Indoor Only

[3kidsaremorethanenough]

Hi, just wondering does anyone keep their cats indoor only. Adopted 2 kittens and as they've never been outside thinking they won't really know any different. Hate the thought of them going out into the big bad world

As kittens they are much safer indoors. We kept ours in for some months. Once neutered and chipped they appreciate going outside. Always in at night. I would cat proof a garden but wouldn’t want to confine them to never getting outside at all

I have two adult cats that are indoor only. They are retired breeding queens so were kept indoors when they lived with their breeder, so they only know indoors. One of them does occasionally dash out of an open door, much to my distress. Our last cat disappeared without trace and we think was stolen, I couldn’t bear for that to happen again, so they stay inside. The one that does sometimes try to get out has a tracker collar, just in case.

Ours is indoor or catio only but the house is like a cat playground with wall climbers , shelves , walkways and floor to ceiling poles etc .

Until they are four months old you shouldn't even consider letting them outside, they need to have their vaccinations, be neutered and get chipped, and also get used to you and your surroundings. We used to let ours have supervised visits outside from 4-6 months - i.e. on a lead. Current cat is allowed to go wherever he likes during the day, but his cat flap is timed so that after 7pm he's in for the night and he's fine with that. In fact he never goes outside of the garden - that's enough 'outside' for him, although he loves sitting in the window and watching the world go by too.

Three indoor cats here. They're happy, healthy and active. When I had outdoor cats, two of them died on the road.
The fur in summer is hellish, but a small price to pay.

Personally I think it's cruel for any living thing never to enjoy the heat of the sun on their faces, or sniffing the breeze to get the local news. I have an xl dog cage for the garden so my cats gets out at least twice a day on sunny days.

I also harness trained from kittens but that has now become a bit of a chore but I've stuck with it for their benefit. It's lovely when we have the time to go further afield into the woods where there's no dogs.

Ours goes out but doesn’t really roam - he’s always within shouting distance, and often just sitting on the wheelie bin or shed roof. We don’t have a cat flap, so if we’re out he’s in, and he’s always kept in overnight.

Our previous girl was exactly the same, but she was most often to be found sleeping on next door’s garden furniture.

Indoor only here. Started out with 2 siblings from a feral colony, and the rescue said if they went out they may revert to feral. Good thing too in the end, as Boycat really was the thickest cat in history. We think either he had an issue from birth, or that he'd had a bad head injury, and his sister always looked after him. We said that he wouldn't survive 5 minutes in his own back garden he was so thick & clumsy.

When we lost him I got an ex-stray from the same place to keep Girlcat company. Again a very good thing too because we recently found out he has FIV so probably would be dead by now if he'd gone out.

None of the 3 have ever made a serious effort to go out, though all did/do love sitting beside the open windows or French doors (with Flatcats installed).

My 6-year-old cat & I are in a first floor flat, but I’ve catproofed the balcony, grow various cat friendly plants out there & have mats & tables at various levels & with different textures for her to sit on / under.

She’s also got several cat trees inside, so plenty of variety. I’m pretty sure she’s happy.

I've a cat proofed garden, so she can have some outdoors without me worrying!

I think as long as your cats have no desire to go out you are fine - however if they decide they want to go out you may have an issue.. Ours are all outdoor cats and our two 'kittens' were trying to escape from about 3 months old. We like to get them in at night but don't always manage.

I’m not sure why you’d get a cat only to keep it locked inside your home for twenty years. They’re hunters, roamers and explorers and IMO if you aren’t willing to at least provide them with an enclosed garden to explore then you shouldn’t have a cat.

I say all that as someone who used to keep their cats inside and regrets it horribly - one got so stressed that he became sick and nearly died from it. Our vet basically said if you don’t let him out you’ll be back here regularly until one day it’s too much and it kills him. So, he went out and has never ever been back at the vets since.

Mine have all been indoors but with acres to an enclosed garden. They are Persians so need to be indoor, they just aren’t streetwise enough to go out. But as they are a very placid breed it works. Not sure it would work for a moggy.

I have 2 FIV boys that are ex stray so indoor only. One of them has zero interest in outdoors, I literally open the french doors to come in and have to step over him on the door mat and he looks at me in disgust for opening the door! We think he’s grateful to be off the streets. He does have bladder issues which is a risk factor for being indoors so he’s on bladder supplements and we are militant about his diet (because he’s soooo lazy!)

My other boy would probably be happier being allowed outside and has made a break for it once or twice before seeming to accept it. But 1. FIV, 2. i think he’d be an absolute terror to the busy local cat population and 3. i think he would be a prolific hunter, so it’s a massive no. I basically find that the trick with him is to engage him lots, lots of play (we have a cardboard box that he is the “goalie” and lots of toys that require chasing!) and keeping him very busy is the trick. He sits by the sink and plays with the water whilst we wash up… and we have puzzle toys etc. Basically if I don’t tire his brain out he winds his brother up, becomes a bit of a mischief. So he gets little and often bursts of activity.

Both boys are incredibly needy and affectionate, my active boy is currently wrapped around my neck like a scarf, purring like mad.

I have so much more peace of mind not worrying about the roads, thefts, accidents etc!

So, he went out and has never ever been back at the vets since.

So your cat goes out and doesn't have any vaccinations, and you rely on over the counter flea and worm treatment?

Apart from that, surely it depends on the cat whether they get stressed about going out or not?

Apart from Tobias's FIV and his related issues all contracted while he was a stray, and Boycat having his CKD which the vet assured me was congenital in his case, my cats have been in perfect health since they came home. I know this for sure because they DO get an annual check up with the vet with "just in case" vaccinations (bar Tobias, not allowed because of the FIV). The only other issue I've had is that Girlcat sheds like nothing else can when she's changing coat, so has a tendency to hairballs so I have to ensure they have cat grass growing in the house and they get anti hairball dried food.

@Allergictoironing sorry - I meant that he's never been back at the vets for his urinary issues which the vet said were primarily stress-related. Of course he's vaccinated etc. and goes for his annual checks.

TBH I'm sure many cats do cope fine indoors (I believe I've had this conversation with you several times, lol) but that doesn't mean it's right or the kind thing to do for them. IMO cats should always have access to the outdoors - even if that has to be limited to a catio or a cat-proof garden for their own health and safety.

You wouldn't get a dog and never walk it, so why is it okay to get a cat and keep it locked up inside?

My two are mainly indoor but they’ve always come outside with us when we’re out, since kittens. We only have a smallish yard with fencing - not particularly high but we’ve basically taught them to stay inside the yard. They’re so good these days (age 5 now) I can happily leave them out there as long as I’m keeping an eye on them through the kitchen window. Lots of plant pots to explore and bees to chase. I could never let them free roam, I love them far too much to risk it!

I have an indoor cat as she just doesn’t want to go out! Acts like we’re killing her!

We had planned on keeping our two as indoor cats and succeeded until they were two years old. They were spayed and microchipped at five months just in case they did escape.

They wanted to go out and we felt it was cruel to keep them in, was particularly hard in the summer to keep them in the house. They now have access to go out when they want and to be honest they don't go out much and never venture further than our big back garden and front garden.

We never leave them out overnight and don't let them out after 9pm. They are usually in bed by then.

I think if you can keep them for as long as possible it's worth it. Personally I think they are less likely to stray.

We cat proofed our garden. Best thing we ever did for them!

We got our two from a sanctuary and they were to be indoor only, they were for the first few months, then they got sad and stared out of the window. £18k later they have a whole garden catio with a pond and all sorts. What the cats want the cats get, the sooner you learn this the easier it will be!

I had two kittens, Cats Protection refugees that I adopted as mum was the rescue, they were in and outdoor cats. One never used the tray unless she was desperate and no cat flap, the other the opposite.
I then had to split them up as one was so dominant that her sister, who was the runt of the litter, was being bullied. I kept the dominant one and she’s had outdoor and indoor lives. She’s currently indoor and unless I win the lottery, she’ll be indoor for ever. Totally clean, has toys and a huge tree to wreck. I hate that she’s alone all day, but I have to work. I wouldn’t keep mine in if I didn’t have to and I quite often let her explore the building outside my flat door late in the evening when it’s quiet. 🙂

They are hunters by nature and have great mental agility, so I definitely wouldn’t keep mine in if she could go out.

Elton was an indoor cat (FIV / paw deformity etc) but gradually became very dissatisfied and unhappy despite having access to a cat proof garden. We managed his urge to roam by harness training him and taking him for walks which improved things slightly. Our new boy Marvin will also be an indoor cat but I'm anticipating tussles over enforcing it as he's strong and very fit. Some cats just need to have outdoor access.

Thanks everyone, lots of different situations here to think about. They are definitely too young at the minute to even think about letting them outside. They will be indoors until at least the year. I was just thinking about when they come to that stage. It would break my heart to let them out and something happen them. Our last boy wasn't a roamer, he loved lazing in the garden only if one of us was out with him. There is a lot of possible dangers for these two though which include 2 sets of non cat loving neighbours, who recently shot one of my neighbours cats with a pellet gun 😢. So a catio may be the way to go.