Page 8 | Is it cruel or kind to keep a cat in?

Floralnomad · 15/01/2023 20:40

AhNowTed · 15/01/2023 20:27

@DirectionToPerfection

"Nobody would think it's ok to let dogs roam like this."

Nobody would keep a dog cooped in a house 24/7 either.

No but plenty of people think it’s ok to shut dogs up in cages indoors for hours overnight ( and more ) .

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 15/01/2023 20:40

HaroldandWilly · 15/01/2023 20:38

@AllThingsServeTheBeam I absolutely can tell you that I do not think it's cruel actually.

Well we're all wrong sometimes 🤷🏼‍♀️

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 15/01/2023 20:40

ShillyShallySherbet · 15/01/2023 20:35

Cats are nocturnal animals and prefer to go out at night. They can’t see very well in the day so they would probably rather be curled up inside then and let out at night. Just saying.

Strictly they are crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) rather than nocturnal.
Ours tend to go out for a morning constitutional, spend much of the day snoozing inside and then are in and out all through the evening. They usually come in at night.

Original poster

nc8975 · 15/01/2023 20:41

@ShillyShallySherbet mine does too! Judging by my ring camera and the notifications I get, lots of cats like to roam middle of the night too!

OP posts:

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 15/01/2023 20:42

One of mine goes out at dawn. Or our landing carpet would be none existent. That's if he comes in at all!

HaroldandWilly · 15/01/2023 20:43

@AllThingsServeTheBeam individual opinions are never wrong. How condescending you are.

Mafelicent · 15/01/2023 20:43

ShillyShallySherbet · 15/01/2023 20:35

Cats are nocturnal animals and prefer to go out at night. They can’t see very well in the day so they would probably rather be curled up inside then and let out at night. Just saying.

I'm sure mine would love to go out at night. And I also understand that it's not completely safe letting them out during the day even. That's why I called it a compromise.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 15/01/2023 20:43

HaroldandWilly · 15/01/2023 20:43

@AllThingsServeTheBeam individual opinions are never wrong. How condescending you are.

So you know my cats and if it would be cruel or not to keep them in? And I am the condescending one? Ok then

PinkSyCo · 15/01/2023 20:45

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 15/01/2023 20:40

They wake me up at about 4am every morning beginning for food and look at me as though I have control of the rain

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Hahaha you must REALLY love your cats that’s all I can say!

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 15/01/2023 20:46

PinkSyCo · 15/01/2023 20:45

Hahaha you must REALLY love your cats that’s all I can say!

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I have a collection. They multiple without me even trying.

People just know if there is a needy feline I can't say no. DP has put his foot down now... Mostly due to our 4am waker uper

HaroldandWilly · 15/01/2023 20:48

@AllThingsServeTheBeam I didn't say anything about you cats, you're making things up now. But if you consider keeping a animal safe indoors is cruel, then you've lead a very sheltered life. If you're that much of a animal advocate, have you considered doing any volunteering with your local rescue centre? They experience the horrid or real animal cruelty on a daily basis. It might give you some perspective.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 15/01/2023 20:50

HaroldandWilly · 15/01/2023 20:48

@AllThingsServeTheBeam I didn't say anything about you cats, you're making things up now. But if you consider keeping a animal safe indoors is cruel, then you've lead a very sheltered life. If you're that much of a animal advocate, have you considered doing any volunteering with your local rescue centre? They experience the horrid or real animal cruelty on a daily basis. It might give you some perspective.

I think you've misread my posts. I was referring to MY cats and you told me it wasn't cruel. I was correcting you and then you told me I was condescending.

IconicKitty · 15/01/2023 20:52

It's no more cruel to keep a cat inside than it is to keep fish in a fish tank or a pond, or hamsters/gerbils in a cage. Or what about horses in an enclosed field. Or zoos?

In the USA most people keep their cats indoors, in fact organisations like PETA actually promote it for cat safety and wildlife reasons.

I see less and less cats outside while walking around residential areas. I think less people are comfortable letting their cats out due to road accidents and incidents of people hurting cats in the news.

My cat is mostly indoors, but I let him explore the small back garden when he wants (he doesn't want to go out in the cold/rain anyway). I won't let him roam though - I live near a busy road so it's a risk I'm not willing to take. He has lots of toys and play, so he doesn't seem upset by being indoors.

HaroldandWilly · 15/01/2023 20:54

I didn't misread anything. I was replying to your comment 'you can't tell me it wouldn't be cruel in some situations'. This wasn't you talking about your own cats. In my opinion, I don't believe it is cruel to keep a cat safe indoors. You then decided to condescendingly tell me my opinion was wrong.

pompei8309 · 15/01/2023 20:56

nc8975 · 14/01/2023 19:38

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?

Depending on a cat, mine doesn’t go out more than 5 min and comes back in, yours obviously is an outdoor cat and after 8 months of being indoor I think she learned where her house is , I would let her out.

SpaceCandyCoconut · 15/01/2023 21:00

Some cats are happy to be inside, or confined to a small territory eg a catio - while others (and from what you've said, your cat is in this cat-egory!) really need to go out.
I don't think you'll change that in her. I think that, like teenagers, you need to put some trust in her and let her get a bit streetwise, otherwise one day she will escape and have no roadsense or caution at all.

Allergictoironing · 15/01/2023 21:01

ShillyShallySherbet · 15/01/2023 20:39

Interesting, I stand corrected. I know mine sleeps all day!

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Quite normal - cats typically sleep 12-18 hours in every 24, often more. I'm not sure if that includes their "I'm awake but can't be naffed to move about" time as well!

mumof31968 · 15/01/2023 21:02

my sphinx and my bengal don't go out at all my other cat goes out tho. but she stays in the garden.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 15/01/2023 21:08

HaroldandWilly · 15/01/2023 20:54

I didn't misread anything. I was replying to your comment 'you can't tell me it wouldn't be cruel in some situations'. This wasn't you talking about your own cats. In my opinion, I don't believe it is cruel to keep a cat safe indoors. You then decided to condescendingly tell me my opinion was wrong.

I was talking about my cats. It would be cruel to keep my cats in. You are wrong to say it wouldn't be not knowing the situation or my cats. Deary me.

PJHarvey · 15/01/2023 21:09

SpaceCandyCoconut · 15/01/2023 21:00

Some cats are happy to be inside, or confined to a small territory eg a catio - while others (and from what you've said, your cat is in this cat-egory!) really need to go out.
I don't think you'll change that in her. I think that, like teenagers, you need to put some trust in her and let her get a bit streetwise, otherwise one day she will escape and have no roadsense or caution at all.

How can you teach a cat to be streetwise though?

What's the difference between it being let out for the first time and escaping? Either way it can now go where it wants and is subject to the same risks.

You can reason with teenagers and instill some common sense in them. A cat obviously doesn't have that capacity.

whataboutsecondbreakfast · 15/01/2023 21:12

SpaceCandyCoconut · 15/01/2023 21:00

Some cats are happy to be inside, or confined to a small territory eg a catio - while others (and from what you've said, your cat is in this cat-egory!) really need to go out.
I don't think you'll change that in her. I think that, like teenagers, you need to put some trust in her and let her get a bit streetwise, otherwise one day she will escape and have no roadsense or caution at all.

The flip side to letting them out to "develop street sense" is that while they're out there learning, they very often get killed anyway.

So many young cats around us get killed on their first few outings on the roads - some are barely six months old.

You really can't compare them to human teenagers who spend years going out with their parents and their school and being taught road safety before being allowed out by themselves!

HaroldandWilly · 15/01/2023 21:12

@AllThingsServeTheBeam I don't think it is cruel to keep ANY cat indoors. I wouldn't think it was cruel for you to keep yours indoors. I wouldn't tell you it's cruel to let them out either. That is MY opinion and it is not wrong. You may not agree with it. But my opinion isn't wrong, it isn't a fact, it's a personal judgement.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 15/01/2023 21:16

HaroldandWilly · 15/01/2023 21:12

@AllThingsServeTheBeam I don't think it is cruel to keep ANY cat indoors. I wouldn't think it was cruel for you to keep yours indoors. I wouldn't tell you it's cruel to let them out either. That is MY opinion and it is not wrong. You may not agree with it. But my opinion isn't wrong, it isn't a fact, it's a personal judgement.

It isn't opinion when it would actually be cruel to keep, certainly one, of my cats indoors.

I have an indoor cat. Totally her choice. She choices not to go out. That's not cruel. But to keep my cats who actively try to leave the house in is cruel. Like never taking a dog for a walk who is used to going for a walk every day

HaroldandWilly · 15/01/2023 21:21

@AllThingsServeTheBeam what!? I have just told you what my opinion is and you've said it's not an opinion?! That doesn't even make sense.

I don't agree with you, I don't think it is cruel. That is an actual opinion. MY opinion. My opinion still exists even if you don't agree with it. Just like yours does. Christ alive.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 15/01/2023 21:26

HaroldandWilly · 15/01/2023 21:21

@AllThingsServeTheBeam what!? I have just told you what my opinion is and you've said it's not an opinion?! That doesn't even make sense.

I don't agree with you, I don't think it is cruel. That is an actual opinion. MY opinion. My opinion still exists even if you don't agree with it. Just like yours does. Christ alive.

So in your opinion, would it be cruel not to walk my border collie?