Is there a chance cats might like suburban gardens more than the countryside?

[GoldfishParade]

Anyone moved their cat from a rural setting to suburbs of a city and found that they actually preferred it?

Paradoxically there seem to be much fewer road deaths too although you wouldn't think it would work like that

Is it possible for some cats the big open spaces are actually less appealing than a clearly delineated garden? Mine used to love going outside, it was basically an "idyllic" setting for a cat, but shes always been a jumpy scaredy cat and this seems to be less the case in the suburbs (???!).

I was so scared she would disappear over a wall never ti be seen again but she sticks close to home - makes me think that maybe in the countryside she wasnt out roaming and ranging through fields but probably staying much closer to the house than I knew? 🤷‍♀️

One factor may be that with more cats packed in to an area, they all have much smaller territories?

Another thing may be that as you suggest, she didn't range as far as you thought before and prefers the security of a walled garden with no wild animals roaming around.

I also think it very much depends on the individual cat.

Traffic may be slower in a residential area.

Our cat has been the opposite. We're staying in a densely populated area at the moment (from a house on a quiet road with a large garden backing onto a park).
The cat used to spend a lot of time outside but since we moved she has been too scared to go out. To start with she would go into the garden a bit if we left the doors open but she hasn't really been out in 6 months. She will scratch at the front door but if we open it she just stands and looks but won't step out.