Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

"Indoor cat"

237 replies

ilovesouthlondon · 03/03/2021 17:00

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

OP posts:
Trinacham · 03/03/2021 18:20

A cat that is used to going out all its life? Yes cruel to keep it cooped up.

A cat that has only known indoor life, and would likely die if let out (this is dependent on breed etc)

I have 2 indoor cats. They are Ragdolls (like the one pictured above!). As already said, they are not a breed that is ideal for outdoor life. I even had to sign a contract with the breeder when I got them as kittens, stating that I wouldn't ever let them loose. Now I've had experience of the breed, I understand why they shouldn't. They are needy, dopey and too trusting. They aren't like your average moggy and would most certainly die. They wouldn't get out of the way of a car. Far too laid back!

Athenajm80 · 03/03/2021 18:25

My tribe are all indoor cats. I've had rescue cats for many years and always let them go in and out. Sadly though one got mailed to death by a neighbour's dog, one broke its leg and it had to be amputated, and one kept disappearing for months and coming back with some horrific injuries.

Until he died, favourite cat was the only one allowed out. I didn't have much say in it as he worked out how to open the locked cat flap with his tongue and paw 😯 None of the others have showed any interest in going out, except one who goes outside with either my ex or me, but won't stay out on his own. The one I really thought would hate it is the roamer. He's been in since his worst injury (a torn thigh from the back right through the leg) and has barely moved from the sofa except to eat, drink, and use the litter tray. He is a total lazy bum now!

We are planning on building a catio but at the moment they have toys all over the place, scratching areas in nearly every room, and seem to claim the whole house as their personal games room. God forebid that I close a door for some privacy!! 😁

nordica · 03/03/2021 18:27

Not at all, in fact the UK is one of the few countries were roaming is seen as the norm.

I think the best of both worlds approach is ideal - a catproofed garden or a catio, so the cat can go out but not leave their own garden. There are way too many dangers out there unless you live in the middle of nowhere. It's not just about the owner's peace of mind either, as being in a road traffic accident can cause horrible injuries to a cat even if they survive it. Not to mention being stolen to be used in dog fighting or dying a slow death accidentally locked into someone's shed...

ForestYeti · 03/03/2021 18:29

Definitely depends on the cat. We got ours when he was 5 and he’d always been allowed out at his old home and always has the last 8 years that we’ve had him, he loves being out mooching about

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 03/03/2021 18:30

@dudsville, are you in the US? A dd on a visit was once told that it’s quite usual there for house cats to be declawed, to stop them damaging the furniture.
She was appalled. I’ve never heard of it in the U.K. - should imagine that it’s illegal.

GreenlandTheMovie · 03/03/2021 18:31

I think its less than ideal, although for some cats, its all they've ever known. But its a shame if cats can't explore a natural environment and get the mental stimulation from doing so.

But there are so many cat-haters/cat-blamers around, who think the world should be sterile and sanitised with nothing natural permitted other than some decorative birds, so you can't blame people for keeping indoors cats really.

EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 03/03/2021 18:31

I live in central London, busy roads and when I first got my cat, a lot of dogs trained for illegal dog fighting; thankfully that seems to have lessened now.
My cat is almost exclusively indoors, she goes on a harness quite happily, and comes to the roof garden or community garden (dog free!). When I take her on holiday she goes out on her own.

EveryDayIsADuvetDay · 03/03/2021 18:33

If you want to train a cat to use a harness, best to start when they are young
www.mynwoodcatjackets.com/
are excellent - you can also find them on Amazon or Etsy

flappityflippers1 · 03/03/2021 18:38

Definitely depends on the cat. We have two rescues, wanted indoors as we live on a busy main road. Got the first one and she’s very content indoors. She was 18 months when we got her and had had a very rough life. She likes her home comforts.

Got the second a year later, who was 3 months old. Was reassured by rescue he was suitable for indoors, (looking back no way they could have known that!). Tbh they were struggling to home him I think so were glad we were looking again (same rescue).

Well the cat is part Maine coon (unbeknown to anyone when we got him!) and DETESTS being kept indoors. We started letting him out after 6 months as he really seemed unhappy.

He’s been going out for 3 years now and is such a happy cat. He’s always out and only comes home for food and a fuss (only on his terms though!) or to present to us whatever he’s caught 😳😳

Our first little princess has the choice to go out also, and never bothers.

So I don’t think it’s cruel to keep a cat in if they’re happy. But it would have been cruel for us to keep ours in, because he clearly was desperate to be outdoors.

(Thankfully we have woodland behind the house and a huge garden, he doesn’t seem to venture round the front of the house thankfully and is content is terrorising the woods!)

Spagootiba · 03/03/2021 18:48

My 3 used to be outdoor until I lost 2 within months to the same fate. 3rd one is now indoor for her safetySad

NoJetter · 03/03/2021 18:48

My cat is a voluntary indoor cat. I cannot for the life of me get her to go out. She is a British shorthair and I believe they take well to being indoor cats generally. It really depends on the cat. My mums cats would be going mad clawing at the door if they weren’t allowed out whereas mine is clawing at the door to get in on the odd occasion she will go out on the patio for 5 seconds.

Hm2020 · 03/03/2021 18:51

My sisters just bought 2 Persian cross kittens you can see they’re not very streetwise but are allways going to the door looking to get out looking out windows so she getting her friend to build them a catio!

rawalpindithelabrador · 03/03/2021 18:52

No, it's not cruel. Depends on the cat.

peak2021 · 03/03/2021 18:53

It depends on the house I think, and how long they are left there by themselves.

severussnaperus · 03/03/2021 18:55

On the rare occasion that RonnieCat is conscious, he likes to sit on the step of our sunroom..

Sometimes he even goes for a wee grass roll

Then squeals his head off at the open door to be let back in Hmm

"Indoor cat"
gingerbubs · 03/03/2021 18:57

My husband made me phone the RSPCA to ask this very question when we lived in a flat and I wanted to get a kitten. They said that if the cat has never been allowed out then in their opinion it is fine, though suggested getting 2 cats if possible (which is what we did). When we did move to a house where they could safely go out it took one of them a year to start going out through the cat flap Grin

Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady · 03/03/2021 18:57

Mine just meows constantly at a very annoying volume level unless we let him out.

For him it would be cruel to keep him inside. I'm sure most of his life enjoyment comes from decapitating pigeons 🙈🙈

RainbowShoes80 · 03/03/2021 18:59

@Pepsipepsi

Took time cropping the mess out of the background and pic of puss didn't even post! If it's not attached to this message I give up.
What kind of cat is this? I need one!
Snaketime · 03/03/2021 18:59

I have an indoor cat. My friend has 3, she was actually advised not to let her cats out by a vet, who told her it is too dangerous for cats these days to let them out as people put poison down and I have seen someone purposely aim their car at a cat crossing a very quiet cul de sac. That's before you add the amount of animals that keep getting taken, I have known several people around me have their cats taken, on of my friends actually had 3 taken and even though they were all micro-chipped she has never seen them again.

Stickytreacle · 03/03/2021 18:59

I've got seven cats, three are happy going for a wander outside, but the other four are all indoor cats who are happier inside with a catio.

Toddlerteaplease · 03/03/2021 19:01

My cats are Persians and are mainly indoor. They go out into the garden, but don't stay out long. They aren't bright enough to be let out into the big wide world. And they'd get nicked.

MessagesKeepGettingClearer · 03/03/2021 19:01

I think cats are outdoor animals. So unless there's a good reason for the cat, they shouldn't be stuck indoors.

Toddlerteaplease · 03/03/2021 19:02

@MaryShelley1818

Only ever owned indoor cats (Persian, Ragdolls). Definitely not remotely cruel, it would be far more cruel to subject these cats to the dangers outside where they'd be more than likely injured or killed.
Definitely!
sunflowersandbuttercups · 03/03/2021 19:04

Nope, not at all.

I have three cats and they're all indoors and co-exist together quite happily. They do sometimes go in the garden in the summer, but this time of year, they're not remotely interested Grin

Cats are killed here very regularly as we back onto a 60mph country road. It's MUCH safer for them to be indoors imo.

Same4Walls · 03/03/2021 19:05

@MessagesKeepGettingClearer

I think cats are outdoor animals. So unless there's a good reason for the cat, they shouldn't be stuck indoors.
But like I said earlier even though my cats have good reason for being inside but they don't know there is a good reason fot being 'stuck' inside. So I would never judge someone who chose to keep their cat indoors even without a good reason. After all their cats just like mine don't actually know the reason why they are not going outside.