New cat - indoors/ourdoors?

Lovelyjoolz

I've got two gorgeous rescue cats. Had them for 4 years or so now. Sally was abandoned and pregnant when the rescue found her under a bush and now she's really not bothered about going out. She occasionally went to sit on the fence and sniff the breeze for a while. And then she had a passion for jumping over the garden fence, running around to the front of the house to be let back in the front door and then hitailing it back out to the garden to do it all again. Amusing for the first 2 or three times. Not so much after 20 or 30 times!

Bert was just 10 months old when we got him and in our old house he loved to go out in the summer (wouldn't even consider it in winter - he's such a tart for warmth!!) and harass the neighbours cats. Little blighter wouldn't come back at bedtime either and we didn't have a cat flap, so muggins here sat up and waited for him. Shaking the treat tin in the garden until he rolled in about midnight. Grrr

We moved to a new house a year ago tho and they haven't been out since. At first, we kept them in because it was cold and a new area etc and planned to let them out if they wanted to in the spring. But then we realised that the road is fairly busy and poorly lit and also that there are a lot of cats around who are ENORMOUS and look like real thugs with half ears missing. Bert just wouldn't stand a chance if they took umbrage with him. He's way too fat and stoopid :rotfl:

So they've always been mostly housecats but for the past 12 months that have been 100% housecats. And they really don't seem to care. I've left the back door wide open while I've been in the garden and they just look at me as if to say "there's a draft. Shut the ruddy door"

SavingPennies_2

Krlyr - I know exacly what you mean if I lived in the middle of the countryside where the only dangers are those of nature i wouldnt mind but cats are not able to understand roads and other such manmade dangers so I want to protect her from such things. I will look into securing the garden as apossible option thanks.

Lilith1980

tanith wrote: »

I've always thought it was cruel to keep an animal locked up inside when all the animals instincts are made for outside living.. (they are hunters after all)

I would have to argue this, only because my cat is all about expending at least energy as possible, and that means being indoors lol.

When I first let him out (he was a rescue) I was worried about him not coming back etc. He rarely goes outside our back garden, the furthest he normally goes is sitting on the far wall surveying his kingdom. Most of the time he will only venture up the garden if my partner and I walk up there with him!

I think it's about giving your cat choice. My cat tells me when he wants to go out and so I let him out. But it's not often that he does go out - far too content with sitting on our laps or by the radiator :rotfl:

tanith

Its human nature , that those of us with outdoor cats will advocate it and vice versa with those who have indoor cats of course each of us can justify our reasons.. as long as your animal is happy that's all that counts, mine couldn't wait to get outside in the long Summer days and spent hours wandering or sunbathing in the garden and park nearby equally they would prefer to be indoors when it was wet or cold so it was their choice to be in or out, I just think its right to give the animal the choice. My cats certainly hadn't had their hunting instincts 'bred' out of them if the amount of presents they brought home was anything to go by.

Mayflower10cat

It's such a personal decision to make;- I have friends with indoor-only cats and friends with in/out cats. They all seem perfectly happy with their situation. One friend, (who, like us, lost a young male cat on the road) hasn't got a catflap but lets the two cats out when he's there to supervise them which is for several hours each day. Neither has gone beyond the garden and both come back when called. Our cats are in/out cats with a catflap, but they are all curfew'd overnight. I call them in for their evening meal (earlier in winter, say 4pm before it's properly dark) and they come in good as gold. In my humble opinion female cats don't wander as far as males (neuteured males. Unneutered males are a different kettle of fish!) and they can all be trained to come when called or when you rattle a tin of noisy treats. I have several friends in the US who have only had indoor cats - they have installed huge cat-trees to play on and plenty to occupy them. I know some cats will take to walking on a harness and leash, one of ours did! And it is possible to cat-proof your garden so they can't go any further.

bacardi66

Its up to you - I got my cats as kittens and they had already been allowed outside when I got them and from the minute they came to live with me they were obsessed with the outdoors. I had a cat flap and gave them free rein. Now my remaining cat is nearly 19 I keep him in at night - and if I got cats again I would do it from day one as even now it can still be a battle some evenings.

Luckily my cats never came to any harm outside and my old boy still likes going out but I have always worried about other cats, foxes, dogs, weedkiller and who know what else but he has had a lovely long life while I've spent many an anxious night worrying about him and waiting for him to come home!! His brother also loved going out and lived for 14 years until he suffered from sudden heart failure in the house.

I have known some very happy housecats and some very stressed out unhappy outdoor cats. Whatever decision you make you will be doing what YOU think is the best for YOUR cat.

Deep_In_Debt

I have 2 rescue cats and have had them for nearly 10 years now. They had been shut in a flat and never allowed out and then spent 3 months in the rescue centre.

I've got a garden and catflap and live in a cat friendly area; cul de sac so no fast cars and a field, pond and wooded area at the back. However, since I've had them, they've never really shown much interest in exploring outside. In fact, one has never been further than the end of the garden and the other goes into the back garden, wanders down the back path and sits in the front garden watching the world go by or sleeping under the bush in the spring and summer!

They've been virtually indoor cats since I've had them and not been interested in or aware of all that lovely, fun space around them.

mazza111

Try telling my cat she should be going outside. She'll venture outside in the summer. It has to be a really hot day, then plank her aris down and sunbathe. As for trying to get her to go outside when it's cold..... No chance.

I do agree you could perhaps allow her to follow u out into the garden. She may like it

atrixblue.-MFR-.

i have a ragdoll who needs to be kept indoors for its own safety but yet intent on escaping at any given chance to. yet my other ragdoll has no interest in the outdoors and is happy being sat on my lap (at last thought that day was never going to come).

i have two other british short hair tabby's who are outdoor mad and not able to keep in no matter what the whether is or what day it is (bonfire night included), but will come in on my command (a whistle) as they never go far, ones crazy enough to follow me to my mothers for a visit.

its upto you. a outdoor cat will learn to be an indoor cat eventually but perhaps like to have some freedom in the garden with you in the sring/summer.

our raggy will go in the garden chase a few flies and eat a blade of grass or two, but will want o have more and more freedom so is restricted by being put back indoors when he wants to venture past my boundry.

SavingPennies_2

Thanks everyone for taking time to reply, it was really useful. I thought it was quite a black and white issue with cats either spending all day or all night outside or never going out at all. I also thought that most people would advocate one or the other but is seems very much a personal issue that comes down to an individual cat. So far she has made no attempt to follow us out but we defininitely dont want her going out till end of january anyway as she is still so new to us. I think come spring when I start going in the garden I will let her come and have an explore with me if she wants to.