Indoor/outdoor, Free roaming or secure garden

[alexgirl73]

My 3 are all indoor cats. Broxi because I was always worried about him being pinched, Cooper because of his brain damage, and Teddie because she just has no common sense lol. Saying that though, I've never had outdoor cats, mostly because I've always lived beside roads and seen too many RTA victims. I'd always be worrying about them, and wouldn't sleep if they stayed out at night. I don't have any regrets about it, and they have plenty of viewing points to the outside world and lots of toys and climbing places in the house.

[dinahsmum]

I think this is probably the most difficult question and it's impossible to give a hard and fast answer as it all depends on the individual circumstances. It would take a lot to make me keep a cat indoors but if that was the only choice then I would probably take it - I couldn't confine a one-time free-roamer though; it would have to be indoor only from scratch.

[janey83]

My Tigger had always been able to roam free. But after he had his car accident we kept him on a harness for a year so he could get use to just having one eye. Then after that he was free, he never ventured far after that though.

Leo, I'd love him to be able to roam free but coz of the main road he's safer on a harness in the garden.

Jake, same as Leo, harness it is.

[PoshPuss]

I've spent a lot of time thinking over this dilemma recently during the nice weather. Posh has been mewing a lot to go outside and play freely but I know she will wander. I have gone out with her and watched as she mooches around the front garden then gets up on the wall and finally slopes of into next doors. I'm sure she'd go out of bounds if left alone and I'm scared that she'd get lost.
We've tried her on a harness but she's not fussed; just dug her heels in and looked very cross. We're going to secure the back garden as much as possible so that she can have fresh air, hopefully we can tether her with a very long leash to allow her 'freedom' to roam around a large lawn and some shady areas.
Most of the time she is indoors she sleeps and eats and is quite happy to chill, but now and again I think she misses the call of the wild. To this end we'll compromise but I do fear cars and the access to a busy road near to us would be too anxiety provoking for me.

[Stephan]

All of mine have been free to roam-Parsley never went far and he came home after an accident-21 stitches and a baby as he needed fluids every 4 hours-he moved with us from Leeds and was put to sleep after a stroke and in my arms

Oscar also came from Leeds put me in A&E when he lived next door and moved in when his owners left(he didn`t want to)-again was put to sleep in my arms.

Conker-he was just mad,rescued from a tree in Leeds-came down with us with Parsley and the Cos(Oscar)-he used to walk in front of buses in Leeds and his desire to roam to bring us rabbits near here was his downfall

Cleo just stays in the garden and worries if pigeons flutter around the bird table

[smudgley]

My cats are free to come & go as they please, except we don't have a cat flap - so they have to ask to go out.

I like my cats to have the choice of being free to go where they like, when they like.

Bluebell & Lilly have to come in at night.

I have lost a cat in a RTA and heartbreaking as it was, (& believe me it was!) I wouldn't have it any other way, my cats will always be allowed out.

[calismum]

I have had a variety of situations depending on where I was living at the time.

I have lost two cats to RTA's and it was really difficult to let the others that were with me out after that.

I have had one cat who opted not to go out - I usually like to give them the choice.

I am fortunate that where we are I do not have to worry too much about traffic. There is only the odd car.

[random]

6 indoor cats, 2 go out on harness, the rest don't care and would rather stay in, hoping to get my dad to help me build a run for them before the winter, if not then next summer because at the same time we are going to do kennels for the dogs so it's a pretty big project!

[Phoenix]

Outdoor I prefer (there again I can get away with it)

Beauty liked to go out into the back garden, she was bullied so she never went round the front garden. She chose the outdoor life I might add.

Dylan I had to spend a fair bit of time encouraging him (I think he lived indoors before we got him) I wanted him to go outside but first time he went outside a neighbourhood dog scared him, now though he's perfectly happy to go out hunting and defending his territory.

We don't often get loads of traffic down the road where we live (dead end so the only traffic coming down is either coming to a house or turning round)

[pcspik]

Mine are all FIV. I am in rented accommodation in a flat so I dont have a garden as such, and I cannot put a pen (no space).

I actually moved there in February, where I was before I was also in rented but I had a garden. I purposely went for an indoor cat because a) I was in temporary accommodation and it would not be fair if I ended up in a top floor flat and b) I would forever and a day be worrying where the cat had been.

In the past couple of months there have been reports of someone going around poisoning cats in the area (we had one in the shelter earlier on this year who recovered from being poisoned. He was in a poor state - he was only 2 and renal due to the poison. The vet said he would be lucky to live past 5) so I am glad that mine are indoors only.

Although I know that I will lose Tigger and Pickle at some point, I will have indoors only. If I get a place of my own, then I would love to build a pen.

I dont have lots of traffic (someone in one of the upstairs flat has a outdoors going cat). I back onto a car park for a sheltered accommodation block so the main traffic is people visiting that block. But as I am a natural worrier and be worrying every single time that my cat would get into some mortal danger that an indoors only cat (FIV or otherwise) is probably best for my sanity.