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Cat Owners -- Should I Let Mine Outside?

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dancingqueen

dancingqueen

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Hi all,

I''m struggling with the idea of letting my kitties, Johnny & June, outside. They are just over a year old and lately have been "screaming" to go out. My mother was visiting last week and she accidentally let them out (they have been stalking the doors lately). I ended up letting them play in the yard for awile and now it seems like they are so sad sitting in the windows wanting to go out where all the fun is.

I know they could get hurt outside, but I feel like I''m really depriving them of fun and fresh air. I tried harnesses and it was a disaster! Part of me feels like I should let them be indoor/outdoor, but I don''t know... I''m trying to convince myself that they are happy and have a good like indoors.

I guess I don''t really have a question, just wondering what everyone''s thoughts are?
 
First, even if you did know this I think it''s worth repeating that if your kitties are declawed they should never be let outside.

Having that said, it depends on the cat. I''ll give you a comparison between my cat (NOT allowed to go out) and FI''s cat (allowed). My cat whines, whines, and whines some more to go outside. However, I will NEVER allow him to do so.

My cat: Very trusting personality, and rubs against anyone. The first day I got him, he purred like crazy and I had cat hair all over me in two seconds. Same thing when my sister visited for the first time, same thing with my roommate, roommate''s mom, and my parents.
My FI''s cat: Only trusts FI and extremely loyal. He only follows FI''s car (not mine), he only comes inside the house when FI opens the door (not even me), and he never goes towards strangers. Well, he will rub against me, and whomever comes inside the house. But I can tell that his trust is only with FI. He sits, cuddles, and purrs only with FI. If he is outside the house, he will never go towards anyone.

My cat: Loves to explore everything. He doesn''t flinch against a dog, and he would try to sniff a cat out of curiosity (even if the other cat clearly wants his space). If he sees a car, he will probably run towards it out of curiosity.
FI''s Cat: Curious, but cautious. He will never go towards another large animal or children.

My cat: Tolerant of rough handling. We sometimes make fun of him by (lightly) stepping on his body, hit his head, swing him, hang him upside down, etc. He tolerates ALL of this!! He doesn''t cry or bite. He just lets us abuse him.
FI''s cat: Doesn''t take crap from anyone. If we so much as look at him the wrong way, he will bite. If someone roughly grab him, the person will have permanent marks. FI has his arms to prove this.

My cat: Clumsy. When my cat runs into an obstacle, he will stop and takes a minute thinking how he can go around it.
FI''s cat: Extremely agile. He can scan the entire house while running. He doesn''t need to stop for anything, and he will have figured out a path to his destination already.

I hope this helps
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Is your yard fenced, so that the cats can''t get out and nothing can get in at them? Are you in a rural or a city environment? In general, I think it''s safer to keep them inside. This Humane Society article more or less sums up my opinion on it. Letting cats outside.
 
ETA. I sometimes let my cat outside for a few seconds. He gets so excited and darts out like an arrow. But he is so slow and dumb that he doesn''t go very far within that time frame. After a minute or so, I walk towards him to pick him up. He doesn''t want to come in, so he trots a little. I walk towards him. He trots again. I walk towards him. He trots again. After only FIVE repetition of this, he GIVES UP, and sits there for me to pick him up. If this is how easily he gives up, there is no way I''m going to let him out for more than a minute. Somebody will take him!!
 
My short answer: NO!

Here''s my long answer: cats that go outdoors (even if they''re indoor/outdoor) have a much shorter life expectancy than cats who stay indoors. I would never let my cats outdoors. I live on a busy street in a city right now, but even if I lived in a rural area I wouldn''t. One of my cats was a stray who of course lived outdoors for the first year of her life, and I know she would love to go outside, but I will never let her out.

If I move to a house with a fenced yard so that other animals could not get to my cats, I would consider letting them out on harnesses, but that''s it. I think your cats will learn to deal with harnesses if that''s the only way they''re allowed outside.
 
Personally, I would strongly recommend that you keep your cats indoors. The most important reason being the SAFETY of your babies. Depending on what kind of area you live in, outdoors can be filled with danger at every corner. Cars, weird people, other animals, other cats, diseases, etc can all end up with heartache for you and injury or even death for your beloved cats. If your cats are not fixed, roaming the neighborhood will also affect the feral population which is already staggering. If your cats decide to hunt, for food or fun, they can also run havoc on neighborhood wildlife.

Now, depending on where you live and how you do it, cats might still be able to enjoy the outdoors with less danger/repercussions. However this is not the case for most of us who don''t live in an area where our cats can safely roam outside. Taking them out on leashes, letting them in the fenced yard (supervised), etc can help. My sister takes her cats camping with her (leashed) which the cats really enjoy.

Being indoors does not have to be boring or depriving them of happier life. If you''re concerned about your kitties being bored then provide them with more entertainment, get tall scratching posts, provide window perches (I have one by every window of my house), more toys, spend more time interacting with them, etc. Cats use vertical space much more so than people, so high places they can jump on and off can be very beneficial for them too.
 
Mine are strictly indoors and I would NEVER let a cat go roaming outside, but there are other solutions.
You didn''t have luck with the leash, but what about a large cage where they can enjoy the air but not go anywhere? I know a few cats who really love this solution.

If you decide to let them out under any circumstances, you must be very dilligent about their shots and vet care since they are exposed to a lot more. Also be aware of what goes on in your area. We had some squirrels with the plague last summer for example.
 
What is your yard like.

I would generally say keep them inside! There is just so much scary stuff out there that I would just worry WAY too much.

Now growing up, we did have outdoor cats. In fact, one of the family cats live to be over 20, and she was a 100% outdoor cat (except once during a tornado, my sister and I went out and got her and put her in the basement with us). But that cat was a survivor. We had several other outdoor cats live to old ages. But, we also lived on a good amount of property with a barn and large pasture, and we were set very far back from the road. The cats had lots to do without going to the road. We had places where the cats could go to be safe, etc. Unfortunately, even with a set up like that, for every cat we had to die of old age, we''ve had several that didn''t make it that far. There are just so many dangers. Even being away from the road, we had one get hit by a car. We had some killed by wandering dogs or coyotes. They fought with strays, opossums, racoons, and other animals. I dunno, the life of an outside cat is just very uncertain, there are so many natural dangers not to mention all the crazies out there who like to mess with animals for kicks.
 
hi dancingqueen (love your name!),

Our cats all went outside when I was growing up. Just yesterday my sister and I were saying how we could not do that now. I vote for keeping them indoors, but I do understand feeling bad for them!

The woman who cut my hair last week told me a gruesome story of her friend''s beloved cat.
Some abusers got hold of her outdoor cat and the cat crawled home 2 days later, severely injured. She is recovering but she will never be the same. The story of what the vet thinks happened is horrific. I know this is an extreme example but just another reason I want to keep mine indoors.
 
My cat is an indoor cat and I would never let her go out. We have coyotes around here (can hear them at night)....not to mention, I am a worrier. I would worry that she was in danger until she came back in!

My sisters cat got out once, was scared by my mom''s boyfriends dog and she darted through the screened window. She was gone for 24 hours, and thankfully she came back, but she came back with a hole in her thingh! Poor kitty had to undergo wound cleansings and antibiotics.
 
I have made the decision to keep my cats indoor only. I just think there are too many hazards outside with cars, sunks (yes, sunks live in my neighborhood), other cats. My cat already fights with other cats through the window, so I don''t wan''t to know what happens if she goes out. Plus I don''t want to spend all the money on flee and worm prevention every month.
 
no, No, NO.

movie zombie
 
Date: 6/4/2008 11:52:15 PM
Author: movie zombie
no, No, NO.


movie zombie
Click to expand...

and NO

The only time I would EVER consider letting one of my cats go outside is if we had a purposely built cat run where they can''t be hurt or hurt others and even then I would be iffy.

An indoor kitty is a safe and happy kitty :)
 
no!
 
I third MZ''s no no no.

However, I think Lynn''s little enclosed kitty playpen for outdoors is okay. But since mine don''t whine to go out, I don''t even ''go there.'' They have their birdy DVDs and screened in windows with bird feeders right there to look at and smell the outdoors, but they ain''t going out there, no way no how.
 
I have to agree and say NO! Maverick was a completely indoor cat, but I would take him out on my upstairs porch at my apartment with me and he just loved to bask in the sun! When I bought my house there was no one else in the neighborhood yet and the fences are really high, so I would sit out at my little table and chairs and read while he sunbathed...he loved it!

He did not have the use of his claws and was exactly like Choro described her kitty...he loved everyone and everything and didn''t have a clue to be afraid of anything but the vacuum. I could abuse/love him to my heart''s desire and he just adored that someone was touching him and spending time with him.

I tried to get another cat several times, and he would roll on his side and get into a submissive pose and I think since he was so big, he frightened all the other cats. Cats would always come to the patio door and be really mean, and he had no clue. I never would have let him out unless I was right there with him...he was an old softy without a clue.

I have friends that have property and have rescued and fixed over 50 cats in the time I''ve known them. I believe they still currently have about 19 of them, some in the basement, some downstairs, some upstairs, some in the garage, outside and in two barns. Funny thing is, you never see more than 2 or 3 at a time, and if you didn''t know any better, you''d think that was it.

My friend (their daughter) moved into the basement apt. and didn''t think there was enough room for her kitties, so she built a "cat condo" that opened up to a low window. It was about 6" high, 6" wide and 6" deep. It had a bunch of different levels for them to climb up on and was completely screened in, carpeted and shaded, and the cats just loved it! It had a door she could go in to get them out if she needed to bring them in, but she always shut the window at night and then opened it a few times a day...it was like their own jungle gym and the cats were happy as clams! I think I would like to do something like this when Rusty and I finally do get a new kitty...just knowing how much they love it makes me want to at least try to make it possible sometimes!
 
Got a high up deck? My indoor-only babies get to sit on or 3rd floor deck in the sun all summer.

However, my 12 year old babies have never been outside except for the time Rat fell out a window many years ago; he was so terrified he crouched under a bush trembling for hours until we figured out what happened and fetched him. Sonar has never been out. My newest bebe, the 6ish year old adoptee OP, was found at our mall and appeared to be an outdoor only cat. In fact he peed in the bathtub the first time he saw it, but once he saw me shower you could see the lightbulb click on "Oh, THATS what that weird thing is for!" and never peed in it again. So I don''t think he''d ever seen a bathtub before. He whined for a year at the door, and mostly gave up after that.

I don''t think you''re depriving your cat. The life expectancy is so much better for indoor only babies. You''re keeping your kitties safe & healthy. That''s a good thing! They''ll give up on the whining at the door eventually. And if possible, maybe a deck for them someday?
 
Hello there. I think you always have the potential
to let your cats out for limited hours, depending on
whether they have claws and you're prepared to
accompany them while they learn to cope with the
outdoors. I think that one year is about six
months too late to approach the issue with confidence
(cats' reactions can be simply too slow to survive
in the outside world when kept indoors beyond the
6 month point generally).

If coyotes are a concern a way to drastically cut
down the risk of 'disappearing cat' is to lure them
inside on a scheduled feeding time as dusk falls
(before coyote hunting time). 100% safety is achieved
with keeping indoors -- but like yourself I would feel
sorry for my mogs to be trapped inside after thousands
of years perfecting hunting and evading predators
in the wild.

I'm in Texas where coyotes and snakes abound, and this
approach has worked for my cats for four years. They were
newly-inoculated 6-month olds when I first took them
outside though, and so are very 'street smart'. I accept
that disaster may occur, but balance that against what
I'm inclined to believe is best for the cats overall.

Despite this essay I think the best general approach
is: when in doubt, don't.
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HTH
1.gif
 

Thanks for the great input, everyone.


We are moving to a new house next week so I''ve been thinking about the situation in our new yeard. Our new back yard overlooks a creek and bikepath and also a very wooded area. I''m sure they would have a great time exploring, but I''m too worried about them getting hurt. I''m thinking maybe I''ll try working with the harnesses a little more. When they were out last weekend, they seemed to be content exploring in the shrubs around the house, but I''m afraid the wooded area at our new house will be too much.


Someone mentioned a large caged-in area. Has anyone had success with these and where would I find something like that? I''ve seen the "cat runs", but I think they wouldn''t like a tunnel-type area.


I guess I need to just get through the move first and let them get used to the new house and then see what happens.


Thanks again!

 
Date: 6/4/2008 9:58:52 PM
Author: thing2of2
My short answer: NO!

Here''s my long answer: cats that go outdoors (even if they''re indoor/outdoor) have a much shorter life expectancy than cats who stay indoors. I would never let my cats outdoors. I live on a busy street in a city right now, but even if I lived in a rural area I wouldn''t. One of my cats was a stray who of course lived outdoors for the first year of her life, and I know she would love to go outside, but I will never let her out.

If I move to a house with a fenced yard so that other animals could not get to my cats, I would consider letting them out on harnesses, but that''s it. I think your cats will learn to deal with harnesses if that''s the only way they''re allowed outside.
Click to expand...
Ditto Thing.
 
growing up we had indoor/outdoor cats and they often had *something* - fleas, ticks, nasty bleeding booboos from fights/predators, worms, getting stuck in trees, you name it. (they were always up to date on vet care and shots, of course!) we lived in the suburbs, a cul-de-sac setting so there was plenty of space for them to roam around in, but also plenty of roads to pose a danger (every one of our cats lives was ended by a vehicle) and plenty of space for other animals to roam who posed a danger to our cats. a couple of tough ones survived to around 10 years, but others only made it 2-4 years or less.

when DH and i moved in together, we got two kittens who were about 6 wks old. they have always been indoor cats and they are happy, loving, and safe! they have had one or two bouts with fleas that were leftover from the previous owner of our house but other than that they have not had worms, injuries, disease, etc. sometimes they get curious about going outside if we leave the door open, but all in all they do not appear to be suffering. so long as they have access to windows, attention from DH or me, and plenty of fresh food and water, they appear to be very happy.

oh, and i have found that our indoor cats are way more affectionate and gentle than the outdoor cats were, who were more independent in nature (with one exception that i can think of).

the philosphy growing up was that it was somewhat cruel to keep them indoors and deprive them of their natural habitat. having now experienced both sides of the debate, i now believe keeping them inside is the way to go. they suffered more by being outside, and you must at least be prepared for a gruesome, devastating and early loss.
 
<------ That''s my baby over there...3yr old siamese.
He''s not allowed to just venture outside...and never will be. He''s curious about the outdoors as in he will dramatically sniff the air while he stands at the door to greet us.

But he gets to lounge on the window sills and sniff more outside air, hear the sounds the birdies make as they fly around and the russle of the trees blowing in the breeze and watch the bunnies & squirrels in the yard when I have the windows open (strong screens in place). All while being completely safe and out of harms way. He gets his outdoors fix and I keep my peace of mind. Plus, the poor little dear has spring-time allergies anyway...

Having said that, my daughter and I do sometimes put him in his harness and leash and drive him around with us in the car for short rides (he enjoys it) and take him to the pet store occassionally to test out the cat toys, climb the cat condos/trees, and harrass the fish/hamsters/birdies/reptiles. He''s really outgoing so he has a ball.

I whole-heartedly agree with those that have suggested you keep your kitties indoors.
 
My cat (6 years old) has always been an indoor cat but every few months she goes a little crazy trying to get outside. She''ll meow and paw at the door (drives me crazy!) wanting out. Since she''s never really been outside I find it a little strange (how could she want something she''s never had). What we usually do is buy her some cat grass and open a window for her (whe has a window seat). She loves the fresh air and I guess the cat grass let''s her satisfy her craving for greens. It seems to help.

My husband and I just bought a house and will be moving soon (live in a townhouse currently). DH is so excited about being able to let her out in the yard (we have a huge yard) but I''ve told him there is no way that''s going to happen. She''s never been outside and wouldn''t know how to react if something happened. I''ve told him that he can take her out on a leash if he wants but we can''t just turn her loose. He''s worried someone will see him out walking a cat and think he''s not an alpha male.
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.... I see his point but I think it would be hilarious.
 

My parents have indoor/outdoor cats - siamese - and they do love the garden, but we have Pet Safe so they won''t leave the garden and get hurt.


I was at their house last weekend and the neighbours cat got run over and killed on Saturday morning. It was awful and we were all crying, especially the poor girl driving the car. Cat was chasing a rabbit and just ran straight out - nothing she could do.


The awful thing was that their other cat had been run over 3 days earlier. The owner said that was it, she couldn''t bear to have another one.


I''d love to get a cat, but if I do it will be indoor only unless on a leash. Siamese will very easily learn to walk on a leash and seem quite happy as long as you start them as kittens.

 
Pandora -- you mentioned Petsafe... Is that the same as Invisible Fence? I''ve heard these products can work on cats, but have never talked to anyone that has used it. I''ve thought if I could get an invisible fence like I see for so many dogs, it would be the perfect solution. They would stay in the yard and no worries of getting hit by cars. I understand that other animals could get in, but I still would feel so much better about letting them out if I knew they would stay in a specific area. I''m assuming a system like this would be fairly expensive as well.
 
I have never allowed mine outside without me. Not all cats will be ''street wise'' and able to care for themselves out in ''the wild''. I would worry, just as if it were my child outside without me. It''s an unkind, unsafe world for smaller critters of every species.

Where I live, hawks and coyotes would be a huge concern. They like smaller, furry animals. Those ugly carnivores.
 
we have dedicated one part of one deck to be a cat run. it is entirely wired sides and top, with removable clear siding on the sides but permanent on the top. during the summer we remove the siding and during winter it is on and serves as a in some ways. the cats have access to it 24/7 via a cat door insert in the slider. their ltter boxes are out there. i keep potted wheat grass for their gnawing pleasure. there are two camping cots one on top of the other for their lounging leisure. there is enough room to store a week or more of wood for winter burning. the cats are above the garden and can look out to watch the birds year round.

movie zombie
 
No no no.

1) cars
2) coyotes (depending on where you live - we have them in So Cal)
3) dogs
4) getting in fights
5) fleas or other diseases
6) not being able to get them back in when you need them in (ie: night time or leaving for a day or so etct.)

They''ll get used to being inside.
Maybe try to get some cool/fun things for them like window sill beds so they can look out, a cool scratching post that has a lot going on with it for them to climb and hide in.
Get them some neat toys that are more interactive.
My cats love this little circular thing with a mouse in it....it can''t come out so they go berserk.

if you have an outside area that maybe you can screen in - like a balcony that might be a good alternative.
 

As FG mentioned, we do allow Boo out... but ONLY under these conditions. He is ALWAYS in his harness, and either (1) on a leash in our yard or (2) in his enclosed mesh "playpen"

2.gif
-- we call it the "cabana"! Also, we are ALWAYS right there with him, we never, ever leave him unattended or unwatched, not even for a second.



We have a huge, secluded yard and a large deck/pergola where we spend a lot of time. In the warm months, we dine outside almost every night. Boo loves to be out there with us, (and we love having him out there with us) and so, under these conditions, we feel it is safe and reasonable. It is certainly enjoyable for all of us, and I must admit, although I know he enjoys it immensely, a large part of the reason we decided to allow him out with us was purely *selfish*... we spend so much time outside on our deck or in our yard or gardens, and it would otherwise be a large part of each day that we wouldn't get to spend with him.

A few more things... like I said, he must ALWAYS have his harness on. We make it a point, every time, to always say, "Outside? Let's put your HARNESS on." Also, he never crosses the threshhold himself... we ALWAYS carry him in or out. These habits (so far, and knock on wood!) seem to work because he never tries to bolt out the door, or go out without our attention first. He really seems to understand the "rules".

That being said, I think that cats can live perfectly full and happy lives totally indoors, and I believe that is the best way to keep them safe. And I have had cats in the past that were 100% indoor; they expressed no interest in outside, and they never went out, ever. And I know those cats had wonderful, fulfilling, happy lives. Those cats had (as does Boo), lots of toys, window perches and birdbaths and bird feeders to watch, etc.

I also realize that allowing Boo outside, even under the strict conditions we adhere to, does expose him to certain potential *risks* that would be avoided if he never went out. But I have talked at length with my vet about this, and he agrees that the risks are very, very miniscule... however, I do realize that they exist.

Another potential danger of allowing cats outside is that they do naturally become "accustomed" to and "comfortable" with the outdoors... so if Boo would ever get out without our being aware of it, he would probably wander much farther away, likely putting him at much higher risk of harm than a cat who had never been outside, and would likely be scared and stay close to the house. That is a worry to us, and why we are hyper-vigilant about making sure we stick to our "rules", while also being realistic that *anything* can happen, so we are always VERY, VERY careful when going in or out.

My advice, then? I think that letting them go outside can work and be a wonderful part of life for the cat(s) and cat parents... but there are risks involved. And... if you are in doubt, keep them safe by keeping them in!

BTW, here's of picture of Boo and his buddy, Buster (DD's kitty) in The Cabana.

CuteCabanaCats.jpg
 
Date: 6/5/2008 11:58:17 AM
Author: Pandora II

My parents have indoor/outdoor cats - siamese - and they do love the garden, but we have Pet Safe so they won''t leave the garden and get hurt.



<
Click to expand...

I am curious too. What is pet safe?
 
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