To think it’s cruel to keep cats indoors?

[awomensworkisneverdone]

I have two cats.. two females both 12 years old and both intelligent,affectionate and lovejy.
I couldn’t imagine confining them to just the house or garden.. now I know there are exotic breeds of cat that cost a lot of money and they are supposed to be kept in, but I can’t help think this is cruel! Cats are naturally inquisitive and have natural predator instinct they kind of come and go as they please and are intelligent animals. Someone educate me please. Is an indoor cat deprived? Do they have the same instinct as a cat who has a choice to explore? What would happen if they did accidentally leave the house? Do they use a litter tray or go in the garden? Has anyone ever had an indoor cat and then they decided to let it out? Me and my other half have discussed getting a more exotic breed when our two girls have gone.. but face having to keep it inside but I don’t think I can do that..

It depends on the cat really. We have an indoor cat, but we got her from a decent rescue place and they were very good in matching us with a cat who was used to being indoors, and had the (lack of) personality to enjoy an unadventurous life.

We do have big, enclosed balcony and she can go out there for fresh air. She doesn't like it tho as she's scared of seagulls.

I don't find it cruel if the cat doesn't have behavioural issues. I see cats that are run over and killed and find that cruel.

Not cruel at all if you have everything they need.
My ragdoll would never survive outside. He would sit in the road and expect the cars to stop for him. He won’t fight so would be screwed if the big cat down the road started on him. He’s crap at climbing too. It’s so much safer for him to be indoors and he’s happy being in.

I have 2 big cat towers and a large house for him to run around in. We always play with him and he has 2 big litter trays that are cleaned daily.

Trust me, he’s very happy. You can tell if they aren’t.

I have a Bengal, she only goes outside if we are outside with her, she doesn't climb fences has no interest in roaming, she doesn't like some people but will tolerate others. I have a friend she detests, when my friend comes to stay she will get up and walk out of the room! She has one cat friend who she likes and squeals with delight when he turns up for a snog, a whiff and to eat her food. There is another cat who she absolutely hates and they have a hissy fight through the double glazed doors.
She hates noise, birds and leaves.
She sits on her sofa looking out the window and is perfectly happy.
We have locked her out be mistake a couple of time - oh my she lets us know she is unhappy.

Cats currently in at night due to the UK Cat killer who has struck several times in this area- unbelievable that this individual/s has not been caught. Keep your moggies safe people.

My cats used to go out.

We live in a very quiet rural area.

One was hit by a car and killed. One was hit by a car and ended up with a broken pelvis. One was chased by a dog and was quite badly hurt when she jumped to get away.

They stay in now.

We can have this conversation again when people start spaying and neutering their cats so that there won't be 9 million stray cats in the UK and hundreds of thousands more stuck in rescues that no one wants to adopt.

At the rescue where I volunteer we regularly rehome senior cats (8+ years) to indoor only homes and they couldn't be happier. Wouldn't you rather they have a loving home than are stuck in shelter pens for months or years? There simply aren't enough homes with safe gardens for all the cats needing homes, especially when everyone wants a kitten, not a 9 year old black moggie who is a bit timid...

In an ideal world I think a cat proofed garden with escape proof fencing/fence top containment is the best option - all the benefits of the outdoors without the many risks to the cat, and kinder to wildlife. Busy cities like London are not a "natural" environment for cats to roam in, there are way too many dangers out there.

It's cruel to let your cat hunt the local wildlife.
It's cruel to let your cat to shit in your neighbours garden.
Car owners should have the same level of responsibility by law as dog owners.

I had 3 outdoor cats in a rural area.

One was mauled to death by dogs.
One was hit by a car and killed.
The third and final one was posioned deliberately with antifreeze.

I think if I got any more cats I would want to keep them in however I think it’s cruel so we just don’t have any. Ours we’re all desperate to go out and it was awful not being able to open windows on a hot day!

We have six cats. They all venture into the garden, two of them only if I am out there. They seem happy and content just pottering about and don't seem to have the urge to venture off to explore except the youngest who likes to go under the gate and sit on the path outside.

In the winter they are all pretty much housecats. They maybe pop out for a wee or a sniff about but much prefer the warmth of inside.

We have four scratching posts, one of them massive with lots of levels and plenty of toys and tunnels and they all get lots of play indoors.

Should the situation occur where I had to choose between rehoming and keeping them in permanently, I'd keep them in to keep them with us.

Three of our cats are in their teens now but two of the youngest really don't see the attraction of going out when they have a lovely conservatory to snooze in.

We have a very aggressive local tom cat, he has put 3 cats in the vets for bad injuries recently. Despite living in a comparatively quiet crescent, we still get the local teens charging up & down on motorbikes and a few people who can't seem to drive slowly. I have a car repair place close to my back garden, which has been known to dump liquids such as anti-freeze on the ground outside (highly toxic to cats).

One of my pair is borderline special needs - very clumsy, very scared, very thick, comparatively poor memory. He would probably survive about 2 days if that if I let him out.

Absolutely depends on your cat. I have two cats, one of which would be perfectly content as an indoor cat, one of which would hate it. My boy cat rarely goes out anyway, when he does go out it's normally because we (the humans) have gone outside and he wants to be with us. He goes to the toilet in his litterbox indoors (he has never gone outside (I think he finds it uncouth ). My girl however spends most of her time outside! She is out all weather all day (from 7am to 11pm). It would be absolutely cruel to keep her inside.

Another note is that some cats have to be kept indoors, either because they always have, they have a health condition that makes it dangerous for themselves to be outside (e.g blindness combined with deafness), or they have a health condition that makes it dangerous for other cats for them to be outside (e.g. FIV).

Mind you, not as cruel as surgical de-clawing to stop them scratching the furniture! On a visit to the US quite a while ago a dd was appalled to be told by someone she was visiting that their cat had been de-clawed - and that it was nothing unusual.

I hope some US based GN-er will be able to tell me that it's not, and never was, considered a normal thing to do.

Another note, from you post I gather you currently have two cats allowed outdoors and are contemplating getting another which would be indoor only. In my opinion this would not work, I don't think it is possible to have a mix of indoor and allowed outdoor cats logistic wise. I'm prepared to be told I'm wrong though.

I have to keep my new rescue cat indoors at present.

I would love to let her out into the garden but her behaviour means it probably won't be possible for a few more months.

She's 4 & I got her in February.

She's basically extremely nervous- she flinches from people like she's been hit or kicked :(.
She runs away if I go near the back door when she is sat looking out because she's clearly scared I will kick her out forever!!

She doesn't come when called yet.

If she was outside in my garden & heard any male voices or loud noises I'm afraid she would run & hide & not return.

She hates men & other animals.

Her favourite place is on my bed - she would like me to fuss her all day long if possible.

She needs to prove to me that she would be able to go out and not get lost / scared so it's going to take a while... she's not interested in going out anyway.

My old cat loved going out but always came in when I called her - that's what I need my new cat to be able to do.

What about the cruelty to local wildlife from the massive amount of damage that cats can do in a single evening (or the neighbours with gardens filled with poo). Fine if there are just a few, but here in the burbs it is crawling with cats of an evening, most without bells and with no curfew. In the best survey that exists to date, they estimate that over five months, British cats killed 57.4 million mammals, 27.1 million birds and 4.8 million reptiles and amphibians.

Of course it isn't cruel. Animal abuse is cruel.
Giving a cat a loving home, feeding them a good diet, giving them plenty of affection and stimulus etc is being far from cruel. It's better if then can go out, but if they can't and that's all they've known from being kittens, it's fine. Worry about real cruelty, not this. Most indoor cats live longer, are not exposed to being run over, being attacked by other cats or humans, certain diseases (for the many owners who let them out, but don't vaccinate).

My cat is kept indoors for his own safety. He’s not the smartest of cats and honestly, I have had to go and scare some cats away that we’re savagely fighting in my back garden- I think he would be eaten alive out there. I also worry about road safety. I had an outdoor cat as a teenager that was viciously attacked by a feral dog so I’ve witnessed how horrendous it can be when it goes wrong.

He has clean litter trays, food, water and toys- he seems happy enough.

Mine are out in the day but kept in at night. The UK Animal Killer has been active more than once in my area and there’s no way I’d risk my cats succumbing to this evil piece of dirt.

Yes, looking at my two, curled up on their fluffy blanket at the bottom of my bed, snoozing happily with no fear of being hungry or hurt and thinking about what a horrific life they live and what a cruel person I am.

Or you could get a grip.

I think it depends on the cat. I have a Maine Coon who would absolutely hate to be an inside cat. He spends a lot of time outside watching rabbits and loathes to be kept in (although I lock the cat flap at night to keep him in then). My rescue moggy on the other hand doesn't seem to care. He'll wander out to do his business then come straight back in again. He's quite happy inside.

Where I live there is a 24 hour cat curfew, cats are not allowed off your property (so in essence all cats are indoor only cats...in theory). I have 2 rescue cats, one from a lovely charity and one from the pound. The second one, from the pound, would have been put down had she not been rescued within 4 weeks of being picked up. The pound cat has no desire to be outside, she sits by open doors and shouts at me to come inside. She knows which side her bread is buttered on! The other one got out not long after I'd moved. She was missing about 18 hours, then when she came back she spent 12 hours glued to my side then another 24 hours literally tucked up in bed like lady muck. She's never shown any further desire to go outside. Either way, I figure being "stuck" in my large 2 bed flat beats being stray or a month in a 2ft X 3ft cage before being PTS.

I'd say it depends on the cat .. mine is getting on a bit now but still likes to go out for a bimble about .
I think if you live on a busy road you probably have to accept that a cat isn't the animal for you .
They do like to go out and have a climb and sharpen their claws, sunbathe, hunt etc !!!

Hi there. No I wouldn’t have another cat until the two cats we have have gone. Sorry if it wasn’t clear on opening post.. I also find it sad that cats are specifically bred to be indoors stripping them of all their natural instinct.. Iv done a little research online and special bred cats have not been around that long! And have been bred specially to keep inside. I think I’m against it now after reading so many posts. Il stick to the more classic breed. And all those saying about killing wildlife unfortunately it’s true I have had all sorts dead and alive come back to the house via the cats but it’s very rare I can recall 5 times in 10 years. We kill more wildlife than our domestic cats I’m afraid. You just have to look at the road kill due to people owning cars! Whereas cats are natural hunters. Cars are not?

I had two very mellow and timid indoor cats that had to be rehomed (with my parents) when I moved abroad. My parents live on a farm so the cats were allowed outside. They had the life of Riley catching mice and prowling around in the barns—it was as if they'd come back to life! They remained very affectionate and would come when called and purr when someone picked them up.

On the downside they both died young after run-ins with foxes. But I do believe they were more "alive" during their outdoor life, and it has made me think twice about ever having an indoor cat.