Does anyone have a cat who chooses to stay indoors?

[BogHead]

We live on a fairly quiet street with some absolute idiots who drive far too fucking fast. A year ago we lost our beautiful young cat who was hit by one of the idiots. It was horrific.

A year on, my teens are desperate for a new cat friend and are looking at rescues on Facebook again. I would have another in a heartbeat if I thought I could keep them inside or could cat-proof the garden, but unfortunately due to the layout of our house/garden, neither is possible.

I'm just wondering if there are cats out there who are genuinely happy indoors and choose not to go out?

Every time I think about a cat going out on the street it turns my stomach now and I'm worried I will live a state of perpetual anxiety!

Just wondered if anyone had a cat like this, if they've always been like that, etc. Or am I just kidding myself? 😅Thanks!

yes, lots of cats cant go outside anyway, for medical reasons. Contact cats protection league and ask about an indoor cat. We have two indoor cats, they smell and destroy the house. But are worth it

My Persians could care less if they go out or not. They are not the most dynamic of felines.

We have a Ragdoll and they are indoor cats only. You can let them in the garden supervised or on a lead. Most wonderful, affectionate beautiful cats ever ❤️

I think it’s cruel. They get restless, they are hunter animals. How would you like to never be able to go outside? Well it’s even worse for cats! Don’t let one bad experience put you off letting the cat outside.

My (now dearly departed) Old Girl never wanted to go out. She might, if the conditions were exactly right, be accompanied on a stroll to the end of the garden and back again, like an elderly Dowager Aunt from a Jane Austen novel. Or sit directly outside the patio windows in a sunny patch. But that was the absolute extent of her desire to be outdoors.

There are lots of rescues that would love you to rehome an indoor only cat.

We keep ours inside due to living on a busy road, they have a run at the back they have access to all day through a cat flap and also get into the wider garden supervised. They are pretty happy characters! I did go back and forward on it a bit but there's lots of ideas and support online for helping them lead full happy lives without free roaming out of the garden and tons about cat proofing or runs. There may be cats in rescue who can't free roam due to FIV, sight issues etc who might be looking for just the home you can give!

Thank you all. It's good to know there are some that choose not to go outside or not to roam far. We'd be more than happy to adopt a cat with special needs who needs to be indoors, but they'd still need to not want to go outside. We have an open plan house and can't not use the front door 😄

@NoSquirrels that really made me laugh, sounds like she was an amazing cat.

@LikeAnOldFriend that's so interesting, thanks for sharing. Do you find you have to be vigilant about opening the front door?

@Suzi89 that's why I'm specifically looking for one who chooses to stay inside 🙂 As much as losing our cat was awful, she was a hunter and LOVED her time outdoors. She would have been miserable inside, that was her character. Just don't want to ever experience that again.

I'm going to call some rescues!

My cat is indoors only. I live by a busy road with only a yard. Few rescues would home to me as I don’t have a garden and live on a busy street, but weirdly I could foster as those cats can’t go out. I fostered long term an elderly cat who retired with me for 4 years. Another for 6 months.

Current cat I have had for 10 years. She was young and abandoned outside her original house as her then owners wouldn’t let her in as she had behavioural issues. She came to me, attacked anyone who wanted to adopt her so stayed. Behaviours issues sorted and is the sweetest cat. Never wants to go outside and had never asked. She is happy and healthy. Currently snoozing on my bed. Some cats are fine.

I had one, only wanted to go outside if we were with him. But he had been abused as a kitten so I'm not sure if that would have been a natural state for him.

Had a pair of kittens and one was happy to stay inside initially (developed the courage eventually but was extremely carefully and only really explored the woodland behind us) but the other kitten was scratching at the door to get out from the day we got him. He was terrible for wanting to know what was on the other side of every fence and road. His idea of crossing the road safely was to take it at a run, which proved to not be safe at all and we lost him to a car.

I think I would want an indoor cat too but as my DS is in and out of the back door all the time I have the same problem and fear for any cat as it would be difficult to keep them inside.

Mine potters outside as in he goes in the neighbours garden, sleeps on their trampoline and drinks from their water feature
If it's sunny he stays inside like some vampire cat, whinging about the weather
He's happy to sit on the windowsill with his bum over the radiator, whiskers in the breeze and neighbourhood watch judge from there

We have had to be careful with the front door at times, we have a dog gate like this one https://www.dog-g8.com/products/dog-g8?variant=39515183808560&currency=GBP&utmmedium=producttsync&utmsource=google&utmmcontent=sagorganic&utmmcampaign=sagorganic which is pretty good, which we can latch on and off as needed, don't really need it much anymore but can easily hook it on to answer door etc.

They did try to shoot out the front sometimes especially when they were about 5-6 months, when we definitely couldn't let them as they were still due to be neutered just after, but (not very reassuring for you I know as I know you said you can't do this) they really stopped wanting to once we built the little run at the back. They mostly ignore the front door now and go out to their space and don't seem to mind too much that it's so tiny.

One likes to come out to the wider back garden and one doesn't, and when they have got out the front they've usually been quite easily rounded up or enticed back in with a shake of the treat bag!

They seem very content and spend most of their time inside, but hard to tell to what extent having a wee outside space has helped. Sorry not to be more reassuring, but the gate is pretty good for quick opens and closes of door if you need.

We have 3 indoor cats, they seem very content. Chase around the house play hunt the spring and each other.

Lost previous cats to the road and a dog. Never again.

If I could have a catio attached to the house or a secure garden then I would do that but until then they are indoor only.

My cat hardly ever goes out, by her choice. I have to say that the other female cat in the neighbourhood is the same while males are constantly on patrol.

Ours are the same... the crazy dashes through the house chasing each other keeps them fit and they love their toys!

We live on a similar road although the speed limit has just been reduced to 20 at night you do get dickheads. We just let our cat out the back. She has never been bothered about going out the front. Sorry about your loss. A cat got run over on our road and I saw him just after it happened it was awful.

I have three cats who have access to outside ( end of a no through road backing onto countryside so risk from cars minimal):

The Ragdoll actually does like to go outside and was rehomed from a friend who lived in a flat where he was miserable at not getting out... he's 8 now and is a little more of a homeboy, but still goes out every day, even if it's only a quick once round the garden. Despite what a PP said he copes very well with the outside world.

The Oriental also loves to go outside, but only in good weather.

Both of them are keen hunters unfortunately but there you go.

The moggies rarely ventures over the threshold - maybe a little in summer if we are also in garden -always uses the litter trays and would happily exist as indoor only.

So it very much depends on the cat!

• The Moggy 🐈‍⬛ not moggies

Our cat was abandoned in a park , she now lives in a flat with access to a balcony which she goes out on when she asks - It has a tree stump, cat friendly plants. The main door leads onto a shared big internal balcony and she comes out with us , but gets so scared if anyone comes past that she races inside.. She is an adorable happy cuddly cat and very much an indoor one.

A rag doll is a wonderful indoor cat x

Yeah my cats scared of wind

We have a catio, which gives our 5 cats some outdoor space. They have never wanted to go outside of that. Would that be an option? Catios can be made to fit any outside space - even upper storey flats.

You haven't met my two! Hunter animals they are not. They couldn't catch a cold.

Our cat refused to go out if it's either raining, or cold, or windy, or snowing, or too hot. So most of the time really. The complete opposite of the previous cat who preferred to be out no matter what.

We had one, it never went out, never seemed to move much, just slept on our bed.

Actually, now I think about it, it was probably a pyjama case. 🤔

My two were house cats before I adopted them. They were terrified of the outdoors when I first let them go out. I have a funny photo of them both hanging off the back door handle wanting to come back in. Over a few days of gradually spending more and more time outside they discovered that they love it. But in winter they choose to spend more time inside. Today it’s really wet and windy and they want to play out but won’t. They do that flat cat thing every time I open a door for them. They’ve spent the day tearing around the house driving each other mad, and constantly meowing at the front/back door alternately in case it’s not raining there!