To feel sad for my friends little cat

[ArizonaRobbins]

My friend has a young cat. They live together in a (fairly large) flat. She has had the cat since she was a kitten. Little cat does not get to go outside. Friend fears she will get lost or run over. Which is understandable.

Poor cat seems to spend a lot of time sitting at the living room window. When I think about this too closely I feel sad. They poor little cat’s whole life is within those four walls. How boring and unfulfilling must that be?

I have no pets. Maybe I just don’t get it. It just seems a little selfish to me.

I have a cat flap. My cats sit in front of the window instead.

My DD lives in Canada and cats have to be indoor, between the harsh weather in winter and predators in the nearby forests. However DD brings her outside on a lead regularly, would your friend consider that?

Depends on the research you read but there is evidence that cats need to be outside and just as much evidence that cats do better indoors. Like anything it depends on the cats, owners and situation.

We live on a busy road. Someone has been killing cats. All our neighbours have cats, including some which are completely outside and "fiesty". Our cat is timid, nervous and a flight risk when she panics. We have a cat run which she spends time in but as soon as another cat comes anywhere near she gets scared. We've tried her on a lead but she hated it. Sometimes she rushes out between our legs but she gets out a couple of feet, gets spooked and races back in.

Our cat is therefore indoors. She spends most of her time sat in the window or sat on someone's lap. I'm sure she looks sad and like she wants to be outside when you see her in the window but this is the best situation for her.

I have an indoor cat who has chosen that life. My other cat wasn’t, and we lost her in a car accident

The cat might be quite happy. My cat never goes outdoors. I leave the doors open in summer and she sits on the step looking out. She likes to sit in the window and watch but would never want to go outside.

All cats should be house cats.

@RightOnTheEdge

I googled that 2-5 year lifespan thing and it seems to be about mostly feral cats.

Cats that are un-neutered, un-vaccinated and have to find their own food.

It says that cats that live outside don't get noticed quickly enough if the get ill or injured.

Surely that doesn't mean cats with a loving home who just like to go out for an explore?

Yeah this sounds about right actually.

I have two indoor cats and neither have ever shown any interest in going outside. Both have access to the garden but haven't ventured past the steps!

I definitely think cats can be worse off if kept indoors. My friend has a cat who's been kept (mostly) indoors since he was a kitten. She lives in an inner city area so was anxious about letting him out, but she did once he had his jabs. I don't know if it's just him, but he has literally no sense at all. Doesn't move for cars, gets lost and can't find his way back, etc, so he is only allowed out the back now (he doesn't jump/climb very well so doesn't escape).

I don't know, tbh. He is quite a dim cat (no harm to him, he's lovely but his cat instincts are lacking) and he definitely would get run over if he was outside (luckily she's moving to a quiet rural town soon so he'll get out there and be relatively safe). If he's not let out at all he destroys the house. She's already had to replace carpet because of him and not too long ago he literally shit all over the living room.

I think if he had been let out from much younger he would have been fine but he's just not a very good cat at being a cat. I worry about how he'll get on over the next few years. He's very loved, has plenty of toys, has been neutered etc but still insists on shitting/pissing everywhere on a weekly basis despite being litter trained and it being changed all the time.

I also second what a PP said about rabbits, though! I unfortunately lost my pair last year but I had a converted dog pen outside for them which was 9ft x 6ft. 3 different rabbit 'houses' for them to go into, a tunnel etc. They used to sleep on the roof of the one that had a felt roof (I think it warmed up in the sun and that's why they liked it so much), but they really did need that space for when they had bursts of energy. Although they died young (and very suddenly/quickly), I know they had an excellent quality of life. Rabbits need huge amounts of space to be happy. A hutch isn't enough.

I don't think it's safe for a domesticated cat to be outside unless you live extremely rural. Too many dogs, other cats, feline AIDs, people who are cruel to cats, kids with fireworks at this time of year, cars, etc. In my hometown there was a man who would poison the local cats with anti freeze because he didn't like it when they shat in his garden. I don't think any domesticated animal should have free rein. Maybe I am biased because I have an indoor cat (we live in a flat) but every cat I had as a child got run over and we lived in a small country village then a small town. I'd rather my cat not die in a horrible painful way. Roads are not a cat's natural habitat and it's not safe due them to be outside in my opinion. I understand why people let their cats out though, Whitechurch if you have a cat that particularly wants out . Mine is a wimp and if we let her out she'd be desperate to get back in

So many typos in my previous post... Whitechurch = especially 😂

When I read the title I thought you were going to say the cat was being abused or neglected.

YABU

it is a dilemma, but one we have chosen the side of keeping indoor cats. We have coyotes, raccoons, skunk, and large hawks. We also see more than our fair share of roadkill, too often that being someone's lovely kitty.

My cats have lived to 19/23/24 and current is 9. All but one house cats. The one who died when 23 was a long hair, and died from infection from either a bug bite or animal bite. She did love to sit under the bushes in our garden. The other two never went out, so had no clue what they were missing.

Current kitty (9) has the best life. We have large picture windows, very comfy window seat and hammock, for her enjoyment. We also have stairs and lots of room for her to run around. She has about 6 'beds' and uses them all, but mostly likes to sit on or by us as long as we let her knead biscuits. She is a very happy kitty.

@LizB62A They’re not from my experience, sorry. I fucked up (I realized, due to comment after comment ) by not including sources in my first comment.
I used:
www.catster.com/cat-health-care/how-long-do-cats-live-cat-health-facts
pets.webmd.com/cats/features/should-you-have-an-indoor-cat-or-an-outdoor-cat

I completely understand if some people don’t like the sources or would rather just trust what they’ve seen (their own outdoor moggy living to 17). But I’ve since found what I think may be the best link. It includes mention of a study specifically based on cat mortality in the UK, and cat mortality from accidents dropping off after 5 years of age, much like @LightsInOtherPeoplesHouses mentioned. Unfortunately, I tried to see the study itself, but there’s a firewall. It also covers a lot of outdoor vs. indoor ideas with references to other studies and statistics.
sciencebasedmedicine.org/the-great-outdoors-debate/

Here is the UK cat mortality study in case anyone has access:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/24925771/

Apologies for any confusion!

This is cultural. Where I live, the rescues require you to commit to keeping the cat indoors. It’s considered completely irresponsible to let a cat outside unless in a cat run or on a walk with owner on a leash. (Note: leashes are rare because most cats don’t take to them. ). It is also illegal to have your cat leave your property unless in a carrier or on a leash. It’s rarely enforced, but if neighbor disputes arise, the cat owner is at fault and can be fined.

I've had a lot of cats (we live in a city!) About 5 of them disappeared or were run over. Their average live expectancy/duration with us was about 2 1/2 or something.

Then we decided to make one a house cat, and we later got another one. So, our oldest is about 10 now- yay!

The youngest one (3ish) has always been a house cat, so she isn't even interested in or doesn't like going outside- she's happy and doesn't know any different.

The older one will try and escape sometimes, but generally seems happy, and is still alive!

It's all very well to be happy for a couple of years if you end up dead before your time.

I do think it helps to have 2 so they can keep each other more entertained.

I have 3 cats. One is outside 95% of the time, he comes home about twice a week 🙄 another goes out but Only for short periods and stays close. The third is a very nervy anxious cat. I’ve never let her out as I don’t think she would cope. She’s scared of everything. She’s 7 and quite happy.

I think people who let their cats out are actually pretty selfish they're doing it for their own gain (no litter tray, not having to entertain their cat) and putting their cat at risk, wild animals at risk and probably small children and pregnant women since the cat will then shit in other peoples gardens.

My MILs neighbour had a beautiful cat who was let out they lived on a pretty busy road but cat never crossed the road she used to visit all the time. You'll notice the past tense because she was poisoned this summer. I don't live in a particularly busy vehicle area but there are posts at least 2 or 3 times a week on the cats protection page for my small town asking someone to scan a cat that has been hit and killed by a car.

An indoor cat can be happy and healthy but it requires owners who are willing to put in a little more work than the usual view of a cat being an easy pet because it's out all the time.

Mine goes out when I'm home. He is in from sunset. Cat killer is still around and I couldn't forgive myself so if it's dark, he's inside
He doesn't have much inclination to go out and would rather sit on the windowsill with his head in the breeze and bum in the warm!

I retrieve deceased cats and there are a LOT more than people realise. My heart breaks when they're not chipped

Mumsnet hates indoor cats but my two are pretty happy. One indoor from when she was a kitten. One found as a stray who now is frightened of outside. The house is theirs they have toys and cat towers everywhere. The one who won't go outside loves sitting in the window chirping at the birds. We play with them and don't need to worry about them getting hit by a car. In America keeping cats indoors is pretty standard.

A normal day in my house with my 3 house cats. They sleep for hours, (I can go out, come back later and they haven't moved) look out of the window, chase each other and aren't bothered about going out..

I have 3 indoor pedigrees and they know no different, no chance they would survive outside as they have zero sense of danger, I do however think that they need other cats living with them for company in the day.

I’ve been at home all day, and my cat has left the house for about 20 minutes max. Even if the door was open she’d stay on a bed or lap out of choice.