'Indoor' or 'Outdoor'

[kstone]

My Kittie was knocked down by a car and I have now decided to go for the indoor option (2 Kitties).

I would be interested to know what your thoughts and opinions are?

Indoor or outdoor Living?

[Luke]

Think it is up to the invidual and their circumstances/preferences, we have had a variety of strictly indoor, roamers and somewhere inbetween through the years. At present Clementine chooses to have a wander, but not that bad considering.
We live in the city, but at a sorta 'semi-rural' end, houses and such yes but its all back streets and things, then a few fields, various bits of waste land etc-don't get me wrong there are roads, infact we live by a rather notorious main road-but all our cats have tended to stay away from this as it doesn't lead them anywhere intersting, as it were, just to houses.
Ii's totally up to you what you choose for your cats.
I myself prefer them to live a life which they choose-if they don't wish to wander, they don't-but if they wish to go off and do their thing then thats fine too.
Again, its down to you.

[Rosie]

I have always had outdoor cats but they have a relatively safe environment. I just don't feel it is a natural way of living to be locked up 24/7. It would be like putting us in a luxury hotel but with no access to the outside world. The word institutionalised springs to mind.

[yola]

It does totally depend on circumstances and nature of the cat. I have quite a large house but live by a main road. I have seem several cats belonging to neighbours either killed or injured.

My cats go out in our garden under supervision, but usually will wander back in after a couple of minutes. The ARE persians so tend not to be the most energetic of cats. However, I did have an ex-stray ex-tom who took to indoor living like a duck to water!

[alexgirl73]

I have 3 indoor only cats. I hav eseen to many cats run over to feel comfortable with the idea of them going out. Probably not entirely fair on them, but I'd rather they stayed safe.

[Donna]

I cant click either as they are not entirey indoors, and not free to roam either. they are kept in at certain times.

[Luke]

I cant click either as they are not entirey indoors, and not free to roam either. they are kept in at certain times.
Same cirumstances..but i did choose an option eventually..

[Kim]

I chose to let my cats out via a cat flap, but this decision is not taken lightly. They are kept in at night and we live in a relatively 'safe' area, we live at the end of a cul-de-sac with no main roads nearby. We have lived here for 12 years and never had any problems with our cats. I personally prefer to let my cats have freedom which is why we chose to live here! I realise they are at risk from thieves, kids with air guns, etc, and I do worry, but they love their freedom. Strangely though, 1 chooses to stay in most of the time and 2 of the others mainly stay in the garden, Misty is the only wanderer and has had many abcessess from his 'tom cat' ways! (even though he isn't!)

[Moli]

4 of my cats a semi, indoor cats, only allowed out when I am at home, if I go out they come in....But Chancer, is allowed out when he wants, because he was a stray, he had his own routine...and it would not be fair to keep him in, when he wants out!

[Mags]

Cassie has access to outdoors via her catflap.......however she is not allowed out the front of the house because of the road (although it is not too busy).

If you do know it's safe for them, I agree with letting them out.. :)

[CathyW]

both mine are indoors, but only cause id have to open 3 doors for them to get to the outside. but i like having them indoors, ive lost a cat to a quiet back road, we lived in the middle of the country at the time, so dont want to have that happen again.

[Liz]

Having read a couple of threads about the coming and goings of cats thought I would give a slant from a multi cat (37) household.

We have indoor by our choice - most just trapped and feral to boot after the mass breakout after we moved - only 2 to go on that front! We have indoor by their choice and they will walk or run past an open door and find somewhere else to go to avoid all that fresh air - both are former feral torties aged 16 and 4 respectively.

We also have our indoor/outdoor mob consisting of 18 at the current count they have access all day through 2 windows modified for them - well for our 3 legged boy so he can come and go as he pleases. They are all in or circling by the time we come home a 17.30pm and know the routine well and the stragglers do the pickup the outside bowls (for the 2 still playing at being outside only) and getting the dogs from their heated run. We live in a very rural location, a mile from any road and have 4 acres for them to play on with woods on 2 sides so plenty fun all round. We ensure that all are in everynight and they may play hard to get on summer evenings like all kinds but now winter is here and its colder and raining it makes the roundup so much easier!

In the evenings the whole family has run of the house and doting parents for their every need, we tried indoor only and our indoor/outdoor mob were miserable and the indoors were also miserable as they have different daily agenda's and the clash wa no fun for all.

Not everybodies ideal situation but we got a rather large mortgage again to give them the safest environment we could and our needs were well down the scale on this move in fact scared the hell out of the agent as we hadn't even viewed inside and said we would by it as it suited the cats and the 2 dogs as 1 is deaf he has no traffic to worry about and has a new lease of life at nearly 14!

[dandysmom]

Circumstances! I live in the City on a heavily trafficed road, and only two blocks from the wooded park, home to foxes, opossums and raccoons, so mine have been indoors. Most of them have been leash trained so they get a limited taste of outdoors under supervision. Too many of my neighborhood cats who ran free ended up RTA's! :smt022

[EmmaG]

Mine are indoor cats unless we are at home and then they are let out, both have adapted very well to this. They are never allowed out at night.

[John]

I have a cat flap through the kitchen wall so that Millie can come and go as she pleases.I live in a cul-de-sac with a field at the back. but I do get worried by dog walkers who let there dogs off the lead at the the end of the road and run into the field

John

[dandysmom]

I have a cat flap through the kitchen wall so that Millie can come and go as she pleases.I live in a cul-de-sac with a field at the back. but I do get worried by dog walkers who let there dogs off the lead at the the end of the road and run into the field

John
We're fortunate about that here, John: DC has a very strict leash law! That used to be a problem, but no more, thank goodness!!

[dinahsmum]

I think it is an entirely individual decision depending on circumstances. Theer are points to be made on either side, so I can't plump for one or the other on your poll.

Mine go out, but we live in a very quiet near cul-de-sac, where it is not easy for the cats to go to the front of the house (and therefore the road). My sister lived down a farm lane, with one building beyond her and lost 2 cats on the road there :?

[PaulaB]

Indoors by choice, Tippy and Socks don't want to go out. Queenie really does but I have been trying for some time with a lead and while she likes the idea of going out, the actuality of it scares her too much. She was out on her own from when her (idiot) previous owners put her out until she walked into someone's kitchen to give birth so she still has a fear of being out side.

[teenytiny]

I used to live in a flat so my cats were indoor cats. I then moved to a house and they became outdoor cats.

They much prefer the outdoor life, its not natural to keep cats indoors 24/7

My youngest cat got hit by a car a couple of weeks ago, and its made me more careful with my other 2 cats. i have always bought my cats in at night, but i now bring them in as soon as it starts getting dark.

i agree that it is down to personal choice and circumstances tho.