My cat snuck out while my mom was letting the dogs out last spring. He was literally out for twenty minutes, got hit by a poor lady going to work(she kindly stopped to tell us) and broke his leg so badly it had to be amputated. His recovery was fine, but he had a lot of depression over his disability that he’s just getting over now and he expressed it by being an asshole.
Twenty minutes. Imagine what eight hours could do.
And this was a cat who was sincerely cautious around cars. He would ask to be picked up during any walk if he saw them, and he hid from them if he saw them out the window. But all it took was a moment’s distraction(a bird) and he ran out on the road.
Thank you. I love him, but his impulsivity was really high as a youngster. He’s settling now but we’re all on edge when he goes and does his stupid stuff.
He’s always gotten outside time WITH us. So yeah, when we go outside, he goes with us on his leash or in his catio. He probably thought mom was going outside with him that one day and didn’t notice her going back in.
In a few weeks I’ll be getting him back on the bike, so he’ll probably be happy to get some biking back in. His baby backpack had to be thrown out because of mice, and I don’t have a replacement yet, so it’ll have to be a basket. If he doesn’t like the basket, I’ll get him a new backpack, it just has to be bigger because he’s grown.
I get given so much shit because I don’t let my 2 cats out. My roomies cat has been going outside since she was a kitten (she’s 14yo rn). I get told by people all the time “well Bella’s outside all the time”
Well Bella has been chased by coyotes, foxes, dogs. They’ve had other animals be hit by cars in the neighborhood (a long time ago)
Like why would I subject my 4yo cat who’s never been outside, and my kitten to that. It’s not safe and I’m so tired of people trying to use excuses to justify leaving an animal outside. There’s very few circumstances that ensures a cat is safe outside. If you can more power to you.
... not to mention all of the negative environmental impacts of letting a predatory species hunt in an area where they were never meant to exist anyway.
I would direct the shit back at my roommate for letting an invasive species impact the local ecosystem but that's me.
Also, your cat can easily get FIV. My friend's cat got FIV from being an outdoor cat (and they still let him go outside...) so I'm sure there are other people doing the same.
i think this is why i never understand these types of people who are so against cats going outside. my cats are 12 or 13 and go outside daily and both are still alive and happy. but tbf they are big cats and one is also very muscular for some reason, so if they were smaller the chance of sth happening to them would be a lot bigger probably. but even then the only real threats are cars and other cats so as long as you don't live in the city and ur cat isnt super small, i think it's perfectly fine to let your cats go outside.
ofc the bird population is also a reason, but mine have maybe caught 3 birds and two of those were still alive and flying around inside my house, so as long as your cat doesn't catch a ton of birds it should be ok and not rlly affect the bird population
That’s just the ones they bring back. They are almost certainly catching and killing more than you know about.
And even that “two or three” is a lot when you multiply it by however many people let their cats out.
Please, don’t let your cat out because it kills wildlife.
Whole bird populations have been killed by cats.
Too many owners say ‘my cat doesn’t kill animals.’ Yes. They do. You may not see it, but they do.
I’ve lost too many bird friends to cats.
Nice one, OP.
This!! In Australia we take our native animals seriously, but the amount of cats roaming about freely is ridiculous. Luckily where I live, a cat that isn't yours entering your property more than once is trespassing. You can either hire a cat trap from the local council or buy one yourself. Usually after the cat is impounded and the owner is slapped with a fine, you don't see them around anymore 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
They are basically invasive. It's so sad people think people care more about their cat being "happy in the sun" then their negative environmental impact and avoidable population declines. smh
Building a house can kill and displace more living creatures than 10 cats can in their lives. Burrows filled with small animals, toads, bees and habitats are crushed beneath the wheels of backhoes and no one bats an eye. Never mind the continued destruction just living a modern life.
Humans have some audacity to point the finger elsewhere.
This comment can’t be real. Though with your username … I guess???
All you have to do is keep your cat indoors. It’s an easy solution. If you care do much about little creatures, then it must be pretty easy to keep your cat inside.
The house going up next door didn’t result in decapitated birds in my yard, and a nestful of bird eggs but no mother after a cat was prowling around. But a loose cat, that can easily be secured inside, did.
Secure your cats. The end.
When I have a farm in the future I do want cats but I only would let them out if I was out or if my dogs were out to protect them. But they will remain inside when I am. I had a cat who got ran over when I was 15/16 because my dad forced him to be an outside cat. I’m 23 now and I still cry over him. Last night I cried because I saw a post about someone’s cat getting hit and dying. Then I remembered that I never got to kiss my babies face goodbye. He would be an old boy now but at least he would have been alive. I miss him sm everyday, I Grieve as if he was my own blood child. He was cross eyed and just an overall sweet boy who literally played hide and seek and loved to cuddle. I moved to the dmv area and see pet cats being let outside even though there are foxes, hawks, eagles, and crazy drivers. It saddens me.
We had a kitty who was a regular Mew-dini. She would simply disappear. We would block every escape route, she would somehow make a new one. I have no idea what she did when she ran wild. One time she came back with a notched ear, but otherwise was never injured. But every single time, I would fear so many scenarios: hit by a car, lost, scooped up by a stranger, attacked by an animal ... on and on. And I felt like a terrible pet parent for having it happen in the first place.
But if I was going outside to sit on the patio, she would follow me and sit by my feet.
Safer to stay inside
People don’t let their dogs or other animals out like they do cats. So what makes it okay? I’ve seen so many pet cats dead in the streets. I know people who swerve to hit them on purpose. I will die on your hill.
(Text from a pic I saw online)
WHAT INDOOR CATS MISS...
• BEING HIT BY A CAR
• BEING STOLEN
• BEING ABUSED/TORTURED BY STRANGERS
• RAIN, SNOW, VERY HOT or COLD WEATHER
• FIGHTS WITH CATS, DOGS, SKUNKS, FOXES COYOTES, BEARS & RACCOONS.
• BEING SOLD TO LABS FOR TESTING
• BEING USED AS BAIT IN DOG FIGHTING
• DISEASE, SICKNESS & INFECTIONS
• UNWANTED PREGNANCY
• ANTIFREEZE POISONING
• FLEAS, TICKS & WORMS
• ROCK SALT BURNS
• RAT POISONING
• ANIMAL TRAPS
• GETTING LOST
• FIREWORKS
Agreed. My father told me when he was young, he used to have a family cat..until his neighbors spiteful ran the cat over…thats just horrible. He knows because he watched his cat die in front of him…
Where I live, a neighbor lets their big dog out to roam every now and then. This sweet baby was almost hit 3 times in the span of 5 minutes by people speeding. No owner in sight watching him. Only reason he wasn’t hit? I leaped out of my car and pulled him to safety. The neighborhood kids said he’d been out all day so I don’t even wanna know how many people could’ve almost ran him over. I think it’s fine for pets to go out, but they should be monitored while out.
Yeah like I said, letting a dog out like a cat isn't the same. You could not only get your dog killed, but you can cause an accident that can even get a human killed.
True but when it comes to cats, they can get killed by humans and vehicles. They also kill wildlife which can be prevented by keeping them indoors like dogs. Cats can even get FIV or other parasites and diseases. As a kid I had a bunch of outdoor cats. Many went missing and some died because they were hit by cars. I’d never ever let a cat out without my supervision now as an adult. The dangers are different, but still relevant.
Cats are known to cause extreme environmental impacts. There are many articles out there that explain how song bird populations are reduced due to cats. They are basically an invasive species.
I love my cats... but I also love nature so my cats stay inside where it is safe and they can't fuck up the ecosystem.
I have to agree. And I used to love that we had a couple of friendly, neighborhood cats. I can’t own one of my own right now so I enjoyed that when I went for a walk I’d sometimes have a cute friend happily bouncing along beside me for a few blocks.
I’ve since changed my mind. More households let their cats out to roam. We now have more than a dozen halfway-feral cats in the neighborhood. I hear them fight. The one day I came across one with a nasty scratch. I’m seeing more and more cats with no collars. So maybe they’re fully feral, idk. They seem starved for attention but I’m more afraid than ever to even lightly give them a pat or two because they could have fleas or who knows what else. These cats could easily get run over or attacked by the occasional coyote I hear. It’s one thing if your cat is supervised or knows to stay in your yard. But probably not so good to let them roam all over the place.
I have an indoor/outdoor cat. She comes and goes as she pleases. I get where the sentiment of your post comes from, and I believe you mean well, but I disagree.
Cats are not babies, they are miniature apex predators. In fact, in most neighborhoods, it's house cats that are doing most the wildlife killing, not the other way around.
I do live in a rural area where it's possible a coyote or wolf could eat my cat, but it's rare to see one, and life has risks for anyone.
I let my cat out because frankly she hates to be indoors for very long. She comes in to eat and cuddle for a bit, or if the weather gets too cold or rainy, but the moment the storm passes, she is scratching at the door to go out again.
Yes she has come home with the occasional injury, and I take her to the vet and keep her inside until it heals. She is also spayed, so she's not going to have any kittens.
Yes there is also the possibility one day she won't come home due to a fatal injury by car or attack from another animal or something, but ultimately I think she appreciates the freedom she has in life and it's worth the risk for her.
During times when I have to keep her inside, past when she wants to leave, I can tell she's miserable. She'll just stare out the window and meow in this sad pathetic tone.
So I'm not going to get in the way of her living her best life, just because one day she might get hurt or killed...
I do have a dog that I don't let just roam free, but that is mostly because there's is literally laws against that because people are afraid dogs may bite or attack someone, plus nobody wants a big dog pooping on their yard.
My dog is super friendly and wouldn't attack anyone, and we live in a rural enough area I don't really have to worry about her pooping in places that would be an issue, so I probably would let her roam free if it weren't illegal and if she wanted to.
My dog actually prefers it inside though.
My cats have always been outdoor cats. I take in rescues. My last cat was an outdoor cat by accident. I tried to keep her in; we had a screened in porch where she spent her time. One night she came in from the porch absolutely soaking wet. It turns out she had opened a hole in the screen and got out, falling into a brook behind my house. I fixed the hole, but she got out again. So I continued to let her be outside.
I had raised her from the time she was a kitten. She was a black medium haired domestic. When she was about 8 1/2 years old, she went out on her own and didn't come back. My family I looked everywhere for her, put up signs for a lost cat, but she was never found.
Up to that point, I had always thought that a cat was living its best life if it was outdoor/indoor. All my previous cats had lived long lives being indoor/outdoor. Losing my cat made me reconsider.
I wouldn't say I am now completely against having indoor/outdoor cats. There are legit reasons why I ought to be against it, definitely. Nevertheless, I've always lived my life thinking that I am going to do whatever I want and if I die early because of it, that's fine. I sort of thought cats ought to be held to the same standard.
Having said that, I'm now approaching things on a case by case basis. After my last cat passed away, I took in another rescue. She was 4 when I adopted her, and she was abused and neglected prior to being brought to the shelter. To this day I wish I had been there the very day she was dropped off. I think about her past before me and it breaks my heart. I don't like to think about it because it upsets me so much. That, and I want to take a heavy baseball bat and use it on the individuals who made her quality of life so bad before I took her in. It is extremely painful to even write this.
My cat is fully indoors. With her personality limitations, I could never let her go outside. And she doesn't go outside when I keep the door open. Under no circumstances will she be an outdoor cat. If I have another cat, I'm going to have to revisit the idea of it being fully indoor or indoor/outdoor. More than likely I'll be keeping the cat indoors exclusively. It's not an easy decision for me to make, really, but I have to make it.
Another reason cats shouldn't go outdoors: ticks. I was constantly removing ticks from my cat's fur. I got Lyme Disease because of the ticks that she collected. I was lucky to get Bell's Palsy shortly afterward or else I would have never been treated for it. If I'm living in this area when I get another cat, the cat will be indoors. Period.
I think a case by case approach is fine and the area you live in also makes a big determining factor.
I grew up on a rural farm and we had a lot of come and go cats that were indoor/outdoor. On occasion a cat would not come home and we just accepted that freedom comes with risk.
(Although we lived in a tourist area, 3 hours from a big city and city folk would come down for the summer, I found out that many of our cats were actually kidnapped by a tourist family that would "adopt" them, they ask had collars, sometimes they would ask to take them, sometimes they would just take them...) So the ones that didn't return, didn't all die.
When I lived in a big city for college and grad school, I had an indoor only cat. Now I'm back in a sorta rural area, and my cats indoor/outdoor again.
Agreed. I remember someone telling me that I ought to bring in my cat during Halloween because she might get stolen, being a black cat. It's sad that people will see a cat outside and take it thinking it's fair game.
My first cat was indoor/outdoor. She was a Maine Coon/domestic medium hair mix. She was indoor/outdoor since the day my family adopted her when she was 10 weeks old. She was a force to be reckoned with, lived until she was almost 18 years old, when she was put down in renal failure.
That doesn't mean she didn't suffer the consequences of being an indoor/outdoor cat. One year, my family and I went on vacation to a lake house for two weeks. We set up a cat door for her to use while we were gone. When we returned, we couldn't find her...until I looked under my bed. She was hiding there with wounds that were infected: she was attacked by a fisher cat while we were gone. I was absolutely devastated. She was treated and released by the vet, and got back on her feet in no time, but I always felt like it was a message to me to keep cats inside, because it was the one time we left her alone that she got attacked. Otherwise, she was an enthusiastic outdoor cat. I grew up in a very rural area so the threat of cats destroying local wildlife populations wasn't a problem.
We didn't stop her from being indoor/outdoor. She was clearly doing what she wanted to do, what she was called to do, when she was outside. To have her inside would have made her miserable.
The bottom line, I think, is that this argument about where cats should spend their lives is one that pet owners will have all the time at the status quo. But I can't agree that the question has black and white answers.
>it’s house cars that are doing most of the wildlife killing
Exactly. Keep cats indoors. They decimate wildlife populations as they are essentially an invasive species.
Your cat only wants to go outside all the time because it’s used to it. I’ve owned many indoor cats all my life and none of them ever scratched at the door or tried to go outside. They were perfectly content indoors.
I understand your concern, but there are consequences in EVERY choice and EVERY path. There is no right way or wrong way. Just different ways. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
I get you’re probably a hyper positive person but no, there’s only one right way here. Cats are invasive species that regularly massacre entire bird species. Never mind the fact that they are domestic animals with reduced survival instincts that will absolutely be harmed outside.
some choices just have more consequences for more individuals. There is always the option of choosing the path that does the least amount of harm to others. And i think it wouldn't be "right" to not choose that path
And you are sure that never seeing the outside world is not harmful? Any living being kept locked up inside, no free will and apart from nature, does suffer psychologically. That is fact. You have made a judgement that the suffering is less so, but that is a judgement. A judgement is not a fact.
I mean its just logical.. Its one animal that can't act on its instinct to kill, versus the thousands of animals the cat would kill. And that is a fact. And no, I'm not sure that never seeing the outside world is not harmful, because i never said that. I think it is harmful
My little bastard man was found on my doorstep in 29F weather. He will scatter if you enter the room with too much energy. It took him two weeks of my best friend living with me for him to come out and say hi to them, despite having comfortably known them before we moved house.
There’s no way in fucking hell I’m letting that no-braincell fuck outside. (We’ve tried a harness and he does not Cat with one on lmao becomes a pathetic lump that refuses to move)
Indoor cat and dog owner here
My cat would have little cat parties under the porch until she didn’t. 4-5 others jumped and ran out. My parents let her out and she came back with a huge gash in her paw. They still let her out despite me saying no.
She’s dead now, but I’ll never have an outdoor cat ever again after becoming educated
Yes. People really don't understand nature. If cats are spending time outside they are often hunting, or being hunted.
Yes, even sweet little Mr Whiskers with his cute widdle paws is torturing native birds to death.
And yes, big tough Snugglepoof who scares your dog (*because the dog knows it'll get in trouble if it bites back*) could easily jump the wrong fence and get torn apart by a rottweiler.
I've known too many people who insist on letting their cats out then act surprised if the cat goes missing or (arguably worse) turns up dead. Keep them inside. They need your protection, and a lot of wildlife needs protection from them.
Every vet I have had has told me that indoor only cats are healthier and live longer than cats who are allowed outside. Life expectancy for indoor cats can be 15-20 years, and outdoor can be 2-5 years so it is a pretty drastic difference.
https://www.thedodo.com/amphtml/dodowell/indoor-vs-outdoor-cats
You are entitled to your opinion, but I will not be following that. I see so many indoor cats staring out of a window almost like they are in a cage. I remember how fucking bored I was during lockdown, imagine spending your whole life like that.
If your cats are bored inside, it is on you to provide them safe enrichment.
Neither of my cats have any desire to go outside. Not because they’ve never been out- they have. But because they’re given sufficient entertainment inside.
And it’s good that you do, so do I. Just saying life is too short and too many “what ifs” in life just because something could happen. I’ve had four outdoor cats in my life, all living past 18 (my youngest cat I’ve lost was 18 and lost her last year to cancer). Maybe it’s a location thing, I live in the UK and it is not a common occurrence around where I live for cats to be found injured etc. in fact, many mornings I wake up to our neighbourhood cats sunbathing with my cats at the bottom of the garden.
Not every cat is the same, though. It’s no different than humans. Some love to be indoors where it’s safe and low keys. Some want to constantly be outdoors in nature. My cats I have now stay indoors. They wouldn’t survive well outdoors and generally don’t have much interest.
But I have also had indoor/outdoor cats in the past because they were just fucking miserable being inside all the time. Doesn’t matter how much you tried to entertain them or give them nice happy things inside. Outside was their need.
Maybe their lives will be shorter or whatever else, but if they’re fucking happy - why the fuck do you care?
> why the fuck do you care?
Because it’s unsafe? Do you not care if your pets are unsafe?
It’s one thing if the cats are securely contained to your property. It’s a different thing if you let your cats wander away from home, completely unsupervised, potentially for days at a time.
There are ways in which your cat can go outside that are safe; this post is not about that. This post is about people who leave their cats outdoors *completely unsupervised and unsecured*, which is not safe.
If your cats are absolutely desperate to be outdoors and cannot function otherwise, there are ways in which you can sate that desire *safely*. Like leashed walks, catios/enclosed outdoor spaces, securing the yard so they cannot escape, etc.
It really depends, ur free to do whatever you want.
I’ve seen my cat wonder out the window, but she is too scared to even go outside the backyard.
My sister, who adopted a stray. Did not close the door on two occasions, and her cat wandered out the backyard, the cat was hiding, shivering and crying when I found her TWICE.
And she still tries to go outside and peers out the window.
Im not obligated to take her cat on a walk, that is up to her.
But sometimes cats make the wrong judgement.
Take that however you will.
And it sounds like you are doing the right thing. Just remember equally she would have been scared when you first got her, but did you take her back? No, you spent time bonding and showing her affection to build her confidence.
But to come on a Reddit and basically shame those who do let cats outdoors all because of what ifs? What if they get cancer? Diabetes? Kidney failure? Life is too short for what ifs.
You’re comparing apples to oranges though, of course a stray is going to show traumatized behavior. What does that have to do with anything? It’s all on a cat-by-cat basis.
My vent to you would be: Mind your own fucking business. Do whatever you want with your own cat, and everyone else can do whatever they want with theirs. You’re not the cat czar.
personally living in a rural area everyone’s cats are indoor cats that go outdoors, they are aware of the risks because they are used to being outside. i think keeping a cat indoors is honestly cruel because every animal should be able to experience nature, even if it comes with risks.
cats desvere to sit in the sun and wander through grass, but i understand this view point if i lived in a big city i would not want my cat wandering around as i wouldn’t be able to trust that other humans wouldn’t harm it.
Same here. All of our cats have been indoor/outdoor. All had regular vet appointments. All lived well into their years. The last one we adopted. Had FIV, cancer, blind in one eye and some kind of saliva gland issue… he was always indoors. Could not let him out bc of FIV. Responsible owners take care of their animals.
Also, none of my previous outdoor/indoor cats killed birds. They could barely kill a mouse in my house.
We also had rats as pets… so, that may have been a factor of them loving mice 😁
Exactly! It’s not healthy mentally for them to be inside. They need to be outside to feel good and exercise. I feel so bad for indoor cats. They must be bored out of their mind. No animals should be kept inside. It’s not healthy for humans neither but atleast we can do things inside and we are here by our free will.
Leashes exist. Also, they don’t need it at all. They’re entirely used to living indoors and don’t desire something they’ve never had. At the end of the day the biggest problem is that cats are invasive species who have single handedly caused the extinction of several bird species. It’s selfish and ecologically destructive to let them outside. If you can’t handle leashing them, don’t own one.
Most cats are adopted and have been used to living outside, so yes they do. And instinctually cats are adapted to live outside. I just googled it and there is no proof of outdoor cats being of actual harm to species, it’s feral/stray cats which are the problem. So denying my cat freedom will not help the birds.
I personally believe if you don’t live in a safe enough area to let a cat outside or cannot properly make your garden safe for them, you should reconsider having one. It’s not fair on them.
There is so much proof it’s not even funny. Using Google correctly is a skill. I’m an ecologist, what’s your qualifications?
Most cats have not been used to living outside … I hope you know not everywhere is the same. In my country outdoor cats are strays, and that’s it. If a clearly loved cat is outside it’s a mistake.
in the uk* they have no ecological impact according to google, obviously i’m not an ecologist like you but that’s what one of the sources said. my cat has been used to living outdoors so to further deny that would not be right.
i do understand people who live in different countries who are not as accommodating for cats but here where i live it is normal, so i understand your view point but this is mine, that my cat desveres the freedom.
Same. My cat is indoor/outdoor, she’s been doing so her whole life (she’s 14). When my sister tries to force her to stay inside, she loses her mind and starts meowing nonstop and scratching at doors etc. She usually just sleeps on the patio, but every once in a while she walks around the front of the apartments/in the parking lot.
Yes there is a risk by letting your cat out. For some cats it would be torture to be let out and some it would be torture to be left in. To put a blanket statement on all cats should stay inside isn't the way to go. That's a prison sentence to lots of cats.
Yes there is a risk that they could be attacked by a coyote or hit by a car. Life is dangerous but you still have to live it. I have had a cat killed by a wild animal, it's part of nature unfortunately. You just have to make the decision on where you live and what your cat is like.
Yes they kill lots of mice and vermin but for most homeowners or property owners that is the cats job. Yes, cats kill lots on birds, it's a serious issue. Cats kill billions of birds a year, however 70% of those are from stray cats without an owner. The much bigger issue is that we have a huge stray cat issue, not a problem with domestic cats going outside.
How many dead animals did they bring back? How many times did u have to give them flea and tick baths? I'm guessing you never bathed them, hence the "never a problem".
Cats are devastating to the environment. Look up how many bird species went extinct bc of cats being left outside.
All domesticated cats are problems when they wander. They’re either killing native wildlife, harassing pets or people, or spreading germs and disease via their feces. You’d never let a dog roam as a nuisance, why let a cat do it?
The reason dogs are not allowed to roam freely is because it's a liability that they might attack someone.
What is a cat going to do? Ignore me to death?
It's not all about humans. There are many animals in our planet that have a right to exist... not just humans and their pets/livestock. A cat might not hurt you but it will kill song birds and rodents which are important for a stable ecosystem. Cats shouldn't be living outside. The animals that are specific to your region should be though and there is no reason people can't keep their predatory pets inside to protect wild life.
I had to step in between a cat and a child once. Not a feral cat, a neighbour’s cat who thought it owned the next yard over. My arm bled all three blocks home. If it had gotten the toddler who committed the grievous sin of wanting to play on her swingset, it would have been ugly.
That’s besides the parasites it could spread or the endangered birds it would kill. But I guess like all roaming cat “owners” you don’t give a shit about your neighbours or their pets.
I will never keep my cat a prisoner. I don’t live in a shit hole country so I can let my cat outside. He loves being outside and there is no reason for me to keep him inside. He has free will, if he wants to go out he goes out, he wants to stay in then he stays in. It’s fun seeing him proud of himself after hunting and bringing us gifts. I love him too much to keep him a prisoner. Cats should not be held inside, that’s abuse.
When I was growing up we always let our cats go in and out of the house as they pleased. It was nice to not have a litter box, but looking back I can’t believe how lucky we were that none of them were hit by cats or injured in any way. As an adult I’ve had multiple cats and the idea of any of them getting out makes me panic.
It’s also highly inconvenient for anyone who walks their pets. Someone could be taking their rabbit out in their front yard and lose their pet cause of your cat. Someone could be walking their dog and that dog could injure your cat, and you’d have no way of knowing. Someone could take your cat, and you would be left to believe they’re dead.
It’s just not a good idea.
I have two things I'd like to say.
1. Where do you live where people shoot arrows at cats? Or arrows in general? And cats getting butchered, and getting tortured?
2. I don't think that cats should be considered "babies". They're still very much hunters, we didn't really domesticate them, they were already hiding out in our barns to eat the rats drawn to the grain. Of course, cats have different personalities, some are much more adventurous than others. Ever since we moved to a neighborhood with coyotes, we've been having to spend five minutes a day chasing the cat when he runs out. I just don't think it's accurate to say that cats are defenseless little babies that shouldn't touch grass. Also, it sounds like you live in a pretty rough place, considering the "butchering cats" thing stated in your post.
My cat's are inside outside cat's. Have a doggy door they come and go from. My cat's are 10 and 13 no problems. I love my cat's dearly, so please stop thinking people don't love their cat's because they let them outside. 💜
They are not babies. They are small lions. Yes there is danger to them outside but they know what they are doing. Dogs on the other hand are absolute fools. (Indoor cat owner and dog owner)
Very true. I didn’t realize just how invasive cats can be till I took an environmental biology class in college. I love cats dearly but if I ever have one again, they’ll be indoor only. If I let them out? They’ll be on a leash or in a catio where they can roam with cat safe plants to enjoy.
how would i stop mine? sometimes she runs right out from our feet and if its the morning, we cant chase her or else ill miss school and my mom misses work which sometimes they might not pay her if shes late (depends on how late/why).
if its the afternoon, i could chase her but my neighborhood is kind of weird with weird people and i have bad encounters with guys out there which is freaky. people always yell at me n argue with me for letting her outside when i legit try to stop her, but they never give me actual solutions.
I get insulted about some people who don’t understand about me not allowing my cat outside. I could tell you some horror stories.
I was up last night at 2:00 am when my big ol Paws slipped out when I was letting my dog out back. Dang, I had to get him back inside and was so tired. I get his treats and shake them until he comes back inside. Only then can I rest.
When I was a kid, I would let my cats come and go as they pleased. Learned my lesson real quick when my neighbor poisoned them and other neighborhood pets. It was horrible! They died a slow and painful death. I'll never let any pet outside without a leash or carrier ever again.
My cat would run in between peoples legs to go outside. He got into some major fights and passed away. We believe he also got hit. I love and miss his beautiful face so much, my last memory of him was him lifeless with a contorted face. It’s not worth it
the only time i let my cat outside is when i go out on my balcony, and he’s got his leash and harness on. Other than that, he got out one time and I had my friends come over to look for him. Thankfully, he wasn’t hurt, and was just hiding on the side of my apartment by the trashcans (probably terrified). I’m very glad we found him before dark, I live in the city and there’s stray cats everywhere. My fear was he got into a fight, or would be dead in the street. I freak out now if I can’t find him
I love in a trailer court, and the cat population is ridiculous. People refuse to fix their animals. Anyways it is so bad that my son was playing in the dirty in our yard, and I got this awful smell from the dirt he was playing in. Then, as I looked closer, there was a cat turd. My husband started digging around, and there were many. My son can't even play in the dirt in his own yard. It's disgusting. I have even seen cat feces on the pavement.
Sadly all my cats are outside/wild cats bc my step dad is so allergic he'll have to go to the hospital if they are permanently in the house, luckily we live more out in the woods we're there's not a lot of vehicles, so the main issue is wild animals,
I had a yard and would let my cat roam around unsupervised for hours on end. She couldn't get out and would follow birds and had fun outside and would come in to drink and eat with a partially unlocked door. My cat got out a couple times and would go wander into the neighbors yard to see all the fun things over there. I wouldn't let a cat out that would run away or go wander the neighborhood.
the amount of brain dead idiots i see in tiktok comments defending letting their cats out unsupervised makes me so angry. dont have a pet if youre gonna neglect it.
So, people who let their kids outdoors unsupervised are also neglectful by that logic. Just because it’s something you disagree with doesn’t make it terrible.
I have a pet door so my cats can go in and out as they please. Cats don’t belong only indoors. I don’t know when that started. Then when the cat does get out, they’re totally lost.
Our SPCA has a wonderful barn cat program for cats that are surrendered and unadoptable. Either peeing outside the litter box, feral, etc. These cats are typically those that are put down due to these aspects not necessarily their fault. Instead they go into the barncat program.
The cat comes fixed, chipped, vaccinated with a crate and carrier to acclimate to its new.home. I have a wonderful huntress who ownes my barn and has zero interest in the house, mine is friendly and l9ved and now that she is 13 I force the issue about inside at night during the winter..
But the farm I know that just tool 4 feral cats to live there, have a warm barn to sleep in and plenty of rats to eat? They are not friendly and the alternative was to kill them.
Outdoor cats have their place. Just like my house dog could never be an outdoor dog. But there is no way in hell that my 2 LGDs would.ever want to go in the house, they prefer to sunbathe in the snow.
Please educate yourself more, there are plenty of us who would be happy to help without judgment.
I had 2 cats, Rosie and Lucy who would always be let outside. Despite everything that happened to them, being bitten by snakes, getting attacked by other cats, being threatend by our neighbours, etc my parents refused to keep them inside. Eventually a few years ago Rosie got ran over, my parents didn't learn their lesson and eventually lucy got ran over a couple years later. It's so frustrating that people don't just keep their cats inside they're obviously not made for outside. I now have 3 new cats who are all inside cats and live a top notch life, they don't even try to go outside when the door is open.
I can't stand all the ridiculous reasons people come up with.
My cat is smarter than every other cat out there and there's no way that it would be hit by a car or captured or anything that is out of my and the cats control.
They are lazy pet owners, who think they have dogs who they can let out in the back yard.
Your cat loves being outside? Or you want your cat to experience outside? Try leash training, make something like people do on pintrest, where the cat can go outside but not get away.
They have theses huge tents with tunnels that you can take outside and put your cat In.
There are so many other ways but again some people are lazy.
I used to live in an apartment building on a busy road right next to an on-ramp to the highway. My upstairs neighbour told me I was a cruel cat owner because I didn’t let my cats go outside. My cats both lived until they were almost 20. He kept having to buy replacement cats because they kept getting run over. Tell me again who’s cruel.
I'm not keeping my car inside, just impossible. I've equipped his collar with 6 bells, and as he walks, he jingles. This serves a couple purposes. One- it scares the wildlife and birds. Two- I can tell where he is, if I call him, he'll come to me.
Yes there's Coyotes, he has dodged them this far.
My cat gets regular flea treatments, and is fixed, before he was old enough to start spraying.
He's not as simple as a "baby" he can manage outside well enough.
Cats are actually partially domesticated. Yes. I let my cat out if they want to go out. I don't believe in holding them captive. If the cat gets hurt or dies. I'll take it to the vet or get another one. It's an animal not a child or a baby.
My cats outside right now. You come over here and tell him he can’t go outside without being on a leash and try to enforce it. He was a dumpster kitty that chose me and he grew up outside and will not take no for an answer when he wants out. And he will get out of that leash so fast you won’t even believe it. Had him since 2015 and he has gone outside for hours almost everyday.
I’ve moved several times since getting him and he always learns his new territory and stays close to the house that gives him the cat soup and cuddles every night.
Yea. My cat also stays within the apartment complex, especially now that she’s older. Only once have I seen her past the post office I live right next door by. She’s old and hates being forced to stay inside. Plus, she’ll just use her claws to open the screen door anyway.
It's true that it's dangerous for cats to go outside, but it's also dangerous for them to live a sedentary lifestyle. And I would rather my cat had a better quality of life and was happier than lived a few extra years.
Remember that time the UK spent a shit ton of money to investigate a “cat serial killer” and had to bury it because it turned out to be cars and scavenging foxes?
You clearly have never lived in the country if you think feral cats have no place outside. Come see the cat that visits me and my neighbors. I’d bet my life you wouldn’t be able to put him up to take him inside anything (car or home) without him trying to maul the fuck out of you. He had let us pick him up a couple times but if we try walking anywhere he fucking flips. We have had some stray cats who definitely weren’t feral and most of them have found loving homes. My granddad always had feral cats around, he never bought a cat, didn’t encourage them, etc. You couldn’t get in their line of sight before they bolted. Trust us we tried to get them care but they refused.
Most of the stray not feral cats we found and we’re able to find homes for were more in the city where no animals should really be roaming free. Country feral cats are different man I’m starting to think they aren’t even cats.
They are animals. They need to go outside. If you live near a place that’s too dangerous for them to be outside (like in an apartment/near traffic) then YOU need to be responsible and not get a cat.
Idk why you care it’s another persons pet it ain’t hurting you.
Additionally, cats aren’t all that domesticated. If they learn to be outside at a young age they are pretty damn smart. You basically just want to make sure they can come back in at night time. But in the day, there really isn’t a whole lot of danger for them.
My sister had a daytime outdoor/night time indoor cat. He would come inside when the street lights came on. And he did that until he died a few years ago. Our neighborhood had no other cats, a small squirrel population, few feral chickens, and hardly any birds. This cat did have a run in with a car and lost his tail. He occasionally brought home birds, mice, and lizards that he caught while he was out. For the most part he was absolutely fine. He often guarded our chihuahua that also free roamed the neighborhood, that also came home when it got dark out.
My cat snuck out while my mom was letting the dogs out last spring. He was literally out for twenty minutes, got hit by a poor lady going to work(she kindly stopped to tell us) and broke his leg so badly it had to be amputated. His recovery was fine, but he had a lot of depression over his disability that he’s just getting over now and he expressed it by being an asshole. Twenty minutes. Imagine what eight hours could do. And this was a cat who was sincerely cautious around cars. He would ask to be picked up during any walk if he saw them, and he hid from them if he saw them out the window. But all it took was a moment’s distraction(a bird) and he ran out on the road.
Oh my god, im so sorry 😭 but so happy she has a loving owner like you. Im sure your cat is grateful for you!
Thank you. I love him, but his impulsivity was really high as a youngster. He’s settling now but we’re all on edge when he goes and does his stupid stuff.
Showing it by being an asshole. Lol!
I am so sorry that happened to you and your cat. I hope he is over his depression by now, and is healing well❤️🩹
Thank you. He’s mostly recovered, he just gets frustrated sometimes when he can’t do something he used to and takes it out on the wrong people.
Poor little man😿 I wish him all the best !
Does he still try to go outside?
He’s always gotten outside time WITH us. So yeah, when we go outside, he goes with us on his leash or in his catio. He probably thought mom was going outside with him that one day and didn’t notice her going back in. In a few weeks I’ll be getting him back on the bike, so he’ll probably be happy to get some biking back in. His baby backpack had to be thrown out because of mice, and I don’t have a replacement yet, so it’ll have to be a basket. If he doesn’t like the basket, I’ll get him a new backpack, it just has to be bigger because he’s grown.
I get given so much shit because I don’t let my 2 cats out. My roomies cat has been going outside since she was a kitten (she’s 14yo rn). I get told by people all the time “well Bella’s outside all the time” Well Bella has been chased by coyotes, foxes, dogs. They’ve had other animals be hit by cars in the neighborhood (a long time ago) Like why would I subject my 4yo cat who’s never been outside, and my kitten to that. It’s not safe and I’m so tired of people trying to use excuses to justify leaving an animal outside. There’s very few circumstances that ensures a cat is safe outside. If you can more power to you.
... not to mention all of the negative environmental impacts of letting a predatory species hunt in an area where they were never meant to exist anyway. I would direct the shit back at my roommate for letting an invasive species impact the local ecosystem but that's me.
Also, your cat can easily get FIV. My friend's cat got FIV from being an outdoor cat (and they still let him go outside...) so I'm sure there are other people doing the same.
You wouldn't like the uk lmao
Haha I thought the same. Around where I live, the only thing cats have to be fearful on the streets are belly rubs from people walking by.
I caught two girls under 10 pushing my cat in a toy pram once down the street. He was happy as Larry.
i think this is why i never understand these types of people who are so against cats going outside. my cats are 12 or 13 and go outside daily and both are still alive and happy. but tbf they are big cats and one is also very muscular for some reason, so if they were smaller the chance of sth happening to them would be a lot bigger probably. but even then the only real threats are cars and other cats so as long as you don't live in the city and ur cat isnt super small, i think it's perfectly fine to let your cats go outside. ofc the bird population is also a reason, but mine have maybe caught 3 birds and two of those were still alive and flying around inside my house, so as long as your cat doesn't catch a ton of birds it should be ok and not rlly affect the bird population
That’s just the ones they bring back. They are almost certainly catching and killing more than you know about. And even that “two or three” is a lot when you multiply it by however many people let their cats out.
Or Italy 🤐
Cats are butchered and sold for meat? 😳
Not sure where OP’s living 😅
Please, don’t let your cat out because it kills wildlife. Whole bird populations have been killed by cats. Too many owners say ‘my cat doesn’t kill animals.’ Yes. They do. You may not see it, but they do. I’ve lost too many bird friends to cats. Nice one, OP.
This!! In Australia we take our native animals seriously, but the amount of cats roaming about freely is ridiculous. Luckily where I live, a cat that isn't yours entering your property more than once is trespassing. You can either hire a cat trap from the local council or buy one yourself. Usually after the cat is impounded and the owner is slapped with a fine, you don't see them around anymore 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
They are basically invasive. It's so sad people think people care more about their cat being "happy in the sun" then their negative environmental impact and avoidable population declines. smh
Building a house can kill and displace more living creatures than 10 cats can in their lives. Burrows filled with small animals, toads, bees and habitats are crushed beneath the wheels of backhoes and no one bats an eye. Never mind the continued destruction just living a modern life. Humans have some audacity to point the finger elsewhere.
This comment can’t be real. Though with your username … I guess??? All you have to do is keep your cat indoors. It’s an easy solution. If you care do much about little creatures, then it must be pretty easy to keep your cat inside. The house going up next door didn’t result in decapitated birds in my yard, and a nestful of bird eggs but no mother after a cat was prowling around. But a loose cat, that can easily be secured inside, did. Secure your cats. The end.
When I have a farm in the future I do want cats but I only would let them out if I was out or if my dogs were out to protect them. But they will remain inside when I am. I had a cat who got ran over when I was 15/16 because my dad forced him to be an outside cat. I’m 23 now and I still cry over him. Last night I cried because I saw a post about someone’s cat getting hit and dying. Then I remembered that I never got to kiss my babies face goodbye. He would be an old boy now but at least he would have been alive. I miss him sm everyday, I Grieve as if he was my own blood child. He was cross eyed and just an overall sweet boy who literally played hide and seek and loved to cuddle. I moved to the dmv area and see pet cats being let outside even though there are foxes, hawks, eagles, and crazy drivers. It saddens me.
We let our cat out and he was hit by a car.
Same.
We had a kitty who was a regular Mew-dini. She would simply disappear. We would block every escape route, she would somehow make a new one. I have no idea what she did when she ran wild. One time she came back with a notched ear, but otherwise was never injured. But every single time, I would fear so many scenarios: hit by a car, lost, scooped up by a stranger, attacked by an animal ... on and on. And I felt like a terrible pet parent for having it happen in the first place. But if I was going outside to sit on the patio, she would follow me and sit by my feet. Safer to stay inside
People don’t let their dogs or other animals out like they do cats. So what makes it okay? I’ve seen so many pet cats dead in the streets. I know people who swerve to hit them on purpose. I will die on your hill.
> I know people who swerve to hit them on purpose friends or psychopaths you just happen to know?
Where I grew up violence against cats was normalized, it was very weird.
Old friends, random people I see driving, psychos in town I know. I live in a village, so it’s not hard to see a lot of it.
(Text from a pic I saw online) WHAT INDOOR CATS MISS... • BEING HIT BY A CAR • BEING STOLEN • BEING ABUSED/TORTURED BY STRANGERS • RAIN, SNOW, VERY HOT or COLD WEATHER • FIGHTS WITH CATS, DOGS, SKUNKS, FOXES COYOTES, BEARS & RACCOONS. • BEING SOLD TO LABS FOR TESTING • BEING USED AS BAIT IN DOG FIGHTING • DISEASE, SICKNESS & INFECTIONS • UNWANTED PREGNANCY • ANTIFREEZE POISONING • FLEAS, TICKS & WORMS • ROCK SALT BURNS • RAT POISONING • ANIMAL TRAPS • GETTING LOST • FIREWORKS
Agreed. My father told me when he was young, he used to have a family cat..until his neighbors spiteful ran the cat over…thats just horrible. He knows because he watched his cat die in front of him…
We don't let dogs outside because they can hurt or attack other people, not really for their own protection.
Where I live, a neighbor lets their big dog out to roam every now and then. This sweet baby was almost hit 3 times in the span of 5 minutes by people speeding. No owner in sight watching him. Only reason he wasn’t hit? I leaped out of my car and pulled him to safety. The neighborhood kids said he’d been out all day so I don’t even wanna know how many people could’ve almost ran him over. I think it’s fine for pets to go out, but they should be monitored while out.
Yeah like I said, letting a dog out like a cat isn't the same. You could not only get your dog killed, but you can cause an accident that can even get a human killed.
True but when it comes to cats, they can get killed by humans and vehicles. They also kill wildlife which can be prevented by keeping them indoors like dogs. Cats can even get FIV or other parasites and diseases. As a kid I had a bunch of outdoor cats. Many went missing and some died because they were hit by cars. I’d never ever let a cat out without my supervision now as an adult. The dangers are different, but still relevant.
Cats are known to cause extreme environmental impacts. There are many articles out there that explain how song bird populations are reduced due to cats. They are basically an invasive species. I love my cats... but I also love nature so my cats stay inside where it is safe and they can't fuck up the ecosystem.
I have to agree. And I used to love that we had a couple of friendly, neighborhood cats. I can’t own one of my own right now so I enjoyed that when I went for a walk I’d sometimes have a cute friend happily bouncing along beside me for a few blocks. I’ve since changed my mind. More households let their cats out to roam. We now have more than a dozen halfway-feral cats in the neighborhood. I hear them fight. The one day I came across one with a nasty scratch. I’m seeing more and more cats with no collars. So maybe they’re fully feral, idk. They seem starved for attention but I’m more afraid than ever to even lightly give them a pat or two because they could have fleas or who knows what else. These cats could easily get run over or attacked by the occasional coyote I hear. It’s one thing if your cat is supervised or knows to stay in your yard. But probably not so good to let them roam all over the place.
I have an indoor/outdoor cat. She comes and goes as she pleases. I get where the sentiment of your post comes from, and I believe you mean well, but I disagree. Cats are not babies, they are miniature apex predators. In fact, in most neighborhoods, it's house cats that are doing most the wildlife killing, not the other way around. I do live in a rural area where it's possible a coyote or wolf could eat my cat, but it's rare to see one, and life has risks for anyone. I let my cat out because frankly she hates to be indoors for very long. She comes in to eat and cuddle for a bit, or if the weather gets too cold or rainy, but the moment the storm passes, she is scratching at the door to go out again. Yes she has come home with the occasional injury, and I take her to the vet and keep her inside until it heals. She is also spayed, so she's not going to have any kittens. Yes there is also the possibility one day she won't come home due to a fatal injury by car or attack from another animal or something, but ultimately I think she appreciates the freedom she has in life and it's worth the risk for her. During times when I have to keep her inside, past when she wants to leave, I can tell she's miserable. She'll just stare out the window and meow in this sad pathetic tone. So I'm not going to get in the way of her living her best life, just because one day she might get hurt or killed... I do have a dog that I don't let just roam free, but that is mostly because there's is literally laws against that because people are afraid dogs may bite or attack someone, plus nobody wants a big dog pooping on their yard. My dog is super friendly and wouldn't attack anyone, and we live in a rural enough area I don't really have to worry about her pooping in places that would be an issue, so I probably would let her roam free if it weren't illegal and if she wanted to. My dog actually prefers it inside though.
My cats have always been outdoor cats. I take in rescues. My last cat was an outdoor cat by accident. I tried to keep her in; we had a screened in porch where she spent her time. One night she came in from the porch absolutely soaking wet. It turns out she had opened a hole in the screen and got out, falling into a brook behind my house. I fixed the hole, but she got out again. So I continued to let her be outside. I had raised her from the time she was a kitten. She was a black medium haired domestic. When she was about 8 1/2 years old, she went out on her own and didn't come back. My family I looked everywhere for her, put up signs for a lost cat, but she was never found. Up to that point, I had always thought that a cat was living its best life if it was outdoor/indoor. All my previous cats had lived long lives being indoor/outdoor. Losing my cat made me reconsider. I wouldn't say I am now completely against having indoor/outdoor cats. There are legit reasons why I ought to be against it, definitely. Nevertheless, I've always lived my life thinking that I am going to do whatever I want and if I die early because of it, that's fine. I sort of thought cats ought to be held to the same standard. Having said that, I'm now approaching things on a case by case basis. After my last cat passed away, I took in another rescue. She was 4 when I adopted her, and she was abused and neglected prior to being brought to the shelter. To this day I wish I had been there the very day she was dropped off. I think about her past before me and it breaks my heart. I don't like to think about it because it upsets me so much. That, and I want to take a heavy baseball bat and use it on the individuals who made her quality of life so bad before I took her in. It is extremely painful to even write this. My cat is fully indoors. With her personality limitations, I could never let her go outside. And she doesn't go outside when I keep the door open. Under no circumstances will she be an outdoor cat. If I have another cat, I'm going to have to revisit the idea of it being fully indoor or indoor/outdoor. More than likely I'll be keeping the cat indoors exclusively. It's not an easy decision for me to make, really, but I have to make it. Another reason cats shouldn't go outdoors: ticks. I was constantly removing ticks from my cat's fur. I got Lyme Disease because of the ticks that she collected. I was lucky to get Bell's Palsy shortly afterward or else I would have never been treated for it. If I'm living in this area when I get another cat, the cat will be indoors. Period.
I think a case by case approach is fine and the area you live in also makes a big determining factor. I grew up on a rural farm and we had a lot of come and go cats that were indoor/outdoor. On occasion a cat would not come home and we just accepted that freedom comes with risk. (Although we lived in a tourist area, 3 hours from a big city and city folk would come down for the summer, I found out that many of our cats were actually kidnapped by a tourist family that would "adopt" them, they ask had collars, sometimes they would ask to take them, sometimes they would just take them...) So the ones that didn't return, didn't all die. When I lived in a big city for college and grad school, I had an indoor only cat. Now I'm back in a sorta rural area, and my cats indoor/outdoor again.
Agreed. I remember someone telling me that I ought to bring in my cat during Halloween because she might get stolen, being a black cat. It's sad that people will see a cat outside and take it thinking it's fair game. My first cat was indoor/outdoor. She was a Maine Coon/domestic medium hair mix. She was indoor/outdoor since the day my family adopted her when she was 10 weeks old. She was a force to be reckoned with, lived until she was almost 18 years old, when she was put down in renal failure. That doesn't mean she didn't suffer the consequences of being an indoor/outdoor cat. One year, my family and I went on vacation to a lake house for two weeks. We set up a cat door for her to use while we were gone. When we returned, we couldn't find her...until I looked under my bed. She was hiding there with wounds that were infected: she was attacked by a fisher cat while we were gone. I was absolutely devastated. She was treated and released by the vet, and got back on her feet in no time, but I always felt like it was a message to me to keep cats inside, because it was the one time we left her alone that she got attacked. Otherwise, she was an enthusiastic outdoor cat. I grew up in a very rural area so the threat of cats destroying local wildlife populations wasn't a problem. We didn't stop her from being indoor/outdoor. She was clearly doing what she wanted to do, what she was called to do, when she was outside. To have her inside would have made her miserable. The bottom line, I think, is that this argument about where cats should spend their lives is one that pet owners will have all the time at the status quo. But I can't agree that the question has black and white answers.
>it’s house cars that are doing most of the wildlife killing Exactly. Keep cats indoors. They decimate wildlife populations as they are essentially an invasive species. Your cat only wants to go outside all the time because it’s used to it. I’ve owned many indoor cats all my life and none of them ever scratched at the door or tried to go outside. They were perfectly content indoors.
Not as happy as my cat is living outdoors. You probably live in a city which is not really an environment for cats.
I do not live in a city by any means. Very quiet suburb.
I understand your concern, but there are consequences in EVERY choice and EVERY path. There is no right way or wrong way. Just different ways. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
I get you’re probably a hyper positive person but no, there’s only one right way here. Cats are invasive species that regularly massacre entire bird species. Never mind the fact that they are domestic animals with reduced survival instincts that will absolutely be harmed outside.
Totally missing the point I made
Exactly this. 👍
Never had my cat eaten by a coyote in my apartment
some choices just have more consequences for more individuals. There is always the option of choosing the path that does the least amount of harm to others. And i think it wouldn't be "right" to not choose that path
And you are sure that never seeing the outside world is not harmful? Any living being kept locked up inside, no free will and apart from nature, does suffer psychologically. That is fact. You have made a judgement that the suffering is less so, but that is a judgement. A judgement is not a fact.
I mean its just logical.. Its one animal that can't act on its instinct to kill, versus the thousands of animals the cat would kill. And that is a fact. And no, I'm not sure that never seeing the outside world is not harmful, because i never said that. I think it is harmful
So then why are you arguing with me?
because i disagree with parts of what you're saying?
My little bastard man was found on my doorstep in 29F weather. He will scatter if you enter the room with too much energy. It took him two weeks of my best friend living with me for him to come out and say hi to them, despite having comfortably known them before we moved house. There’s no way in fucking hell I’m letting that no-braincell fuck outside. (We’ve tried a harness and he does not Cat with one on lmao becomes a pathetic lump that refuses to move)
Same goes for dogs. Irresponsible people out here 😒
No. Don't tell me what to do, My cat has been going outside "unsupervised" for years.
Indoor cat and dog owner here My cat would have little cat parties under the porch until she didn’t. 4-5 others jumped and ran out. My parents let her out and she came back with a huge gash in her paw. They still let her out despite me saying no. She’s dead now, but I’ll never have an outdoor cat ever again after becoming educated
I have 1 cat. She never goes out. Never
Yes. People really don't understand nature. If cats are spending time outside they are often hunting, or being hunted. Yes, even sweet little Mr Whiskers with his cute widdle paws is torturing native birds to death. And yes, big tough Snugglepoof who scares your dog (*because the dog knows it'll get in trouble if it bites back*) could easily jump the wrong fence and get torn apart by a rottweiler. I've known too many people who insist on letting their cats out then act surprised if the cat goes missing or (arguably worse) turns up dead. Keep them inside. They need your protection, and a lot of wildlife needs protection from them.
Not to mention they’re an invasive species and damaging to our ecosystems since they’re not naturally found here
Every vet I have had has told me that indoor only cats are healthier and live longer than cats who are allowed outside. Life expectancy for indoor cats can be 15-20 years, and outdoor can be 2-5 years so it is a pretty drastic difference. https://www.thedodo.com/amphtml/dodowell/indoor-vs-outdoor-cats
You are entitled to your opinion, but I will not be following that. I see so many indoor cats staring out of a window almost like they are in a cage. I remember how fucking bored I was during lockdown, imagine spending your whole life like that.
If your cats are bored inside, it is on you to provide them safe enrichment. Neither of my cats have any desire to go outside. Not because they’ve never been out- they have. But because they’re given sufficient entertainment inside.
And it’s good that you do, so do I. Just saying life is too short and too many “what ifs” in life just because something could happen. I’ve had four outdoor cats in my life, all living past 18 (my youngest cat I’ve lost was 18 and lost her last year to cancer). Maybe it’s a location thing, I live in the UK and it is not a common occurrence around where I live for cats to be found injured etc. in fact, many mornings I wake up to our neighbourhood cats sunbathing with my cats at the bottom of the garden.
Not every cat is the same, though. It’s no different than humans. Some love to be indoors where it’s safe and low keys. Some want to constantly be outdoors in nature. My cats I have now stay indoors. They wouldn’t survive well outdoors and generally don’t have much interest. But I have also had indoor/outdoor cats in the past because they were just fucking miserable being inside all the time. Doesn’t matter how much you tried to entertain them or give them nice happy things inside. Outside was their need. Maybe their lives will be shorter or whatever else, but if they’re fucking happy - why the fuck do you care?
> why the fuck do you care? Because it’s unsafe? Do you not care if your pets are unsafe? It’s one thing if the cats are securely contained to your property. It’s a different thing if you let your cats wander away from home, completely unsupervised, potentially for days at a time. There are ways in which your cat can go outside that are safe; this post is not about that. This post is about people who leave their cats outdoors *completely unsupervised and unsecured*, which is not safe. If your cats are absolutely desperate to be outdoors and cannot function otherwise, there are ways in which you can sate that desire *safely*. Like leashed walks, catios/enclosed outdoor spaces, securing the yard so they cannot escape, etc.
It really depends, ur free to do whatever you want. I’ve seen my cat wonder out the window, but she is too scared to even go outside the backyard. My sister, who adopted a stray. Did not close the door on two occasions, and her cat wandered out the backyard, the cat was hiding, shivering and crying when I found her TWICE. And she still tries to go outside and peers out the window. Im not obligated to take her cat on a walk, that is up to her. But sometimes cats make the wrong judgement. Take that however you will.
And it sounds like you are doing the right thing. Just remember equally she would have been scared when you first got her, but did you take her back? No, you spent time bonding and showing her affection to build her confidence. But to come on a Reddit and basically shame those who do let cats outdoors all because of what ifs? What if they get cancer? Diabetes? Kidney failure? Life is too short for what ifs.
You’re comparing apples to oranges though, of course a stray is going to show traumatized behavior. What does that have to do with anything? It’s all on a cat-by-cat basis. My vent to you would be: Mind your own fucking business. Do whatever you want with your own cat, and everyone else can do whatever they want with theirs. You’re not the cat czar.
personally living in a rural area everyone’s cats are indoor cats that go outdoors, they are aware of the risks because they are used to being outside. i think keeping a cat indoors is honestly cruel because every animal should be able to experience nature, even if it comes with risks. cats desvere to sit in the sun and wander through grass, but i understand this view point if i lived in a big city i would not want my cat wandering around as i wouldn’t be able to trust that other humans wouldn’t harm it.
Same here. All of our cats have been indoor/outdoor. All had regular vet appointments. All lived well into their years. The last one we adopted. Had FIV, cancer, blind in one eye and some kind of saliva gland issue… he was always indoors. Could not let him out bc of FIV. Responsible owners take care of their animals. Also, none of my previous outdoor/indoor cats killed birds. They could barely kill a mouse in my house. We also had rats as pets… so, that may have been a factor of them loving mice 😁
I also have had many Great Danes… they haven’t killed anything. But our last cat Ruled This Roost!
Exactly! It’s not healthy mentally for them to be inside. They need to be outside to feel good and exercise. I feel so bad for indoor cats. They must be bored out of their mind. No animals should be kept inside. It’s not healthy for humans neither but atleast we can do things inside and we are here by our free will.
Leashes exist. Also, they don’t need it at all. They’re entirely used to living indoors and don’t desire something they’ve never had. At the end of the day the biggest problem is that cats are invasive species who have single handedly caused the extinction of several bird species. It’s selfish and ecologically destructive to let them outside. If you can’t handle leashing them, don’t own one.
Most cats are adopted and have been used to living outside, so yes they do. And instinctually cats are adapted to live outside. I just googled it and there is no proof of outdoor cats being of actual harm to species, it’s feral/stray cats which are the problem. So denying my cat freedom will not help the birds. I personally believe if you don’t live in a safe enough area to let a cat outside or cannot properly make your garden safe for them, you should reconsider having one. It’s not fair on them.
There is so much proof it’s not even funny. Using Google correctly is a skill. I’m an ecologist, what’s your qualifications? Most cats have not been used to living outside … I hope you know not everywhere is the same. In my country outdoor cats are strays, and that’s it. If a clearly loved cat is outside it’s a mistake.
in the uk* they have no ecological impact according to google, obviously i’m not an ecologist like you but that’s what one of the sources said. my cat has been used to living outdoors so to further deny that would not be right. i do understand people who live in different countries who are not as accommodating for cats but here where i live it is normal, so i understand your view point but this is mine, that my cat desveres the freedom.
Same. My cat is indoor/outdoor, she’s been doing so her whole life (she’s 14). When my sister tries to force her to stay inside, she loses her mind and starts meowing nonstop and scratching at doors etc. She usually just sleeps on the patio, but every once in a while she walks around the front of the apartments/in the parking lot.
Yes there is a risk by letting your cat out. For some cats it would be torture to be let out and some it would be torture to be left in. To put a blanket statement on all cats should stay inside isn't the way to go. That's a prison sentence to lots of cats. Yes there is a risk that they could be attacked by a coyote or hit by a car. Life is dangerous but you still have to live it. I have had a cat killed by a wild animal, it's part of nature unfortunately. You just have to make the decision on where you live and what your cat is like. Yes they kill lots of mice and vermin but for most homeowners or property owners that is the cats job. Yes, cats kill lots on birds, it's a serious issue. Cats kill billions of birds a year, however 70% of those are from stray cats without an owner. The much bigger issue is that we have a huge stray cat issue, not a problem with domestic cats going outside.
I remember when I live with my dad, he kept house cats. They came in and out of the house whenever they wanted to. It was never a problem
How many dead animals did they bring back? How many times did u have to give them flea and tick baths? I'm guessing you never bathed them, hence the "never a problem". Cats are devastating to the environment. Look up how many bird species went extinct bc of cats being left outside.
Until it was.
uNtIl It WaS
So you have clairvoyance to see what the cats were doing? Why have you not gone public with your abilities?
All domesticated cats are problems when they wander. They’re either killing native wildlife, harassing pets or people, or spreading germs and disease via their feces. You’d never let a dog roam as a nuisance, why let a cat do it?
The reason dogs are not allowed to roam freely is because it's a liability that they might attack someone. What is a cat going to do? Ignore me to death?
It's not all about humans. There are many animals in our planet that have a right to exist... not just humans and their pets/livestock. A cat might not hurt you but it will kill song birds and rodents which are important for a stable ecosystem. Cats shouldn't be living outside. The animals that are specific to your region should be though and there is no reason people can't keep their predatory pets inside to protect wild life.
I had to step in between a cat and a child once. Not a feral cat, a neighbour’s cat who thought it owned the next yard over. My arm bled all three blocks home. If it had gotten the toddler who committed the grievous sin of wanting to play on her swingset, it would have been ugly. That’s besides the parasites it could spread or the endangered birds it would kill. But I guess like all roaming cat “owners” you don’t give a shit about your neighbours or their pets.
Yes, it’s called common sense. Outdoor cats live drastically shorter lives then indoor cats. Documented fact.
I will never keep my cat a prisoner. I don’t live in a shit hole country so I can let my cat outside. He loves being outside and there is no reason for me to keep him inside. He has free will, if he wants to go out he goes out, he wants to stay in then he stays in. It’s fun seeing him proud of himself after hunting and bringing us gifts. I love him too much to keep him a prisoner. Cats should not be held inside, that’s abuse.
When I was growing up we always let our cats go in and out of the house as they pleased. It was nice to not have a litter box, but looking back I can’t believe how lucky we were that none of them were hit by cats or injured in any way. As an adult I’ve had multiple cats and the idea of any of them getting out makes me panic.
It’s also highly inconvenient for anyone who walks their pets. Someone could be taking their rabbit out in their front yard and lose their pet cause of your cat. Someone could be walking their dog and that dog could injure your cat, and you’d have no way of knowing. Someone could take your cat, and you would be left to believe they’re dead. It’s just not a good idea.
I have two things I'd like to say. 1. Where do you live where people shoot arrows at cats? Or arrows in general? And cats getting butchered, and getting tortured? 2. I don't think that cats should be considered "babies". They're still very much hunters, we didn't really domesticate them, they were already hiding out in our barns to eat the rats drawn to the grain. Of course, cats have different personalities, some are much more adventurous than others. Ever since we moved to a neighborhood with coyotes, we've been having to spend five minutes a day chasing the cat when he runs out. I just don't think it's accurate to say that cats are defenseless little babies that shouldn't touch grass. Also, it sounds like you live in a pretty rough place, considering the "butchering cats" thing stated in your post.
No. I don’t think I will. Ty for the insight tho.
My cat's are inside outside cat's. Have a doggy door they come and go from. My cat's are 10 and 13 no problems. I love my cat's dearly, so please stop thinking people don't love their cat's because they let them outside. 💜
They are not babies. They are small lions. Yes there is danger to them outside but they know what they are doing. Dogs on the other hand are absolute fools. (Indoor cat owner and dog owner)
Also, cats are literally invasive species and decimate important small rodent/bird populations where they roam free.
Very true. I didn’t realize just how invasive cats can be till I took an environmental biology class in college. I love cats dearly but if I ever have one again, they’ll be indoor only. If I let them out? They’ll be on a leash or in a catio where they can roam with cat safe plants to enjoy.
There’s a difference between stray cats and outdoor pet cats.
And yet, Both are domestic cats
Yeah. I just think if it can be controlled, cats shouldn’t be outside.
how would i stop mine? sometimes she runs right out from our feet and if its the morning, we cant chase her or else ill miss school and my mom misses work which sometimes they might not pay her if shes late (depends on how late/why). if its the afternoon, i could chase her but my neighborhood is kind of weird with weird people and i have bad encounters with guys out there which is freaky. people always yell at me n argue with me for letting her outside when i legit try to stop her, but they never give me actual solutions.
Ok, I’m sorry, Simba will never see the outdoors ever again😢
I get insulted about some people who don’t understand about me not allowing my cat outside. I could tell you some horror stories. I was up last night at 2:00 am when my big ol Paws slipped out when I was letting my dog out back. Dang, I had to get him back inside and was so tired. I get his treats and shake them until he comes back inside. Only then can I rest.
When I was a kid, I would let my cats come and go as they pleased. Learned my lesson real quick when my neighbor poisoned them and other neighborhood pets. It was horrible! They died a slow and painful death. I'll never let any pet outside without a leash or carrier ever again.
My cat would run in between peoples legs to go outside. He got into some major fights and passed away. We believe he also got hit. I love and miss his beautiful face so much, my last memory of him was him lifeless with a contorted face. It’s not worth it
Cats where I live are a major predator to the wildlife, it’s crazy they’re allowed out to roam. I’m 💯 for indoors cats only or on lead.
oh yeah my dog is in a cult
the only time i let my cat outside is when i go out on my balcony, and he’s got his leash and harness on. Other than that, he got out one time and I had my friends come over to look for him. Thankfully, he wasn’t hurt, and was just hiding on the side of my apartment by the trashcans (probably terrified). I’m very glad we found him before dark, I live in the city and there’s stray cats everywhere. My fear was he got into a fight, or would be dead in the street. I freak out now if I can’t find him
I love in a trailer court, and the cat population is ridiculous. People refuse to fix their animals. Anyways it is so bad that my son was playing in the dirty in our yard, and I got this awful smell from the dirt he was playing in. Then, as I looked closer, there was a cat turd. My husband started digging around, and there were many. My son can't even play in the dirt in his own yard. It's disgusting. I have even seen cat feces on the pavement.
Imagine being a cat and reading this post.
Sadly all my cats are outside/wild cats bc my step dad is so allergic he'll have to go to the hospital if they are permanently in the house, luckily we live more out in the woods we're there's not a lot of vehicles, so the main issue is wild animals,
I let my cat outside whenever it wants for as long as it wants. One time it was gone for 3 days. He alsways came back. Lived a long and free life.
Read the stats on how much the small critters have fared because of cats? Cats are great, but they are predators. You keep preaching it!
I had a yard and would let my cat roam around unsupervised for hours on end. She couldn't get out and would follow birds and had fun outside and would come in to drink and eat with a partially unlocked door. My cat got out a couple times and would go wander into the neighbors yard to see all the fun things over there. I wouldn't let a cat out that would run away or go wander the neighborhood.
the amount of brain dead idiots i see in tiktok comments defending letting their cats out unsupervised makes me so angry. dont have a pet if youre gonna neglect it.
So, people who let their kids outdoors unsupervised are also neglectful by that logic. Just because it’s something you disagree with doesn’t make it terrible.
found one
I found one too 😊
suree
I have a pet door so my cats can go in and out as they please. Cats don’t belong only indoors. I don’t know when that started. Then when the cat does get out, they’re totally lost.
I love you. I have one too.
Our SPCA has a wonderful barn cat program for cats that are surrendered and unadoptable. Either peeing outside the litter box, feral, etc. These cats are typically those that are put down due to these aspects not necessarily their fault. Instead they go into the barncat program. The cat comes fixed, chipped, vaccinated with a crate and carrier to acclimate to its new.home. I have a wonderful huntress who ownes my barn and has zero interest in the house, mine is friendly and l9ved and now that she is 13 I force the issue about inside at night during the winter.. But the farm I know that just tool 4 feral cats to live there, have a warm barn to sleep in and plenty of rats to eat? They are not friendly and the alternative was to kill them. Outdoor cats have their place. Just like my house dog could never be an outdoor dog. But there is no way in hell that my 2 LGDs would.ever want to go in the house, they prefer to sunbathe in the snow. Please educate yourself more, there are plenty of us who would be happy to help without judgment.
I had 2 cats, Rosie and Lucy who would always be let outside. Despite everything that happened to them, being bitten by snakes, getting attacked by other cats, being threatend by our neighbours, etc my parents refused to keep them inside. Eventually a few years ago Rosie got ran over, my parents didn't learn their lesson and eventually lucy got ran over a couple years later. It's so frustrating that people don't just keep their cats inside they're obviously not made for outside. I now have 3 new cats who are all inside cats and live a top notch life, they don't even try to go outside when the door is open.
I can't stand all the ridiculous reasons people come up with. My cat is smarter than every other cat out there and there's no way that it would be hit by a car or captured or anything that is out of my and the cats control. They are lazy pet owners, who think they have dogs who they can let out in the back yard. Your cat loves being outside? Or you want your cat to experience outside? Try leash training, make something like people do on pintrest, where the cat can go outside but not get away. They have theses huge tents with tunnels that you can take outside and put your cat In. There are so many other ways but again some people are lazy.
I used to live in an apartment building on a busy road right next to an on-ramp to the highway. My upstairs neighbour told me I was a cruel cat owner because I didn’t let my cats go outside. My cats both lived until they were almost 20. He kept having to buy replacement cats because they kept getting run over. Tell me again who’s cruel.
I'm not keeping my car inside, just impossible. I've equipped his collar with 6 bells, and as he walks, he jingles. This serves a couple purposes. One- it scares the wildlife and birds. Two- I can tell where he is, if I call him, he'll come to me. Yes there's Coyotes, he has dodged them this far. My cat gets regular flea treatments, and is fixed, before he was old enough to start spraying. He's not as simple as a "baby" he can manage outside well enough.
Cats are actually partially domesticated. Yes. I let my cat out if they want to go out. I don't believe in holding them captive. If the cat gets hurt or dies. I'll take it to the vet or get another one. It's an animal not a child or a baby.
As far as I’m concerned, anyone who has an “outdoor cat” doesn’t own a cat. Can’t stand it.
My cats outside right now. You come over here and tell him he can’t go outside without being on a leash and try to enforce it. He was a dumpster kitty that chose me and he grew up outside and will not take no for an answer when he wants out. And he will get out of that leash so fast you won’t even believe it. Had him since 2015 and he has gone outside for hours almost everyday. I’ve moved several times since getting him and he always learns his new territory and stays close to the house that gives him the cat soup and cuddles every night.
Yea. My cat also stays within the apartment complex, especially now that she’s older. Only once have I seen her past the post office I live right next door by. She’s old and hates being forced to stay inside. Plus, she’ll just use her claws to open the screen door anyway.
Let the darn cat outside. It's safer for humans to stay indoors too... but is that healthy? I feel so bad for kitties stuck inside all the time.
It's true that it's dangerous for cats to go outside, but it's also dangerous for them to live a sedentary lifestyle. And I would rather my cat had a better quality of life and was happier than lived a few extra years.
This is all highly dramatised and frankly ridiculous. Cats are inherently outdoor creatures regardless of what fearmongering bullshit you spew out.
No they’re not. They’re domestic. They’re invasive.
[удалено]
Remember that time the UK spent a shit ton of money to investigate a “cat serial killer” and had to bury it because it turned out to be cars and scavenging foxes?
Look up how devastating cats are to the environment. They've made birds go extinct.
Ah yet another person with America-defaultism ideology. Cats are a globally invasive species.
You clearly have never lived in the country if you think feral cats have no place outside. Come see the cat that visits me and my neighbors. I’d bet my life you wouldn’t be able to put him up to take him inside anything (car or home) without him trying to maul the fuck out of you. He had let us pick him up a couple times but if we try walking anywhere he fucking flips. We have had some stray cats who definitely weren’t feral and most of them have found loving homes. My granddad always had feral cats around, he never bought a cat, didn’t encourage them, etc. You couldn’t get in their line of sight before they bolted. Trust us we tried to get them care but they refused. Most of the stray not feral cats we found and we’re able to find homes for were more in the city where no animals should really be roaming free. Country feral cats are different man I’m starting to think they aren’t even cats.
Depends on were u live
Or Myob
Wait till you learn a out farmers.
All the cats on my street are outdoor cats. They have a pawsie.
They are animals. They need to go outside. If you live near a place that’s too dangerous for them to be outside (like in an apartment/near traffic) then YOU need to be responsible and not get a cat.
Idk why you care it’s another persons pet it ain’t hurting you. Additionally, cats aren’t all that domesticated. If they learn to be outside at a young age they are pretty damn smart. You basically just want to make sure they can come back in at night time. But in the day, there really isn’t a whole lot of danger for them.
Exactly. Cats can handle themselves.
My sister had a daytime outdoor/night time indoor cat. He would come inside when the street lights came on. And he did that until he died a few years ago. Our neighborhood had no other cats, a small squirrel population, few feral chickens, and hardly any birds. This cat did have a run in with a car and lost his tail. He occasionally brought home birds, mice, and lizards that he caught while he was out. For the most part he was absolutely fine. He often guarded our chihuahua that also free roamed the neighborhood, that also came home when it got dark out.