Cat Collar or no cat collar

Forcing a cat to stay indoors sounds a touch like cruelty to me. Cats are natural roamers, hunters, and fighters; to force them to stay indoors is to go against their nature.

I understand both sides - I agree that cats have definitely done well to survive and adapt if they're outdoors, but keeping a cat outside can also be seen (by the other side) as cruelty.

Cats are WAY more prone to feline aids (FIV) if they are outdoors. Also, I don't know if anyone's ever seen a cat fight, but they can be horrific. Territorial conflicts are even more gruesome. There is also the obvious threat of dogs and other wildlife that poses an issue to an 8 lb. cat.

One cat's territory can span miles, covering more acres than we realize. Even if they've never been outside before, they're going to roam far away. There is also the issue of unaltered males roaming around outdoors who constantly increase population size.

A female cat can go into heat pretty much after her current litter stops nursing.. it's not uncommon for a female cat to have about four litters in a year, sometimes more, sometimes less.

So I dunno.. I think constantly getting pregnant, with all the other issues posed to being outdoors, is a bit more cruel than keeping a cat indoors with a baggie of catnip. FIV seems like the best reason to keep my littlest girl inside with me.

If the cat REALLY seems like it wants to be outside, I like when owners try out the harness training for cats, putting them on a little leash on the porch, or setting up a screened off or enclosed porch area where they can still feel the breeze through their fur.

Just some info to think about

There are different cultural expectations at play here. It is considered normal for cats to be outside in the UK; less so elsewhere.

We don't have a lot of wildlife that could be a threat to cats, and neutering and immunisation is widespread. There is still risk - primarily from traffic, then probably the next most common would be other cats - but compared to some countries the UK is pretty safe for cats.

Whether cats are safe for the rest of our indigenous wildlife is a consideration - again, cultural attitudes in the UK prevail on the side of our pets rather than mice and birds, but while we're generally cool with that we shouldn't assume other cultures are too - or that they're wrong if they're not.

The hazards in the environment and attitudes to keeping a cat indoors which prevail in each country contribute to the decision each pet owner must make.

Thinking about it, humans do some really weird stuff to animals in the name of companionship.

I'm pretty sure society would take issue with me adopting a child, neutering it, cutting off its fingers and toes (Eesh!), and stopping it leaving the house for its entire life... even if I did give it plenty of cuddles, give it a amphetamine-filled toy to huff, and feed it a nutritionally balanced meal of biscuits.

We're pretty weird.

Declawing is not commonly practiced anymore, and a lot of vets will now refuse to do it.

As for the rest, there are reasons female cats can have several litters of multiple kittens each year, and yet the world is not overrun with cats. In the wild, life is dangerous, hard and short.

I find it far more upsetting to think about leaving my cat to fend for herself against predators, cars, diseases, insects and other cats when I have a warm, safe home with toys, food and fresh water where she could live.

We keep a spray bottle by the door to squirt the cat if it gets too near the door while letting the dogs out.

I've never understood why people let their cats roam the neighborhoods. I just cringe thinking about all the parasites and diseases they could pick up. Mine are house pets. Hell, if I didn't have to let the dogs out or walk them, they'd stay inside too.

Jango said:

Forcing a cat to stay indoors sounds a touch like cruelty to me. Cats are natural roamers, hunters, and fighters; to force them to stay indoors is to go against their nature.

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Cats are also prey animals.

I have Russian wolfhounds. They come from a lineage that for thousands of years was bred for running across the windy steppes, hunting, and fighting wolves. It would be neglectful of me to allow them to do as they please, as much as they would enjoy it. My dogs probably would be dead within a couple of days thanks to the modern invention of the automobile. Most outdoor cats (like you're advocating) wouldn't survive an encounter with them, or a coyote, or raccoon, or hawk/eagle, or bobcat, fox, or any of the larger predators such as cougars.

There are two sides to it, and both have their risks and benefits. It's not fair to suggest people who keep their cats indoors are abusive. Cats are all individuals. For some individual cats, maybe it is. For others, they could really care less. My grandmother spends 6 months of the year living in an RV and traveling around. She was adopted by a big old cat who was stray. The cat comes with her in the RV, and after life on the streets he is 100% content to be confined in the RV for half the year.

What it comes down to is weighing the risks and benefits in your situation, applying it to your individual animal, and doing the best you can.

I've had indoor cats all my life, and I've never seen any indication of them being bored or unhappy. Also, cats can vary a lot when it comes to their eagerness to go outside. I had one cat who was a natural explorer, and we took her outside often with supervision. She loved roaming around the yard, and going on walks on her leash.

But one of my current cats completely freaked out when I tried to take her outside. She'd been a stray as a kitten, so it's not like she'd never been outdoor before, and we tried taking her out on a leash and harness within a couple months of adopting her, I believe. I've never seen a cat freak out so much. The potential benefits of allowing her out to explore just don't seem worth upsetting her, or risking her running off in a panic. She's quite the explorer inside, but taking her outside her usual environment has always bothered her a lot.

Whether or not to let cats out is largely a cultural difference, and it also depends on the area you live in, and your cats. In the U.S., it's very common to keep cats indoors. Personally, I would not have an outdoor cat. I used to live near a community of feral cats, and seeing them get killed by cars routinely was too upsetting. But I think it's possible to be a caring and responsible cat owner whether you let your cat out or not. But letting your cats outside can have some added responsibilities. It's especially important to spay/neuter your cat and keep your cat vaccinated and treated for fleas and worms. A young cat I rescued died because her previous owner let her run free without having her vaccinated against feline leukemia (they also hadn't de-wormed her, or treated her for fleas). They ultimately abandoned her, and by the time I got her, she was infected and sick. She was a charming, loving cat, and it breaks my heart that she died so needlessly.

Cats, like humans, are individuals. I've heard tales of cats who hate to be indoors all the time, make very clear they want to go out, etc. There's one in my neighbourhood who goes for walks on a leash. I've spoken to the person with him, who has two cats - the other doesn't want to go out, the leashed one loves to go for walks. He doesn't try to run around, btw, he walks along placidly, with slack in the leash, like a bored dog, until he's had his fill, then they go home.

The poster above's grandmother spends half the year in an RV. That sounds horrid to me, but plenty of people love it. There are cats who wouldn't like to be indoor-only, but plenty are perfectly content.

The thing about cats is that they don't give a damn. If they're peeved, it's fairly obvious. If they want something you can attain with the use of the magical opposable thumbs, they make that fairly obvious. If they're happy cats, it's pretty obvious. There are nomadic humans, and there are ones who like to come home and lay on the couch. There's something to be said for warmth, shelter, reliable, good food, entertainment and love.