Is it cruel or kind to keep a cat in?

[nc8975]

We adopted our kitten back in the summer, she's now 8 months old, spayed, vaccinated, chipped etc. She was semi wild (on a farm) from birth until we got her at about 13 weeks, living with her mum and litter mates outside but fed by someone.

She is keen to go outside; dashes for the door and looks longingly out the window), but we're really worried she won't come back or will get hurt. We live on a housing estate next to a bit of open land, but also quite close to a railway line (not hugely busy one). We have a good sized home but can't help but feel we are cooping her up a bit (I WFH so she has company most of the day and we play with her)

Which option is kinder? Will she just adapt to being indoors?

Indoor all the way. I have two indoor cats and they are so happy and loving - we do have a massive catio (the whole garden), cat wheel, tons of enrichment and are with them a lot though. As many have said, after having an outdoor cat killed by a car, I could never do that again.

It’s not cruel to keep your pet safe as long as they are happy.

I love cats but sorry I simply wouldn’t have one if I didn’t live in an area that was safe enough to let them out.

Ours are allowed out during the day but kept in over night. They come back when I whistle out the back door because they know that’s dinner time

I used to think they should all be allowed to roam. But my two wonderful cats both disappeared aged 8 and 9 (they were litter mates). I have a new cat. From day one I've kept him in and allowed him in catio only. On the couple of occasions he's got out he's stayed close to the house and meowed till we found and brought him back in. He's content. He doesn't try and run out the door...he asks to go to the catio by meowing near the back door then stands up as get near for me to pick him up to carry him to it

If you let your cats out, you are inevitably responsible when they are hit by a car or attacked by another animal.

the rescue we use won’t adopt to people who plan to allow cats outside .

Can only adopt in pairs too.

I have had one cat die on the road - even though it's an incredibly quiet road.

While we were devastated, we did know that she was living her best life and was enjoying her life right to the last second. Cats view life differently to humans.

I do have a tracker on our very outdoors cat as he had a tendency to go missing. Turns out he had invited himself in to various houses, barns and garages. If DH and I go and find him now, he'll walk home with us yes we look insane taking our cat for a walk There is no way this cat could be adequately stimulated indoors, he absolutely refuses to engage with toys and is very loud when he is bored.

Same here. She was out having great adventures every evening. We lived near woods and she’d be chasing mice every night.
I think it’s better to let them have fun than keep them in a box of a house for your enjoyment.

My previous cat only ever went outside in the summer if we were in the garden, he would just sunbathe, then would go back in with us.

Our current cat, has no interest in going outside really, we bring her out with a harness & lead but she is quite a nervous cat & just wants to go back in.

Both cats very happy, current cat likes her routine, we got her during Covid lockdowns so she doesn't like when folk she doesn't know visit as wasn't used to different people, she's very set in her ways.

Entirely depends on the cat and the situation. Some cats need to be indoor only (deaf, blind, fiv, special needs, likely to be stolen). City centres, busy roads etc.

Mine are allowed out in daylight but shut in once it starts to get dark, we’re semi rural and the cats are wimps so run away from any danger and are useless at hunting. I would struggle to let out a cat that I knew was bullying other cats or killing native wildlife. There’s a couple of cats locally that do wander a long way, break into other houses, kill multiple rabbits etc. Mine are mostly asleep on the bed.

I personally think it's cruel to keep cats in, the same way if you had a dog and never walked them it would be cruel.

It's a boring, mundane life for an animal that thrives in nature.

Compromise?
I let my two out after rush hour and then they are locked in overnight.

Cruel to keep them inside. My friend's indoor cat spent its whole life sitting at the window gazing outside.

I let my cats out during the day but keep them in at night - one sleeps on top of my duvet and the other on a little cat bed next to the bedroom radiator
When it was really cold, they didn't want to go out much and just slept more, but seem much happier now it's a bit milder and go out a fair bit.

If cats could speak, they would choose to go outside. This from someone who is currently stuck waiting up while her cat does his late evening patrol.

Clearly not in all cases.

I can leave the door wide open and one of mine has absolutely no interest in going outside.

The others will go in the garden but no further.

There are definitely two schools of thought on this. Indoor cats are generally healthier and live longer. General opinion though in the UK is that cats should be allowed outdoors and it's cruel not to. in the USA general opinion is the reverse, that's it's cruel to let your cat go outside.

Our rescue cat never wanted to go outside. We currently have two pedigree cats that I signed a contract with the breeder for that says they must be indoor cats. I think they would enjoy being outside and so when we move we plan to cat proof our garden if possible.

My friend's cat was run over at 18 months recently 😞.

I keep mine in. I live by a busy street, and we have wildlife here (hawks, raccoons). She's happy. She's never been an outdoor cat.

I also know a formerly feral cat who is now very happy indoors, loves his food and toys and keeping an eye on people, birds, and squirrels outside. He's tame and very affectionate.

This I’m afraid. There are always exceptions. But generally this. Our first cat died at 88 years old. Fair innings for a cat. She died under her favourite tree, the day before she was to be put down.

Foxes

Have you never had a cat??

many of them will do that despite the doors & windows being open!

I think it’s really cruel, yes. Cats are not meant to live indoors. Regardless of how it makes you feel if they go outside, a cat is meant to have access to outdoors. Would you want to live your life indoors?

How can an indoor cat be healthier? It can’t run or climb or chase prey. It can’t lie in the sun or smell the grass . Just lie around on a sofa or perch on a scratching post.

Have a google at the huge numbers of cats killed on roads in the uk. When I see that I can't see how you can love your pet but still let it take its chances with traffic every day. Some drivers don't even stop after they are run over. Other people become responsible for your pet's life or death and you don't even know.
Sometimes cats get run over and their owners just get new ones and then do the same thing.
It's a catio and tunnels for mine.

Cats should be able to choose themselves. My most recent pair of kittens were trying to escape every time a door was open from about three months old. We started letting them out (supervised at first) from about 5 months.

I'm lucky enough never to have had a cat killed on the road, (even though I previously lived on major urban roads in two different cities), but even so I firmly believe that a short but fulfilled life is far better for a cat than a long frustrated one.
If you cat doesn't want to go outside then that's fine, but there are often threads here saying 'Help. My indoor cat has escaped.' Do you have to ask why?
So OP, since your cat clearly wants to go out, then I would allow it.