"Indoor cat"

[ilovesouthlondon]

Is it cruel to keep a cat indoors and never let it out? Opinions please!

Indoor cats should be the norm.

Why would you want to risk your beloved pet to the dangers of being run over/upsetting neighbours/getting attacked/getting into fights etc?

At least the owner deals with the responsibilities of the indoor cat like cleaning the litter tray etc.

I don't see the point in having a pet that you don't take full responsibility for (if you let it out to explore the neighbourhood).

Of course there is an easy compromise to all of this which is to cat proof your garden so the cat gets the best of both worlds but unfortunately a lot of owners seem reluctant to do this.

My two stay in. One is so stupid she would just walk in front of a car or go say hi to a big dog. The other was never bothered either way. My brother also has an indoor cat, which is the cats choice. He would put her outside and she would glue herself to the door and meow until let back in so he stopped trying.

I’ve previously had outdoor cats who roamed far and wide, currently we have 2 indoor cats who run and hide if the door is opened. We took them outside when they were younger and they were terrified so we just stopped talking them out

They have the free run of the house and I’m always home so they have a lovely life being spoilt 24/7 by everyone

Personally I think it’s cruel to let cats outside, both for the cat (Hit by a car, cruel people hurting them, catching disease, fleas and others) and also Cats are awful to birds and other wildlife.

We have cats that are indoors only from kittens. They are loving and get played with plenty.

I think it's cruel. I've never had a cat who wants to spend all the time indoors so maybe I'm biased though.

My old cat has the free choice with her cat flap but hardly does go out, apart from in the summer when we're outside. She loves it then though, I think it would be a unkind to forbid her ever from feeling the wind in her fur and the sun on her back.

We have a lot of cats and while some are definitely home bodies, they all come in and out as they please.
I've never had an indoor only cat though I have a friend who's cats don't go out as it's not safe, busy road.

What are indoor cats and why? Is it just risk of theft if a breed? I've always had out door cats but my 2 year old Maine Coon is yet to go out. I don't think there is any reason why he can't go out?

I have 2 cats that aren’t allowed outdoors we rescued them.. however I do take them in the garden on cat leads and they really enjoy it the older one doesn’t even entertain the idea of going out on his own but the younger one (deaf) given the chance probably would!

In the summer, boy cat goes to the very bottom of the garden at the crack of dawn and basks in the sun on his back for hours. He loves playing with grass and sticks (and worms 🤢). Could never stop him doing that.

Indoor cats are the norm where I am because of the abundance of predators outdoors.

@Pepsipepsi OMG what a beautiful beautiful cat 😍 I use to have a Maincoon & the breeder asked me to keep him indoors unless I had safe outdoor space as they can be a bit dim! I never realised what she meant but as he got older I realised exactly what she was talking about 😂😂😂 Not to mention he probably would have got stolen as well.

If you're adopting the organisation can advise. As others said there are some cats which do you need to be kept indoors for medical reasons. When we talked to cats protection we showed them our big garden on a quiet road and they found us a pair of cats who needed lots of room to roam. I think it would be cruel if it was a young cat who was desperate to get outside, or a cat used to having outside access. But I do see lots of adverts on rescue sites looking for safe indoor homes for cats with no other animals.

@Icenii

What are indoor cats and why? Is it just risk of theft if a breed? I've always had out door cats but my 2 year old Maine Coon is yet to go out. I don't think there is any reason why he can't go out?

Cats can be best kept indoors for a variety of reasons...Most Ragdolls have no roadsense and are far too trusting, if you live near water and have an Abyssinian they could easily drown, some exotic breeds are “climbers” which can be unsafe in some localities, White cats are often deaf and can’t hear cars and so on and so on

2 indoor mogs here who cannit go outside. They were feral kittens and have FIV. They have a truly charmed life and I'd hate to think people who didn't know their story were judging the fact I keep them indoors just because they look like perfectly healty cats on the outside.

My cats have always been outdoor cats, I wouldn't have a cat if they couldn't be let out. Appreciate cats with medical conditions etc are different but I think if you have a healthy cat from a young age i.e. they weren't raised as indoor cats, it is not fair to keep cats inside.

We have an indoor cat. She is a Ragdoll and genuinely has no interest in going outside. She wants to be in the house and sat on my lap, at all times!
Plus she is ridiculously stupid so would get lost if she went passed the doorstep and she is beautiful so someone would steal her!

@Pepsipepsi your baby looks just like mine!

My sister had a cat, and it had a cat flap into a huge run in the garden. Cats love to wander but they can get into difficulty - we lost one on the road 🥲 so I decided if I ever had another cat I'd do this 'catio' idea. Also I can't bear litter tray smells, so again it would be the only way for me! I guess if also depends on the personality of the cat?

Out cats are indoor cats. They do sometimes make a dash for the door if it's open but never go far come back pretty quick.

At their first check up as kittens the vet said they advise keeping them in if possible for their own safety- but that they realise not all cats will allow it! We had intended on keeping them in anyway.

My cat just stays in the patio and comes back inside. I am beyond grateful that he doesn't want to wander!

I have 2 indoor cats. Couldn't give a monkey's if anyone thinks it's cruel. My cat who died last year once broke a seagull's wing and brought it home - if you want to see what cruel looks like, that was horrific. Not to mention people letting their cats out when they live on main roads - going outdoors reduces a cat's likely lifespan significantly.

The main reasons we don't let our cats out now are that we live in a row of houses with dogs in virtually every house, behind a busy back road, and our cats have never been out because they are house cat breeds.

It's cruel to keep them inside. It's irresponsible to let them out to destroy wildlife, shit everywhere and her hit by a car.

If you live close to a road as I did when younger, letting cats out can be cruel. Every few months one would turn up squashed. However, keeping them in isn’t great. My solution would be a long lead so the can browse/flirt/ sniff etc without danger of death.

I don’t think it’s cruel at all as long as the cat seems happy. I think if you have to guard doors and put nets on windows to keep the cat in then that’s probably a sign that you should let them out. I wouldn’t encourage a cat outdoors though. If my cat were to go outdoors then my garden would be secured to keep them safe from traffic, poison, accidents, fights with other cats, nutters with air rifles etc.

I got a rescue that I was fully expecting to be indoor/outdoor but she’s ended up being a housecat. She’s chipped, spayed and vaccinated and I’d be happy to let her out but she has literally no interest in the outdoors. Occasionally she’ll go to the end of the patio, but she’s never strayed more than about 2m from the door.

Weirdly, her owners before us told the rescue that she spent most of her time outdoors. If I go and put out the bins, or do something in the garden and then come in and shut the door without noticing she’s gone out she starts immediately miaowing and scratching, worried that she’s been locked out. No idea why she’s so different now, but to be honest I’m quite happy that she prefers to be indoors. It has saved me the expense of cat-proofing the garden. She’ll come out briefly with me but never stays out for more than 5 minutes and would never venture beyond our garden.