Should a cat be a totally indoor cat?

sweetrebel · March 30th, 2006, 11:02 AM

We got Lucy in November, and she has not been outside at all. I feel bad for not taking her, but I was afraid that she would run away. I thought that she wouldn't know where she was and would take off. Our neighbors have several dogs, and living in the country, they just roam. I would hate for one of them to attack her or run her up a tree or into the road.
She has never tried to get out, even if the front door is open-like I'm bringing in groceries or something. I started thinking about it this morning. Am I neglecting my baby by not taking her out, or am I protecting her...?
ETA: We think she has been mistreated in some way at some point. She just isn't a 'normal' cat. She is terrified of any type of ball-especially the ones with the little jingle bell in it...just the way she is standoffish and runs when company comes...she's just a little strange. She won't let you pick her up much, although that is getting better, and she doesn't want to sit in your lap-but she sleeps right beside me every night....

Glasgow53 · March 30th, 2006, 11:07 AM

I don't let any of mine out. We have this big hairy one that we adopted when he showed up at our house, and we used to let him go out during the day because he wanted to. I think something chased him up a tree one night, he was out all night in the tree, and has never wanted to go out again. Even when I take him out, he hates it and only wants to get back in. I don't think it hurts them a bit to be strictly inside cats.

miss_perfect · March 30th, 2006, 11:07 AM

None of my cats, or my parents' cats have been outdoor cats, and probably never will be. I would hate to see any of them get hit by a car, captured/abused by some stupid neighborhood child, or eat something poisonous.

None of our cats have ever lacked the opportunity to run around and get exercise. I think if you make their home environment interesting enough you're not depriving them in any way.

deckchick · March 30th, 2006, 11:40 AM

I totally agree with Frankie (wot? me?

)

I have had cats all my life, and only one of mine was an indoor cat. She had zero desire to go outside. My last cat was a 50/50 cat. BUT the difference was I have a pond directly behind my yard and Dino loved going hunting for critters. Dino was the best cat I ever had, she would actually come when I called her! So she was never out for more then an hour or two.

Dino's sister Toni was a 100% indoor cat. She would on occasion go lay on the deck if we were out there, other then that she had her spot on the window ledge.

So the point is, be aware of your cats personality. You will know very quickly if she wants to go outside. BUT if you don't have a safe play for him/her, it would be better to get a harness and a long lead and let her play in a controlled safe environment.

And if your cat is declawed, please don't EVER let them out. The only real defense a cat has against a dog is climbing or scratching, If you remove the claws, she will be defensless...

Grimmlok · March 30th, 2006, 11:41 AM

Growing up, we used to let our cat out when we were outside doing yardwork or whatnot. It wouldn't go off the property for some reason, and was quite content to roll around on the stone landing, or relax under a bush and chill out. It was kind of like a treat for the cat to spend a few hours outside while we trimmed hedges or whatnot in the summer.

serenity · March 30th, 2006, 11:43 AM

I never let my cats outside but once in awhile my older cat tries sneaking out so I have to watch her close. It's not only other animals that could attack them or kill them, there are people that hate cats. There are people in my town that trap peoples pet cats if they happen to come on their property and then take them to the country and dump them. These demented idiots then brag about what they did.

deckchick · March 30th, 2006, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by serenity

I never let my cats outside but once in awhile my older cat tries sneaking out so I have to watch her close. It's not only other animals that could attack them or kill them, there are people that hate cats. There are people in my town that trap peoples pet cats if they happen to come on their property and then take them to the country and dump them. These demented idiots then brag about what they did.

Asshats... They need to be trapped and set free in their natural habitat here http://ne-trailer-trash.tripod.com/RI.html

twitchy · March 30th, 2006, 11:56 AM

Some friends of mine just moved into the city and are in the process of building a cat enclosure in their yard. There is a completely fenced area for them to roll around and sunbathe that will have a chickenwire top when they are finished to prevent escapes and a catflap into the house. I thought that was a great idea. I don't know if this is something that you can do where you live.

PaintTheTownRed · March 30th, 2006, 01:08 PM

My cats are indoors only. They stay clean and safe that way. Nothing's worse than snuggling into a dusty cat with spiderwebs on it's whiskers.

darksithbunny · March 30th, 2006, 01:17 PM

When they are outdoors, all kinds of horrible things to worry about. Feline HIV, Leukemia, distemper, diseases and rabies. Other animals can transmit terrible things. Somethings they don't even need to have direct contact, only to lick something that another cats has contact with.

I just put my stray cat down almost 1 yr ago. She had Leukemia and the doc told me it would be a horrible death to let her continue, he liken to her drowning. Hardest thing I ever had to do. Just wished I could have held her but I couldn't do it.

Good Karma does happen. After she passed, you know how it is, you swear you will never get another one and then one shows up, somehow. Well I said and one special one did and now I can't imagine it without. She is indoors and I wouldn't dare let her out. We excercise her. She has many stairs to run around and lots of windows.

wonderina · March 30th, 2006, 01:20 PM

My cat stays inside all the time, I live in a high rise condo with a balcony and he loves to hang out on the balcony and peer down on the squirrels and watch the pigeons fly by. One day I left the balcony door open for him because it was so nice outside while I was at work. When I came home, it looked like a tornado had been through the house, things were knocked over and there were feathers everywhere. Apparently a pigeon had flown inside and Kato had the time of his life that day being a mighty hunter. I looked in the bathroom and there was the dead pigeon on the floor, it was all mangled and I'm pretty sure it died a horrible death. Kato was looking quite pleased with himself. I do think the pigeon put up a pretty good fight, cuz there were tufts of cat fir all over the place. But he is totally happy being an inside cat, I bought him a leash and harness to take him outside once , but he was really terrified, so we didn't do that again.

deckchick · March 30th, 2006, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wonderina

My cat stays inside all the time, I live in a high rise condo with a balcony and he loves to hang out on the balcony and peer down on the squirrels and watch the pigeons fly by. One day I left the balcony door open for him because it was so nice outside while I was at work. When I came home, it looked like a tornado had been through the house, things were knocked over and there were feathers everywhere. Apparently a pigeon had flown inside and Kato had the time of his life that day being a mighty hunter. I looked in the bathroom and there was the dead pigeon on the floor, it was all mangled and I'm pretty sure it died a horrible death. Kato was looking quite pleased with himself. I do think the pigeon put up a pretty good fight, cuz there were tufts of cat fir all over the place. But he is totally happy being an inside cat, I bought him a leash and harness to take him outside once , but he was really terrified, so we didn't do that again.

Go Kato go! He won't need any exercise for a week!

cats are the most sadistic killers alive, they never just kill anything, they gotta play with it first...

A*O · March 30th, 2006, 05:00 PM

Surely it depends on the cat's background. If it's been an indoor cat from birth and doesn't know any different than it's not a problem. But if you adopt an older stray that's used to being allowed to roam outside it's hardly fair to keep them cooped up indoors. We had a cat like that, adopted from the local animal rescue place and he was utterly miserable being an indoors cat. He used to pace up and down by the patio door mewing pathetically to be allowed out. We had to keep the house sealed up to stop him doing a runner. In the end we found him a new home with some friends who live in the country and as far as I know he's still there happily hunting rats. The happiest indoor cats I know have at least one other cat for company.

muchlove · March 30th, 2006, 06:15 PM

The cat I've had my entire adult life (also named Lucy

) has been an indoor cat since day one. I think we have a responsibility to protect our pets. I lost too many cats as a kid to cars, other animals, and disease, because my mom thought it was cruel to make them stay inside. Lucy has never really tried to go outside except to chew some grass by the door and come right back in.

The worst is when people declaw their cats and then let them roam. That's just asking for trouble.

sweetrebel · March 31st, 2006, 02:02 PM

A*O I really don't know anything about her history other than she appeared on my friends's doorstep right around Thanksgiving. She doens't seem miserable...she looks out the window alot...
I may try to get hubby to build her a kitty house with some small wire with a roof and try it when I am home so I will know if she even likes it outside. I would hate to leave her out while I was at work and it terrify her. She is a very 'special kitty'...I have thought about getting another cat, but honestly, she is pretty strange, and I don't know how she would react to it. I do know she can not stand to hear a dog bark. If the neighbors dogs are in the yard or close by and she hears them, she heads for high ground...and she will growl sometimes...it's so funny....