/an/ - Animals & Nature » Thread #344464

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Anonymous Tue 25 Nov 2008 05:50:00 No.344464 View View Reply Original Report

Question for cat owners.
How did you decide whether or not your cat would be an indoor or outdoor cat? Personally, I would be worried about letting my cat out, so how does that work? does the owner decide, or does the cat want to go out etc?

I've never owned a cat before. thanks.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 25 Nov 2008 05:54:00 No.344465 Report

Quoted By:

My cats are indoor/outdoor cats, but not by my choice. They belong to the family that I live with. When I get my own place, my cat will be an indoor cat. Mostly because of cars.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 25 Nov 2008 05:56:00 No.344468 Report

Quoted By: >>344470

Just don't let the cat to go outside. Remember that YOU are the human.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 25 Nov 2008 05:58:00 No.344470 Report

Quoted By: >>344473

>>344468
okay. I just wasn't sure. I've read before were they say that most cats shouldn't be let out b/c of cars/dogs/kids with bb guns.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 25 Nov 2008 06:05:00 No.344472 Report

Quoted By:

>>344464
Just seemed natural to us (my family when I was a kid) to let them out. We had a very nice yard so they usually didn't wonder at all. We didn't let them outside until they were a few months old (say three or four? I don't remember). We only had one get hit by a car, and he was very young and snuck out when we mother was taking me to school one morning.

I have a cat now (I'm 22) but I don't let her outside because she's a slut and she'll get knocked up.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 25 Nov 2008 06:07:00 No.344473 Report

Quoted By:

>>344470
Depends on where you live. If you have rare species of wild animal around that the cat might kill/eat, then don't let them out. If you live near a busy road, don't let them out. If have asshole neighbors, don't let them out.

Personally, I thought the little bit of risk was worth the the freedom for the animal.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 25 Nov 2008 06:07:00 No.344474 Report

Quoted By:

If you get the cat from a kitten, it'll be easier to teach it that it's not going outside by simply not letting it go outside.

Though if you feel bad about not letting your cat out, get a screened-in porch or a big cage.

Cats don't really need anything outside expect sunlight to doze around in.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 25 Nov 2008 06:09:00 No.344475 Report

Quoted By:

i didn't want my cat to be run over by a car, or wear one of those gay leashes. so she is and indoor cat.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 25 Nov 2008 06:15:00 No.344480 Report

Quoted By:

>>344464
Personally, there is no legitimate reason for a cat to be an outdoor cat. Cats do no need to go outside for any specific reason. I have two cats in an apartment, both of them adopted as strays, and they show absolutely no desire to go outside. I'd worry far too much about my cat being hit by a car, attacked by a wild animal, or taken by somebody else. If you don't want to worry about your baby, keep it inside, and I think you'll find the cat is completely happy. Also, don't declaw. It's incredibly cruel to the cat. In case you didn't know, it's the equivalent of cutting off the first digit of each of your fingers.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 25 Nov 2008 06:29:00 No.344482 Report

Quoted By:

When he gets out I let him stay out until he realizes I'm the only thing that gives him food, comfort and shelter and he doesn't go outside for a long time.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 25 Nov 2008 07:10:00 No.344494 Report

Quoted By:

We used to live in the country on a piece of unused farmland and so my cats had always been indoor-outdoor cats. They came and went as they pleased. Then we moved to a neighborhood and they were still indoor/outdoor cats. They never got into any trouble with cars or neighbors or anything, even though one would always hop the fence and lounge in our neighbor's yard.

That's mine though, for most it would be best to keep them indoors unless you live somewhere with little traffic and feel safe enough to let them out.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 25 Nov 2008 07:17:00 No.344496 Report

Quoted By:

>>344464
We had a really nice fenced in yard (which didn't stop them from running around, but whatever) and so they were indoor-outdoor cats. They would have to come inside for food and love, so they never stayed out long.

Then we moved. Since they are very unfamiliar with the outside, the naturally don't go outside as much. But they get that urge. Because it isn't closed in, we have to watch them carefully outside. Generally, if they get out, though, they run around the house scratching to get back in because they are Texas raised cats trying to survive the Wisconsin winter.

Anonymous

Anonymous Tue 25 Nov 2008 13:37:00 No.344603 Report

Quoted By:

All my cats died in various ways outside, so when I got old enough, I got a kitten and forced everyone to make sure she stayed indoors, always.

She is 13.

:3

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 26 Nov 2008 14:19:00 No.345123 Report

Quoted By: >>345196

Really depends where you live. All the cats I've owned have been indoor/outdoor since we live very far out in the country. Cars are a rarity and not many stray dogs or large lethal animals are around. However recently a lot more houses have sprung up, which brings more traffic and more stray cats too.

After my cat started coming home WOUNDED from strays, I finally decided that it wasn't safe for her anymore. Now she's a reluctant indoor cat. There are a few times I let her outside, but only during the day when I can supervise her. The strays don't seem nearly as active in the daytime.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO unknown.jpg, 0B, 0x0

Anonymous Wed 26 Nov 2008 19:22:00 No.345186 Report

Quoted By:

Simple. We took them home from the SPCA, and since we didn't want them to just disappear one day, and we also didn't want them whining at the door in the middle of the night to get in, we just never let them outside.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 26 Nov 2008 20:12:00 No.345196 Report

Quoted By: >>345344

>>345123
Yes, that's a good tip. Don't let your cats out at night. That's when most cats fight.

I've always let my cat outdoor during the day. That's because she had been going out ever since she was a kitten, and since I lived in a suburban area with little traffic and a lot of nature, it just didn't feel natural to keep her indoors. Besides, there are so many people coming and going in the doors that it just wouldn't be possible.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 26 Nov 2008 21:06:00 No.345227 Report

Quoted By:

We tried to let the cats outside. Once they saw out the door they got terrified and ran back inside, lol. Decision made.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 26 Nov 2008 21:26:00 No.345236 Report

Quoted By:

you gotta be careful depending on where you live. I live near the edge of town and in the last ten years or so, about six or more cats in my neighborhood have been killed by coyotes. so some of the people around here keep their cats in at night.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 27 Nov 2008 00:26:00 No.345328 Report

Quoted By:

so to sum up the whole thread OP, have the cat be an indoor cat unless you live far away from cars and wild animals

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 27 Nov 2008 01:15:00 No.345344 Report

Quoted By:

>>345196
Thats funny we had an outdoor cat in NYC and we lived in an apartment building. She would rome the backyards and alleys with all the stray cats(you would be surprised just how many stray cats there are in NYC or maybe not). She always came back though, she knew where the food was.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 27 Nov 2008 01:22:00 No.345346 Report

Quoted By:

Whether you let them out or not really depends on where you live. I've had too many cats die to cars/coyotes etc because they were outdoor cats and so decided to keep my newest as indoor cats. I'll let them out in the back yard once in awhile but only while supervised. Mine don't really have a desire to go outside for the most part, however.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 27 Nov 2008 02:15:00 No.345371 Report

Quoted By: >>345382 >>345390

After reading this thread (along with other catfag OMG DON'T LET YOUR CAT OUTSIDE), I am wondering why someone would want a cat

dogs have no problem going outside

rabbits have no problem going outside

hell I'm sure chinchillas/flying squirrels/sugar gliders could go outside

but cats instantly die when they go out? I think catfags are just scared of the sun

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 27 Nov 2008 02:45:00 No.345382 Report

Quoted By:

>>345371

Yeah because dogs never get hit by cars or run away from home

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 27 Nov 2008 03:11:00 No.345390 Report

Quoted By:

>>345371
>Rabbits have no problem going outside.`
` Yeah, just about the #1 prey animal in all nature, not to mention they can easily die of heat stroke during Summer.
Rabbit rescues will only adopt out rabbits if you sign a document saying that you will keep them indoors. They won't let you keep them in hutches outside.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 27 Nov 2008 03:45:00 No.345400 Report

Quoted By: >>345406

Cats who go outside have a tendency to get hurt or die. My very first kitty is still alive and healthy at 17. She has never been sick or injured, and I wanted the same for the cat I adopted last year.

My boyfriend's indoor cat lived to be 27. She died two years ago. Ironically enough, when she died, she wandered out the back door (which she normally would never do), curled up in a patch of sunlight on the porch, and that's how we found her.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 27 Nov 2008 03:47:00 No.345402 Report

Quoted By:

Win @ 0:52
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jshe65EE0So

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 27 Nov 2008 03:53:00 No.345403 Report

Quoted By:

My cat is an outside cat and she's fucking badass.

If you're going to let your cat live outside and inside. Get her used to the house before you take her outside for short monitored periods of time.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 27 Nov 2008 04:12:00 No.345406 Report

Quoted By:

>>345400
;_; A beautiful way to go. What happened when you two found her? Like...shock or just a sad final last petting?

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO unknown.jpg, 0B, 0x0

Anonymous Thu 27 Nov 2008 21:25:00 No.345746 Report

Quoted By:

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 29 Nov 2008 07:03:00 No.346378 Report

Quoted By:

My cat goes out on a leash. Don't know what ya'll are bitchin' about.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 29 Nov 2008 12:13:00 No.346487 Report

Quoted By:

The only cat I've had so far was an outdoor cat. A feral cat had kittens in the barn I board my horse at and me and a couple friends of mine tried to domesticate the kittens. We'd basically just cuddle them a few minutes before and after we'd go riding or clean the stalls. I claimed a gray tabby as mine which I named Clover. Anyway, that was definitely an outdoor cat, but it wasn't really by choice. It just happened because they'd already been living outside all the time so we just let them stay where they were. We'd put out food and stuff for them but I think they were more used to catching and eating mice. I do plan to get a cat a couple years down the road and she'll be entirely an indoors pet. It's much safer for pets to be kept indoors.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 29 Nov 2008 15:21:00 No.346521 Report

Quoted By:

I read on a vet web page that outdoor cats live something like 7 years fewer than indoor cats on average. That pretty much decided it right there. Let's see, do I want to make a conscious decision to in all likelihood shorten my cat's life? Hmm...tough one...

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