To think having an indoor cat is cruel?

[Catnope]

I was looking after my mother’s cat last week - feeding him while she was on holiday and changing the litter tray - and I felt so incredibly sorry for the cat. It’s not the first time I’ve looked after him for her, and not the first time I’ve thought that.

What a shit life for the cat.

Of course I don’t like the idea of cats killing wildlife out there, but to be a prisoner indoors 100% of the time your whole life?!

It’s cruel. Right?! Just me?

Of course I was nothing but lovely to my mother and took good care of the cat. My mother doesn’t let him out because she fears he’ll get stolen or run over. She lives on a quiet and safe street, so I don’t think anyone will want to steal him. At this point, I also think he wouldn’t have a clue how to kill a bird.

I think it depends on the cat, I adopted an ex-feral (directly not via a charity), despite doors being open and him being welcome to go outdoors he has no interest, so he's obviously happy being indoors, he's making his own choice. I don't think blanket assumptions are appropriate

People are talking about cats who aren't given a choice, though, not ones who choose to stay indoors.

Our little cat is indoors 95% of the time by her own choice. We rescued her from the streets in November 2022 when she literally banged on the back window of our shop, we let her in, was starving, scared, covered in scars, bits of missing whiskers, wonky ears, so I ran to our local Spar for an emergency tin of food and fed her on my desk with a bowl of water.

She stayed with us all day at work then we took her home that night, went back to Spar when we closed up at 4 for some more food and nibbles, we gave her as much food as she could take! That night in bed she leapt on us and snuggled in with us, singing really loudly and beautifully!

We got her to the vet a few days later, she wasn't chipped so we adopted her and got her treated.

She's terrified of all kinds of things including dogs, walking sticks, men ... she eventually learned to love and trust my hubby ... big boots and big leather jackets and a few other things although she's OK with loud noises like storms and fireworks, and she only asks to go outside a couple of times a week for a few minutes so we just leave the door open and she comes jumping back in! We absolutely worship her and she knows it!

Would be best to ask your mum, explain he's over-weight, could you or mum put him on a leash and go with him outside? That way being on a leash he'd have some freedom but wouldn't be able to run off.

I currently have 3 indoor cats as we live close to a busy road and there are many feral cats living in the sewers. Our indoor cats don’t seem to be more unhappy than the many previous outdoor cats I have had in the past. They look healthy with shiny coats and clear eyes. They are all very affectionate and love human company. I would expect a depressed cat to look dull and uninterested.
One of them is very active and I often find her at the top of the wardrobe! She would definitely be quickly run over if I let her outside.

Such a lovely thing to do to rescue her, thank you for saving her.

I also rescued my cat from the streets, your sounds very similar to how mine was, although he still chooses not to go outside years later.

Maybe your mum could get a lead and walk him around the garden

I'd only keep a cat indoors if it was a Ragdoll type that doesn't cope well outside. Yes there's always a risk they might have an accident, but at least they've lived a good life. My friend always says "cats should be outside doing cat things" and I agree. I took my neighbour's cat in last year when she died. He goes out for hours but always pops up for tea and then sleeps on the bed with me. I'd feel like I was keeping him in a prison if I kept him in. He's a free spirit.

Depends on the cat.

Honestly my cat was bored to death in suburbia even with outside access. We moved to a rural hamlet and he loves life.

His safe place is jndoors and his default is to return through the flap in case of emergency but largely in the summer he spends nights out on the razz and snores all day.

I think it depends on the cats nature but I know mine would not cope with being housebound.

Petplan did a survey a couple of years ago and found that 230,000 cats a year are involved in road accidents , which is 630 cats a day and another pre pandemic study estimated that UK cats kill between 160 and 270 million small animals annually; a quarter of them birds , as there are more cats now those figures will be higher . Keep your cat on your property .

It makes sense in Australia, because the wildlife there evolved with no cats about. Cats would screw up the ecological balance.

(I'm amazed, though, that there aren't feral cats from way back. Are there? Hang on - I've just looked it up. Wikipedia reckons there a six million feral cats in Australia. Which makes the curfew on domestic cats look a bit pointless.)

Keeping my cat on my property made him so unwell that he nearly died (stress related urinary issues). The vet basically told us that if we didn't let him out, he would have issues for life.

I'd rather he lived a happy life and took his chances on the roads than lived a longer life where he was cooped up and miserable. Cats aren't supposed to live inside four walls. They're roamers, not prisoners.

UK cats kill between 160 and 270 million small animals annually; a quarter of them birds

First, that's a hell of spread of numbers, which kind of implies that no one really knows. How could they.

But anyway, without knowing how many small animals and birds there are in total, it's not possible to tell whether this is worrying or not.

And in any case, cats have a right to make a living, as do the squirrels who dig up bulbs, the foxes who ransack bins and the mad flocks of parakeets around our way who wake everyone up and worry the cats.

They don’t have to be in 4 walls , cat proof your garden or get a catio and if you live in a flat then don’t get an animal that is not suited to that environment.

Yep, I did cat-proof and he still got urinary blockages. He needed to get out and do what he was bred to do - which is roam and hunt.

You wouldn't get a dog and not walk it, so I don't understand why anyone would get a cat and keep it within four walls. IMO it's no different to buying a rabbit and confining it to a tiny hutch - it's cruel.

Yes, it comes with risks but so does everything in life. I'd rather my cat had a short but happy life than lived for 20 years as a prisoner.

And in terms of wildlife, I can't get upset about cats killing birds and mice when humans are doing insane amounts of damage themselves.

Lovely attitude to have

All had cats killed by traffic? But, it’s so ”rare” and “unlikely” for cats to come to a demise while roaming outside! 😂😂

People saying this clearly don't live on my street!

Absolutely this. All my cats over the past 40 years have had the freedom to go wherever they want, as they are permitted to do by law. It's not in a cat's nature to be confined, get a different pet if you're not prepared to let your cat out.

It's not in a cat's nature to be confined, get a different pet if you're not prepared to let your cat out.

Except for some breeds it is in their nature.
It would be cruel to let my Ragdoll outside. She has no sense of danger.
I'm not prepared to let her outside because I'd be putting in her in danger.

Question for people whose cats go outside - not accusatory, just curious. How often do you check them for ticks or fleas?

Yet another group of stray kittens showed up in my parents’ yard - four this time - and my SIL adopted one of them yesterday. She found a few ticks, which I didn’t notice at all, despite picking him up several times and petting him for a couple hours the day before yesterday.

Adding a picture because he’s so cute.

He is adorable! So much cuteness!

Our cats go outside.
We don't routinely check for fleas or ticks because we notice them quickly when we stroke or brush our cats.
Curiously our cats have been completely flea free since just before Covid. They do pick up the odd tick.

Question for people whose cats go outside - not accusatory, just curious. How often do you check them for ticks or fleas?

I don't unless they're showing symptoms like excess scratching. None of them have ever had either as far as I'm aware, though they are treated every 3 months.

Cats have been domesticated for 12,000 years, and have existed in Europe for 3,000 years. The fact that the kill birds and wildlife is hardly some new, modern phenomenon - they've done it for centuries and will carry on doing it for centuries more.