Cats - should they be let outside?

I had an outside cat, It was my favorite kitty ever. She used to try and groom my greasy hair.

Then one day it never came back and my heart was filled with sadness.

 

I don't because my cats are not vaccinated. One of them got cancer in her hind leg from vaccinations early in her life. They were able to save her leg, but she is not allowed to get vaccinations any more. I'm not taking that chance with the other cat (2 $1000+ surgeries that were eventually covered by the vaccination mfg). Therefore, they are not allowed outside.

 

We let our cat outside under very close supervision. She's so dang cute when she's outside! She doesn't see it often enough to get used to anything, so she's always very inquisitive when she goes out with us. But she's declawed in the front, so we don't want her to get into something she can't handle.

 

If your cat is fixed, there is no reason not to let it outside, if you believe it will be safe.

I have an ancient old cat, he is about 19 years old now, he has been an outside cat for at least the last 15 years - in fact, he is not allowed IN the house. And all he does is eat, and sleep, and decorate my yard as a big curled up furball. And he has been fixed for all of that time, so he is not contributing to the delinquency of all the other kitties. And he gets lots of petting and lovin from the neighbors because he is a teddy bear really.

But if your cat is not fixed, then you are right, never let it roam.

Question reminds me of back when I worked at Astroworld back in the summer of '83. The park was actually infested with cats, hundreds of them. Every night as the park would be closing, the cats would start to come out, and they would congregate near the dolphin pool, just sit and stare at that giant fish swimming in his pool. It was really one of the more bizarre things you could have ever seen.

 

I say yes as I grew up with a cat that was an indoor/outdoor cat. I don't think indoor only cats are truly happy. The outdoor cat obviously has to contend with a different world...especially in the risks department. But, I don't think cats belong strictly confined in a home. No evidence to back that up...other than my experience. Every cat I've ever seen who is indoors only has a natural curiousity about the world outdoors...and wants to venture outdoors. The fact that they cannot makes them a prisoner because cats are smart enough to be outdoors and know their territory. I think limiting a cat to indoors only is the exact opposite of "be all you can be" to a cat. Cats have a born instinct to want to get along in the outside world. I don't think they prefer man-made dwellings over the great outdoors.

 

I let my cat have some supervised time in the backyard. I'll let it sniff some plants and walk in the grass. Otherwise, it is not allowed outside.

 

Cats live, on average, 14 years indoors versus 4 years outdoors. "The great outdoors" is great and all, but it doesn't take into account cars and pesticides, among other manmade hazards. Not to mention the fights with other cats and dogs in the neighborhood. But if you want to give your cat a statistically less chance of a long life, that's your choice. But don't pretend that a life outdoors in the big city, dodging traffic, is some sort of natural habitat for felines, any more than indoors is.

 

For those that like their cat to roam the backyard only, there is a "ball and chain" type device that will prevent it from jumping fences.

 

Are you talking about living in the city? My frame of reference is a pretty quiet subdivision with minimal street traffic. In fact, I live in one now and there are plenty of outdoor cats who do fine...as long as there is no serial cat killer around. Outdoor cats have smarts. They are not standing in the middle of the road waiting to be run over. Yes, I would say it depends on where you live as to whether you want your cat outdoors or not. This big city with dodging traffic doesn't sound ideal.

 

^^^ what exactly does it do?

 

I assume you're asking about the "ball and chain" device.

The weight in the little nylon bag limits your cat's vertical, so that your fence cannot be cleared.

 

I say absolutely, YES. The alternative is to have a litter box? That's the grossest thing imaginable.

 

If it's a "house cat", by definition it shouldn't be outside the house.

However, if you have an inside outside cat then i have no problem.

why is a roaming cat bad for the neighbors? are there gangs of cats harrassing people?

Harming wildlife? you mean, mice and rats? the occasional bird?

 

I used to believe in letting cats outdoors but have changed my mind. As far as cats sticking to their own territory, ie your yard, that isn't always the case. I've had a cat run away and my former GF had a cat that ran away several times, often to be found as far as a mile away and finally it ran away for good. Letting a cat outside I think really depends on the cat. My current cat now is fine with staying inside it likes looking out the window but it doesn't show any interest in actually going outside even if I leave the door open.

 

The cats we had growing up were outdoor cats. Our neighbours have outdoor cats -- and our kids love them! Unless the neighbourhood is not appropriate for cats (downtown of big city etc) I say...let them roam. I love being greeted by a cat as I stroll down the sidewalk.

 

That would be awesome, except our fence is this kind:

http://www.caseyfenceanddeck.com/nss-folder/scrapbook/georgefence.jpg

But our fence has wide enough gaps where the cat can escape if left unattended...

 

This is one of my biggest gripes. People with cats just let them roam with no respect for others. There are several people in my neighborhood with multiple cats and they just take over. They get all over your cars, spray that stinch everywhere, eat my dogs food, ate my childrens chicks they got for Easter, get in your garage while you have it open doing work, and seem to have a new litter weekly. This becomes the real problem. When they start having the new litters, the owners take no responsibility and you have 10 new kittens who will never get shots or fixed and then the population explodes from there. You have tons of cats running around carrying diseases and multiplying rapidly. In my neighborhood, they are starting to disappear thankfully. People say it is the Gators in the bayou, but they have always been there and the cats just started disappearring. I think someone finally started taking action, thankfully.
Catowners are some of the most disrespectful of other people and their property owners. You love your cats, nobody else does. Your neighbors may pet them to be nice, but I promise you they are cursing them and you when the cats are all over their cars or stinking up their yard. IF you want a cat, KEEP HIM IN YOUR YARD. If you can't afford the fence that keeps them in your yard, KEEP THEM IN YOUR HOUSE. If you don't want him in your house, DON'T GET A CAT.

 

Cats take a lot of songbirds and other birds which is why they are a bane of birdwatchers.

Cats are also very capable predators and if you live in an area with endangered species of birds or small mammals you might find your cat taking them down. For example the cat I had in Singapore even though it was a small cat, only about 5 lbs as an adult, once took down an ibis twice its size and dragged it to the bedroom to show us.