Cats - meant to be indoors or out?

[Nightflight]

I've come accross this debate so often, and people always disagree on this, I thought I'd come here and ask people who are over the age ovf teenagerhood.....
Is it better, and why? Or are we doing them a disservice by not letting them go outside?

 

[TheOriginalJames]

Every cat has a natural wild side. My moms cat used to be an outside cat, would bring dead birds into the house and plop em on my parents bed.

but in her old age she became more of an inside cat.

As far as doing a disservice, I'm not sure cats care a whole lot.

 

[Bagel]

if a cat is raised outside it becomes an outside cat..if a cat is raised inside it becomes an ouside cat.. whats fit for where they live is how they grow up in thier first years..becasue an outside cat learns how to ive outside adn a inside cat doesnt typically learn the survival skill of the outdoors... they can get out once ina while.. but if you live in town liek i do.its much safer for them to be indoor cats ..also if your cat is declawed its probably bette they dont; go outside becasue they have been stripped of one of their primary defenses.

 

[andcuriouser]

Well, I hate my husband's cat, so in his case: by all means let it go outside, and I hope it runs away. His cat is a flight risk, and so indoors only.

The tiff people have with indoor cats is that they scratch the furniture, but you can get little claw caps (declawing is cruel!) and that sort of thing. Or scratching posts.

 

[Jersey]

i'm allergic.. so i prefer to have them outside so i dont sneeze myself to death and leak from any and every opening on my face

 

[Venus]

In my opinion cats should be outside (or just my cat) if they want, because it doesn't matter what I try mine always gets out!!!!

 

[AUDRAA]

My cats are indoor cats only and if they get out or try to get out they are getting there naughty butts spanked, same with my dogs indoor. My pets are my babies and they are treated as such. They have been declawed and if they would get out that would be very detrimental to their well being. I think they are quite content that way to, if not Im the mom I make that decision for them and I say too bad lol

 

[Nightflight]

i'm allergic.. so i prefer to have them outside so i dont sneeze myself to death and leak from any and every opening on my face

I've heard there's a spray that you get from a vet or petshop that keeps the dander at bay, it might be of some use if you go visiting people with pets?

 

[sharpies]

The big problem with letting cats outside is that they have a tendency to hunt & then display. Here in Australia, & I'm sure in other parts of the world, that means hundreds of dead birds, small marsupial mice (not rodents), & anything else they can get their hands (paws?) on.

Keep them inside but give them an exciting environment like one of the cat runs that you can buy these days.

Allan

 

[lemon]

before we got our cat, she was a bathroom kitty.. then we got her, and she wanted outside.. so she was let out, and thats the end of the inside cat of her nine lives..

oh, and hardly any dead birds. we declawed her front paws. the back is what she's left with, and she wins many a fight on my hood and around the house...

 

[alleycat]

You know I am battling this right now with my cat. She always wants to go outside. She sits and cries at the door. I live in a residential neighborhood and I dont want her running off or being hit by a car. She escapes all the time and just goes exploring. She doesnt run away though. I made her a tie out so she can go play out in the yard and be happy. I also take her for walks on her leash. It seems to quench her needs for the outdoors. It will be nice when she can go outside when it isnt winter too. My other cat could care less about being outside and he gets really scared when you take him outside. Im not sure which is right or wrong. I just try to spoil them all I can. I guess thats all you can do.

 

[Peter Parka]

Personally I think it's unhygenic to have a cat which never goes outside and it's especially dangerous if you have a baby in the house.

 

[alleycat]

what does hygiene have to do with a cat not going outside??

 

[Peter Parka]

Because of the dangers of toxoplasmsis. Toxoplasmosis is caused by a parasite called toxoplasma gondii. This is found in different forms in raw meat, within cats who eat raw meat and their faeces. Toxoplasmosis infection is common in both men and women outside of pregnancy, however it is infection during pregnancy that is of most concern as it can lead to infection in the unborn infant

 

[BreakfastSurreal]

my cats are spoiled princes who would freak out if i made them go outside. they love to just sit on their perch and be lazy and preen and lick themselves...and they are MUCH cleaner than any outdoor cat I ever owned.

 

[alleycat]

So dont you mean that you think its unhygienic to have a cat that goes outside? I think you got your words mixed up there.

 

[Bain Dramage]

I <3 cats

 

[BKV]

All 4 of our cats were born and raised outside. They are sorta considered wild. They don't run if you get around them but they won't let you touch them. We had an inside cat that went in and out as she pleased, but she also learned the danger of the highway. So no more inside cat. The others are smart enough to stay off the road, but the young Tom will eventually go straying soon and he'll no doubt get hit. He's still young now and the "call of the wild" hasn't seduced him yet.

 

[beccalynn]

My cat's are indoor only. There are to many stray cats with mange that live by me and use my garden as a litter box. Plus I have many outdoor allergies and when I pet an outdoor cat I break out in hives.
As long as proper percautions are taken a cat can live in a house with an expecting mother. For one the husband can change the litter box, and if need be the women can change the litter box, but needs to wear gloves and a face mask. Don't forget to wash the hands a lot.

 

[Kat]

I think it depends on the place you live. My mom lets our cats outside now cause she lives in a condo nice place quiet streets...people know there are a lot of animals there...theyd be miserable if they couldnt go out sometimes

they are still indoors cats but they love a little bit of freedom too...she lets em out sometimes durning the day and they just chill in the front yard for a bit