Giving kitten to someone in a flat? Is it cruel?

[janebee4]

I've posted about my kitten saga before so to recap briefly: got a cat from the RSPCA, told she was spayed but she wasn't, she had 3 kittens, we wanted to keep one but our other cat (also from RSPCA, came with mum cat) hates them and is spraying all over the house so we have to re-home them all.

One is going to someone I used to work with who adopted a cat from the RSPCA recently, I'm really happy with her set up. She's going to neuter, vaccinate and will let the kitten outdoors if he wants to go outside. She recommended a friend from her work for our other female kitten. I asked him if he lived on a main road, if he can spay/vaccinate etc and he said he didn't live on a main road and yes to vaccinating etc. He came round tonight to see the kitten and said he lived in a flat. I asked if there was any outdoor space and he said no.

I don't believe it's fair to keep a cat indoors for its entire life as it's not natural, but then I do completely understand people worrying about them getting attacked/run over etc (and also feel for people who don't like cats and don't want them crapping in their garden).

I don't know what to do. I feel bad that he came over to see her and obviously loved her, and my asking if he lived on a main road probably wasn't explicit enough that I wanted her to have access to outside space. Am I being unreasonable? I mean she could go to someone who said they'd let her out and then didn't anyway. Is it mean to keep a cat inside? I've always been brought up with this idea that it's cruel to supress their natural behaviours but happy to be told I'm being unreasonable.

DP is of the opinion they'll get a cat/kitten anyway so my believing it isn't fair won't change anything, it just wouldn't be our kitten. I'm upset at giving them away though so I just desperately want to make sure they all get the best lives possible.

Those reasons to keep a cat indoors could probably equally be applied to humans on the most part.

Also, when I lived in the US, not only did everyone keep their cats inside (which yes - I do consider to be cruel) but most cats I knew had been declawed to protect the furniture - talk about barbaric.......

We have ragdoll cats - their breeder said we need to keep them inside or in a secure garden if we want (but how do you secure a garden).
They have sat at open windows and not jumped out.

Mine have always been outdoor. My latest kittens made several escape attempts before I started letting them out.
I'd prefer to risk a cat having a shorter but happier life over being bored and stuck inside.

A friend of mine had an indoor cat. Always seemed as happy as her previous cat which hadn't been an indoor cat.

ittakes2

There are special fences that can be erected.

Google houdini proof cat containment and look at images

As long as you don’t have trees or bushes nearby they can be erected.

It is like a very tall fence that at the top bends inwards so cats can’t leave the garden.

I live in a flat, my downstairs neighbour on the first floor has a cat who goes outside, none of the doors have catflaps. The cat has learned to hang around in the shrubbery next to the front door, or under a car in the car park until someone opens the door. She frequently follows me up to my flat if I've been the one to let her in, telling me very loudly that she's soooo hungry and her cruel owner never feeds her... (her owner told me the vet says she needs to go on a diet). She occasionally leaves clumps of fur on my doormat but had never used the communal hall/ stairs as a litter tray/ rodent offering station

My indoor cats are treated better than my child..... the eldest one I tried to let out several times, but it turns out she’s shit at being a cat and gets stuck places a lot. She found it really stressful, so now they are both indoor pampered cats and living their best lives!

Also, when I lived in the US, not only did everyone keep their cats inside (which yes - I do consider to be cruel) but most cats I knew had been declawed

How odd. I'm a Yank and I know quite a few people who have outdoor cats and I see obviously non-feral cats outdoors all the time. I also don't know of anyone who has declawed their cat, though I do sometimes see them on rescue websites. My vet (and many others) simply won't do the surgery.

I have two cats who I love like children. (In fact one doesn’t know he’s a cat- he thinks he’s my son and that the other cat is our pet). Anyway words can’t describe my love and devotion towards them. They are indoor cats. Never been out because I am in a flat. I had to buy them from two strangers on the Internet- I couldn’t rescue any kittens because all centres said I need a garden for them. I do sometimes wish I had a garden and I would completely cat proof it for them. They have a fantastic life full of love. I have a fake tree for them to climb.

If I did have access to outdoor space I would never let them out on the street. Far too dangerous and horrible people around. I would never relax. It would be like letting a baby out to play in traffic.

So what I’m saying is that cats can be very happy in a flat. (Also in Australia people are encouraged to keep their cats indoors only because of the risk to wildlife).

Indoor cats on average live longer healthier lives... it may not be what people like to hear given the culture is to allow cats to roam freely in the UK but it is true.

Simply as they are not exposed to many dangers-cat fights, dogs attacks, humans being horrible, road traffic accident's- infectious disease and parasites-fiv mange etc etc....

I work as a vet in Australia at the moment where indoor only cats are very common for multiple reasons...and the law requires you to keep your animals on your property or face fines.... outdoor cats are uncommon here and most only go out under supervision.
Cats are non-native to the country and do decimate the local wildlife..to the point the government is looking into culls on the feral cat population.

It took a bit of getting used to....but I have an indoor only cat now and she is very content. I have to admit the threat of her bringing home live baby brown snakes to present me also a massive factor in her indoor life! mice I can live with..highly venomous snakes not so much....

I do think as long as you are able to stimulate the cat and provide an enriched environment that the majority of cats do thrive in indoor homes. Does it take more work and effort? yes of course but that's just pet ownership for you.

Mine goes out occasionally to explore the garden when I'm outside and is harness trained but never gets a chance to go beyond the boundaries...I'm not quite crazy cat lady enough to walk her on the harness yet but did get her used to it as a kitten...shes never far from the front door in any case.
When I own a house I suspect will either get a catio or the special oscillot cat fencing to keep her contained but increase her space to roam about. My current house is set up to be cat-friendly-lots of areas for her to climb up, scratching trees etc and shes quite content to sleep for most of the day. I would not however have more then one cat in this sort of situation unless they were an already bonded pair as the small territory would cause a lot of extra stress in a multicat household.

I regularly meet elderly cats at work....most here live to mid to late teens as standard... I very rarely see cats for any reason other than the vaccinations or old age diseases....
When I worked in Ireland where all cats were free roaming elderly cats were much rarer and we seen lots of cats of all ages in for the various things they came across on their travels- cat bite abscesses, antifreeze, dog attacks..and of course all the road traffic victims and their varying degrees of injury.....having seen both sides... I am not convinced that the freedom to roam is in the cats best benefit in every case anymore.

Oh, and Australia is not like America..its based on the british system. We do not allow declawing etc here. Same sort of controls as the UK for that...No cosmetic mutilations allowed. Indoor cats get cat scratchers or nails trims!

Our cat Gertie was a rehomed kitten - we live in a flat and as long as she has toys to play with she is fine when we are out. Giving an unwanted cat a home where he/she is loved and cherished is the most important thing.

I think as long as they have plenty of stimulus and care they will be fine.

In Australia the RSPCA requests that you don't allow your cat outside. They don't refuse to let you adopt if you say you are going to let the cat roam but they highly recommend they are kept indoors because it's much safer for them. My vet also says this and is very pleased that my cat is an indoor cat. As long as you cat has plenty of stimulation it doesn't really need to be outside. Most cats want human interaction in the form of play, and toys, hidey holes etc. My cat is very happy and healthy indoors and has plenty to do. I actually tried to take her into the garden once for fun and she flatly refused. She prefers being in her own territory and there's loud dogs in the neighbouring gardens which scare her.

I suppose if you get a rescue who has already been roaming their whole life then if seems unfair to take it away from them, but in your case here this is a kitten who won't know any different.

My cat was a rescue, will take about 10 steps outside if let out then dart back inside. The most it has ever done is gone from front to back door. Honestly some of them really like inside.

I have always been of the opinion that it’s cruel to keep a cat indoors. We live in a flat and don’t have one for that reason.

However- I think a loving home is the most important thing for any animal, and that should be the priority.

Also, my in laws went away for 3 weeks earlier this year and planned to put their cat in a cattery. I volunteered to have her stay with us, figuring that even if she went mad cooped up in the flat, it was preferable to her being in a cattery.

Took her 24 hours to adjust and then she was chill as anything. She spends the majority of time outside at home but she was so unbothered by being inside- slept on the sofa, watched the birds from the window and generally seemed totally nonplussed. Really opened my eyes!

I have one housecat (health reasons immuno compromised) and one who is allowed out but doesn't do wind, rain, cold or very warm do rarely bothers her furry backside. Housecat is very happy and will sit and just look out even if the door is open.

how did my phone not pick up those photos?! Those are gorgeous wee bundles of fluff

Thanks everyone for your replies. I honestly didn't mean to come across judgey, and I think the ultimate issue is I desperately want to keep her so I'm struggling with any slight issue that makes me doubt giving her away!

Although the general consensus does seem to be it's fine for them to be indoors, it's more the lack of choice I'm concerned about. Having an indoor cat that won't go outside seems totally fine to me, but them never having that option just seems a bit unfair. Totally appreciate they're safer inside, but like one PP said I'd rather she live a fuller, happier but maybe shorter existence with outside times than never be given the choice to go out at all. As such I've told the guy I'm really sorry but no, and he was okay (although probably thinks I'm some bizarre overbearing cat weirdo). I think if she was a super rare breed or something I'd feel worse but they can definitely get another kitten from somewhere else. I called the RSPCA and the lady there said she would be concerned about windows being open in the summer and the cat trying to get out in a flat.

All in all, thank you all for responses it's been really helpful to see so many different points of view and it's clearly a divisive topic so I appreciate no one getting lairy about it

Here's some final kitty pics!

Oh they are too cute!

I live in an upstairs flat but my cat does go out. She loves going out and I wouldn't deny her that.

My good friend has a cat that she keeps in. He is a lovely cat, doesn't seem stressed etc, I guess he doesn't know any different.

We have two cats, both live indoors unless they are supervised by US, outside. The house is a very good size so they have three storeys to run around in. Even when the front door is open they just sit there looking at it.

I think it can depend on the cat and the size of the flat, but I really do believe cats aren't naturally inclined to be 'indoor' animals and should at least have access to/the option to go outside. I know many people have happy, healthy indoor cats (and some cats don't want to go out) but it just doesn't sit well with me. I'd sit tight for an alternative, just explain kindly that you personally feel like you want the cat to have access to a garden at least.

My cat was always a house cat but he kept spraying and we couldn’t figure out why- neutered young, tried a change of litter, change of litter box, multiple litter boxes in the house, feliway, cat nip, introduced more toys etc etc. Kept doing it until someone suggested letting him outside which I did, stopped immediately.

I think it’s natural for cats to be outside in the fresh air.

I called the RSPCA and the lady there said she would be concerned about windows being open in the summer and the cat trying to get out in a flat

Not having a go but just incase anyone else is thinking of quoting this as a reason as it's the RSPCA. The vast majority of flats (unless really old) have to have window restrictors. There was no way our cats were ever fitting out of our flat windows!