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.

@MidnightMeltdown how is it ignorant? Cats are obviously not dogs, but they deserve the same level of care and treatment as dogs do. Again, you wouldn’t let your dog outside to do what it wants and then expect it to return for dinner. So why a cat? The only difference is that cats being outdoor animals is a really outdated idea that has never really evolved. Dogs were once outdoor animals too, yet we’ve managed to change our mindset now that they’re domesticated.

Cats are now domesticated animals and should be treated as such. You can still give them enriching lives with supervised access to a garden and fresh air without letting them roam the streets unattended to let god knows what happen to them.

I have two cats who live indoors. They have access to an outside area that is enclosed. They have a cat wheel (like a large hamster wheel) that they both use. They have 3 floors to access and lots of toys/attention.
They both sleep on my bed every night which suggested they are content and happy.
They have never been outside cats, and as they are bengals, I wouldn't let them out as they are known to be prolific hunters and bullies to other cats.

I think you need to calm down.

@Cottonfresh what a strange comment to make. They don’t go missing or get killed unless theirs foul play? So you’d call a cat being run over (I see this posted on social media at least 3 times a week) foul play? It happens, and if you’re irresponsible enough to let your cat out ‘because it deserves a lovely life outside’ it’s entirely your fault.

The world isn’t a nice place and many people still hate cats. There are sick people out there who deliberately hurt them, or put things in their gardens to deter them that are harmful. It isn’t a nice place for an unattended cat.

I get a lot of cats in my garden and front drive for some reason. Always the same four or five which is strange as I have a dog. She goes crazy when she sees them through the window, they seem to enjoy taunting her. I sometimes see them scratching around my rock garden area so have to shoo them away as I’m pretty sure they’re going to use it as a litter tray! I don’t think cats would suit me as a pet as I’d be worried about them when they’re out, just like if they were my child! I understand dogs but cats are a mystery to me.

I have a ragdoll cat.
She wouldn't last two mins outside.
Some breeds aren't suited to being outside.

I think it's cruel.

My friend has two cats that have always been house prisoners. I got my two (siberian forest cats) at the same time that she got her second cat.

They have such different lives.

Mine are outside all the time. Have a cat flap. Can sleep on the shed roof and play in the garden. Catch the odd mouse.

Hers have litter trays and if she does take them in the garden it's with a harness. They can't run or bask in the sun or feel grass beneath thier feet. She says they don't have outdoor skills but mine are from same litter and learnt the. Quality of life is completely different.

My sister had an indoor cat but when she was too ill to look after him, a friend adopted him. He was about 17, 18 then but he was given his freedom. He used to toddle out in the garden and sit out on the street. Everyone knew the old boy. Lived until he was nearly 23. Had a wonderful life at the end after years of being a prisoner because he was a pretty breed.

Keep a cat indoors is lie having a bird in a cage or an animal in a zoo to me. It's just cruel.

It's not as cruel as allowing millions of our native birds to be slaughtered each year by a non native animal that is a pet.

We've had our two from 13 weeks old and they've been indoor cats the whole time, they have a large Catio that is accessed from the cat flap in our utility room, they're very happy cats, have lots of enrichment and are safe.

If we had adopted a cat that was used to outdoors then I wouldn't keep them in, I think that would be cruel, but otherwise I think it's safer and kinder to have them indoors with either a catio or cat run.

Your mother's cat sounds overweight which is a separate issue tbh.

It entirely depends..

Indoors in a tiny space, no company or limited company, no toys, no climbing stuff, no mental enrichment or physical exercise, and a cat who really really needs all of that..

Yes, thats cruel.

Indoors in a big space, exercise wheel (few people have these as they are HUGE), climbing stuff (not simply a small cat tree from Pets At Home, I mean the huge climbing walls and platforms that go all around the house) - covered catio outside, lots of company, lots of choices, tons of enrichment, play and physical exercise... and a cat that enjoys that..

Absolutely fine.

Same sort of 'it depends' goes for outdoor cats.

Those in a rural area, big space, very little traffic - able to hunt rats and mice and rabbits and so leaving alone the wild birds. Great.

Those near me, built up suburbs, tiny territories and heavy cat-load, constant stressors of other cats and territory wars, tons of traffic, dead cats reported to local groups daily, little to hunt but wild birds from peoples feeders (and hunting rats/mice is likely to result in secondary poisoning)...

Nope. Not ok.

Dogs are MUCH more domesticated than cats. They have been living with humans for thousands of years longer than cats have. Cats are still semi wild.

Cats cannot be trained or walked on leads in the same way that dogs can (I know some people do try to walk them on leads but you really shouldn't)

I don't think that it's acceptable to keep an 'indoor' dog either. You should let it out, walk it at least twice a day, and take it somewhere where it can be let off the lead to run around.

My almost 3 year old moggy is an indoor cat by choice. She absolutely panics if she goes on the doorstep and legs it back inside!
She live the life of Riley and we are her servants! She couldn't wish for a better life and hunts spiders in the cellar and has the run of the house! She has us all opening doors for her where ever she wants to go and we are her official photographers and take photos daily of her cuteness. She has us wrapped around her little claw and definitely does not suffer from not going outside.

She sounds adorable 😍

I think it depends on breed. I've had ragdoll cats and they have no sense of danger so letting them roam isn't an option!

Cats cannot be trained or walked on leads in the same way that dogs can (I know some people do try to walk them on leads but you really shouldn't)

You've never met a ragdoll cat ..... they most definitely can be trained!!

Indeed! And on the other side you wouldn't be able to keep a bengal from finding a way out of a house.

I disagree. Cats are not semi wild still, unless you’re looking at just bengal cats. Dogs still have natural hunting instincts, yet you wouldn’t release them unattended in a field to hunt and chase rabbits and then expect it to return home to you.

Cats absolutely can be trained to walk on leads and harnesses. I’m sorry but what a ridiculous comment. Take a look at the cats that go mountain climbing with their owners on leads, or the cat that goes around London on a bike with his owner. Don’t talk about things you have 0 knowledge of.

We have a catio for our cats (secure enclosed spacious patio area which they love and have a cat flap into the house directly from this). We are near a road but when we move they will be allowed outside. You can also get netting that goes across the tops of fences to stop them getting out the garden. Either of these may work for your mum if she wanted to consider it

@TomatoSandwiches she is brilliant and funny with a wicked sense of humour!
Photo so you can all appreciate how cute she is 😻🤣

Agree! This poster has no idea what they’re talking about. It’s a waste of breath trying to educate these people!

My cat's behaviour massively improved once we started being able to let him out (had to keep him inside for 6 weeks when he first arrived to get him used to us and he was miserable).

He is almost fully nocturnal - likes to sleep on our beds in the daytime then after a big feed in the evening off he goes into the darkness and I don't see him until morning. I have no idea where he goes - we live in a quiet area and I think he just potters around the neighbourhood and maybe on the meadow down the road. Brings the odd mouse home. Often has sticks and things stuck in his fur when he comes in. Love him to bits. He wouldn't be suited to indoor life.

@Nowmum43 oh what a little love 💕 thank you.

Yeah you don't let dogs go off with 20 or so other dogs in a pack and kill things just because that's their natural instinct

It suits some cats to be indoors.

However I've known some very weird people that keep cats indoors and their cats seem very unhappy being trapped inside. My grandad kept his cat indoors and if was constantly trying to escape. Poor thing.

I also know a woman who only ever has some sort of pedigree, flat faced cats that can't go outside as she fears someone taking them. I feel a bit sorry for them as she works long hours/shift work so they're often alone, or shoved in a cattery. When one dies, it's just replaced straight away with another pedigree cat that's seems to have a miserable life bored in the house whilst she's out at work. The poor cats seem to be very much a status thing for her, she won't consider having a non pedigree cat that can go outside, it's like it's her whole identity. It seems cruel to me.