To think having an indoor cat is cruel?

My cats have contracts that state they need to stay indoors, they are a breed that has little outdoor intelligence. Many neighbours cats over the years have died being hit by cars. My cats don’t get sick often, they don’t get fleas, they have their vaccine but really even that is questionable (so says vet).

They live in a large house and have plenty of space to hide, lots of big windows which open safely for them to feel outside safely.

They seem happy and if they do ever see an open door they are scared of going out.

Oh they ENJOY the killing and endangering? oh! I didn't realise! Please, continue!! How unreasonable of us! 🙄

EXACTLY!

Nice 🙄

Yeah, really cruel.

Unless they're a ragdoll cat. It's NOT in their nature to hunt and roam.

They should be kept indoors for their own safety.

YANBU OP. Keeping them caged indoors is against their nature and they’re usually desperate to get out (until their spirits are broken that is).

Yes but cats have a massively unfair and completely unnatural advantage over wildlife. They occur in much greater numbers than they would if they were living in the wild and have all their medical needs met for them as well as being fed by humans.
They are literally doing massive harm to the ecosystem, endangering some species and upsetting the natural balance. Cat owners like to justify this by saying "it's natural" and it's "what cats do" but no, it absolutely is not natural and it's not cats doing it, it's humans. We are doing the damage by letting domesticated cats free roam.

Most people are not advocating locking them indoors , we are saying cat proof your garden or get a catio but keep your animal on your property . I own a patterdale terrier , he is naturally programmed to kill all things small and furry , would it be ok for me to just let him loose on the neighbourhood cats ?

YABU allowing cats outdoors is cruel and irresponsible. Your mother is being responsible instead of being a lazy pet owner. We need more cat owners to be like her.

It really depends on the cat. The cat I had growing up would have been miserable as a house cat. He’d go out for days at a time. We tried to keep him in when we moved house and he managed to break out he was so desperate to get out. Cried for hours thinking he was lost and wouldn’t know his way back and he strolled back later 🤣

I now have a house cat who is perfectly happy being one. I got her when I lived in a flat in London when I was in my twenties. Stupid decision in hindsight as if she’d wanted to go out a lot she would have been unhappy. She had access to a courtyard garden at the back but wasn’t at all interested. A couple of years later we moved to a house with a big garden and she had zero interest in going out. Sometimes I bring her out into the garden when I go out and she just looks at me like ‘why?’ And goes back in! She’s part British shorthair and I’ve heard they are often indoor cats so maybe that’s why she is the way she is but she seems to have a happy life.

Given your day job, do you think cats with outdoor access are happier than indoor ones? I don't think my three indoor floofs could be any happier than they are!

Of course they don't!

It doesn’t make it right and also doesn’t make your attitude any nicer .

I still don't quite understand the attitude of "Yep, I know my pet defaecates on your lawn and regularly kills the local wildlife, but I'm so wrapped up in myself and my own needs that I don't give a damn about yours".

Or words to that effect.

Not all cats do! The last three cats I had that went outdoors didn't kill anything. My last elderly boy didn't even disturb the birds! If other cats came into the garden they'd fly away. They just ignored him. They seemed to know he wasn't a threat.

Very much depends on the house where the cat is, whether it has enough activities and climbing possibilities, plus ideally it would have a companion. Cats get bored and need entertainment! Personally I wouldn't keep a cat indoors only, but I think it can be done successfully.

I'm onto cat no.6 now and all have been outdoor cats - surprisingly very rarely have they had fleas (they aren't treated), if they do get an infestation then it's flea combing and drown the buggers, so it's short-lived. Never found a tick on one, that doesn't mean they haven't had one I guess.

Cats have been domesticated for 12,000 years, and have existed in Europe for 3,000 years. The fact that the kill birds and wildlife is hardly some new, modern phenomenon - they've done it for centuries and will carry on doing it for centuries more.

Question for people whose cats go outside - not accusatory, just curious. How often do you check them for ticks or fleas?

I don't unless they're showing symptoms like excess scratching. None of them have ever had either as far as I'm aware, though they are treated every 3 months.

Our cats go outside.
We don't routinely check for fleas or ticks because we notice them quickly when we stroke or brush our cats.
Curiously our cats have been completely flea free since just before Covid. They do pick up the odd tick.