To be worried about adopting a cat?

[AlinaRawlings]

I honestly love cats! Like absolutely adore them! I had a cat when I was age 6 and he lived until the age of 19, and lived solely with me for the last 3 years of his life. The problem is I live on a 40mph country road. It’s fields all around but I would worry so much about this cat going out. I’d love to adopt an elderly cat, or even get a kitten but I would worry every single time that cat left the house. Is it ok to keep a cat inside? Am I being unreasonable to want a cat where I live?

My cat just doesn’t want to go out. Never has since we adopted her. There are some cats that don’t. See if they have an indoor cat at the shelter ?

Personally I find it incredibly cruel to keep cats inside but plenty don't.

How big is your house, how much is going on to keep them entertained, could you provide a large cat proof garden?

Otherwise could you adopt an older cat who would prefer to stay close or a disabled cat.

I have an indoor cat (with a catio who also goes out on a lead) and she lives a v happy life.

Do you have a garden op? If you do, we have a system where the cats can’t get out of it. Perfect as they get to chase butterflies in the summer and we don’t worry about them as they’re safe.

I have two indoor cats. One has no desire to go out at all. He's a big wuss. Even if you leave the door open, he just sits and looks.

The other is a Sphynx, so can't go out really. I do take him out in his harness, but he isn't a fan.

Both are very happy. They get plenty of play and simulation indoors.

You could get something like an FIV positive cat that can't go outdoors :) kittens raised indoors won't know any different either.

So my house is 3000 square foot so it’s quite big. It’s surrounded my fields but with this fast road outside. It would absolutely devastate me if anything happened to this cat, I’m really sensitive to animals being hurt. It would cost a lot to “cat proof” the garden as at the minute it’s all open slats. I just feel sad thinking I’ll never have a cat again and have seen ppl say it’s cruel keeping them indoors. Maybe I could get higher fences in the future and adopt an older cat? They’re just such a joy 🥹

All cats are so different so go looking for one that would be happy indoors. It would have to be inside for 4 weeks anyway. Or get 2 3-4 year olds that are bonded so can keep each other company.

You could definitely get a FIV cat. They aren't allowed to go out and many get stuck unadopted in rescue centres so your house would be an amazing upgrade

I had the same fears. I went ahead and took the chance and adopted, and was really scared the first time I let her out, anticipating long days ahead when she would be out for hours. It turned out that she has no wish to leave the garden and only goes out a few minutes a day, preferably with me with her, so my worries were for nothing. Maybe try adopting an older ex-house cat.

Don’t be fooled that an older cat won’t climb higher fences. My little 16 year old cat climbs our.6 foot fence daily with complete ease!

It's definitely not cruel to keep them in all the time, plenty of people do (many US rescue centres insist on indoors only). You need to make sure you get the right cat, and enrich the environment for it so it's not bored.

Maybe look at a catio - cheaper than cat proofing a big garden. And make sure you have an "air gap" for outside doors so you don't leave a door open where the cat can escape.

It can certainly be done, with some thought.

There will be cats in rescues that need to live indoors for whatever reason. Go and speak to a few rescue places and see if you are suitable. I would avoid getting kittens from a breeder just to keep them inside all their lives though

I would worry about the road too. I lost a cat to a car and it was devastating.
Like people have said, ask rescue centres for cats that have to be indoors cats. Alternatively, you could foster - short-term care for cats that are waiting for their forever homes. It's very rewarding. Sad when they leave but then you hear how they've settled with their new owners and it all becomes worthwhile.

Look up cat-proofing your garden, rather than higher fences.

Just get an indoor only cat! There are plenty that need homes.

Some people say it's cruel to keep them indoors, but outdoor cats can be terrible for the local wildlife so I don't think there's a right or wrong, as long as the cat is getting plenty of enrichment.

I have ragdolls but they want to go outside so I ended up cat proofing the garden. They still want to escape but they have access to the garden now so they are definitely happier. Best money I ever spent. You could get a catio if your garden is too big or make an enclosure. However I follow all these cat rescues and the poor cats have been through so much, it would be better for them to have a loving home, and your house sounds huge, than nothing. So please adopt a cat! I need to adopt more - I used to live in a flat and had no luck getting an indoor rescue but now I know about all the smaller rescues or ragdoll rescues I think I would have been able to.
Raggie paws, protected paws, the ginger cat house i reckon would rehome to you.

also I got my cats harnesses and let them in the garden on those before I got cat proofing. They weren’t that keen but better than nothing !

An elderly or FIV cat might be your best bet, or one with a disability - blind, deaf etc. that needs an indoor home. I don't think it's cruel to keep a cat indoors if it has always been an indoor cat and knows no different, but if had been an outdoor cat and was still young and active, it would get frustrated at being kept in.

The only problem with getting a cat that is designated by a rescue as an indoor cat, is that quite often no-one has told the cat that! Elton was FIV so was meant to be indoors only, but just wouldn't tolerate it. We cat proofed the garden and harness trained him to give him as much outdoor time as possible, but I think he would have preferred to have unfettered access.
It's often difficult for the rescues to really understand a cats needs, as they are usually a bit shut down in a rescue environment and don't really show their true character until they are in a home environment.

Also - I am not even that worried about cars so much as people stealing cats or, as happened to poor Bert, hurting them

https://www.facebook.com/100088351991676/posts/update-on-our-beautiful-bert-many-of-you-know-berts-heartbreaking-story-this-gen/770950402526686/

there are definitely people doing awful things to animals for their own disgusting reasons and I think it’s responsible to protect your pets from this. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to mine!

I'm with Celia Hammond's. We don't think there is any need to keep FIV cats inside - once neutered they aren't going to pass on the virus. And most of them are used to outdoor access and hate being kept inside.

OP - you are right to be worried. Country roads, as you describe, are the MOST dangerous roads for cats. There isn't constant traffic - which makes cats wary- but the cars that come, come very fast. You should not have an outdoor cat unless you can cat proof the garden (Protect a puss website for example) or build a catio.

A rescue should be able to find you a cat that will be happy to be indoors only - and then you will always need to be very careful with windows and doors.

You are fine to keep a cat indoors as long as it has plenty of enrichment. My Cat is an indoor cat and I'll be keeping any cats I get in future as indoor cats.

I've just said that above. I'm with Celia Hammond's and we don't think FIV cats should be kept inside if the are used to going out.

But we do home indoor only cats. These are either cats that have come from an indoor only home and so know no different, or are cats which for one reason or another just don't seem bothered about going out .

It's true that you can't easily know their personality when in a rescue, but some are with fosterers which get to know them, and some come in with a known history. Also, with enough experience, rescues can make a reasonable guess at how a cat would react to being indoors only.

We don't have many we consider suitable, but we always have some.

In this case though cat proofing or a catio would be the Ideal solution.

In some places it’s illegal to have outdoor cats because they decimate the wildlife. Giving a stray cat a safe and loving indoor home is a great option.

Higher fences won't help at all, unless combined with some cat proofing system.

Catio?

We also have indoor cats - purely as I wouldn't want it attacking the wildlife around us. I do think 2 cats are far easier and happier (if they're bonded that is!) to keep together indoors as they keep each other occupied. Shelters near us often only offer cats in pairs. We've tried taking them out on a leash but then they just flop on the floor and refuse to get up. One escaped out of fear once, but spent the entire day hiding under a bush. After two years indoors, I think they have become quite fearful of the great outdoors. We've been burgled last year and the thiefs left the window open but even then they didn't venture outside.