Indoor vs. Outdoor cats

[goodbyemog]

We lost our beloved cat at age 8 this week and I'm just bereft. She had always had access to the outdoors via a cat flap. We moved recently out of London and the fast country roads proved too much for her. Have you had an outdoor cat die of natural causes? I'm beginning to wonder if I should try and keep our remaining cat inside. But would it be kind? Are they better off living a fuller life outside?

I’m so sorry @goodbyemog. She was beautiful. I love Abyssinians.

You’ll get varying opinions but I’ve had outdoor cats and indoor cats, and would never go back to letting them free roam now. I’ve converted around a dozen cats from free roaming to house cats and they were all happy and thriving. So I don’t really believe it can’t be done, regardless of personality.

I have window restrictors and have the windows open all day. Flat cats are another option. The cats can currently access their catio from a window, and I often lock them in the room that accesses the catio if I want to have windows and doors wide open. They don’t mind at all - spend most of the day dozing anyway.

It is a very UK based mindset that cats need to roam.

So sorry OP, it’s horrible to lose a pet at any age

Over the last 10 years

10 years ago - lost F to cancer age 20, outdoor lifer
9 years ago - ran away no idea what happeed
8 years ago - roads
7 years ago - kidney failure

Current cat is coming up for 8 (we got kittens in pairs, one lost 10 years ago and another 8 years ago). He is outdoor but in overnight. Chose our house carefully to be well away from roads. He prefers the garden and is toothless so not a hunter at all. I think the hunting instinct is the issue much of the time.

And I am so sorry for your loss, any loss of a beloved animal is terribly hard.

We had three cats who all were allowed out when I was growing up, all three died of natural causes (kidney failure and cancer, rather than old age). We lived on a very busy road but in a terrace so they only went out the back, and the back streets were less busy but still had cars up and down.

We now live right on the edge of a market town, with fields just beyond a couple of houses, and again we let have cats that are allowed out. One barely goes beyond our property line, the other disappears for weeks at a time in summer - I do really worry about her but she’s enjoying her life and would be miserable inside.

I’m really sorry you’ve lost your cat. 💐💐

I don't think it would be fair to keep a cat in who's used to outdoor access.

I've had cats my whole life and one way or another, the majority haven't died from old age. Two were hit by cars, one was poisoned by bait left for pest animals, all the rest had illnesses etc which could have still happened had they lived indoors.

Our oldest got to 18 and he had cancer in his paw, my mum decided to put him down rather than remove it and make him learn to live with three legs when he was so old already.

I'm sorry that you have lost a friend.
Ours is indoor. The house is set up for her absolute pleasure. She has spots to roost, to observe, to hide, to plot, to generally do her cat thing.
She can't come in our bedroom. Otherwise she rules the roost.

I’m sorry you lost your cat
We’ve had a 20 year old outside cat die of natural causes
A 15 year old got in some antifreeze in a nearby garden

A 1 year old run over
Currently got a 5 year old, was hit as a kitten by the vet did wonders with her leg and we lock her in the garage (it’s heated with nice beds) at night and she attacks sleeping humans. Odd but lovely cat. Fingers crossed she sticks to the garden and house during the day.

I have lived with 15 cats - all could go outdoors freely. One disappeared - we suspect he got into our neighbours’ van and got taken somewhere. One was killed by a car. Another was moonlighting - some people came round and asked if they could have him. He disappeared and we suspect he moved in with them permanently. The rest (10) died of natural causes, and two are still alive. However, we never live on main roads, because of the cats!

The present two, I lock the cat flap from 8 pm to 8 am, so they can only come in at night, because of the foxes!

@goodbyemog so sorry got your loss, we have Somali - the walking to school and coming on bike rides and dog walks so very familiar!

Our first cat died of cancer at 12ish, rehomed a Somali that got knocked down.

We then rehomed 2 - the girl had been in a RTA before we got her so from August to April they were kept indoors (we got them November) - the boy was chilled, the girl used to escape from upstairs windows, hid by the door if she saw someone go to the coat cupboard - basically she was determined... she also could open the cat flap when it was in only. Ironically he travels far but she stays close to home. They are now 12 and I really hope I'll health gets them rather than a RTA.

These two have always been shut in overnight- whistle trained them and the girl asks to go bed about 9pm for her big sleep

I have always thought the average lifespan of 2 - 5 years for outdoor cats refers to strays and ferals, who aren’t looked after by people? Don’t get regular food, medical care or shelter in the winter? Most cats I’ve known lived until their teens. NDN had one that was 22, but senile!

Yes DarkChocolate I think you're right about that lifespan referring to strays.

We lost one cat to a RTA but the others have lived to their teens and died of illness or old age. All outdoor cats.

My current cat is also an outdoor cat. I couldn't confine her: she comes alive when she's outside in a way that she doesn't in the house. But we live in a terraced house and she is only allowed out to the back garden. In your position though, I'd probably still allow your new cats out, but not at night (the most dangerous time). Could you rev your car engine at your cats from the roadside to scare them away from the road perhaps?

I know this can be a controversial view, especially on mumsnet, but in my opinion your cat had a happy, healthy 8 years of life. She had an interesting life with lots of freedom. Sad as it is, I think that's a better, albeit shorter life (for most cats - obviously there are exceptions) than 15 or 20 years of confinement.

I've had cats all my life, and i have lost cats on roads. I've also had cats who lived well into their teens (one to 18) in the same house. All were rescues, I gave them the best life I could for as long as I could, and although every death was heartbreaking I don't regret it.

Keeping an 8 year old cat in when they have spent their whole lives free to go out isn't fair on the cat.

I'm late to this thread but wanted to suggest ProtectaPet. They can install things on fences to stop cats jumping over, also round trees and bushes, they can put up freestanding enclosure fences, and they do catios too (expensive though). I've not used them but have been researching building a catio myself recently, and their stuff looks really good, although it won't work for my garden. However it's worth a look, maybe it could work for your large garden?

Ours used to be outdoor but our boy died at 18 leaving us with his elderly sister and we then got two rag dolls that should be indoor cats.

We put a cat proof gate at the bottom of our side return and put outdoor cat trees etc in the side return so they can bask in the sun and have outdoor exercise but are safe.

Tbh, I feel much more relaxed and we can now feed the birds in the garden without fearing that we are dooming them due to cat hunters!