Indoor vs outdoor

[Pickingmyselfup]

So know this is a huge debate and people tend to be firmly one way or another. Having outdoor cats who desperately want to be outdoors whilst want them to be indoors I can see both sides.

What I need is perspective from both sides. Ultimately I want to keep any future cats indoors due to experiences in the past. I've had a cat make a full recovery from being run over but hated being kept in after and a cat who would be fine being indoors but died due to a heart condition but because he was outdoors I didn't look for him until early evening. Maybe if he was indoors I would have noticed he was missing sooner but maybe not. Either way I found him on his last legs in the garden. Wouldn't have saved him but I wonder if I would have found him sooner and put him out of his suffering earlier...

My worries of being indoor only stem from the cat who was run over..

She was obviously allowed out, got run over and was seriously hurt although not life threatening. I tried desperately to keep her inside afterwards but she hated it so we decided that better she live in happiness than misery.

How do you know if a cat will be OK indoors? We had a cat who was indoors/catio only but he had behavioral issues, spraying and pooing in the house so as a last resort attempt let him go outside. Didn't fix him, he didn't show any sign of being unhappy with limited space but because the others were allowed out I wonder if that caused it all along and it became too ingrained for even a professional behaviourist to fix.

It's not something we need to decide now, our existing cat is 13 and seemingly going to keep going forever and I want to go to the cat show to talk to breeders about where to go next. A pedigree appeals because of their breed traits especially if they come from a long line of indoor cats and that's the path we want to go down.

One thing that does put us off indoor cats is the liklihood of escaping. If they get out are they not most likely to get hurt? How to you stop them wanting to escape when you open the door? What happens when you bring the shopping in? Do you need a porch??

So I know I will get people on one side and the other but I don't want to hear what is best, I need honest experience of both sides.

I would never have a cat that wasn't from a rescue, and base my 'choices' on what I can offer. As I have a lovely big garden with trees and a pond, and am happy to take more independent cats, I choose cats who would benefit from my setting, most recently, my last cat had never lived in a house before and current was a semi feral stray. Neither would be happy with an indoor only home. If I lived in a flat I'd pick a cat from rescue who needed to be indoor only eg deaf, blind, mobility problems, etc.

Regarding indoor cats trying to 'escape', that sounds very much like the cat trying to assert that it wants to go out and that it is not happy to be kept in.

We have three primarily indoor cats who are allowed access to the garden (cat-proofed) though only two are really interested. The oldest only goes out to sunbathe - the youngest likes to play/explore but the middle is happier on our bed - ideally under the covers

Personally I believe that that a cat has a more fulfilling life if able to go outside. Clearly this is balanced by risk, but I think a short fulfilled life is better than a long dull one for an animal.
I am aware that some cats are happy to live inside and some need to be kept inside due to health reasons. The problem you may have is if you get a cat that wants to go out, keeping it in will be difficult for you and potentially very stressful for your cat.

I would never have an indoor only cat. By their very nature they like to wander for a mooch. Its like keeping a big cat in a zoo IMO.

It so depends on the individual cat. My first pair were ex-ferals, who had been in a colony until they were about one then stuck at the rescue for another year (nobody wanted a bonded pair of very shy black cats). Was advised to keep then as indoor (which I wanted tbh) as they may go back to being feral if let out. As it turns out, Boycat had some mental "issues" and probably wouldn't have survived 5 mins in the back garden he was so thick, clumsy and scared. A slight bit of curiosity from Girlcat about doorways when they came home, and one single attempt at getting out through the flat cat screens, and that was it.

When I lost Boycat to CKD and got a companion for Girlcat, Tobias had been stray we reckon for about 2 years and had been in a dreadful state when he was rescued. After a year he's never tried to dash through the front door, and so far no attempts that I know of to get through the window screens. We reckon he's happy indoors as he feels safe, warm and well fed.

I've had four indoor cats. But they are Persians and it's better for them to be indoors. They have access to the garden that's cat proofed. But aren't bothered by it.

It completely depends on the cat, and generally I learn from them what their preference is. We currently have 4, one of whom lived in one room for about 9 years (not with me) before coming to us and after literally about 5 years spent mostly under the sofa, she is now a house cat with very little interest in the outside that she clearly finds overwhelming. Our 2 boys go out but stay close to the house. Our other girl is a terrible wanderer, loves to meet new people and is the queen of our street. I wish she wouldn't do it because cars can come down it very fast, but she's living her best life and like a PP I believe that a happy life is more important than a long one. She goes to the front door and stares at it meaningfully and I try to play dumb but usually cave in the end.

It's definitely not a one size fits all decision is it.

I signed a contact to say I would keep my Siamese inside and I was certain I would but after the pooing started I built him a catio for daytime use, when that didn't fix it I let him have 24/7 access and when that didn't work I let him out but that's potentially what caused the spraying!

If I want a pedigree again which we do, I will have to sign another indoor only contract but what happens if I decide it isn't suited? Can they take my cat away? It's what stopped me contacting the breeder sooner rather than later about my Siamese, I was terrified she would demand to have him back because I wasn't suited and I desperately wanted to keep him.

If I want a pedigree again which we do, I will have to sign another indoor only contract but what happens if I decide it isn't suited? Can they take my cat away?

How would they know?

Honestly, I think most of these clauses are pretty unenforceable. Once you own the cat, it's yours and you can raise it however you want.

Agreed - I very much doubt the cat will dob you in 🤣

I've had 6. Sadly lost 2, due to kidney and heart failure.

Out of the 4 I have now, 1 is 4 and likes the summer best when she can come and go as she pleases. One is 9 who is never in. Rain, shine, wind or snow, he prefers to be outside. One who is 16 and still enjoys his hour or 2 out a day. He doesn't go far.

Then I have a 12 year old who we rescued when she was 10 and she never goes out. She is indoor by choice. Even if the doors are open she won't venture outside. So we leave her to it

I'd never keep a cat indoors by my choice.

We have an indoor cat. We wouldn't want her to go outside, but she also shows no interest in going outside. Likes to look out of windows, but that's it. I think the most she's ever done was step a paw or two outside once when someone didn't close the garden door straight away, but she's been nearby when we're bringing the dryer in, which requires the door being open for a little while and a bit of manoeuvring and makes no move to the great outdoors.

She's from a breeder and I think the only necessary commitment was that she was as a non-breeding cat.

Keeping them in is not enforceable at all.

But why not get a rescue, there's no shortage and it means you get a cat that's the right fit already.

Rather than going for breeds- just because a cat is from a typically indoor breed (which is usually due to value/risk of being stolen...) doesn't mean the cat will be happy indoors. It's much better/more predictable to adopt a cat from a shelter and you can then ask the staff which cats are used to being indoors. We adopted a cat who has always been 99% indoors and takes a 10 minute garden potter every few days. Since we adopted her, she's maintained this. The garden isn't cat proofed & she could easily leave if she wanted but she makes no attempt to do so. If she runs out putting the bins out, it doesn't matter. She'll do her garden patrol and come back 5 minutes later. We were told she didn't need a cat flap as she so rarely goes out. The staff know the cats and can tell you which need to be let outdoors/to roam.

The reason I want a pedigree is because I want a cat with specific breed traits. I know it's not guaranteed but you don't get a Persian instead of a Bengal if you want a high energy breed.

I've had rescues, I've had cats that either turned up and stayed or cats that needed a home and I never knew what I might get. I'm looking for a confident cat, happy to potter around the garden and is affectionate with the family.

I'm looking for a confident cat, happy to potter around the garden and is affectionate with the family

Loads of cats in rescues would meet that criteria! Pedigree is far from a guarantee of anything.

Oh and some breeders do home visits, my Siamese breeder came to visit after I got him so lying could be tricky.

Plus if they do find out you are lying they could badmouth you to all of their breeder friends making it highly unlikely you will ever get another pedigree again.

After spending 3 years with my Siamese pooing and spraying in the house I reached out to my breeder at my wits end after contacting a behaviourist. After several months it was decided she would have him back which as a breeder she was obliged to and I wanted him to go to her. I didn't want to give him up bit with a toddler and a baby on the way it wasn't a hygienic environment and something was obviously upsetting him. Anyway she ended up blocking me and I know she was saying stuff about how I went against my word letting him out, didn't try hard enough etc etc.

It hurt because I tried to do everything right, I cried my eyes out when I gave him up but it was the right thing to do for everybody.
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OK that's fine and your opinion but I am looking for a pair of kittens that have a known history and breed traits when the time comes.

Do you get your cats neutered? Are you at home during the day? What sort of area do you live in? Personally if you’re opposed to indoor or garden only cats and live in an area with traffic I think don’t get a cat. It’s not a suitable living area for the cat and not fair to just let them roam with the likelihood that they’ll get run over. If you’re rural and not near main roads then will probably be fine. If you want indoor I’d get a pedigree as some are known to be people loving and not interested in wandering. Siamese are a higher energy and inquisitive breed though aren’t they? You’d be better off getting a Persian, ragdoll, British shorthair type

They've all been spayed and neutered.

We live in a cul de sac away from the main road next to a kids park which isn't very busy. It's mostly the odd parent with a toddler, sometimes teenagers or often the older primary school kids, a bit older than my own kids.

Pre kids I worked shifts, my husband days then a few years after getting our original cats I was on maternity then evenings and weekends only. I've been part time days for 2 years now.

When the the comes I'll probably be working full time because the kids will be in high school so I want a pair.

Short hair only though, no long haired cats. I like Siamese, Burmese, Tonkinese, Devon Rex, Singapura, Abyssian, Bengal. I have a soft spot for Russian Blues too and if the kids are high school age it could work, I previously discounted on the basis of planning to have or already have small children since they can be shy cats.

Oh and some breeders do home visits, my Siamese breeder came to visit after I got him so lying could be tricky.

They can't force their way in to your house though?

No that's true. I just wouldn't want to start off a relationship by lying, if they specify indoor only then I'm agreeing to that or else I'll look somewhere else. What I don't want is them demanding their cat back because circumstances changed and we decided to go outdoor vs indoor.

They have no legal right to demand the cat back! Any breeder imposing silly and unlawful conditions should be avoided!

From your preferences OP, I wouldn't assume that Siamese, Burmese, or Bengals would be happy as indoor cats. (Can't comment on the others).