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

Pigget

lostinrates wrote: »

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.

This is exactly what we did. We live in a top floor flat and rehomed a FIV+ cat. If he were allowed outside there is the slim chance he could pass on FIV, but a much larger chance that he would further compromise his immune system.

If we were to move to somewhere with outside space we would create an outdoor pen.

The interesting thing is he was a stray prior to his rehoming. We were worried that he would be constantly trying to escape, however he has never made any attempt or shown any interest in the outdoors.

Whilst we are happy that he is content indoors, we would not have rehomed a cat who wasn't restricted to staying indoors for medical reasons.

evilsheep

I have one very happy indoor cat. She is indoor by choice as even when we leave the door open accidentally, she won't attempt to go out but will instead sit on a windowsill and watch what's going on outside instead. We have several cat-trees, a fancy water-fountain, pots of cat grass (no other 'real' plants just a few fake ones), boxes of cat toys (although mostly she prefers the boxes themselves!) and she has the full run of the house. We're looking at getting another (rescue) cat soon, partly to give current cat some company, and partly because we want to give another homeless cat a home. Given the busy area we live in, the sheer number of cats I see at the side of the road, the stories in the local paper about animal cruelty, and the fact that current cat is clearly happy, the new rescue will also be an indoor cat.

If I lived in the country, then of course I see the benefit in allowing a cat to run free but I can't see a decent reason to allow city cats outdoors. I'd almost go so far a to say that a busy urban environment is perhaps cruel for a cat? There's a huge difference after all between a cat exploring fields, trees, barns etc and being let loose in a concrete jungle with motorways, pollution and factories. That said, I'm not entirely convinced about indoor cats being kept by themselves in small apartments; my cat can run aplenty around my house, but if it were a two-roomed flat ...

I wish more people realised that keeping indoor cats isn't cruel at all, if it's done properly, that way perhaps there'd be much much fewer poor animals left to die in cat shelters!

pinkcandyflossprincess

i have two cats, Miyagi a half persian fool of a cat :Dand Georgia our very clever daughter of a feral. Georgia was so wild about the house pouncing and catching things i couldnt wait till she was neutered etc as she used to sit looking sadly out the window, however once she was allowed out she found it quite frightening, Miyagi however changed character totally from lap lying fat cat to a furrball that loves chasing ,stalking anything that moves and he has lots of friends that he invites into our garden now:o
Georgia does go out but if its remotely cold or wet she doesnt want too so is happy staying in..Miyagi however crys at the back door till i let him out to play.
I try to keep them in my garden but he sometimes goes for a wander through the next doors garden but i allways keep a check on him as i wouldnt want him straying from home. georgia is happy just lying on the trampoline though so shes less of a worry.:o

emlou2009

I planned to keep mine in. They had other ideas! They made it known that they thought more exciting things were out there and drove me mad begging to go out. We now have a cat flap and they come and go as they please. I think it depends on the cat, some will stay in happily and some want to go out. If they want to go out I think its a shame to keep them in unless its dangerous to let them roam, near a main road or something.

adouglasmhor

We had an indoor only cat for many years, it's alternative was being a cage cat in an animal shelter - I think having 4 rooms and a hall to wander round was better than a small pen.

Badger_Lady

I know PETA in the US claim that it's cruel to let cats outside. They really do see all domestic cats as indoor-only pets.

Personally, I've always lived with roaming cats. Knowing that they can wander off in a two-mile radius daily, it seems to be that they'd be stunted by any sort of containment, even an outdoor caged area, because it would prevent them from their natural explorative behaviour.

I do tend to feel that it's better to give them a full life than a restricted one, even if it is sadly cut short (and as a child one of my cats did disappear never to be seen again, and another suffered a broken leg from a road accident, but I still think it would have been selfish to contain them).

However I have no problem at all with people who do keep house cats - there are so many reasons for doing so, and some cats seem to be very happy with it. My friend breeds Burmese so she has three unspayed females that have to stay indoors, and my sister has a rare breed of cat that's known for being incapable of sensing danger, so it really does have to stay indoors for its own safety. I do catch all of them gazing longingly outside from time to time though... and they will all try to dart out of the door when you open it. Hmm.

anon123456

We have one 6 month old boy who is indoor only, purely because he was nervous when we got him at 12 weeks and didn't want to give him an opportunity to bolt. However he has never shown any sign of wanting to go out. Never sprayed never vomited and doesn't pay attention to open windows.

The OH and i talked about letting him out but he seems fine so we are happier indoors. (also saves on vaccination costs )
We are a top floor maisonette so he could go outside but we wouldn't be able to see him etc so that worries me.

Dazedandconfused

I got my two rescue boys because I live on a busy road and I didnt' want to take a kitten and make it indoor. Both of mine had been trapped as kittens (mum escaped) had been very poorly and I got told both prone to runny eyes (although since I've had them only one has ever had a prob with that) so best to keep indoor.

I'm a bit flighty and I've left the doors open by accident a couple of times they have no interest whatsoever in going outside. The one night I left the door open all night doh and when I woke up they were on their cat tree next to it looking at me like why would I go out there. If i take them outside on a harness they miaow to come back in.

Beetlemama

My mother always had cats, and they were free roaming cats, in and out as they pleased, so I grew up thinking that's what all cats should do.

As an adult, with my own house and rubbish bags and vegetable patch, I freaking hate other peoples cats coming in my garden, annoying my dogs, digging the trash up and leaving dangerous things for my dogs to find. They dig in the bins and pull out chicken bones and then I let my dogs out and find them eating them. Grrrr. Its not so bad now we've all been given wheely bins and they can't get to them, but I watch them coming in next doors garden, where her little kid has a woodchip play area and using it as a communal litter tray. Nasty :mad:

I reckon cats should have to stay in or be let out only when the owner knows they will stay in their own garden. My dog's not allowed to go round every ones elses garden taking a dump and ripping things up so I think their cat shouldn't be allowed to come in mine.

UnluckyT

ive always grown up with cats bieng allowed out if they want to, and used to think/feel it cruel to have them indoors allday. although that said it does depend on the cat and how the owner feels about letting them out.
now im inclined think and feel differently especially as ive partly owned with my mum 2 cats that were/are very freindly and been known to curl up on other peopls beds plus friendly with other people so that theyre being fed by them, and having people locally i know lose cats to bieng hit by cars id be more inclined to keep them indoors.
especialy as im living in a 1st floot flat with a reasonably busy main road with busses going on it at the moment.