Are cats happier in the city or the countryside?

[cracklybooks]

Just that really - what do you think? I have a beautiful rescue cat who I love very much. I currently live in London but often wonder if he’d have a better quality of life in a rural area, with lots of countryside to roam in.

I think young cats are better off in the countryside. Not so important for middle aged and older.

No. .we live quite rural and out cat was happy just in our garden.

Definitely countryside, our 12 yr old has lived in town, abroad and back here where he is most happy. Spends his days sleeping and his nights out hunting.

We are quite rural and our cat loves his huge territory.

A cat isn’t going to miss what it’s never had so in terms of which is happier, both!

If you mean which is safer then rural is safer then city.

Counterpoint here, I don't get the love for cats at all, my neighbours cats shit in my garden all the time and am fed up with it now.

Indoor cats should be mandatory in built up areas. Ugh their shit is unreal.

But we are not allowed to say anything negative about cats or dogs at all are we?

To be honest you get as many killed on country roads as people speed. Plus cats like to skulk so often suburbia suits them much more than big open spaces.

@saltycat

Counterpoint here, I don't get the love for cats at all, my neighbours cats shit in my garden all the time and am fed up with it now.

Indoor cats should be mandatory in built up areas. Ugh their shit is unreal.

But we are not allowed to say anything negative about cats or dogs at all are we?

The problem is lots don’t have litter trays. Mine come in to do their poop.

Rural for mine. I don't think she likes the noise and the close proximity of other pets and stray cats where we are, she was happier at previous house which was urban but much quieter with a school playing field behind

@saltycat

Counterpoint here, I don't get the love for cats at all, my neighbours cats shit in my garden all the time and am fed up with it now.

Indoor cats should be mandatory in built up areas. Ugh their shit is unreal.

But we are not allowed to say anything negative about cats or dogs at all are we?

You can't have a blanket 'cats must be kept indoors', that's ridiculous. My garden is cat proofed but according to you I'd have to keep him inside.

Our cat was much happier on the edge of a city. He’s had so many injuries since moving to the countryside include being stuck up numerous trees and falling in ponds! He’s been attacked by other wildlife (he’s quite small) and he frequently comes home with foliage stuck in his fur looking very sorry for himself 😂

Mine also comes indoors and stinks out the house using his litter tray!!

I don't think ours would know what to do with himself in the countryside! I guess it depends on the cat. I can't imagine moving a rural cat to an urban environment unless they were getting on and were inside more than out.
Re. Poo. Ours has a litter tray but much prefers the garden. We have a corner he particularly likes as did his predecessor (I do make sure the soil is hoed in the winter to make the huge hole digging easier).

We've lived in London and in countryside with our cat. First flat she loved top floor and police sirens regularly - cat loved watching everyone from above but them not being able to see her and police sirens were super excited. We had a garden but she was terrified of gardens and preferred being indoors - very happy.

Moved out to countryside and she appeared depressed, no police sirens, not so high up - she did venture in the garden the odd time.

Then moved closer to London, police sirens again and seemed to prefer it but not ecstatic. Went in garden after a couple of months and a dog noticed and woofed which gave her a heart attack and she avoided it. She did like to watch through French doors and see the squirrel in the back garden and she appeared to have a crush on our visiting fox and she would sit and make eyes at him and he would do the same back.

Final house in countryside was her favourite by a long way - she purred from moment she got in. Thatched cottage and she loved all the nooks and crannies, lots of cat hiding spaces, she seemed to love thatch too though did scare me at the start by trying to jump up at window to try and jump on thatch but thankfully being old she couldn't make it. Goes in garden here.

So with ours its varied but favourite is the most rural but think its more the house than the location. Having said that maybe different for an exploring cat.

Ours always goes to toilet indoors, remember once she was dancing in the garden as she needed to wee badly but back door had swung shut. Opened it and there was a speed of lighting rush to litter tray.

@saltycat - [giggle] [giggle] I told him to do that!