letting 'fancy' cats outside

[ParsleyCake]

We have three bog standard mogs, all rescues and allowed out with their collars on. I was wondering what people do when they have a fancy Persian or other breed or an unusually coloured cat. My friend has a gorgeous pure white cat - not a special breed, just unusual colour, and she has been wanting to let her cats outdoors. I warned against it, as to me a white cat seems highly desirable and I could see him getting cat-napped. She also has a gorgeous tortoise-shell cat, who also has unusual markings but not quite as rare.

Is it normal for cats to get stolen? Should she let her cats outdoors?

My Ragdoll was rescued & the shelter would not let me take her without agreeing that she had to be an indoor cat. She is too dim to go outside, one of the reasons why Ragdolls have the lovely temperament is that selective breeding was used to breed all the aggressiveness out so you are left with a beautiful, gentle, nonbitey cat who is utterly unable to defend herself against other cats, dogs, foxes & busy roads. Not to mention catnappers!

She has too much fur to wear a collar, so she doesn't.

Mines an indoor girl & she's quite happy :)

We have a singapura, a british blue and a pure white moggie. All three go outside. We did keep them in for quite a while when they were younger so they don't tend to go too far. There's a neighbour with a siamese up the road that I often see out and about without problems. I'm more worried about traffic than people stealing the cats.