Indoor cats

[Asleanna]

I'm contemplating getting a cat but it would not be able to go outside. I'm torn on whether this is cruel?

YABU - cats are not OK just indoors
YANBU - indoor cats are fine.

I don't want to make a selfish decision so want what's best for hypothetical cat.

@Missey85 where on earth do you live?

It depends on the personality of the cat. My old boy would be climbing up the walls (literally) if he couldn't go out, and my mum's cat is the same, but the little lass I have now stays in. She panicked when we tried to introduce her to the great outdoors and rushed back in, and has shown no interest on stepping foot outside of her own accord. Before we got her I thought keeping cats indoors permanently was weird and maybe even cruel, but now I realise it's what some cats want.

Of course though the problem is you cannot know whether a kitten will grow up to love the outdoors or hate it. If I were you I would look into getting an adult cat that is already known to be a good indoor cat.

My grandma has a house cat. She's had it since a kitten (now a senior cat). She let it out a few times but she realised how dangerous her road is her other cats got run over. So she decided to keep the cat in as a house - it helps she has a big house. That cat is a very healthy snd happy senior cat - I believe the cats around 14 now!

@Hopeisallineed I live in Australia and here we have to keep the cats in because they kill all the birds if their caught outside cats get taken to the pound

Thought so.

Speak to a rescue who will keep a look out for the ideal cat for you. Either a cat that has previously been a happy outdoor cat or a special needs cat.

I agree with PP, a rescue would be a good idea. Ours is now an indoor cat by choice, though when she was younger she loved getting out. Now, she'll (at the very most) wander into the garden, then come right back in. Maybe an older cat would be a good fit for you too.

@user1471548941

Meet Flynn.

I was desperate for a cat but didn’t think it was fair as I live on a main road and couldn’t accept rescuing a cat to lose them to the road. I assumed that meant I needed to wait until we moved to get a cat.

Then in lockdown I discovered FIV positive cats, did some reading up on it and decided we should get one. I have a large one bed (large open plan living area with lots of windows) and was gobsmacked to find that the rescue we applied to thought it was fine.

Flynn is 4, was a stray for his entire life and now lives a life of luxury and has 0 interest in going outside. He runs off when we go near the front door, HATES rain and I have no idea how he lived outside for 4 years- he’s a massive wimp! I had outdoor cats growing up and it’s definitely different- we are his entire world as he can’t just wander off when he fancies so we committed to playing with him every single day. About an hour of playtime in the evening conks him out for the night! Somedays we leave him for 8 hours ish whilst we work, other days he sleeps with my partner whilst he WFH!

He’s also the most affectionate cat I’ve ever known, loves a lap (just my partner’s as he’s too big for me!), very talkative, comes up to bed for a cuddle in the morning and it quite simply the best thing we ever did (and I hope he agrees!). We’ve taken him to the vet once for a sore eye requiring drops but his health is otherwise good.

A good rescue with find a cat that is the best fit to your home!

He's beautiful

Our cat uses the cat flap and has done since she was 7 months old, she goes out but doesn't go far as she's always back within 10 minutes. Good luck in finding your perfect puss!

We have two cats from the same litter, both girls.

One of them would happily be a housecat, never ever asks to go out, will begrudgingly take a meander around the garden if it's nice weather. The other would go crackers if she couldn't go and visit the neighbours.

I think it's definitely a personality thing, so a rescue is a good shout.

I also have American friends who cannot comprehend why you'd ever let a cat outside!

I have 2 housecats.

One is about 12yo and went outside until about 2 years ago when another cat moved into the neighbourhood who she's terrified of. Even if I take her outside and sit with her she just cowers under the rabbit hutch until let back in. She seems very happy.

Also have a 2yo pedigree cat who isn't allowed outside and he seems happy enough. When he was younger he used to try and shoot out the door but doesn't anymore...think he's accepted he can't go out. He does go out in the garden on a lead sometimes.

[quote Missey85]@Hopeisallineed I live in Australia and here we have to keep the cats in because they kill all the birds if their caught outside cats get taken to the pound[/quote]

Honestly if that's the case in Australia they should ban cats altogether.

What a thoroughly miserable existence.

That’s Australia for you, complete nanny state.

My dd lives in Canada and she had to agree that her rescue cat would be indoor only. The winters are so harsh there if she got out she could freeze to death quite quickly, and the added risk from cougars and other wild animals make the outdoors unsafe for cats. Dd does take her out in the garden in a harness though in thr warmer months.

My suggestion would be get an old cat that is happy to stay inside. Young cats and kittens tend to have a lot of energy and need out as cats get older they are often happy inside.

We have an indoor cat, we tried letting him out in the garden but he ate something, poisoned himself and ended up having some of his bowel removed.

He then fell out of a window and smashed his face up.

He's fine now, but the vet actually recommended we keep him inside.

He has a massive cat tree/den and loads of toys to compensate and he's certainly not under-stimulated!

[quote ConstanceGracy]@Notaroadrunner you’re taking the piss right?
Why have cats if you make them sleep in the bloody shed??
And litter doesn’t smell if you empty the tray and change it regularly.[/quote]
Not taking the piss. Our cats have always slept in the shed with purpose built beds for them. They're happy there as they can come and go through the cat flap during the night. Don't know why you sound so shocked. Do you think everyone who owns a pet has it sleeping indoors with them?

As for the litter, it's changed regularly. But obviously as soon as the cat poos, the smell is vile. Luckily I wfh so get to clean it straight away but if he uses it during the night it's not pleasant to come down to that smell in the morning.

Jackson Galaxy has some great ideas for "catifying" your home and enrichment for indoor cats. I'd recommend watching some My Cat From Hell episodes on YouTube for inspiration.

I love that show but some of the owners are idiots.

"My cat is spraying everywhere!!!"
"Is he fixed?"
"No."

We have 2 indoors cats and have built a catio across back of house with shelving ect.
They would love to properly go out but i cant bear the thought of them getting killed on road, injured by other animals or humas, lost-stolen

We got our cat when He was 8 months old, he lived as an indoor cat in a flat and never went out and we have a flat, he's fine if a bit bonkers, still in young cat mode at 14 months old

Where I live, the culture is the exact opposite. No rescue will let you adopt a cat if you plan to let it go outside without installing a cat run or cat proofing your garden. Indoor cats are the norm.

Cat runs and gardens are all outdoors aren’t they? So not technically stuck indoors 24 hours.

My cat is mostly indoor - I take her to the (dog free) community garden on a lead, and we're currently on holiday in a rented cottage where she goes in the garden, both of which we've done since she was tiny.
Many of the major charities will not let you adopt if you plan to keep a cat as an indoor cat - unless the cat has FIV and needs to be isolated indoors. Celia Hammond will let you adopt, but if you have two kittens rather than one (position may be different with older cats).
My first cat was the litter of a friend of a friend, the current one from Gumtree (I looked for one that the person wasn't charging £££ for to avoid irresponsible breeding, she was the last of an "accidental" litter, and the 'owner' didn't even charge me the £5 advertised).
Just make sure you have plenty of time to spend playing and interacting with your cat - in my experience, indoor cats remain kittenishly playful for lots longer than an outdoor one.
Good luck with finding one, have fun with him/her.

On a lead at the community garden.
Her jacket is an excellent harness - her Vet said one of the best he'd seen; Mynwood

I've got two outdoor moggies who who like their independence, but I've got some sympathy for the argument that by bringing these bird hunters into neighbourhoods where there may be loads of cats and letting them roam free they are damaging bird populations. One of mine is a hunter (bells dont work, she just gets them off somehow) and whilst she usually catches mice etc she will occasionally take a bird. I think if you can bring up a kitten to be a happy indoor cat this is probably best.

Get an indoor breed like a ragdoll. My suggestion is to get a female. Males need to mark their territory and won’t be happy watching other male cat’s mark ‘their’ garden or outside area. We have Ragdolls and now let them in the backyard. The female ragdoll prefers to stay inside most of the time but was happily inside for 4 years before this.