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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To keep an indoor cat?

129 replies

AnneNonimous · 02/04/2013 12:11

DS and I have lived in our new flat for a few months now, and as a person that has always had cats I feel that's what's missing! I'd love to get a kitten for us but I don't have a garden so would need to keep it inside with a tray. I know people do this so I'm just wondering if people thinks it's fair? And I'd be very interested to hear from people who have inside cats and how they keep them happy and healthy.

TIA

OP posts:
EmpressMaud · 02/04/2013 13:00

They (speaking from experience of other breeders/breeds) ask you to sign a 'kitten agreement' on purchase. One of the conditions is usually to keep as an indoor cat or with an escape-proof garden. It's usually the better breeders, I've found, who ask you to sign them.
It is, of course, unenforceable.

Floralnomad · 02/04/2013 13:05

betty if you didn't know my mums cat you would say he's looking longingly out of the window ,he's not ,he can get out of the window if he wants . He likes looking at the wild he doesn't want to be in it . Actually my dog has been sat in the sun at my patio door for the past 2 hours , if I open the door he will move to the living room ,he doesn't want to go out he just wants to sit in the sun .

Summerblaze · 02/04/2013 13:05

We have 2 female cats and kept them as indoor cats for 3 years as like a pp, our first cat was killed on the road. After the 3 years, I started to feel a bit mean for keeping them in so I started letting them out. They were and still aren't very keen on going out. Sometimes they don't bother at all, other times they will go out, I shut the door, sit on the couch and their little face pops up a the window to be let back in.

One of mine is a rescue cat that I got as a kitten and the other was a friends cat kitten. Both are cross breeds.

BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack · 02/04/2013 13:07

Floral - fair enough but at least your mums cat has the choice of whether he wants to go out or not. My friend had 5 rag dolls and she kept them in a purpose built pen in the garden, they weren't even house cats so to speak.

OneLittleToddleTerror · 02/04/2013 13:08

I agree with picking one from a rescue centre. You are more likely to know its temperment. Our cat has access to outdoor via the catflap. But she is happy to stay indoors all day. (She has two litter trays indoors and we can see from the content if she's been out). It feels like she's come to our home to retire. She won't even chase birds on our fence. She just meow and meow at them.

Wishiwasanheiress · 02/04/2013 13:11

A small cat and one that isn't very active as a breed would be fine. I have had Persians and Maine coon cats as indoor house pets. We have always allowed them outside on leads in nice weather and done from kittens they now come and go within our garden boundaries only without leads its what they are now trained to expect. I don't trust them so stay with them at all times especially if on the lead as not safe not to. It can be done but choose a cat to suit ur life. And be brutally honest with urself what u can offer it,

MrRected · 02/04/2013 13:14

We have weegies - we tried to keep them indoors (per breeder agreement) but they HATED it and became listless and ill. As soon as they were allowed fresh air they improved. Definitely avoid this breed

cantspel · 02/04/2013 13:16

My boy is a half and half as he goes out in summer and stays in during spring and winter. He is happy enough as he doesn't like the cold but he is now ready to go out again.

Skinidin · 02/04/2013 13:17

I can't speak for the breeders.

I've just seen their adverts.

My guys are very active cats, great hunters and surprisingly hardy.

I dread to think what they'd be like if they had to stay indoors. The male is particularly wicked. ( in the old sense of the word )

prettybird · 02/04/2013 13:17

When we were looking for our first pair of Siamese, we visited a number of breeders. One of them had "indoor cats" - about 16 of them (to be fair, some of them were the current litter) - and we went away saying we definitely didn't want to buy from her as we didn't like the conditions the cats were living in. Hmm Things like the wallpaper having been shredded by the number of cats and a general "cat" smell about the place.

Roll forward a few weeks and we are about to get the kittens from the breeder we did choose. She rang us so say there was a problem. Apparently the other breeder had been ringing around the Siamese fraternity to say ) we lived in a main road ("But, but, we live on a quiet dead-end street Confused". Turns out that when I said we lived close to Kilmarnock Road - ie it was four streets away and easy access for me in a car to be able to commute, she took it literally) and b) we "denied cats access to a litter tray" (we'd mentioned that when my parent's cats were staying - who were used to going outside - we'd had to encourage them to go outside [as they did at my parents' place] by moving the litter tray outside [they didn't even usually use a litter tray] to get them to use the cat flaps we had put in).

Fortunately the breeder believed us - but we did feel like we were on "trial" when she came to deliver them. She must have been happy with us as we've since had two more (to replace the initial two when they died) and has become a good friend! Grin

EmpressMaud · 02/04/2013 13:18

I disagree about Ragdolls, I think they're one of the breeds less suited for outdoors, even above Persians (unless we're talking about escape-proofed garden).

Agree with you about weegies, MrR. Aren't those the swimming cats too, or is that Turkish Vans?

GalaxyDefender · 02/04/2013 13:19

Do be careful. I was in exactly the same situation as you, massive cat person and desperate to have one, but stuck in an upstairs flat. Then an opportunity came up for an adorable kitten and we just couldn't say no ...

She constantly tries to escape! We can't let her out yet anyway, she's only just old enough to be spayed and we haven't had the chance to go to the vet yet. I'd suggest getting an older cat from a rescue, they could help you find one who was used to indoor life.

Sallystyle · 02/04/2013 13:20

I have indoor cats and they don't want to go out as they never have been. They are happy and I don't want them to be run over, get into fights or get stolen (pedigree)

motherhen1949 · 02/04/2013 13:22

Hi cats are just like dogs some breeds suit certian things and some dont

We have ragdoll which are very lazy and are suited to being indoor cat they sleep for around 20 hours a day my cats never go over even if the doors open*

OhanaHarlow · 02/04/2013 13:23

I second the Bengal cat suggestion, they are absolutely beautiful and are indoor cats.

motherhen1949 · 02/04/2013 13:25

I would go with a ragdoll ver placid very sleepy and fat greedy cats they also really really like to be handled some times it actually gets a bit much they loved to be stroked and brushed all day long

Sallystyle · 02/04/2013 13:25

Most people in the US are shocked that us Brits let our cats out to crap in other people's gardens etc. cats are bad for wildlife and their life expectancy drastically lowers when they are allowed out.

I remember getting massively flamed for saying my old cat went outside at a US forum, they were shocked and I have quickly came round to their opinion that they don't belong outdoors where they crap and kill things.

Floralnomad · 02/04/2013 13:27

I don't know about other Ragdolls but my mums can't stand temperature changes the house is heated all winter night and day and if it gets hot in the summer he has fans and air conditioning units , he would never cope with getting caught in the rain , but he is a bit odd.

seeker · 02/04/2013 13:27

It is utterly selfish to keep cats indoors.

hellsbells99 · 02/04/2013 13:29

My sister has a birman. He does have a cat flap into a run (as she lives next to a main road) but very rarely uses it. He just lies on beds and windowsills all day sunbathing! Definitely a house cat :)

MimsyBorogroves · 02/04/2013 13:31

2 of mine are indoor only cats.

To be fair, I don't think either of them have realised that there is life beyond the house. They treat the windows like TV

Sallystyle · 02/04/2013 13:35

Why is it selfish? They know no different and my ragdoll would not last long at all outside. I think it's more selfish to let them out and kill wildlife and crap in other people's gardens and get run over.

MumofWombat · 02/04/2013 13:36

I'm in Australia and we have an indoor cat - we do have an outdoor run for her that goes the length of the house though.
Here, the RSPCA and cat havens etc prefer you to keep cats indoors as we have issues with them killing small native creatures.

But for your situation, I think a rehomed elder cat would be the way to go. The cat haven would be able to advise on a cat that has been around children so that shouldn't be so much an issue. I think you won't really know until you've spoken to them.

SirSugar · 02/04/2013 13:40

My Birman is a nightmare to keep indoors; and he's just been missing for a month - thankfully we are re-united, and he's certainly eaten well whilst away as he has got really fat . He's on house arrest at the moment but I know I will have to let him back out ( I have a whole other thread running 'catgate' on this and the neighbours but now its time to make an arrangement with the bonkers people as he only flits between the two houses )

I also have a young siamese, He's staying indoors.

Lueji · 02/04/2013 13:40

I brought my cat with me from our house to our flat.
He seems ok, even though he always makes a run for the balconies when he can. :)
We tried walking it once, but he returned full of flees and he's very sensitive. Even to vaccines and gets nasty wounds.