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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think letting a cat go outside is NOT "Cruel" or "Abusive"?

238 replies

SneakyGremlins · 17/02/2018 11:56

Confused

Had a heated debate polite discussion with an American last night about cats. Said American - and their friends - think cats should be permanently kept indoors, and it's cruel and animal abuse to let them go outside because, I quote, "There's bears, snakes, wolves and coyotes, people putting down poisoned food, cars and all sorts of dangers".

I snappily politely pointed out that America does not equal the world, and while I concluded that cars are indeed a danger for pets, Living IN ENGLAND I have yet to see any coyotes or bears or wolves. Hmm I've never come across poisoned food either - although again this does happen rarely, I admit.

I also pointed out that cats can get depressed/stressed being cooped up inside all day, which was met with "You just need to play with them all day, then they won't be bored! It's cruel and heartless to make a cat go outside into the dangerous wilderness!" Hmm

AIBU to think that it is not a bad thing to let a cat go outside?

OP posts:
newmum2018385 · 17/02/2018 17:43

Thanks vetoncall of course didn't think my point through properly Confused
Still maintain my stance it's not cruel Grin

MrsHathaway · 17/02/2018 18:03

Nut I was thinking that you need a collar to attach a lead Grin because they aren't much use without.

Round here you can get a chip scanned very quickly and for nothing so the delay in contacting the owners would be minimal. I agree though that you should definitely collar your cats if you don't chip them.

gussyfinknottle · 17/02/2018 18:06

Google Jackson Galaxy to find out what US cat ownership is really like. Not weekly baths or any rubbish like that.

Plannergirl9 · 17/02/2018 18:19

We have a cat who used to be a outdoor roaming cat until he was found injured. A neighbours son had attacked him. After we moved we created a cat run for him instead. So he can get out but is safely away from neighbours.

To think letting a cat go outside is NOT "Cruel" or "Abusive"?
SnailsEverywhere · 17/02/2018 18:23

I think it depends on your cat and the area that you live, I wouldn't let a cat outside if I didn't live in the countryside or something, I have heard too many stories of cats going missing and not being found again. I wouldn't be able to stop worrying. I think if the cat has never been outside then it doesn't know it and so can't miss it.

I have 4 cats who are all indoors only. 1 is totally deaf and so can't go outside, and 1 is a sphynx cat with no fur so can't go outside. The other 2 are "normal" cats but can't go out because if I was to leave a window or door open for them then the others would escape too, and they simply wouldn't survive outside. I would also be worried about the deaf one (very good looking, long white fur and blue eyes) and the sphynx being stolen, either to keep or sell to some unsuspecting person, if they ever got outside

Ructation · 17/02/2018 18:36

Turns out I'm a terrible cat owner - I feed him, give him flea treatment, and take him for checkups /vaccinations and he comes and goes as he pleases. That's literally it

That's literally all any of my American friends does to look after their cats.

Dobbythesockelf · 17/02/2018 18:38

My cats can go outside. My boy cat never leaves the garden, and runs back inside at the slightest noise. My little girl cat is much more adventurous and in summer can be gone for ages but always comes back at night. In winter neither of them go out much as they much prefer the nice warm fire haha.
As for catching birds etc my boy cat can't catch anything he really is a useless hunter and when he does try he gets over excited makes a loud mewling noise and scares them off. It's hilarious. The girl cat is more successful but only with nice as she keeps calling out of trees, we've only ever had 3 presents from her in the last 5 years though so not a great hunter.
I think the boy cat would be happy being indoors but last time we had to keep the girl cat in she started pissing by the back door in protest of her confinement.

Clem7 · 17/02/2018 18:41

I’ve encountered this in North America too. The majority seem to have indoor cats, but it does make sense given the wildlife around. I know of two cats being snatched by owls and one by a cayote

Gabilan · 17/02/2018 18:53

The average life span of an outdoor cat is 4 years, the average lifespan of an indoor cat is 20 years. Depends how long you want your cat to live for. I love mine a lot so they stay inside

I'd be interested to know where that stat is from. I'm trying to find a reference that I came across a while ago that said that if outdoor cats are going to be hit by a car, it tends to be when they are younger. After that they just go on to old age, so it would skewing the age, depending on how you calculated it. Either that, or as a PP said, it's actually contrasting feral cats.

My two were born feral and lived entirely outdoors, shifting for themselves with the help of their mother, until they were over 7 months old. You just cannot take an animal that has effectively been wild for its youth and then shut it in a house. I got them to keep the rodent population down as I had rats in the house and my neighbour had mice (try telling them that their territories don't cross over). I quite specifically went to a cat rescue place and asked for outdoor farm/ feral cats.

It's not a case of "how much do you love them" it's doing what is right for the animal. Mine have dozens of acres of traffic-free farmland to roam on and I don't have to either live with rats or put poison down. I've given a home to two feral animals and they seem to be doing very well. But frankly they would be extremely stressed being indoors as feral cats don't do very well with change.

AccidentallyRunToWindsor · 17/02/2018 18:55

Proximity to roads during skews that stat? My childhood cats lived to 22 and 20 and were very much outdoor cats.

What they diddnt have access to is a road as we lived mid terrace.

BertrandRussell · 17/02/2018 19:01

I know that anecdote is not data- but I have had many outdoor cats in my life and they have all lived much longer than 4 years. The two I have now are 14.

But 4 happy years living a cat life is better than 20 as a glorified soft toy.

britnay · 17/02/2018 19:02

I'm pretty sure that humans have made more species extinct than cats have. Perhaps WE shouldn't be allowed out...

NutElla5x · 17/02/2018 19:02

I would say that's a very good happy medium solution you have there Plannergirl :)

Davros · 17/02/2018 19:06

mrshathaway i refer you to my previous post for reasons to have a collar and tag as well as chip

TemporarySign · 17/02/2018 19:08

britnay and the ways in which humans are making other animals extinct are?

Two of them are the introduction of foreign species in absurd numbers - such as cats as pets - and the overuse of resources to create extra meat to feed the things.

Having cats is damned antisocial.

Clandestino · 17/02/2018 19:18

None of my cats would survive being kept indoors. Mind you, we would go insane too as they resort to the most awful bullying techniques when we want to confine them indoors, usually before a vet checkup.

Clandestino · 17/02/2018 19:21

Jacques, my neighbours love our cats. They know it's the cats or the rats and mice. Guess what they prefer.

Cantusethatname · 17/02/2018 19:22

I think quality of life is more important than quantity. I love my cat and I want him for as many years as possible. But I also want to see him staring out other cats defending his territory, chasing leaves, presenting me with manky dead things, smelling the fresh air on his fur,

gussyfinknottle · 17/02/2018 19:22

Indoor cats are not "glorified soft toys".

Plannergirl9 · 17/02/2018 19:26

@NutElla5x yes he had to stay indoors until he recovered. It was 3 months of hell. He hated it. I think he gets the best of both worlds.

JacquesHammer · 17/02/2018 19:27

@Clandestino we don’t have rats or mice. I have had dead water voles, frogs, roads and birds left on my doorstep.

Given the cat isn’t mine guess what I would prefer!

givemesteel · 17/02/2018 19:28

Definitely cultural difference. American friends I know who live here think their neighbours are very rude for letting their cat out which then comes in their garden and sometimes poos. Angers them much more than the average British person.

I guess it's a bit like when you to some countries in south America and dogs go around in packs in the street, they're not strays but pets that people let out and roam. I hate that but you have to accept its their culture though alien to us.

Personally I have two valuable pedigrees who are not let out. Most people with this breed keep them indoors because so many get stolen. You might say it's cruel but in my opinion it's not as I wouldn't forgive myself if they got stolen, then you don't know what quality of life they'd have.

LoislovesStewie · 17/02/2018 19:28

We took on a cat , we were told she was an indoor cat. We have a cat flap; she is in and out all day and probably most of the night. I've come to the conclusion that she has become much,much happier since she discovered the joys of the thoughtfully provided flap. I've found her just sitting on the wall gazing at the stars! As you can tell I believe our cats being allowed out , she doesn't travel far but seems to enjoy life.

Busybusybust · 17/02/2018 19:30

I think all cats should be allowed out. But my ndns chuck theirs out at night in all weathers, with the consequence that one of them climbs onto my extension roof and into my bedroom. I bloody hate it!

LoislovesStewie · 17/02/2018 19:31

My other old girl cat is 22 years young and still goes out on warm days.