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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it’s cruel to keep cats indoors?

242 replies

awomensworkisneverdone · 25/05/2018 09:50

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..

OP posts:
DameDoom · 25/05/2018 12:46

NotUmbongoUnchained I love Norwegian Forests - don't happen to have a gratuitous pic to post do you?

NotUmbongoUnchained · 25/05/2018 12:51

I actually don’t because I never bloody see him Grin and I’m at the hairdressers. If I see him today I’ll take a pic.

Beaverhausen · 25/05/2018 12:53

I live near a busy road and have a purpose built enclosure for my cats to enjoy the outdoors. There are ways around not wanting your cats to roam outdoors, unfortunately there are far too many dangers out there these days.

giveitfive · 25/05/2018 12:56

I had to keep my cat indoors for about his last five years. He still wanted to go out but he had completely lost his marbles and his balance. He started falling off the fence and windowsill, and lost his ability to navigate the cat flap. The day I arrived home and found him fast asleep in the middle of the road outside the house I realised he needed to be a house cat. Eventually he started getting lost in the house but at least he was safe.

NameyMcNamechangeface · 25/05/2018 12:57

rainbow sadly, I know exactly how the world works - people do exactly what they like, with scant regard for the people and nature around them. Because most people are selfish cunts. Just have a read of the recent neighbour thread to see how utterly selfish and inconsiderate the majority are. Or look at the beauty spots I walk my dog at, which are blighted by piles of dog shit and plastic poo bags left/hung up. And litter. And fly tipping. And twats who are careless or malicious about starting fires.

My neighbour thinks it's fine to have 5 cats in a build up area, not neuter them (so the males spray everywhere) or put bells on them, and let them out all day and night to shit, spray, fight, and kill the birds, bats and frogs that I encourage to my garden.

It's not a red herring to me, Nikita - as I said, I've had three birds in the last two weeks that have died or had to be euthanised. It's really upsetting to see them in that state (open fractures of the shoulder, spinal injury, dislocated shoulder and broken wing, respectively).

MrsElla thank you for being so considerate (of wildlife and your neighbours)! Flowers

Ollivander84 · 25/05/2018 12:57

Mine goes out but never beyond the garden and he has a curfew because of the cat killer. He doesn't usually want to go out, would rather stay in and cuddle Grin

ememem84 · 25/05/2018 12:58

I have an indoor cat. We rescued her 18 months ago. She was a feral and was super timid. We were at the time trying to move house so she’d have a garden but the opportunity cane up for a cat and we took it. Being indoors has meant she’s bonded with us and is no longer a timid hissy scratchy thing but is now a proper lovely lapcat. Once we move and get a garden she’ll be allowed out if she wants.

DarlingNikita · 25/05/2018 13:00

Namey, I'm not saying it's not upsetting to find hurt and dying birds. I'm just saying, bigger picture, cats are not the villains that this narrative makes them out to be.

I don't have cats, BTW, so have no skin in the game. And I love watching and feeding the birds in my garden.

Deshasafraisy · 25/05/2018 13:03

Humans just love keeping animals prisoners. From pets to zoos to farms.

isthisspring · 25/05/2018 13:04

We have an indoor cat. He thinks many things including his sub standard diet, ( he isn't a cat food fan) are cruel but as he was bred as an indoor cat he has never had much inclination to go outside. He does sometimes under supervision. This is much less cruel for the song birds in our area.

DameDoom · 25/05/2018 13:04

giveitfive your post brought a tear to my eye.

KittenBeast · 25/05/2018 13:05

My parents have a neighbour who's cat is constantly shitting in their garden. (apparently never goes in it's own, how thoughtful for his owners) At the end of last summer when the leaves were starting to fall and it wasn't immediately visible, my then 2 year old crawled through a large pile of it, all over his hands, clothes, he had put his hand to his face too before we noticed. Keep them in your own fucking gardens if you're going to let them outdoors. I don't think this is an unreasonable request if you live in urban areas.

DameDoom · 25/05/2018 13:07

Deshasafraisy cats domesticated themselves - they're not daft. Mind you, some are prisoners now and I hate that.

swimbikerun123 · 25/05/2018 13:13

We have 5 cats, all bar one are house cats.
One of them used to come and go at his pleasure. He then got bitten by a fox one night and has been wary of going out since. One boy is 20 and prefers to sleep 99% of the day on the bed. We have a rescue pedigree who spent 8 years of his life living as a stud cat in a pen in the garden, he has no interest in going outside now and just wants to be with people in the house. The two little ones have massive catio, they are the only two that want to use it.
We are also in an area of the Cat Killer, we have a lot of foxes round here and our neighbours drive like Formula One drivers so I would be wary of letting them out even if they wanted to.

Original poster
awomensworkisneverdone · 25/05/2018 13:14

I agree thier are some irresponsible owners!! I’m amazed at the poo thing. Mine come into use thier tray and Iv never had cat poo In the garden I think it’s a weird thing they both do. We have a litter tray in utility room and since they have been kittens they use it, if my neighbors complained I just don’t know what I would do. I think toms roam and females tend to say close by. If you don’t have a fence but a hedged garden how would you cat proof just wondering.. what if they get out the front is your front garden cat proof ?? Or would you only open the door to the back. Seems like a lot of faff Confused our road isn’t exactly quiet but not a main road I can’t recall any cat deaths by car over the time we’ve been been here.

OP posts:
Original poster
awomensworkisneverdone · 25/05/2018 13:15

I understand people with sick old or injured cats keeping them in. Common sense.

OP posts:
Ollivander84 · 25/05/2018 13:15

I have a low metal fence but mine doesn't venture beyond that. Sometimes he goes and sits at the front which is a dead end. Usually 5 minutes before he's howling to come back in! He doesn't hunt either and won't wee/poo outside

SpiderCid · 25/05/2018 13:16

My cats an indoor cat. This came about for a couple of reasons.
1 - We used to live by a very busy main road and were concerned about her being run over.
2 - Due to the set up of the house it would of been difficult to fit a cat flap and we didnt like the idea of her being shut outside all day during the winter when we were at work.

We've always let her in the garden when shes asked, and shes never gone very far. To be honest shes a pretty rubbish cat, caught a bird once still very alive and got stuck up a tree twice.

Shes now 14 years old and I've moved to a quieter area but she still has no real interest in going out. She'll generally pop into the garden, sun herself a bit. Eat some grass and disappear into the house again.

Ollivander84 · 25/05/2018 13:16

I just couldn't let him out at night because he would be crying and disturbing people but the cat killer is very much alive and well sadly and I would be devastated if it happened to him

mirime · 25/05/2018 13:16

My eldest has never been keen - when she was a kitten she went out, then some men from the council came and cut down some trees (they were damaging our roof, and horribly overgrown) and she seemed to develop some form of agoraphobia. That was 15 years ago and we've moved twice since then.

She might go sit in the sun on a nice day, but she keeps an eye on the back door in case we close it. If she does get locked out accidentally she makes a right fuss when we open the door again.

Our other cat is pretty much living outside at the moment. I suspect he's being fed elsewhere as he's piling on the weight even though we've had him on a diet for months. He has a bright pink collar saying 'do not feed' now.

user1471463243 · 25/05/2018 13:17

From an animal behavioural perspective..

Plenty of cats will find it less stressful to live in a a small territory which has no rival cats in it - to one in which they can go out but have to deal with other cats (e.g. in an urban environment). Certainly in London the cat population density is so high that the stress caused by cat-on-cat anxiety could be worse than 'not going out' stress.

But some, especially male cats, will really hate it.

More important and less talked about it in high cat density areas are entrance/exit arrangements. An unchipped cat flap which other cats enter can be extremely stressful for a cat, having to deal with the constant infiltration from other cats. It would be less cruel just to let them out for short periods than to let them 'come and go as they please' but put them in the way of, for example, unneutered tom cats.

scaryteacher · 25/05/2018 13:18

One of my boys is free range when he decides to go out. The other one might go out if he feels inclined, but spends most of his time, when not draped around me, curled up sleeping on either the sofa, or the end of my bed.

Just as some humans prefer the great outdoors, and others don't, so do cats.

StickThatInYourPipe · 25/05/2018 13:19

I agree OP. I never had cats growing up and knew little about them. My dp loves cats and I agreed we could have 2 if he really wanted them. The agreement was that we could have them but they had to be indoor cats. The main reason for this being my dog was run over a few years ago and killed and I just couldn't go through that again.

After having the cats for about a year, I could see how much they wanted to go out, so I put my own (quite selfish) fears aside and installed a cat flap. They are so much happier now.

Btw our cats were free so it was nothing to do with the expense of the cats which I find a bizarre argument

MisguidedAngel · 25/05/2018 13:20

My daughter has just got a 15 year old cat who's spent years in a rescue centre. He cannot be allowed to go outside because he scavenges and eats anything and has nearly died because of it. She lives in a fifth floor flat so he's perfect for her. He settled in immediately and lives the life of riley compared with the rescue centre, who loved him dearly but didn't give him the amount of care and attention that he gets now. Actually - he's spoiled rotten!

PastBananas · 25/05/2018 13:21

My cat is an indoor cat - not because we have decided, but because she has. She doesn't like going outside at all. She'll pop out occasionally for a couple of minutes but is soon back indoors again.

I agree though, that if a cat is frustrated because they are refused access to outside, then yes that is cruel. You are denying the animal basic freedom and causing distress.