Indoor cat wanting to go out

[Carrotcakeforbreakfast]

Hi all

Just wanted a little advice with this
Our female 6 year old cat has always been a house cat. We decided on this as where we used to live was on an extremely busy road.
We have since moved and she stayed as an indoor cat as she seemed quite happy with this setup. Plus it was a building site for the first few months.

Recently, she keeps trying to dart out of the front door when we come in
Always the front door and not the back.
I have stopped her as I'm not sure how she would adjust to going outside after spending 6 years as an indoor cat.
Just wondered if anyone had ever done this?

We are considering cat proofing the garden to see if that satisfies the need to go out.
I'm so unsure what to do as I feel guilty that she wants to go out but at the same time anxious to let her out in case she gets hurt or doesn't come back.

Thank you.

Also homed a ‘indoor cat’ but the rescue wanted her to be able to have the option to go out. She does in a similar way other people have described, timid and doesn’t go far. I don’t intend to encourage her to toilet outside. I don’t as yet have a cat flap so her outside time is quite controlled.

Our cat had been an indoor cat when we adopted her at three. She came to us in July, and after a few weeks we started leaving the back door open if we were in the garden, and she would come out for a nosy. A couple of days later she did a wee up at the back, and has pretty much never used the litter tray since (we have two available at all times though). We don’t have a cat flap so her time outside is restricted - before Covid she was always in when we were at work, and overnight - and she doesn’t roam beyond our immediate neighbours. I think we are pretty lucky because she comes to her name.

She will come out the front if one of us is out there, but it’s a very quiet one way street.

Just now she would happily be out 24/7 - we are both WFH - if she was allowed. In the winter she tends to go out first thing, after her dinner, then again before bed, and prefers to lounge on the heated throw the rest of the time!

Oh, I should have said she is seven now, we didn’t just get her last month!

@Divebar2021

I got my cat through a rescue and I requested an outdoor cat and they recommended one. I’ve no idea why she was categorised as outdoor suitable - perhaps they just specify indoor for health reasons and everyone else is ok for outdoor. She wanted to be outdoors from a very early point and it would have been difficult to keep her in. We started out on a harness on in our garden before letting her out on her own. We’ve always kept her in at night though due to foxes in our area. She has had an encounter with something which injured her leg and as a result of that she is much more likely to come in at night without being called - I don’t think she roams as far as she used to. I still wouldn’t keep her in despite her injury. If a cat has no interest in going out then that’s one thing but keeping them in when they don’t want to is another matter. If it’s not safe because of a busy road or other hazard then I’d rather not have a cat.

Unless your cat is especially old or weak, I wouldn't worry about foxes. There are lots of foxes where I live and they run away from the cats! A fox is no match for a healthy adult cat.

I would never keep a cat inside unless there was a medical reason as I just don't think it's fair. You wouldn't keep a child inside their whole life to keep them safe, so I don't think it's fair to do that to an animal. At the very least, I would get a catio so that it has access to fresh air and sunlight.

Op I had a house cat, we adopted her and she had never been outside.
As we had previously lost my much loved cat in a RTA I purposely looked for a house cat to adopt because when I lost my cat I was devastated.
New cat was happy inside, played lots & loved sitting on the windowsill watching the world go by -until one day she wasn’t happy any longer.
I ordered a catio but after several weeks, lots of delays & excuses of it not arriving I just couldn’t keep her in any longer.

She is now a very happy cat. She mostly sits in our garden but occasionally pops over the neighbours fences either side. She never goes further than the front driveway though. I do go outside and play with her. She just loves being out chasing bugs & follows me from the front to the back if I’m pottering about.

She has an outdoor litter tray (planter with bare compost that is kept topped up and refreshed) so I know she isn’t annoying the neighbours by going in their gardens. I know letting her out was the best thing as she is enjoying her life, it is a worry when she doesn’t come in until late though. I can’t settle unless I know she’s safely inside at night. I worry more about her than the teens!

You wouldn't keep a child inside their whole life to keep them safe, so I don't think it's fair to do that to an animal.

You wouldn't let a toddler out to roam the streets and google tells me that cats roughly have the IQ of a 2-3 year old human.

The indoor cat debate is very very cultural - in many areas it's illegal for cats to roam. Many cats live long and happy lives indoors - there's really no need to call their owners cruel.

I live backing on to a 60mph road and cats are run down and killed on it weekly. Not a risk I'm prepared to take with mine I'm afraid.

We have an indoor cat but we let him out in the garden. He is ridiculously stupid though so he doesn't know how to climb the fence. He just stays in the garden and is quite happy catching flies in the garden. On days that we don't let him out, eg it's raining, he gets really annoying and antsy!

If you have a cat that is happy to stay inside then that's fine, I know many are. However there are regular threads here about inside cats trying to escape or actually breaking out. This is surely a clear message that the cat involved is looking for more stimulation and a larger environment. Keeping a cat inside under that scenario (i.e. against its will) is where I think this verges on cruelty.

@MidnightMeltdown

Regarding foxes - she’s not very big and has been chased twice by a fox that we’ve seen. Recently in our area a small breed dog was killed by a fox and as a result numerous people reported their own cats and dogs having been attacked and injured. ( this is on a neighbourhood site). Last week a fox also wandered into my sitting room while I had the doors open and was sat there - not exactly shy & retiring. If my cats being chased she has to be lucky every time… the fox just has to be lucky once.

@Grumpyoldpersonwithcats

If you have a cat that is happy to stay inside then that's fine, I know many are. However there are regular threads here about inside cats trying to escape or actually breaking out. This is surely a clear message that the cat involved is looking for more stimulation and a larger environment. Keeping a cat inside under that scenario (i.e. against its will) is where I think this verges on cruelty.

But letting a cat out doesn't have to mean giving it free range to do what it wants, which is what most people mean when they say "let the cat out".

If your indoor cat is unhappy then of course you need to look at ways to change that - but a catio or cat-proofed garden should be fine in the vast majority of cases.

Cats don't need to roam for miles (and take all the risks involved) in order to be happy.

How is a cat which spends its entire life indoors any different to a caged zoo animal? I’m not particularly against zoos, but good ones work extremely hard to provide environmental enrichment and to replicate the natural environment as much as possible - even then, there has to be an acknowledgement that in the wild the animals would generally have larger territories. I wonder if all the indoor cats have owners who make the same effort at environmental enrichment?

I have cats which can go outdoors, but we live on a quiet street with few cars and back directly onto fields so the risks of them being run over is minimal. They don’t go far - a potter in the field and home for a snooze - but if I lock the flap for any reason to keep them in, they let me know in no uncertain terms that they are not happy about it. I honestly think that given the choice, most cats would choose to have the option to go outside and to deprive them of that is not optimal to their welfare.

I adopted 2 cats which were indoor cats but we have recently been putting a harness on them and taking them outside, just in the back area and they really enjoy a good sniff about and even just sitting in the fresh air.

Mine took to the harness fine too.

OP we cat proofed the garden and it has been a huge success. Happy cat has access to it from 7am- 11pm. All of our back doors and windows are now open and there is a lot less fur in the house. He has all but stopped scratching furniture (still has a sneaky go at the sofa occasionally).

We still have an indoor litter tray but it’s hardly used now. The cat proofing was expensive but we have worked out that the savings from not buying litter means that the cat proofing will pay for itself in……. 7.5 years time

A harness worked well for us when he was a kitten. He used to sit next to the cupboard shouting for it. Did mean we spent 3 months standing in the garden for 2 hours a day until the cat proofing was finished. If you can afford it cat proof the whole garden.

Cat proofing your garden seems a good compromise where it's an option, but clearly not all gardens can be cat proofed, and not all dwellings have gardens.

Even if you do have a garden that can be cat proofed you need to compromise on trees, what can be grown and where you place pots and furniture. Also if you don’t own all of the boundary fences/walls you need to have lovely agreeable neighbours or erect full fences not just toppers.

How is a cat which spends its entire life indoors any different to a caged zoo animal?

I just don't think it's that straightforward. It's not like it's a choice between "indoors 24/7 and "freedom to roam in a nice, safe area".

I have cats which can go outdoors, but we live on a quiet street with few cars and back directly onto fields so the risks of them being run over is minimal.

That's great for you, but lots of cat owners don't live somewhere like that. I also live rurally, but I also live backing onto a 60mph road on which, sadly, cats are killed weekly. That's just not a risk I'm prepared to take for my cats. I don't think that's cruel. If you let any other pet out to just roam for miles and to take their chances on the roads, you'd be told you were neglectful and would probably have your pets taken off you.

I have three fully indoor cats and while I'm sure I'll be told it's cruel, I've seen too many near misses (and, sadly, too many dead bodies) for me to take that risk for them while we live where we do.

As an aside, in many countries, letting your cats roam off your property is illegal and if your cat is found, it'll be taken to the pound (or local equivalent) and you have to pay a fine to get them back. It's a very cultural debate.

@Grumpyoldpersonwithcats

If you have a cat that is happy to stay inside then that's fine, I know many are. However there are regular threads here about inside cats trying to escape or actually breaking out. This is surely a clear message that the cat involved is looking for more stimulation and a larger environment. Keeping a cat inside under that scenario (i.e. against its will) is where I think this verges on cruelty.

But cats don't have the capacity to think like this, this is looking at it from a human perspective. You might think "I'm bored, I'll go for a walk/the cinema/a smooch around the shops". A cat can't think "I'm bored living indoors, I'll just pop round to see what Fluffy at no. 12 is up to and see if I can catch a mouse."

Cats do escape if windows/doors are left open, yes, but this is not because they've made a conscious choice to go outdoors. A lot of cats who are desperate to get out are actually unneutered. I follow some lost cat pages on FB from my days as a cat charity volunteer and at least 60% of all the missing cats are unneutered and driven by their hormones.

It's the owner's responsibility to make choices for a pet. One of my cats would like to eat bread and pasta instead of cat food, too, but I don't let her. None of them would ever like to visit the vet, but I don't ask for their opinion. Oh and they hate the hoover, so it's probably cruel I still hoover the house twice a week...

My cats have a large catio and it's the best of both worlds - safe and still plenty to see and do (nearby birds, squirrels etc. and shelves to climb, cat grass and so on).

@icedcoffees

If you live backing on to a 60mph road, then surely you need to consider whether a cat is the right pet for you? Or at least invest in a catio or cat proofing your garden? Failing that, you can get rescue cats with disabilities who need to stay in for medical reasons.

It isn't just cats. I also think it's cruel when people don't walk their dogs, or expect rabbits and guineapigs to spend their whole life in a hutch without access to a good sized run.

Too many people want something cute and cuddly, but don't think about the welfare of the animal and what they need to provide. I would say that includes access to outdoors for many pets, including cats. A catio or a harness should be the minimum.

You’ve got to be kidding? No one’s asking the cat to read and write! Cats are perfectly capable of being outside without killing themselves. How can you possibly compare them to toddlers? This is up there with one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever read on mumsnet.

Because the PP I was responding to compared them a child? lol.

And no, many cats aren't capable, as cats are killed and knocked down on the roads everyday...

[quote MidnightMeltdown]@icedcoffees

If you live backing on to a 60mph road, then surely you need to consider whether a cat is the right pet for you? Or at least invest in a catio or cat proofing your garden? Failing that, you can get rescue cats with disabilities who need to stay in for medical reasons.

It isn't just cats. I also think it's cruel when people don't walk their dogs, or expect rabbits and guineapigs to spend their whole life in a hutch without access to a good sized run.

Too many people want something cute and cuddly, but don't think about the welfare of the animal and what they need to provide. I would say that includes access to outdoors for many pets, including cats. A catio or a harness should be the minimum.[/quote]
Our cats do go into our secure garden, but many have said on here that that's still cruel as it's not enough freedom.

But I don't think keeping your cats safe indoors is comparable as being too lazy to walk your dog, or getting a rabbit and sticking it in a tiny hutch.

Cats are perfectly capable of being outside without killing themselves.

They're not though, because thousands of cats die and become disabled every year due to road traffic accidents. We wouldn't accept that amount of human deaths due to being run over, in fact in most cases a human being killed by being hit by a car is headline news because it's so rare. Yet there is at least one post every week of a cat being found run over just in my local area FB group, so the risk is really very high.