Should I get a house cat?

[CatLady199]

We live near a busy road. Next door's cat was knocked down and killed and died on our drive 😔 Would love a cat but scared for this reason. Is an indoor cat cruel? What do you do in summer re open windows and doors? Is there any way you could train a cat to just stay in the back garden? Any advice welcome 😁

We have a catio.
You could rescue an older cat who is known to be happy being indoors (smaller rescues are often all foster carer based rather than having a centre, so they know the cats' preferences very well)?

yes!

keep them in, get them neutered, and then let them play in the garden for a little bit at a time.

Then get the little metal hooks added to the windows so you can open them without having to have it wide.

You could also get a catio too!

Cat tax added

I think it’s really mean never letting a cat outdoors, can you get cat proof fencing or a catio? Imagine being a cat and being cooped up indoors during all this heat!

FIV+ cats. Have to stay indoors because of lowered immune system and risk of passing to other cats. Generally ex street cats as it’s transmitted by fighting.

I got one because like you I didn’t want to rescue a cat and lose it to the road. He’s the most chilled, funny boy I’ve ever met. So I got another one who is super loving. They are fab, big chunky boys who are clearly grateful to be offered a loving home and wouldn’t go back outside by choice!

I do have FlatCats on my windows though so we can have a lovely breeze and no escapees.

I would only do this with an older cat and if I was sure that it wasn't an outdoor cat. Friends of mine had a sweet little cat and a house with a big garden, but she was just so timid she wouldn't go out in the garden. They rehomed her with another friend who lived in a flat with a roof terrace, where she was much happier.

We have 6 indoor cats and we have the garden fenced off with inwards facing mesh on the fence and they're very happy or we'd know about it with fighting and peeing. We play with them a few times a day with a cat wand and have several cat trees to simulate prey behaviour and they're ragdolls so it helps alot. They're lovely pets, though I wouldn't have one without a cat fence because it would be a shame if they could never hear the birds or feel the sun. I find outdoor cats a bit cruel as everything is so built up now that they can't live the same as they could 60 years ago when there was less traffic and roads and too many die on roads.

Mines a house cat as he's a Ragdoll but he does have a catio and loves it. I did used to take him for walks on a lead before the catio but as much as he loved it, he couldn't understand that it wasn't his territory and couldn't access it 24/7 so got stressed. Thankfully the catio resolved that issue and he likes watching bats in the evening.

I dont think its cruel especially if a cat hasn't experienced the outside world, they don't know much difference. I think places like Australia/ New Zealand have regions were cats have to stay on their property 24/7, so its not a crazy suggestion.

i would adopt an older cat used to living inside and happy with it. I could not imagine not being able to open my windows and constantly being afraid of the cat escaping though. Mine are not let out of the front of my house, but they are constantly legging it at every opportunity and I have to catch them. They can go out in the huge back garden and chase butterflies though.

We have these screens fitted to several of our windows so that our two cats don’t get outside. Unfortunately we can’t fit a cat-proof fence around our back garden.

https://www.streme.co.uk/shop/pet-screens

We live on a busy main road and have two cats we have had since kittens. They are now 3 when we first let them out we sprayed and shouted at them if they went out the front so they tend to stay in the back or do front gardens only. They hate the road. I know they have crossed it when younger but avoid now. We have bifold doors everywhere no way we could have indoor cats and so many other cats about I didn’t want a catio getting full of other people’s cats. I’m not complacent I know it’s a risk there will be an awful accident but they are so happy in our block (they have adopted our neighbours too and are basically in everyone’s houses along the street!) and stay this side now that fingers crossed it will be okay.

Why would your catio be full of other people's cats? They're totally enclosed, like an aviary, otherwise your own cats would just scale the mesh sides and get out over the top if the fancy took them, which kind of defeats the object of having one.

Cats have a natural instinct to roam and explore. Choosing to have a cat with the intention of keeping it confined indoors for its entire life, possibly 15 years or more is cruel. They’re naturally curious, active animals and they deserve the freedom to behave like cats.