Question:
I know a few people who keep their cats indoors. They take the cats outside on leashes. Is this healthy for them? I know they have less chance of disease, but would this make them obese and antisocial?
A few years back my kitten was killed by a car, and I wondered whether she would have been better off as a housecat. Any experiances of housecat owners would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
Iknow tons of people that keep there cat indoors and they are fine,i personally would not let mone[if i had one] outside to many people hate cats

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Yes.
My friend also said that she could keep a close check on his litter box for signs of ill health, and that he had enough space to play. It sounds very healthy to me, but somebody else said cats are independant creaures and, unlike dogs, they need their own space to roam freely.
Do you think cats get frustrated by being indoors all day long?

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My cat is a housecat now but this wasn't always so. When I got her as a kitten she was indoor because where i lived the winter was too cold for her to be out, then in the spring she became an outdoor cat, she was very happy outside. The thing you have to remeber though is that we had a barn (no horses or other animals we just had a barn don't ask why cuz i don't know) and lots of hay that she could snuggle up in and we had 4 acres and were far from any roads so there wasn't much risk of her getting hit by a car. she then became an indoorcat but was not happy about this so after about a month she became an indoor outdoor cat, meaning that whenever she wanted she could go out and then come back in all she had to do was go to the window and meow. now that we moved to a much more urban area and she is now getting to be older we decided that her being outdoor was just too much risk of something happening to her because she didn't know where she was or how to handle cars, so she is now strickly an indoor cat. she still trys to sneak out but as soon as she gets to the end of the porch and realizes she doesn't know where she is she comes running back. She is a bit over weight but she always has been so thats not unusual (she is now on a diet and not very happy about it) but all in all she seems just as healthy and happy being inside that she did outside.

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lol I force myself on diets sometimes and I'm not very happy either - but I'm having a month of choccy cravings so that's my excuse!


Answer:
CandyCane,just about all the cat-owner friends I have keep their cats indoors.
Cats are NOT independant,that is just an excuse for people who don't want to bother with their cats too much.
I however take my cats(3) outside in my fenced backyard every day,they have been trained not to jump the 8foot fence and I never lose sight of them.
When it's time for us to go inside,they run in,just like good little kittys,they are actually amazing.
The more time you spend with your cats,the more you'll realize they are trainable,maybe not to the point of a dog,but very close....
Taking cats out on a leash is also perfectly fine,if you get them used to it right from the beginning.
I would NEVER let my cats roam on their own,they are too important to me and they will also stay healtier and not be flattened by a car.

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My baby is an indoor kitty. She seems very happy. She does go outside on a leash. I don't worry about her getting obese. She's constantly running around inside. So I think she gets her exercise. I wouldn't have it any other way. We're too close to the road here and I'd be too worried to let her outside.

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Both of my cats are indoor cats. When I first got Winnie I was living on one of the busiest roads in our city in an apartment building so she was an indoors cat due to those circumstances. As I was learning more about cats and read different things and talked to the vet I found out that inside cats normally live longer than outdoors cats.

- the don't have to do daily battle with the big 4 wheeled machines
- no fighting with the neighbourhood cats or dogs
- less likely to be exposed to different diseases

So when I got my second cat it was an easy decsion to make her an indoors cat too.

I now live in a house so it is easier for them to go out, but because of the neighbourhood dogs, traffic and sad to say those people who don't love my babies as much as I do I only let them in my backyard on leashes.

Also, I think by keeping them on leashes I'm being a good neighbour. I know I don't appreciate my flowerbeds being made into toilets by the cats that roam free, by keeping my cats on leashes I know I'm not subjecting my neighbours to the nasty stinky surprise that sometimes gets me as I stop to enjoy the flowers I worked so hard for.

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I am hoping that one day cats will be regulated and liscenced etc just like dogs. They'd have to be leashed/ contained in the yard somehow or strictly indoors and the owners will have to liscence them or risk losing them. I think that might solve some of the stray and ferel cat problems. I'm not sure why some people think that it is ok to let these domesticated animals roam the streets at all hours fending for themselves, ESPECIALLY the ones that are 'intact'!!!!!!! I don't think it is even reasonable to consider an animal a pet unless you can vouch for it's whereabouts at all times! (Of course I am just a wee bit bitter because I am currently caring for a gaggle of kittens and cats that are victims of irresponsible pet owners!!!! )

~end of rant~

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I agree 100% Krd!!!!

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KrDahmer,ditto to that!!It has been suggested here in Oakville on several occasions,but it never panned out.
I used to see stray cats and dogs around here often,years ago,but I don't see any anymore,maybe people are smartening up at least around here.
I know however,our HS had 200 cats the last time I checked,it's really sad :(
I don't understand why some people take more precaution with a dog than a cat,cats are every bit as vulnerable and valuable.
My vet told me,the average life-span of an "outdoor"cat is 3 yrs,pretty sad for an animal who should live to be 18yrs old at least.

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Exactly....maybe it is time to get involved and start pushing the idea on our local political offices. I am so shocked that the HSs and Shelters have not done so already. And I too just don't get why some people consider cats a lesser pet, yes they are slightly more independent than a dog, but they still need our love and care and protection just as much!!! I mean it is not natural for an animal to be hit by a car, "humanely" PTS, or tortured by some lunatics...so why oh why do people leave their 'beloved' pets outside, unsupervised, unleashed, untagged and vulnerable to these horrific ends!

OH GRRRRR...as you can see that frustrates and irks me just slightly!!!

Do any of you know of any Ontario groups pushing for stricter guidelines for cat owners? I'd really like to become involved with something like that!

Answer:
There is absolutely nothing "natural" about large populations of cats roaming urban and suburan areas. In nature, each cat would have it's own large territory to avoid inbreeding, fighting, spreading of disease and to ensure adequate food supply. Females would not be able to have up to 16 kittens every year. Housecats are not wild animals, and have none of the protections or breeding limits of wild animals.

If cats are to be let outside,they should at least be vaccinated against rabies, FIV, and FeLV.

Yes, cats love to roam and explore. Cats and dogs love doing lots of things that are bad for them. But would someone allow their dog to run around the streets, chase cars, fight with or impregnate other dogs and eat from garbage cans and say "He loves to do that so I let him!"?

Answer:
Both of my cats are indoors and I wouldn't let them out if someone paid me a million dollars.
When cats go outside they get killed by cars, attacked by coyotes, and poisoned by insane people.
One of my cats was a stray found outside, so she still likes to think shes an outdoor cat(even after 5 years) and meows at the door. But I tell her she is never going out. I do buy her Cat grass and that makes her happy.

Answer:
Hi,

Just thought I would put my thoughts in on this one! We have a 13 year old female (spayed, vaccinated, etc) who we let outside on a regular basis. Our neighbours love her and she is very social with the neighbourhood kids! I think letting cats outside in the backyard is fine - AS LONG AS they are spayed/neutered and vaccinated! Regular vet checks are also very important because of parasites, injuries etc. We have never had any issues with having a semi outdoor cat (she's in during the day when we are at work and in at night when we are sleeping). She stays very close and comes when she is called. The only problem we've had is that the local birds don't visit very often!!!!

Answer:
Well I am by no means saying lock your cats up at all times, but be responsible when they do venture outside... have them on a leash, supervise them closely, or like my parents have done- 'catproof' the backyard (make sure there are no holes under the fence or gate for them to get out, make sure they are taught not to climb the fence or trees). And remember cats ARE trainable (I taught mine how to fetch)...so they may hate the idea of wearing a harness at first, but when they realize that this is the only way they get to go outside, they won't mind so much.

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