Do you think its cruel to keep cats as "house cats"?

lostinrates

if I knew my cats were always going to be house cats I would look at homing cats with ''cat aids'' who have to stay indoors.


My cats have been both, and there is no question they prefer outside access....though it gives me terrors sometimes! Keeping them in was harder work...lots more playing to keep them fit, and making assualt courses to their food to make it more demanding.

I prefer to have a choice, and made sure we got into a situation where they had one. Had we always planned to live in a city/keep them as house cats, I would have opted for cats who needed to for health reasons: it seems the best comprimise for their welfare and the lifestyle.

redsclubbedup

i wouldn't worry about it too much ! our cat Jax (1.5yrs) has had access to the great outdoors from about 6months old. He does go out occasionally, but for the most part he is content to sleep indoors - we did try to stop him from using his litter tray once we gave him access to outdoors, but everytime it rained he refused to go outside to do his business (1's and 2's) so we conceded and ended up keeping the litter box (although he can go outside whenever he wants)

rising_from_the_ashes

I agree that it's down to your own circumstances.

When I rehomed my old boy, I specifically looked for an indoor cat as I lived in the middle of a city and wouldn't have felt comfortable letting a cat out. He'd been brought up as an indoor cat and was quite happy (having never known any different). However, for the last 2 years of his life, I moved to onto a farm and he was able to potter around outside (he never wandered far) and TBH it was lovely seeing him enjoying the sun and running around in the garden (he did spend many weeks sitting in the open door before venturing out).

My current boy was brought up on the farm and loves being outside - although he does have days when he's quite happy to be in (he'e still lying in his bed - it's like he knows it's horrible outside just now so doesn't even bother getting up).

My girl also likes going out but only for short periods and only when I'm here (she has a dodgy knee so I need to keep an eye on her).

They're both brought in at night and I'm very lucky in that I live in a cul-de-sac in a smallish village and have a big field which adjoins my back garden so when they go out, they tend to go in their rather than round the front.

However, I don't think it would be fair to get a cat that had been used to getting out and keep them in.

Oliver14

I have 6 cats 2 are outdoor but the others are indoor only. As long as they have enough stimulation and are well cared for they should be happy cats. Some people make too much of this freedom to roam idea. Neutered cats very rarely want to roam far.

tango

I have had cats all my life . i have always put them out at night and let them in to sleep during the day. I personally would not keep a cat indoors .

crazyguy

unless you looking at keeping these, I think that it is fine to have them indoors,

podperson

I think it depends a lot on the cat tbh. Mine is an indoor cat which has worked out well as we used to live in an area where I would have been very worried about her going outside. However she's never shown much inclination to go out, on the odd occasions she did run out she would have a quick sniff round and then dash back in again. If she was constantly trying to run out, sitting at the window, etc. then I suppose I would have had to try and rethink things.

roguebrogue

podperson wrote: »

I think it depends a lot on the cat tbh. Mine is an indoor cat which has worked out well as we used to live in an area where I would have been very worried about her going outside. However she's never shown much inclination to go out, on the odd occasions she did run out she would have a quick sniff round and then dash back in again. If she was constantly trying to run out, sitting at the window, etc. then I suppose I would have had to try and rethink things.

Same here, Alice is an indoor cat and she is very happy. She likes to sit in the window and watch the world go by but doesn't show much interest in going outside unless I'm going outside. If it's sunny and I'm sat in the back garden she'll come out with me and have a nose around, but the minute I go back in she follows me. She's only 2 so one day when I have somewhere suitable I'd love to build her a cat run so she has the option, but she's perfectly fine now.

I wouldn't dream of shutting my cat out all night though :eek:

leandygandy

We have two boys who are largely indoor cats but do get the chance to go outside. Eddie the eldest cat rarely goes outside and if he does he never goes more than about 5m from the flat. Charlie the younger cat loves a good old explore, he can be gone for hours/days, and is very happy to let me know when he fancies going out.

I think it really does depend on your pet. Some cats would be unhappy at being kept indoors, whereas others would be perfactly conteent.

tanith

I agree with many of you that some cats do indeed seem to prefer to be inside but I think its kindest to give them a choice , if they choose to enjoy the outdoor life fine and vice versa but I'll never be convinced that indoor cats are perfectly happy.. give them the choice I say.