Indoor vs Outdoor Cats

daisykinn1

My OH and I have decided to rehome a cat or maybe a couple of kittens (still in talks!) in the summer although we can't decide whether to have them as house cats or to let them out. We have a courtyard style garden so I've suggested they stay indoors but we can take them into the garden on harnesses with extended leads. OH is worried what this will do to his credibility with the neighbours and is also nervous about the litter tray smell.

What are your thoughts? If you have indoor cats are they happy? Have you got a pair or just one?

pboae

You can get cat proof fencing. It's usually like a flimsy-ish net that arches inwards ond over at the top. Too wobbly for the cat to climb up, and even if they do, they can't get over the top. That way you get the best of both worlds. The cats can have free run of your garden (through a cat flap maybe) but they can't go any further and wander onto roads or annoy your neighbours by using their garden as a litter tray.

daisykinn1

pboae wrote: »

You can get cat proof fencing. It's usually like a flimsy-ish net that arches inwards ond over at the top. Too wobbly for the cat to climb up, and even if they do, they can't get over the top. That way you get the best of both worlds. The cats can have free run of your garden (through a cat flap maybe) but they can't go any further and wander onto roads or annoy your neighbours by using their garden as a litter tray.

Yes I've had a gander at that on an american website. My worry is that the local chavs like to play football around the side of the house and their ball ends up in our garden A LOT, so they jump over to get it back. I can just see all the fencing crashing down because of some Jeremy Kyle wannabe-guest!

pboae

A lovely pyracantha (firethorn) trained up that wall should put a stop to that, and you just set you cat fencing a little further in ;-)

craftyfox

both my cats were indoor cats and we never had any problems the oldest one was sick as a kitten and was kept in and when he was older it was to much of a bother for him to go out in the cold and rain and the second one was deaf so it was just taken for granted that he was inside aswell as for the litter tray we bought a covered one and kept it clean there was no smell

mirrorimage0

we have a couple of recently adopted cats and they are not due to go outside yet but they keep crying at the door and window so think they made thier own choice but those litter boxes that are covered in are great we dont smell anything.
where abouts are you have you fount a local rescue centre

daisykinn1

We've already had a house visit from Cats Protection at Newbury and we've been accepted so it's just a matter of booking some time off work so we can settle them in. They seemed ok about the busy road nearby, they said it should be far enough away for the cats not to stray there but I would be heartbroken if something awful happened.

floyd

We have had quite a few indoor cats over the years and all have been happy and healthy.
Our current one is on her own and sometimes I feel very guilty so we brought over a friends cat to try and introduce and get her used to the idea of another cat, did NOT go well at all. As well as hissing and spitting and swiping constantly at the other very placid non-dominant cat, once it had gone she pooped on the doormat every day for nearly 4 months to show her displeasure!
She seems quite happy as a loner as she gets our full attention and is very vocal and quite bizarre in some ways. She does show some interest in going ouside but the roads are very very busy and she is not the brightest button in the box (part persian).
We have a small understairs cupboard that we put a catflap into so she goes in there on her litter tray and it doesn't smell at all.
Some of the persians used to go outside on harnesses but in general they didn't like it very much

leoetal19

mine are all outdoor-we have ahuge garden leading on to woods-but a busy front road-one was killed there!! the other 4 avoid it. but ds has the bro/sis of my 3rd cat and he lives in a gardenless house-theyre indoor cats-with toys n each other are fine-and when i lost my baby cat i wished so much we'd kept them in-he was a perfect boy-and better fat than flat-but with one established outdoor cat i think its unfair to keep the others in--if i were to start from scratch id go 4 indoor-good litter changed reg isnt a prob x

DaisyNelson

If you get a cat, you should probably be guided by her. If she is already used to going out, then it would be a shame to keep her in.
When you decide which you prefer, you can ask CP if they can match your requirements, but don't reject a cat in need of a good home, if you can be flexible.

alison99_2

I never even considered keeping my cats in, but that's probably because we live in a very rural area with fields and mountains all around.
There are 7 cats (including my 2) that all hang around together, so if you do decide on letting your cats go outside, make sure their vaccinations are kept up to date.