Hey everyone,
I am just wondering what people feel about indoor cats vs outdoor cats. My 4 cats are kept inside permanently with the exception of Shakespeare who is very occasionally allowed out on a harness and leash.
This is a choice I made when i first became a cat owner due to not wanting them to ever be hit by cars, hurt, get ticks, get lost, fall into the wrong hands or kill wildlife and it is a decision I have stuck by. We have a reasonably large 3 bedroom home so I feel the cats have enough room and stimulation (lots of large windows to look out and hundreds of toys) that this shouldnt be a problem. Recently my sister in law has started to make snide remarks about keeping them indoors as ´cruel´!(she isnt a cat owner and doesnt even like cats)
What do u guys think? I feel that it is a personal decision and depends on a lot of factors but we live on a busy road and I would hate to be driving to work one day and find one of my furr kids dead on the road ;-(
I have also been told by a vet at work that on average cats who live inside live up to 7 years longer! I know im all for my kitties having longer lives

I think it really depends on your area. A cat gets a huge amount of stimulation and pleasure from outdoor activities, but it is dangerous out there. My kittens are currently 4 months old and I am allowing them into an enclosed garden under supervision. I am not sure, what I will do later. I might let them use he cat flap at night or later during the day, when there is almost no traffic. I would certainly keep them indoors if we lived near a busy road.

Since we live in an apartment, Roni is also confined to indoor conditions. However, he is far too playful and temperament to be kept inside. Thus, we have come up with a few ideas. For example, sometimes we take him for a walk on a leas; other times we just carry him in a bag (he is always half outside the bag with paws waving freely). He really enjoys all these activities and is very very tired when we are eventually back home. I think that even though the area is the main factor, there are always some practical solutions

I´ve been accused of being cruel for keeping my cat inside too, but it´s a decision I´m glad I made since we moved very close to a busy main road when Frodo was about a year old. I think provided you make sure they have lots of toys and things to play with and plenty of attention, they can be very happy indoors. Frodo´s always been a lazy cat anyway and has never shown any desire to get outside.

I´m hoping to keep Arwyn inside until we move (our house is being demolished to make way for a bypass road ) and then depending on the area we´re moved to and how great her desire to get back outside is, I´ll decide then. Luckily she seems quite content to stay inside where the food is at the moment.

I wish I had kept Gizmo inside then I would still have her but she did really enjoy going out and collecting leaves for me.

I now keep all my babies indoors when I am not home and they go out for a couple of hours when I am home - I keep a close eye on them when they are out and will go and call them if they haven´t been seen for around 1 hour. My long term plan is to buy a house that I can build a cat enclosure onto, then they can go out as often as they like and still be safe, especially for Boots who hasn´t been outside for over 2 years but I have just ordered a harness and lead for her today after reading the forums

I think it all depends on the area and the circumstances. Rascal used to be an outdoor cat, until he was hit by a car. He has recovered fully, but I now keep all my cats indoors as we live in a very busy street. It is much safer indoors and I am less stressed. We live in a two bedroom apartment and I do allow my cats to go out onto the balcony (as they cannot be hit by cars). I planted two trees on the balcony and my cats enjoy climbing into the potplants. They love picking the leaves and playing with it inside. They also have loads of different toys and they seem to entertain themselves. When I compare my indoor kept cats to my friend´s outdoor cat, I think indoor cats are just as happy and healthy.

Hey there,
I often find that´s a comment made by people who don´t know very much about cats. To assume that all cats need to have access to the outdoors is an ill informed generalization. Like others have said, that decision depends entirely on the cat and your circumstances. It has come up before in other threads...these ones for example:
http://www.unitedcats.com/forum/23/fl/82/t/2663
http://www.unitedcats.com/forum/34/fl/113/t/3929

The bottom line is that indoor cats generally live longer, and are less prone to accidents, injuries, disease and predation. On the whole if your average indoor cat has enough room to run around/hide/explore, interesting and appropriate toys, climbing trees, plenty of places to scratch, company (human and/or feline) and stimulation, they can be perfectly happy indoors. At the same time, some cats really do want to have access to the outdoors and may develop behavioural problems if kept indoors only, but having fostered or owned over thirty in the last 5 years I´ve found that´s a smaller number than you might think (I´ve only had 2 that showed dedicated interest in getting out, and several others that would probably enjoy it but weren´t going cabin crazy). I´ve also had more than a few that were perfectly content inside - my Sophie is one of those. Even when she could go outside she´d only sit on a porch for a moment and come back in. Fearful, anxious cats aren´t good candidates for outside survival.

If your cat really wants to be outside you can usually tell. They may be door dashers (poised to run outside the moment you open or go anywhere near the door). They may sit or paw at windows and doors and vocalize excessively. Behavioural problems include inappropriate scratching, destructive behaviours or litterbox accidents. Alternatives to letting your cats run loose are garden enclosures (there are a couple of great examples on other threads in the forum) and harness and leash training. This is a really good article by a vet/behaviourist whose work I really like. He discusses the indoor/outdoor debate and gives the pros and cons along with good advice:

http://www.petplace.com/cats/the-great-debate-indoor-versus-outdoor-cats/page1.aspx

I have four cats in a one bedroomed apartment but it has a mezzanine level and a large balcony so there is plenty of space and they run up and down the ladder to the mezzanine level and make full use off all the space available. They have toys and can watch the world go by from the balcony, which has mesh on it to stop them escaping. Before it was completely meshed in, Vodka used to venture onto the roof but a neighbour shot her and she lost an eye so from that day on I am extremely careful about the possibility of them venturing out. They seem very happy and don´t seem to suffer too much from not being outdoors. To be truthful, with the Spanish mentality towards animals I would be very wary of them being on the street. I lost my lovely white cat because he was outdoors and I will always regret that because he really should have been kept indoors as he spent his first three years as in indoor cat in the UK.

I have 3 in a one-bedroom. I am transfereing to a 2-bedroom because I need an office for all my school work. It will give me more windows to place cat condos and I go out on the balcony with them. other than that they cant go out here. busy street and all. I do feel guilty but i am trying to care for them as best I can.
I am also going to buy a huge cat cage to put on the porch where they can sit with me. thats about it. too dangerous out there. we are in coyote country.

I think the important thing is they have a good home and are well-loved and cared for. dont let anyone tell you how to care for your cats.

Hello friend, you really understand perfectly, because I live in an apartment very large (thank God and the Virgin), has five bedrooms, dining room and big kitchen and a fairly large. I think they have in this apartment, enough space to play and have fun. They do not leave, and if living at home would not fail to leave, at least it was under my supervision.
There are many dangers in the streets, people who mistreat these helpless. That´s why you should not worry because we are many people that we care about our babies cats, and we love so much that we care as much as we can.
Kisses to your babies.

All of my cats are outside all day long, they´re not in danger, I never take my cats to veterinary (just when they need a check) for a sickness because hey have none. Sometimes maybe cuts of small things, but I know about first aid and that´s not purr-oblem for me!

We can say we live in a county place, but here they´re not differences betweent city and county, my cat will always return, it doesn´t matter how far they are, they have to be back for tuna!

In my circunstances, for me outside cats are better, but if you live on an apartment or areas with close streets you may have some warning to your cats

Bye
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD NIGTH!

When I lived in the city I had Molly inside permanently only out on a leash.

Since moving into a town, and now into a seaside town, they are outdoors during the day. I have always kept cats inside during night though. They come in for tea and then they are in until daylight. I have a big back yard and they don´t go near the road, so I am happy to leave them out. Plus I am home all day too, so they don´t go far from me anyway.

It´s an individual thing. Cats are happy with either, as long as they have loving humans, and plenty of toys and sun spots to sleep in.

Well, we lived in a wooded area and I felt it was ok for Booboo to go outside since he always wanted to go out and I´d make him come back in, fear of being hurt. Hubby finally gave in and left him go out from time to time until that dreaded day when he was attacked by the fox... Woods or not anything can happen so from now on my kitties are inside ONLY... I have started taking Booboo back outside once in awhile with me and he´s only let down in the yard where I know he won´t take off on me. But, too many wild animals out there for me to trust ever letting him outside again... Tianna I refuse to let her out since she doesn´t even let me hold her, afraid I won´t get her back in and Toma.. No go he isn´t even smelling the outside unless it´s through a window haha

Wow thanks everyone 4 all ur comments! I feel much better about keeping my babies inside now
They are all very happy and healthy cats and none of them seem to pine for the outdoors. Although i think im going to look into getting an outside enclosure so they can go out side 4 a few hours a day but still be completely safe. Thanks everyone 4 all ur ideas and tips much appreciated! I value everyones opinion as i know how much we all love our cats
Love and meows from molly, bella, shakey, gizi and marissa