Keeping a cat indoors - cruel?

koneko

Keeping a cat indoors is not cruel as long as you have enough stimulation, exercise available. Examples: large cat tree for climbing, laser pointer for chasing games etc.

My cats are indoor only most of the winter, reason being that I don't think it is safe for them in the dark (my mums cat was hit by a car at night and lost a leg.). I feel better knowing where they are and that they are safe. They don't seem remotely bothered and in fact in summer they only ever really come in the garden when we are out there.

As mentioned before rescues often have indoor only cats that are blind/deaf, FIV positive or simply have lived all their lives so far indoors and have no understanding of the outside world.

Gold_Dust_2

It's not cruel at all, unless the cat continually fights to go outside and doesn't get used to being indoors. When our third (or is it fourth?) cat moved in with us (stray), she ventured out occasionally but spent most of her time indoors, and as time went on she refused to go out. I was literally shoving her butt outside from time to time for some fresh air and eventually felt like THAT was me being cruel, so now she just happily stays indoors. Boy do I hate the litter tray, but if it keeps her happy (and me sane), I'm all for it. She plays with her toys from time to time but is mostly content just sitting and napping on or around her 'staff'.

It depends upon the personality, and I'm sure that there are plenty of rescue cats with that kind of personality out there.

his_missus

When we got our last kittten, he really wanted to go out as the others did but couldn't wander as he'd not had his vacs. I used a harness and extendable lead so he could walk around the yard whilst I sat on the bench. Cats can get used to using one with time. (He much prefers his freedom without it now though)

If you are going to have an indoor cat make sure you have lots of stimulating toys, scratching posts, activity centre/tree etc.

One of mine becomes a temporary indoor cat every winter for about 3 or 4 months as he hates the rain/cold/wind.

aileth

It depends really. If you adopt a cat which has always been an indoor cat and keep it indoors still, that's great. If you adopt an outdoor cat that only wants to stay inside, that's great. If you have a cat from a kitten and raise it as an indoor cat, that's great. If however you adopt a cat which is very much an outdoorsy cat and refuse to let it outside, even when it's desperately scraping at the door and really, really wants to go out, and does not get used to the idea of being indoors, I'd say that's cruel (Unless of course there are legitimate reasons, such as health, for forcing it to stay inside)

paulineb_2

Not cruel at all. And many outdoor cats are quite happy to become indoor cats, cats adapt. I actually dont know if all my cats have always been indoor cats, 3 I got from an animal shelter, 1 was a stray and two I got from someone who was moving into accommodation and he wasnt allowed to take the pets

I live on a very busy bus route and no way would my cats be safe outside and they are fine. Ive had cats for almost as long as Ive been in this flat, 16 years and not one of my cats has ever been bothered about not getting out, they are quite happy.

You dont get told the history of whether your cat was indoor or outdoor, well the SSPCA certainly didnt tell me and I presume in most cases, shelters wont know either.

Rach3l

I can't post links as I'm new, but the RSPCA and PETA say it's a good thing for the right cat as long as they've always been an indoor cat. Worth looking up.

Good for the local birds as well.

January20

Mankysteve wrote: »

I think personal it much better to allow a cat access to the outside world, if looking to keep an indoor cat then there are cats that need to kept indoors for certain medical reasons might be good option to look into.

When I last visited my local shelter, some cats had been there for many months, one for over a year. In little cages, , not much space, possibly not very warm either. Is that better than being an indoor cat?

ostrichnomore_2

On the whole I prefer an animal to be able to get out and about, have some fresh air, stretch its legs, have that level of stimulation. Whatever type of animal it is. To be able to relax and just be that animal without human interference (so I don't agree with keeping horses stabled 24/7 either, they need to get out into a decent sized field they can have a good loony round and not one of those pathetic postage stamp sized paddocks either).

BUT it does depend. Sometimes there are health reasons - most rescues do sometimes have cats that need to be kept in. And then personality. Some cats are homebodies and really don't want to go out. Trouble with getting a kitten, is you don't know its personality. I got two kittens years ago, one would go out, the other was practically agrophobic and would panic if you put it out and shut the door and claw to be let in again! So he ended up a happy house cat. But to keep a cat in, if it wants to go out, is cruel IMO.

Pippin12

ostrichnomore wrote: »

On the whole I prefer an animal to be able to get out and about, have some fresh air, stretch its legs, have that level of stimulation. Whatever type of animal it is. To be able to relax and just be that animal without human interference (so I don't agree with keeping horses stabled 24/7 either, they need to get out into a decent sized field they can have a good loony round and not one of those pathetic postage stamp sized paddocks either).

BUT it does depend. Sometimes there are health reasons - most rescues do sometimes have cats that need to be kept in. And then personality. Some cats are homebodies and really don't want to go out. Trouble with getting a kitten, is you don't know its personality. I got two kittens years ago, one would go out, the other was practically agrophobic and would panic if you put it out and shut the door and claw to be let in again! So he ended up a happy house cat. But to keep a cat in, if it wants to go out, is cruel IMO.

I agree that it probably depends on the personality of the cat and also what they've been used to. But as you point out you don't know the personality of a new kitten and you don't always know the history of a rescue cat either. Difficult.

geoffky

Please,Please bell your cats if you let them out..
Tens of Millions of our native birds are being killed each year because of irresponsible owners not putting bells on their cats...
It costs a few quid and gives the birds a chance to escape.

The most recent figures are from the Mammal Society, which estimates that the UK's cats catch up to 275 million prey items a year, of which 55 million are birds. This is the number of prey items that were known to have been caught; we don't know how many more the cats caught, but didn't bring home, or how many escaped but subsequently died