To feel guilty I have indoor cats?

[Mycatlivesindoors]

My DS is autistic and was desperate for a ragdoll kitten. They have been described as being great “therapy” cats due to their calm and devoted nature. DS has had a difficult time at secondary school (he’s 12) and he researched ragdolls thoroughly, showing me lots of articles and videos about how lovely they are and how they really help people with their mental health.

I also researched the breed and read how most of them don’t really like going outside as they are quite “lazy” cats and like to spend their time with their owners. More importantly everything I read said they should NEVER go outside as they are too dumb to navigate roads, will let strangers pick them up, get lost etc etc

I bought 2 sibling kittens from a reputable breeder so they would always have a friend, someone to play with. They have lots of toys, we play with them constantly but all they want to do is go outside. It probably doesn’t help that our house layout is such that they are surrounded by glass overlooking the garden. It’s the only thing they see. As a result they both cry and wail to go outside.

After months of listening to them crying and howling by the door I took them outside, supervised. They loved it. I have been taking them out twice a day and they run up and down, watch the birds and generally have a lovely time. However our garden is not cat proof. It means DS and I have to “guard” the areas where they could escape. Last week one of them shot through a tiny hole in the hedge into next doors garden. Luckily we got her back but ever since the two of them spend all their time trying to escape.

I have had quotes from companies to catproof the garden but it is expensive and we are planning to move in the next year or so, so I can’t really justify the expense. I am now wary about taking them out in the garden as it is inevitable they will escape again! I have blocked the hole in the fence but they have now started on a new area in the garden trying to jump the wall.

I feel so guilty about keeping them indoors. But I’ve been told by so many people that if they get out the garden some awful fate will befall them because ragdolls should never be allowed to roam free.

I wish I’d just bought a cat that can go outside now, listening to 2 ragdolls howling at the door all day is so stressful.

Could you compromise with a catio that you could take with you when you move? If you're not DIY minded, they come ready made.

Could you build a catio? It needn’t be massively expensive and you can dismantle and take the materials with you when you move. There are some good DIY tutorials out there. Some cats are content to be indoors, but yours clearly aren’t if they’re howling to get outside even after months of being with you.

My ex and I had Bengals, which a lot of people choose to keep inside; we allowed ours out and always said that we’d rather they had a handful of good years prowling and hunting and climbing in the churchyard around our house (which they loved and were superb at) than a longer but sedentary and dull life indoors.

How about harness and lead training them while they are young? Then they can go out and explore with your son? Sounds mad, I know. A lady who was a client at the vet surgery I worked at used to walk her cat around the block and to/from his appointments (if possible), otherwise he was strictly indoors.

Make a catio , lots of free plans online. Your son sounds very committed and will probably enjoy helping.

Seconding catio. Also put them on a harness, ideally with an air tag attached to their collars.

Catio definitely - or cat tent with tunnels? They're super cute and obviously portable!

https://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/cat_products/catios-outdoor-cat-enclosures/ these are not cheap but cheaper than catproofing your garden and you can move ot around and take it if you move. But I would also give harness training a go. You also get buggies for taking pets for a walk.

Either way, it's worth getting them micro chipped. Many people are genuine and would help them relocate their owner if they were found.

I can't say what the right thing is for ragdolls, but we've always taken the risk and let ours out as we believe they should have the best quality life possible whilst living alongside us.

My cat used to walk on a harness and lead. Couldn’t let him out as he used to dive into the nearest hedge and scream at the top of his voice. I’d have people knocking on the door telling me my cat was injured, there was an injured cat in the hedge etc…
You can buy self enclosed chicken runs ( full height ones) or look at fruit cages. Might be a cheaper alternative to cat proofing a garden, which we did at the next house.
Just remembered, my friend had a cat run built on a wheeled base so she could move it around her garden in/out of the sun.

IMO it’s better than being squished on a road ! My cats are house cats, with garden privileges

My mum’s ragdoll goes into the back garden and no further, but she also cries to go out. She sits and watches the bird table, but is far, far, too slow to catch anything. They really do seem to deserve the slightly dim reputation. Lovely cats though, in terms of temperament. Mum’s is very much a lap cat, when she’s not birdwatching.

Just wanted to give some solidarity; we have house cats and the first one isn’t bothered about being outside but the second was rehomed to us by the the breeder and clearly has been outside by the way he acts (assume the first owner didn’t want to admit it) and it horrible how much he wants to be out. Mine definitely wouldn’t be safe near a road though

I googled Rag Doll cats and 100% agree with you that they shouldn't be allowed outside on their own but the article below could be helpful and I'm sure your son would love to take them out for a walk.

Taken from Catster:

Ragdolls are good-natured cats even at their worst, and that’s part of the problem with letting them outside. Their tranquil personalities make them vulnerable to all kinds of harm, like prowling tom cats, loose dogs, and stranger danger.

Cat Walks We’re big fans of cat leashes and harnesses. They tether your cat to you while it adventures bushes and trees. You have a front-row seat to how your cat explores the world.
Remember that your Ragdoll will still be at risk from roaming dogs and other animals, so stay alert. Find a solid escape-proof cat harness and leash, and you’ll explore the neighborhood with your Ragdoll in no time.
Taking your cat for a walk may sound challenging, but the right harness and leash can make all the difference! We recommend Hepper's Cat Harness & Leash Set because it combines important safety features with stylish and comfortable design elements.

My cats are indoor cats and they're happy!

My sons Siamese have a catio connected to the house , half of it has a cover so they can go out even if the weather is crap . Do you have lots of enrichment indoors - wall shelves , climbing posts etc . Ours have wall climbing routes , trees , floor to ceiling climbing poles to access the tops of wardrobes etc .

My friend has two ragdoll cats and they go outside quite happily in the garden and one explores in the woods at the back of their house. Sometimes they stay out all night / in storms / all weathers and they're absolutely fine. She said one of them explores more than the other - the other one just stays mostly in the garden of its own free will. I think you have to judge it based on your own cats. Allowing them to explore and learn their environment gives quality of life and they won't easily forget where their food and shelter is. I think all animals need sunshine and wind in their faces.

I have adopted a cat and was told to keep it inside for 3 months first to get used to his environment. We managed 6 weeks because he miaowed and yowled and was having a tough time being inside all the time. We let him out gradually, when he was hungry, then fed him when he came back in and by building up that pattern and letting him explore he has gradually worked out his own routine now and he pretty much stays out all night now and sleeps inside all day as he is that exhausted from exploring. He is a very happy, content cat now. His demeanour is much better than when he was cooped up all day.

Ragdolls are gorgeous but stupid. My boy is very friendly and walks to up to anyone. He is a bad hunter and has got himself into scrapes even in our house (got a cat toy stuck on his head, sticks his paws into the gas fire when it on etc). He's also quite clumsy for a cat and falls sometimes when jumping onto his cat tree or around the bath 😂 I dread to think how he would fare with cars- he'd probably walk up to moving ones and sit in the middle of the road.

He doesn't seem fussed about going outside but we do have a lead and a harness we take him out on when it's better weather. He enjoys a walk around and a sniff then wants to come back inside.

I think keeping any animal enclosed is cruel. I wouldn’t allow my kids to have pets kept in cages, it’s a miserable existence. Your home's just a giant cage. Cats should be free to roam.

My dd puts her cat in a harness on a long rope so she can access every part of the garden but can't escape. She is always supervised so she doesn't get caught in anything. It's not ideal but it works for her.

You say they have lots of toys and play with them but do they have stuff they can do by themselves?

I forced a very outdoor cat to be indoors and apart from a few minutes being cross with us everyday he is happy climbing in and out of cupboards and running in and out of his cat tunnel.

He is much more interested in cat furniture (or our furniture) than toys.

A catio is a great idea. Give them a place up high where they can sit and watch the birds.

Every cat is different. I've known some who were happy to spend their life indoors and others who hardly came in. But if a cat obviously wants to go outside, it seems cruel to keep it a prisoner permanently indoors, depriving it of the natural world and unable to freely follow its own instincts.

123sunshine · Today 11:05
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I think keeping any animal enclosed is cruel. I wouldn’t allow my kids to have pets kept in cages, it’s a miserable existence. Your home's just a giant cage. Cats should be free to roam”

Which is fine when they’re young and fit. We shall be downsizing from a large family home/gardens to a very good sized flat with a balcony and a terrace. The cats will be able to freely access both but they will be more restricted than they are now.
Only one of them, our ginger boy, is a real roamer, the girls are much more home bodies. He’ll be 12/13 when we permanently move and after hearing of another, incidentally ginger, boy being knocked down and killed very nearby recently, I’m glad he’ll be restricted as he ages. We lost our last boy to the road 14 years ago, aged 19. Don’t want to see another go the same traumatic way.

My indoor cat just recently passed away at 22 years old. She was one very happy content cat. Spoiled rotten.

Why? They aren't wild animals.