Letting cats free Roam outside
- Thread starter LauraLeigh
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I'm sorry i insulted you i think with most people, who are doing this transition it's a lack of patience, because of the fuss the cat makes.. I understand you feel like he may not be happy with it, and that's true he probably isn't happy with it. He's an animal though and he can't make the choice, he would get over it if you chose to keep in indoors.
It's not the antics that is my issue, though it may be for some. It's the quality of life. Maybe you can supply your cat with equal amounts of enrichment, maybe your indoor cat is just as happy as my outdoor cat and maybe your cat will live ten extra years.
But I don't care about your cat. I care about mine and I care about what I think does right by them and us. Not you or your cats.
But I don't care about your cat. I care about mine and I care about what I think does right by them and us. Not you or your cats.
Joy is kept outside during the day in good weather and is 17 years old now... Has always been indoor/outdoors. She goes in at night in the garage. Spends her days on the porch or in the flower beds- I never see her far from the house.
I don't know that I'd want an outdoor cat because I worry so much about them. I worry even when Joy doesn't come right away and it only takes her a few minutes usually to come when called.
I think if he were mine, I'd try walking him or something like that first and then go from there. See how he takes to that kind of outdoor time then go from there.
Another reason I probably won't ever have a cat.
I don't know that I'd want an outdoor cat because I worry so much about them. I worry even when Joy doesn't come right away and it only takes her a few minutes usually to come when called.
I think if he were mine, I'd try walking him or something like that first and then go from there. See how he takes to that kind of outdoor time then go from there.
Another reason I probably won't ever have a cat.
Again I'm not just rural but super rural!
That dot is my GPS, there's a farmhouse across the road, and one to the one side and that's it for a long, long ways!
That dot is my GPS, there's a farmhouse across the road, and one to the one side and that's it for a long, long ways!
Traffic is pretty tame, but yes the road would be the biggest concern if he were to wander, my boys tended to go back to the old barn and behind the house so hopefully he'd do the same, the boys were almost always within a couple minutes when called, but again this guy could be different, I'll wait him out a bit longer, and see what happens
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I'm with Linds.
I have 3 cats. Tiger, my bengal/tabby mix is indoor 99.9% of the time. He isn't hurting the environment.. I think that statement is BS. I don't care how much it's "proven" my cat isn't a nuisance. So not every domesticated cat is hurting the environment... How do I know this? Because I go out with him every.single.time. If it's cold out we don't go out.
And no, I don't walk him on a harness. All he does is goes by our garage, rolls in the dirt and basks in the sun for awhile. He isn't taking food from natural predators. He doesn't go out by himself so I know what he is up to. I can't shut him 100% indoors because he likes to roll in the dirt and bask in the sun. He isn't hurting anything or anyone.
I have 3 cats. Tiger, my bengal/tabby mix is indoor 99.9% of the time. He isn't hurting the environment.. I think that statement is BS. I don't care how much it's "proven" my cat isn't a nuisance. So not every domesticated cat is hurting the environment... How do I know this? Because I go out with him every.single.time. If it's cold out we don't go out.
And no, I don't walk him on a harness. All he does is goes by our garage, rolls in the dirt and basks in the sun for awhile. He isn't taking food from natural predators. He doesn't go out by himself so I know what he is up to. I can't shut him 100% indoors because he likes to roll in the dirt and bask in the sun. He isn't hurting anything or anyone.
My old neighbor had a gorgeous screened in addition like those built on just for her cats. I was jealous.
Smellycat (formerly known as Evilcat) is outdoor only. If it's down to freezing at night I crate her in a little dog crate and bring her inside.
For her, it's not a matter of tolerating antics. It's a matter of safety and hygiene. She craps and pees and pukes EVERYWHERE. It's been like that since she was a kitten. She's been to the vet multiple times to rule out UTIs and other health issues. She's just... special. I can't have my kids living in a house that reeks of cat urine and eww. Just. No.
We try to minimize nature damage done by her. We've got 9 occupied birdhouses just outside the front door. They're all screened/blocked off so that the birds can fly through the screen and she can't fit. Incidentally, this also prevents the crows and jays from evicting the songbird babies. So far there have been no fatalities of resident birds.
She is really great at catching and killing non native rats though. One time she killed a litter of european mink kits, which are responsible for killing off our native tiny cute weasels. She's okay with me as long as she stays outdoors.
Smellycat (formerly known as Evilcat) is outdoor only. If it's down to freezing at night I crate her in a little dog crate and bring her inside.
For her, it's not a matter of tolerating antics. It's a matter of safety and hygiene. She craps and pees and pukes EVERYWHERE. It's been like that since she was a kitten. She's been to the vet multiple times to rule out UTIs and other health issues. She's just... special. I can't have my kids living in a house that reeks of cat urine and eww. Just. No.
We try to minimize nature damage done by her. We've got 9 occupied birdhouses just outside the front door. They're all screened/blocked off so that the birds can fly through the screen and she can't fit. Incidentally, this also prevents the crows and jays from evicting the songbird babies. So far there have been no fatalities of resident birds.
She is really great at catching and killing non native rats though. One time she killed a litter of european mink kits, which are responsible for killing off our native tiny cute weasels. She's okay with me as long as she stays outdoors.
Yah, I'd agree with the outdoor cat enclosure? My friend in Australia made with for her cat quite easily (I think she just used PVC pipes and screening you can find at any home store) and he loves it -- he has the choice to be inside or out, and during the summer he tends to stay out all the time. He's safe from everything, though 