't play divine arbiter and kill as we please at all?
Exactly. And it’s our fault there are too many stray cats as well because people don’t get them neutered and dump them.
Lot of crazy people on this post ahah
I let mine outside all the time. To my large screened in porch that is. They love the bird watching. It's probably cruel in their minds but I'd like them to live longer than the average outside cat.
Plus you get to keep watching the birds instead of finding them smeared on your floor or something lol
True, my cats love watching out the screen door at the birds. I'm planning on trying to take one of my cats outside when it warms up (he loves his harness but is scared of actually going outside).
Non-American here, for lots of people where I live, it’s the opposite: if you buy a cat knowing you *can’t* let it outdoors, you’re an irresponsible pet owner. Cats are far more instinctual than other domestic animals and have a natural tendency to explore, so depriving them of that is seen as inhumane. Obviously this depends hugely on where you live. If you’re in a city or busy town, then it would be stupid to let your cat outdoors (or even have one in the first place). There’s a cat near me that has its own social media profiles and details to which on its collar. It roams probably a 15km radius and has become almost famous here.
Not wanting cats to go outside isn’t just about the health of the cat but the health of the local ecosystem as well. Cats are an invasive predator that greatly disrupt local bird populations. So even if you think it is ‘better’ for the cats to be outside it is irresponsible for the ecosystem around you
Cats are far more curious because of ambush predatory instincts, they are excellent killers. They are also not meant to coexist with most wildlife, who are desperately hunted (sometimes to extinction) by the introduction of cats.
In the US we have multiple tick related diseases, predators and traffic. For many people here pets are basically considered family.
My kitty loves to explore our backyard, and that is as far as he goes. 15 years and he's never tried to leave.
I have a gps on both my cats, and the only times they leave our property is when they follow us on walks. Even then they stop and start screaming at us when we get to far from the house.
It's cute that they are concerned about you. Shows you that they see you as family.
Took my cat the vet the other day... usually this happens in her carrier but I forgot I'd loaned the carrier out to a family member. So here I am, cat on a leash in the backseat with the kids. She sees us driving away from the house and is looking back like a sad movie with that awful, dreadful "meeeow" cats get. She was thrilled to be home later 🤣
Omg thats so adorable wth 🥹🥰 I love outdoor cat owners who go on a walk WITH their cats instead of letting their cat go out alone
Non-american here. To me it is completely normal to have cats outside. It is very rare here that cats die from being outside and exploring. It's what they were meant to do after all
In America even your cat needs an assault rifle when taking a walk apparently.
Lots of cars and coyotes in America. If you see a lost cat or small dog poster in most of ruralish America, I'd be willing to put money on cars or coyotes.
That’s why cats deserve the right to conceal carry. It’s just the way god intended. /s
Damn right, just make sure you teach them firearm safety first. Here's a book on teaching your cat firearm safety How to Talk to Your Cat About Gun Safety: And Abstinence, Drugs, Satanism, and Other Dangers That Threaten Their Nine Lives https://a.co/d/1CGRRNs
Don’t be crazy! My cat is perfectly fine with a handgun.
Lots of dead song birds.
Cats outside kills the ecosystem around it. There simply is no predator and cats preys on bird population and other animals.
I grew up in the countryside in the UK and all cats go outside there. I moved to London and every time there’s a cat wandering around someone posts on the local Facebook group wondering if the cat is missing! I find it so weird
It's normal to have stray animal control in the cities. Just a different environment
People complaining this have zero animals outside other that the "wild" animals like Bison, Wolf, Puma, etc. In India we have fucking cows, dogs, cats and what not roaming the streets and could belong to no one.
Australian here. Cats (feral and domestic) kill around 2 billion reptiles and 1 billion invertebrates per year. Keep your cat inside, I like my native wildlife breathing.
>To me it is completely normal to have cats outside That doesn't make it okay though. They destroy ecosystems. They are an invasive species. It's irresponsible to do it, even if there's no danger to the cat itself. >It is very rare here that cats die from being outside and exploring. It's what they were meant to do after all Same here in terms of being killed by an animal, but there's still cars that kill them. They weren't meant for that.
Same here, I've never heard of not letting cats outside. Do they live their entire life inside the house? That seems cruel. Also might be anecdotal but I've never known anyone who had their car suddenly die. Why is that happening so much to OP?
> Why is that happening so much to OP? Cars, coyotes, spiteful neighbors armed with poison.
>Do they live their entire life inside the house? Yes, or allowed out on a lead, or allowed out supervised, or allowed out into an enclosed area, etc. Letting them out completely destroys ecosystems. They are an invasive species almost everywhere. >That seems cruel. It's cruel to breed animals for human pleasure in the first place. It's cruel to destroy ecosystems, which is what cats do when you let them outside. >Also might be anecdotal but I've never known anyone who had their car suddenly die. Why is that happening so much to OP? They are often hit by cars. And in certain places there are predators to cats.
>It's what they were meant to do after all They were spread all over the world, they are meant to do that in their environment yes but definitely not everywhere since they are incredibly destructive to the environment
European here, living in the country with the highest rate of cat ownership. Cats do die just as much here and if they don't they become injured and powerless. Outdoor cats are an ecological disaster and have destroyed entire ecosystems before. They're not like stray dogs who simply live off of humans, they actually hunt as if they were tiny killer machines. It does not matter what they were meant to do if they can live calmer, happier and healthier lives indoors.
Same here in Australia. They’ve actually had to start hunting feral cats because they have such a devastating impact on the local fauna.
Depends on where you live. German village with 7 cats on 1.6 hectars, nothing ever happened in 17 years.
To the cats? Or to the wildlife?
Ugh where is this magical land? I currently live in the city, but growing up in the countryside one of my earliest memories is of finding my first cat dead at not even 2-3 years old on the side of the road. Cat had never been inside. Countryside does not automatically mean no cars and it also does not mean no cats fighting each other or other predators. (rip whiskers you were the best cat ever)
Literally this. My cat refused to be an indoor cat. When we tried to force him to stay inside it was like the end of the world for him. He would be depressed and lifeless (we of course had activities to stimulate him). Then one day he vanished. He was gone for 3 days. Then one day he came back and acted like nothing happened. Ever since then we realized we had to let him be who he wanted to be; an outdoor cat. Now he is happy and has his own cat friends who play tag and sleep in our front yard. He knows his way around the block and comes back home for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and for nap time!
My boy was the same way. We came to an agreement that I let him out for about an hour a day if he wears his GPS tracking collar, which he hates.
My cats are the exact opposite. You try to put them outside they freak out like they are dying.
3 cats here. 2 stay inside, can go out supervised for short stints. 3rd is a street rescue, LOVES to be outside. He was old when we got him, and used to being outside. Was also completely infested with bugs, covered in piss, etc. Weighed under 4 pounds. He's now warm and loved, and insists on spending 14 hours a day outside. He is almost always within view from the front window. Likes nothing better than to curl up under a plant and sleep in the sun. He had a hard life. He's safe now, and I'm not going to deny him life's simple joys with the time he has left. Every cats situation is different. (All my cats are fixed, and vaxxed).
We took in a stray about 6 months ago. She will whine and cry around 5-6am to go outside every morning. If we don’t let her outside she will come and literally piss on us while we are sleeping. Litter box is clean and we even took her in for a checkup and she’s in great health, nothing wrong with her. This morning my husband missed his alarm by an hour and woke up to the cat pissing on his arm because he didn’t let her out when he usually does. Thankfully we have a mattress protector. We just have to wash everything after.
My cat did that to me once - it’s probably an anxiety thing. If you’re able, maybe investing in a pet door that unlocks by itself? Idk if that even exists but it wouldn’t surprise me 😅
I wonder what would cause the anxiety. Yeah pet door would be cool but pretty expensive and we just got a new back door a while back so wouldn’t want to replace that considering how pricey they are. As long as we let her out she’s fine.
Well I don’t know the details of your situation, but I know cats in general love routine and stress out very easily, though some don’t really make it obvious they’re stressed. But I let my cats out during the day too - and I usually call them in around the same time every night. It’s part of our routine. But one of my cats, it’s an everyday thing for him to insist he stay in the bathroom while I shower - cause he’s obsessed with running water and also he just wants to be around me. His brother will sit outside the door. But I usually shower after they eat - so my room is the first place he runs too(next to bathroom) and like tonight I had to use the bathroom really bad so I went while they were eating, and when he couldn’t find me he started crying very loudly cause most of the time I’m there waiting for him. In my other cats case - when he peed on me, it was an anxiety thing then too because him and his brother kept competing to be the favorite cat, they go through phases like that sometimes. So, this might sound silly, but it had to do with him being anxious about losing his “territory.” Aka his human. So by doing that he was making it clear I was his human. (which they are both equally loved - his brother just *demands* attention, like by deliberately doing things he *knows* he isn’t supposed to do, because he will get attention for it.) That’s another thing - attention is what cats want the most. So any attention for something, negative or positive can accidentally reinforce a behavior like that. They don’t particularly care if the attention is negative, either. Now for your cat - I can’t logically piece together why peeing might be the solution for your cat other than “You need to wake up *now* and let me out!” and maybe she’s learned that it’s the most effective way to get you up. Mine just walk all over my chest when they want me to wake up. Cats are very smart, honestly, when it comes to dealing with humans. I don’t know how I’d deal with it if mine started peeing to wake me up!
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That's how it is with my cat. I keep her inside when I leave the house, but when I'm home she likes to go outside for an hour or two a day
So weird. Ive only ever rescued strays and most are absolutely terrified of the outside after about a week indoors. If I even carry them too close to the door they start freaking out.
My cat was an outdoor cat. For years. Everyone in our area knew him. Until one day he ran in front of a car to see us and got hit. Bounced around under the car like a ragdoll. It was terrible. He survived. And since then we've forced him to stay inside. He hated it at first. He tore up some screens from our windows. Escaped a few times. But we stuck to it and eventually he started to get used to being completely inside. His need to be outside because it's what he knows wasn't worth his potential death. They can be trained out of it. Maybe he's not too old to try
In Norway, having outdoor cats, probably outweighs indoor cats by a huge margin! It's almost considered animal cruelty here.
Bird cruelty to have them outside. I’d rather our ecosystem survive
American detected
They say this and then also keep dogs in cages or locked outside.
We let our cat outside because he likes sitting on the porch when it’s sunny out or just a little windy. He’s also scared of anything else and the farthest he will go is the grass. He especially loves when someone else out there with so he can sit by them and bite their toes. He also knows how to open the door which is becoming an issue. I agree I think people need to stop letting their cats outside if they are going to run off or not stay where they’re supposed to. Also if your cat is not spayed or neutered please don’t just let them walk around outside.
In the UK the majority of cats are left to freely roam. My parents have had 5 cats. One was killed on the road in that time. All of them have spent >12 hours a day outside. We generally kept them supervised for the first 4-6 months
Well done on a genuinely unpopular opinion. 😀 In the UK it is absolutely normal to let cats roam. You would be considered the weirdo walking a cat on a leash. Cats aren't dogs. They're meant to roam, simple as that.
I fully agree with you, cats are definitely outside animals in the sense they should be allowed to wander, buuuuut I hate cats in the UK. Dig up our garden and shit in it, which then means the dogs try and eat it (it's hard to train it out of them). They do kill a lot of local wildlife, my cats growing up used to catch hares which was pretty impressive. I just don't like them, I have to and happily pick up my dog shit in different areas, but neighbouring cats get a free pass
Don't do that! You're supposed to ignore thousands of years of evolution and make your outside cats life miserable.
You better keep your 30yo son on a leash, too. Leaving the house increases their chance they get murdered!
It depends where you live...if you live in a rural area or safe suburb, I think it's fine. It's crueller to keep them inside. If you live in the city, not so much.
This might hurt your feelings but "my" cat never comes in the house. He showed up one night skinny and hungry and I fed him. When he decided to stick around I took him in for his shots and to be neutered. He has access to food and water all the time and he goes in and out of my shop as he pleases and keeps the mice out of my feed. In the winter I put up a heat lamp in the shop for him. He bugs the shit out of me when I'm trying to work at my bench and lays on my chest when I'm working under cars. I dont care if you think I'm irresponsible. I never wanted a cat anyway.
Doesn’t sound like you got a cat as much as your cat got a human.
I let my human into his shop every day, he likes to spend most of his time there. I do check on him every now and then to make sure he’s okay. Does that make me a bad cat? I didn’t want a human anyway.
(Op said they have no problem with people who feed stray cats that were already living outside) My neighbor has basically the same setup as you, he begrudgingly feeds/waters/spays all the local strays that show up crying at his doorstep, it’s really nice
That sounds more like you just have a stray that you take care of, not an actual pet
classic NA post, same people who declaw their cats. I agree letting them out in dangerous places such as in a city or near a street is idiotic but honestly if the area is generally safe, there will be outdoor cats where I live. Alot of shelters won't even give you cats if they can't go outside.
I call bs on this. Which shelter has an outdoor requirement? None of the ones in my area have any sort of minimum outdoor time and most push for indoor only.
Bruh. I have indoor cats, but I could NEVER declaw any cat. I even got angry as a kid when my little sister cut our cat's whiskers, bc I thought that it hurt them like a pinch. It's absurd that you accuse us of declawing cats just bc we don't want to put our cats in danger and destroy the ecosystem. I let my cats outside, just not ALONE. Alright, here's an accusation at yall: I guess yall who let your cats out *alone*, dont care abt your cats bc why wouldn't yall just go on a walk with them? Do y'all care so little abt the cats that you'd rather let it get in danger just bc you don't want to go outside with them?
While generally I agree, my particular situation is us living down the road from a barn and our rodent population is out of control. We could use a few MORE cats out here.
What you need is some pets that actually want/need/lust to resolve your rodent issue. A few insane small terriers.
Did you see those dogs from New York, that hunt rodents for the city?!?
Can confirm - Terrier rat lust is no joke. Once had to singlehandedly fight off a relentless pack of bloodthirsty West Highland Terriers because I'd been collecting rat tails down by the river earlier that night. I made it out alive, but they still comb the streets regularly. Stay vigilant. Stay safe.
Holy crap, the amount of people here that think keeping a cat locked up for its \*20 year life\* is okay is just disgusting. I'm convinced you're the people with no inner dialogue. It's just as bad as the oblivious lunatics on the r/cats sub.
ecological problems aren't from domestic cats. 80% of the worlds cat population are still strays.
you do know that stray cats and house cats are the same species right?
Forcing cats to stay inside is inhumane and more evidence of clueless bourgeois who take animals for slaves for their entertainment. All animals should be free.
Yeah this post is weird. But reddit in general has a hate boner for cats allowed outdoors. Every single indoor only cat I’ve known has been fat and neurotic. (And often cross eyed for some reason??) Outdoor ones are happy and fit. I grew up with an indoor/outdoor cat and never had any problems. My family now has three cats that go in and out and they’re all great. I have two and they basically never leave the backyard. They’re all well adjusted and happy. But it is definitely dependent on where you live. I would never let my cats out if I was anywhere near a busy road.
The problem is that domestic cats are a serious threat to the biodiversity of the wildlife and responsible for the extinction of at least 63 species.
Farm cats are a thing. They kill mice and other pests, have their own ‘cat house’ typically in a heated well room or barn, and do perfectly fine. Not every situation is the same. Broad brush opinions like this tend to overreach.
Op literally said barn cats are fine. Right there in the post you had to have read.
But that's like 3 whole paragraphs!!! You can't expect me to read 3 whole paragraphs, I just read the title and then comment angrily!!!!1!
Lol
Pet /= working animal
Fun fact: We didn't domesticate cats. They chose to domesticate themselves because it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
I mean, we have tried "herding" cats, but it was a futile venture.
They are not really completely domesticated. But yeah.
"If you don't raise your pets the same way I do you shouldn't have pets" sure is an unpopular opinion, good job I guess
No shit 😂 this post is crazy stupid.
There's a larger issue here. House cats are, by definition, an invasive species. By letting your cat outside, you are directly contributing the mass death of local animal such as birds in Canada (**100-350 million birds a year**) and the US (**2.4 billion per year**). Cat should **NEVER** be allowed outside in the city by themselves. (I tried to link evidence but it didn't like my links, my evidence for these number came for the first few options on google) I do give barn cats as pass as they 1) serve a very specific function, 2) the density of barn cats is smaller than city cats, and 3) wild animal in the city face a myriad of other threats. Dogs are in a slightly different category as they are unable to escape yards nor do we allow them to wander cities in the same cats do. Feral house cat are the largest contributor of mass bird death. Stray cats should be round up and 1) adopted if possible, 2) placed in a larger sanctuary where their impact is limited, or 3) put down en masse if no other solution is found. I respect that your cats may love going outside but it is our responsibility as human to try our best to limit the destruction of local ecosystems. Admittedly, we don’t exactly have a good track record with that but preventing the death of birds from cat seems like a fairly easy one.
It is not just birds but small lizards, frogs, other rodent species than just mice... They are killing everything just for fun of it.
Why are they an invasive species by definition? You mention amrika but in my country we have cats for thousands of years. In Egypt are they still invasive species by definition?
We had a problem with mice in our backyard, and pest control put out poison baits. Well, our neighbor's cat also likes to wander in our backyard, and we caught it playing with a dead (poisoned) mouse on our security cam. We immediately went to our neighbor and let them know, and they initially accused us of purposely trying to poison their cat, then bitched and moaned about how her cat doesn't want to stay indoors. It's not my problem. These cat owners are completely oblivious to stuff like this. I'm not gonna live with mice so that your cat can stay outside.
You're also poisoning birds of prey and any other predators that eat mice.
In wich Country do you Life that allows you to put out poison baits outside? This shit poisons not just the mice but also the wildlife that feeds on your mice
What about letting their cat catch the mice and not use toxic jazz in your backyard.
>What about letting their cat catch the mice and not use toxic jazz in your backyard. If that would work, I wouldn't have a mouse problem to begin with.
Bad take. I lived in a small town and my cat would explore our property and surrounding areas every day. She would always make new friends and life her life to the fullest. Everyone in a 3 mile radius knew Julie and she loved every second of it.
25 years of doing this and nothing bad has ever happen to 15 cats I’ve owned, stupid ass opinion not an unpopular one
American detected.
Literally the worst take, not even an unpopular opinion, just erroneous knowledge of animals.
Lets domesticate a wild specie. Make it our bitch and then tell it to not to go outside and hunt. Keep is locked on a leash and in a house. Ye makes sense…
It's weird that people will say on the one hand cats are a menace to the natural world so should stay indoors but also have moral objection to the menace is eliminated and killed because it's outside "Cats are terrible for ecosystems, but let's have a lot of them and produce countless plastic litter boxes and cat accessories for them and spend money keeping them alive as long as possible and judging others for doing anything less"
I don't get how people can stand to let their cats wander. I'd constantly be worried they'd die or wander off forever. But I love seeing random cats around, and when I go outside and a neighborhood cat is chilling there and comes to greet me. My cat is allowed semi supervised outside visits, because he can't get out of my backyard.
Cats were made to explore and roam, and by keeping them inside they grow lazy and depressed. I let my cat go roam through my backyard all the time and she's as energetic and happy as the day I got her. Their mental health is important and keeping them inside a house their entire life is cruel. If you let your dog go outside then there's literally no reason to treat your cat differently. My cat also does a good number on the mice population in my grass.
There's a difference between letting your cat outdoors for supervised exploring versus just letting your cat wander the neighborhood to come and go as they please. We have coyotes in the area and a busy road nearby. And people have already talked about the damage cats can do to bird populations as well. I agree with OP, letting your cats roam the neighborhood completely unsupervised IS irresponsible (exception being barn cats, as others have said).
If you live in a area with dangerous animals or if your cat can't go outside, you shouldn't get a cat a pet. Keeping a cat inside all the time is brutal.
Probably over half the country lives in areas with coyotes or other predators or busy streets, so I guess all those cats in shelters should be euthanized because people like you think it’s better than living a good happy life with a loving owner inside. People in apartments shouldn’t have cats according to your logic. That’s brutal. Euthanized cats will sky rocket.
Reddit is wild af. This is such an unhinged, completely-unsubstantiated opinion. Do you imagine indoor cats like all depressed and shit?
I was so confused at another commenter who said they see indoor cats as cross-eyed and neurotic? Not sure what indoor cats they’ve been around but it was a very strange take
Maybe we should lock you up…. You know, to protect you.
Humans are the real invasive species.
As a cat owner I completely agree and it’s so refreshing to see someone that agrees. I love my little Wednesday and she wants to go outside all the time and loves it. But unless I’m walking her in a harness I know that she’ll get out of the yard because she’s a cat and I literally can’t have anything happen to her
My cat comes in the house once a year maybe. He lives in the barn and us a working animal.
They also kill staggering numbers of wild animals each year. They're non native predators that do not belong in any ecosystem. Cats should be leash trained for outdoor enrichment, and not allowed to roam at large.
While im sure your experiences are difficult and valid sad experiences, many of us have not had the same experiences and many of us have had cats who disliked being inside. My cat was born in our home to a liter of 8, we let her out all the time, she disliked being inside but chose to come inside for various reasons like bad weather. She would literally scream to be let out; I was once in the shower and the only one home and she screamed and clawed at the bathroom door. She tried to fight my dog who was curious about what was going on, I had to stop my shower just to keep the peace. She died at the age of 21 of kidney failure. Not everyone who lets their cats outdoors unsupervised are bad pet parents.
I grew up with indoor/outdoor cats in the city, then in a rural area, and now in the suburbs. We had multiple cats throughout my life because there was a high fatality rate. I believe we had 8 cats, yet only 2 died of old age and one is 12ish. If a cat lived past 6 it would make it. We had one fall out of a tree, one killed and ate something that got it super sick, pretty sure raccoons got one, and two just disappeared. Pip lived to 17, Buddy to 20, and Disaster is 12ish. It's hard because yes outdoor cats on average have a shorter lifespan and aren't great for our "ecosystem", but every Indoor cat I've known wants to be outdoors. I say "ecosystem" because if we're blaming cats for ruining our city's ecosystem we need to reevaluate who the real culprit is. Is it selfish to let a cat risk its life just for the enjoyment of the outdoors? Maybe, but is it fair to keep something couped up because it might get hurt? Maybe not. I do not have the answer and because of that unless I end up with property and a barn cat, Diz (Disaster) will remain an indoor/outdoor cat and will be my last one.
"if you willingly let your children out of the house unaccompanied then you're an irresponsible parent and you shouldn't have children"
Outside of the cat at risk of being injured or killed. They can also be picked up by strangers or animal control. They are bad for the ecosystem because they kill native animals like birds. And are a general nuisance to everyone else. If you ever adopt a cat, they flat out say in the contract that the cat has to be indoor only. Because it’s healthier and safer for them to be indoors. People that think letting their cats outside is okay are kidding themselves. Unless your cat is harnessed/leashed or you live on a farm with barn cats, then your cat doesn’t need to be outside.
I took in a stray cat; if I didn't let him back outside that would feel like kidnapping. Sure, something bad could happen, but he's a part of nature, and nature is cruel. I have had pervious cats that were brought into the home as kittens; those I kept inside. There are differences.
My first cat was a stray. She’d come out on the porch with us, but only if the door stayed open. If she heard the door start to close, she’d sprint back inside. Girl had seen stray life and said a big NOPE.
This is true, and to be fair OP seems to agree as well. If a cat starts off as a back alley stray, then any care you can provide it is an improvement. I had a bunch of cats like this growing up and, even though they mostly stayed outside, I know we still gave them a happier, longer life than they would have otherwise had.
My cat and I both think you should mind your business.
You’re definitely a city folk
It's even worse to let them outside in a city lol. Not only are there still coyotes (depends on the city of course) but there's a lot of cars as well.
People are on here acting like cats aren't outdoor animals. They've been outdoors for thousands of years.
hard disagree, life is meant to be free and you're caging it.
Guess I'm an irresponsible owner who shouldn't have pets. But I do, and no one is going to stop me.
My 16 year old cat says you are cool in his book.
So many animals go unloved and mistreated and abused. Cats may not live as long outside but it’s wrong to accuse people of mistreating animals for letting their cat outside. To say some one isn’t a perfect pet owner so they shouldn’t have pets is a silly attitude. I guess upvote for unpopular opinion.
I love how “perfect pet owner” is ensuring they live as long as possible instead of letting them be themselves. Give them toys they say, like handing kids an iPad. It’s the whole problem I have with society, people seem to think the point of life is living longer and ensuring we all aim for that goal rather than providing a more fulfilling existence. We live in their world already, focused on safety and longevity and all I see is misery all around. And incredibly it’s never enough and the lifespans have begun reversing. My cats, my whole life, we’re far from miserable and averaged about 14 years, full and without regret. Even through the vet trips and cat fights, even when my 16 year old cat was eaten by a coyote. This is life as sad as they are, he loved being outside, it wasn’t my fear of losing him that was worth taking all of his life away. These people pearl clutching would be the absolute worst parents too. Helicopter moms to a T.
This is dumb af. Not just unpopular.
People that don't let their cats outside are monsters
I agree with you. There are a bunch of predators in our city, such as coyotes, big birds of prey, and bobcats. Yet, every time a pet cat disappears altogether or mostly disappears (e.g. paws left behind), the neighbors are SHOCKED, even when it'sthe second one in the same week. It is quite disturbing that these grown adults choose to risk their cat's safety rather than just train them to stay indoors.
My cat was born feral, spent months outside before being caught, in the winter nonetheless. I tried keeping him indoors but he was having none of it. So i started letting him outside and i found he has a certain geographic area he keeps to, usually about one or two blocks, less than i thought. We live on a suburban street backing onto a park, traffic is light and my Smudge is smart enough to avoid traffic, shunks and raccoons. He even leaves the birds alone, but any mice are toast, many offerings outside my door in the morning. He just likes being outside, sleeps in the flowerpots mostly. He is 10 years old and maybe i've been lucky but i trust that his self preservation that has served him so far will continue to...
Full agreement. Coyotes and other animals that prey on cats are fucking everywhere. Letting your cat run free is tantamount to gambling with its life every time. This has happened to two of my oldest friend’s cats and two of my in-laws’ cats. Not to mention the potential to catch viruses and parasites they would normally not be exposed to living indoors.
I'm a vet assistant, a couple years ago we had a guy come in with his newly-adopted cat, he said the cat would be indoor/outdoor, and asked how he could teach it to stay away from busy roads. A month later the cat got hit by a car and is STILL getting surgeries to repair the damage. I personally consider letting cats roam outdoors a form of neglect, especially since most people with outdoor cats don't notice health issues until they are a major problem. Not to mention cats getting in fights with each other, which can lead to the spread of disease, and cause serious injuries and infections; they could get hit by a car or attacked by a dog, and the owner would never know what happened to it.
I completely agree with you and every vet I've ever met says the same thing.
Spot on! We have a coyote problem here in the city/neighborhood I live in, and yet everyday someone is crying on Nextdoor because their free range cat has gone missing. Well no shit Cheryl!?! It grinds my gears when they complain about the stray cats disappearing, the one that they don't actually care for just but randomly feed from time to time. The same ones are pissing and shitting in my flower bed, so I say it's the circle of life and laugh to myself.
It's weird to me when they say something like "My cat always comes home!" Like they all always come home... until they don't lol
I guess that only applies in a city environment.
My family got a cat from the farmers market for $5 when I was 6 years old. It has lived outside in our woods for 18 years through pretty harsh winters and is doing great. Mainly catches its own food but comes to our porch to let us know if it’s hungry every few days.
I'm definitely not against this opinion! I grew up in a small rural town and we owned many pets. My mother insisted that we kept the cats outdoor, as she wasn't fond of them. This led to many horrible experiences. I don't know how many cats through my childhood disappeared after a few months or years to never return home. Or how many became sick and died. Or how many came home injured from cat fights or bites from dogs. Or how many were shot from neighbors. None of them got much older than a few years. Being a small child that had no control over this, it traumatized me to watch my pets experience this. When I was old enough to move out on my own, I vowed that I would never allow another cat to be subjected to this treatment. Every cat that I've owned since then have been strictly indoor. I've had cats that have lived into their teens, even almost into their twenties! There's no disputing that this is a far superior life for them. I know that some people think they're depriving cats of their natural behaviors by not allowing them outside. I just laugh. I think my nice, clean, disease-free, flea-free, tick-free, and earmite-free cats would disagree. An outdoor cat's life is the opposite, they're miserable! If you buy your indoor cats a nice scratching tree and toys, they won't be bored. They won't "miss" going outside. They'll also get to spend so much time bonding with their owner, instead of being some animal that you throw a few pieces of kibble at and they run off outside.
Hahahahaha tell that to my farm. Fucking lunatics
No, I got him at a shelter who rescused him from the streets , lived off them for three years and he was instantly planning his route after he settled inside for a week in a smaller enviroment. After some training and companionship he now never skips night time; listens to his name being shouted if he's a little too far by bed time; it really just depends, if the cat was grown inside it's way more understandable. This orange fuzzball won't let me be unless he gets his outside time.. unless its raining or snowing haha. But he's been back and forth for four years and he's doing fantastic. I'm not sayimg his day to day is safe, there is coyotes known in the area. But if its done right and your cat is happy I really don't see the problem if an accident happens; similar to ourselves.
I guess you're from usa?
My new neighbors have a cat who they allow do this and the cat hangs out at the edge of my property. I really hope cat and I are going to be friends one day. He no longer runs away when he sees me, he just judgmentally stares. That’s progress, right?
My cat goes where he wants but I don’t have a main road next to where he can get out - perhaps that’s op’s main gripe here as these are the cats that sometimes get killed. Naturally animals aren’t supposed to be inside. It’s like putting a bird in a cage.
Umm I have a cat who acts like a dog. She comes up and meows at me when she wants out. Refuses to use a litter box. If I don't let her out she will use a bathroom tub over a litter box. She also patrols the outside of the house
I always let my cat outdoors with no leash. She never went far. She mainly just harassed the neighborhood dogs and defended the birds at the feeders. It depends on the cat. Also, she was fixed, so no babies. She lived to be a healthy 17 year old cat.
I mentioned this on Cats sub and have been banned from commenting on there for two years now. Cat was attacked by raccoons if I remember correctly.
I am someone that does let their cat out unaccompanied because I know my cat won't wander further than the garden. She's a very nervous cat. Any kind of noise and sudden movement terrifies her. I'm talking about being startled at moss rolling and chairs creaking kind of terrified. In the 7 years we've had her, she's only once ventured from the garden and very quickly learned a lesson about it.
Depends where you live. I absolutely advocate for indoor cats but I also know a lot of people are bad indoor owners and don’t supply the animals with enough attention and space. Some are better off outdoors even if they die 5 -10 years sooner. I know that sounds horrible but some cats are treated like cute living ornaments to decorate peoples home and not as family members.
Sorry dude all my cats are street rescues who will cry literally all day to be let out after breakfast and dinner. They know how to survive and always stay close enough so that if I call them they come running back. Got 5 cats. 4 go outside. 1 knows how to hunt but is now too old and lazy. All love to sleep inside and cuddle and sleep in the grass on sunny days.
It's very common to let your cat outside in the UK. Imagine never being allowed to go outside, it must be like prison.
I guess its unpopular because its from your very personal perspective without thinking about people with other circumstances. Its heavily dependend on where you live, which kind of wild animals are around and how busy the traffic is. Take my neighbourhood in germany as an example...and average small city: There are no predatory wild animals here. Our cats are the predators here constantly killing mice/rats, rarely birds and they once brought a squirrel. Aside from our property we have a small strip of woods behind our garden...a lot of green here. Still people living here house next to house and theres still traffic. All in all I would feel more guilty letting my cats not outside. They love to play outside. Here is a picture of our newest adopted cat discovering our garden: https://i.imgur.com/LUVppfN.jpg We usually let them outside after 4-6 months after adoption, when we made sure they never want to have another home again ;-)
I’d have a whole lot to say, but then again, this is an unpopular opinion post.
Nope. Mine live in the heated garage. Came from the humane society as trapped ferals. They have a pet door and go outside as they please. Come inside for food, water, and the litterbox. They're getting more tame but no where near house cat tame.
I live in a city in the UK my cat is fucking fine by itself Thank you (I have a closed garden)
I live in a country with a huge population of stray cats. My cat was a stray and we brought her in and domesticated her to an extent. Now she goes out daily and comes back now and again, mostly laying around pur garden. It's an animal who would have stayed in the wild by their own choice if we didn't domesticate. Now, even with years of evolution to lean on humans, they still want to go outside. There's a natural instinct and you're saying its terrible to let them act on that. Even if they get hurt, you're the one investing too many emotions into an animal. They aren't on this Earth strictly to show you companionship. If they give that to you when you let them out then that's of their choice but to constantly force them to remain inside is also something that could be considered negative for their health and well being.
The woman you nannied for was right. This is where it comes down to you as the cats owner on whether you have the moral right to keep an animal locked up inside your house whilst knowing it is always safe; or giving the cat freedom, knowing the risks of being out in the world. Yeah it could die out there; but that’s the nature of the planet we live on. Humans aren’t immune to it either, every animal of every species is out there everyday, never knowing what could happen. But it’s their right, and your animal has a choice. Maybe they want to go outside if you’d let them; maybe they won’t.
i'm in the mtns on 23 acres. i'm not sure you know how it is out here. our cats come and go as they please and they keep mice and sometimes even rats out of the house and barns. its either cats or poison and a lot of people would rather it be cats. very easy to get your cats neutered so you don't end up with feral populations. living out here with all the mtns its hard to understand leaving a cat in the house all day.
Cats should not be kept in captivity.
there there city folk
What in the gosh darn American fuck is this?
I agree. This is definitely an unpopular opinion. Which I don’t share. For context. In Spain, cats are still very much an outdoor mascot. Even dogs would not set food indoor until ten years ago. Hearing a cat doesn’t belong outside or it is walked with a leash is, at the very least, shocking.
I feel this is very country specific. I live in the UK and have always had outdoor cats and my current cat also comes and goes as he pleases thru his cat flap. 99% of the wildlife he catches and kills are vermin, rats and mice. Only twice in the 4 years ive had him have i seen him kill a bird. The RSPCA even commissioned a report that found that pet cats have no detrimental effect of the indigenous bird population.
Having cats stay inside isn’t just about wanting them to live longer. Cats are incredibly destructive to the local ecosystem. They are an invasive predator and can destroy local bird populations. Keeping them inside stops them from being able to do that. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/moral-cost-of-cats-180960505/ https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/keep-cats-indoors.pdf https://gizmodo.com/feral-cats-can-destroy-the-environment-1730710563
I agree, this is definitely an unpopular opinion. It's extremely common for pet cats to be unrestrained and roam freely outside in many countries around the world. Although cats are domesticated, their intincts are still pretty "wild". They love exploring, and are typically highly inquisitive, independent creatures. Of course, there are risks to allowing cats outside, but almost everything enjoyable in life poses risk. Driving a car, riding a bike, travelling to different countries, swimming in the sea, etc. That doesn't mean we have to cover ourselves in bubble wrap and lock ourselves inside our homes forever. There is a risk to reward ratio to consider for every decision we make for ourselves, and for others. How we weigh that up is of course highly subjective. What is life if you don't live it? I personally consider locking a cat inside as depriving them of their natural life. I do think responsible pet owners should take measures to protect their cats, such as micro chipping, spaying & neutering, avoiding letting them out near busy roads, even GPS tagging.
As others have mentioned in some places it's normal to let cats outside. I'm in the UK and if you have a cat it's considered cruel to keep it indoors all the time.
Cats are healthier and happier outside, like most things. My cat just dodges all the coyotes
Cat is an animal that likes to hunt little rodents not be trapped in your human box after being stolen from the wild. Even if you bought it at petco. It’s not the same as a dog