The New Intimacy

Cat people: do you keep your cats indoors?

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Contributor: spiced spiced
Quote:
Originally posted by purpledesert
I let them out- birds in the us are doing quite fine.
Sadly, birds in the US are NOT doing just fine: a third of the 800 bird species in the USA are endangered, threatened or in significant decline.

link

I don't have cats now, but when I did, they lived indoors (and when I have one again, they will too).
01/25/2013
Contributor: EmuLove EmuLove
I keep them inside because of the crazy drivers that don't pay attention for animals
01/25/2013
Contributor: sunkissedJess sunkissedJess
I have two cats and one of them insists on going outside everyday. I try to keep him inside, but he bolts out as soon as you open the door. 90% of the time he hangs out on the windowsill or he rolls around on the sidewalk, but lately he has been killing lizards and bringing them to the front door. It's horrible!
01/25/2013
Contributor: js250 js250
We have indoor/outdoor cats.
01/25/2013
Contributor: Khanner Khanner
Quote:
Originally posted by spiced
Sadly, birds in the US are NOT doing just fine: a third of the 800 bird species in the USA are endangered, threatened or in significant decline.

link

I don't have cats now, but when I did, they lived indoors (and when I have one ... more
I had no idea the US bird problem was that bad. I understand that in NZ and AUS there were so few mammalian predators, the native species were hit quite bad with the introduction of cats.

I have inside cats for their safety, but I'll be especially sure to keep them inside now.
01/25/2013
Contributor: PeaceToTheMiddleEast PeaceToTheMiddleEast
When I do have a cat I keep it inside. I have let cats outside or taken in a couple and they always end up with fleas. I can't stand it. Then when I get rid of them they want to run out the door. I don't have the time, patience or money to keep going thru that once they go out.
01/25/2013
Contributor: FLIPxMODE FLIPxMODE
dont have cats
01/25/2013
Contributor: spiced spiced
Quote:
Originally posted by sunkissedJess
I have two cats and one of them insists on going outside everyday. I try to keep him inside, but he bolts out as soon as you open the door. 90% of the time he hangs out on the windowsill or he rolls around on the sidewalk, but lately he has been ... more
This reminds me of when I was a kid down South. We had a cat--or should I say, she had US. She was outdoors almost all the time. Every other day, she gave us a gift: a dead field mouse on the welcome mat!
01/25/2013
Contributor: wwwww wwwww
I live in an apartment right now so my cats don't have much of a choice. Unless they're got parachutes. lol
01/25/2013
Contributor: BellaMaria27 BellaMaria27
I do not have any cats.
01/25/2013
Contributor: LavenderSkies LavenderSkies
Quote:
Originally posted by spiced
According to this guy in New Zealand, housecats are a menace to birds, and have actually caused some bird species there to go extinct.

So, cat people...do you keep your cats indoors to protect birds?

(I deliberately don't say cat ... more
Indoors only. They live longer that way.
01/26/2013
Contributor: K101 K101
Quote:
Originally posted by spiced
According to this guy in New Zealand, housecats are a menace to birds, and have actually caused some bird species there to go extinct.

So, cat people...do you keep your cats indoors to protect birds?

(I deliberately don't say cat ... more
LOL I like how you putt that part about cats having staff! LOL Isn't that true!

I do keep mine inside, but I don't deprive them of the luxurious outdoors. We live in the country, plenty of yard for them to safely roam. I do care about the birds, but ours don't care to go out and get them. I did have one sweet kitty who loved bringing me new "treats" though! Mice, birds, moles, bugs, you name it! She'd bring them right to me & meow til' she got my attention. She never understood why I screamed over each gift. Must've thought I was real happy to be gifted something so icky! LOL. She was proud too.

But we keep the bird feeders right across the creek because the cats don't really cross it, so we know they're safer over there. So I guess I can't say I keep my cats indoors to protect birds. I keep my cats indoors to protect my cats, but let them outside anytime they want. They adore nice weather and I couldn't ever put a stop to that.
01/26/2013
Contributor: Living Doll Living Doll
I don't have a cat (yet) but if I did, it would absolutely be an indoor cat.
01/26/2013
Contributor: Rod Ronald Rod Ronald
My cats wouldn't survive outside.
01/26/2013
Contributor: RomanticGoth RomanticGoth
I have two that I keep indoors (one is nearly blind and the other is "special"), the other one goes in and out as he pleases.
01/26/2013
Contributor: Kat and Aaron(aaron) Kat and Aaron(aaron)
We have two boys who are inside/outside cats who reak havoc on the local bird and rabbit population. We also have a little girl kitty who is strictly inside.
01/26/2013
Contributor: rosythorn rosythorn
Cats are less domesticated then dogs so I let mine out! I would feel bad if I didn't. Plus I live alone and by a forest where my neighbors house their cats. Unless I lived in a downtown area I will always let my cat outdoors!
01/26/2013
Contributor: Hummingbird Hummingbird
My cat loves the outdoors and where we live no birds are going to go extinct, believe me. I was turned down by the animal shelter to adopt a cat just because I was going to let it outside. Fortunately someone abandoned a cat and I was able to adopt it that way. Cats need the exercise and fresh air, its who they are. Thought one more thought to add to that, for those of you in apartments and on floor 2 and above I understand why you wouldn't let your cat outside, been there myself. So in every situation I would say it would depend on the cats environment.
01/26/2013
Contributor: spiced spiced
Quote:
Originally posted by K101
LOL I like how you putt that part about cats having staff! LOL Isn't that true!

I do keep mine inside, but I don't deprive them of the luxurious outdoors. We live in the country, plenty of yard for them to safely roam. I do care about ... more
I hear ya. This is pretty much exactly how my mom felt about her cats. When I was growing up, all our cats came and went as they pleased. She really thought I was being cruel to keep mine "cooped up".

My experience has been that cats who have lived outdoors have a hard time adapting to a totally indoor life, while cats who spend their whole lives inside are at least as happy and fulfilled as outdoor cats, provided they get plenty of attention and affection.

The average life expectancy of a purely indoor cat is 15 years. For purely outdoor cats, it's 5 years. I think those numbers speak for themselves. I also think it's up to each cat person to make up their own mind and do what they think is best for their furry love monsters.
01/26/2013
Contributor: TrenchcoatHunters TrenchcoatHunters
Quote:
Originally posted by spiced
According to this guy in New Zealand, housecats are a menace to birds, and have actually caused some bird species there to go extinct.

So, cat people...do you keep your cats indoors to protect birds?

(I deliberately don't say cat ... more
inside cats
01/27/2013
Contributor: himynameissteph himynameissteph
Indoors.
01/27/2013
Contributor: Terri69 Terri69
Always keeps her indoors
01/30/2013
Contributor: RedGlitter RedGlitter
I've seen so many dead animal on the side of the road I CANNOT let my cat out! Plus, if you have ever dealt with FIV, you know how dangerous it can be for cats out there
01/30/2013
Contributor: Rainbows Rainbows
My cats are always indoors, mostly because I worry about their safety (and also when they're indoors I can cuddle with them more!). We recently had two stray kittens that I had to care for outdoors for a couple of months, and it was certainly interesting to see how easily and frequently they took down "prey." I did feel bad for the poor birds and squirrels, haha.
01/30/2013
Contributor: misterazor misterazor
Quote:
Originally posted by spiced
According to this guy in New Zealand, housecats are a menace to birds, and have actually caused some bird species there to go extinct.

So, cat people...do you keep your cats indoors to protect birds?

(I deliberately don't say cat ... more
indoors, but they like to get out and hunt sometimes.
01/30/2013
Contributor: apple4me apple4me
If I lived out in the country then I might let my cat venture outside, but there are to many cars so the little girl has to stat inside.
01/30/2013
Contributor: RavenInChains RavenInChains
Quote:
Originally posted by spiced
According to this guy in New Zealand, housecats are a menace to birds, and have actually caused some bird species there to go extinct.

So, cat people...do you keep your cats indoors to protect birds?

(I deliberately don't say cat ... more
Honestly 99% of the reason I keep my cat inside is just because he's an inside cat and I don't want him being hit by a car or something. But I do care about birds and I don't want my cat killing them.
01/30/2013
Contributor: Eugler Eugler
I once had a cat, she was very lovely.
She went outdoors every day and one day she didn't return.
Sad story, it really took a long time to get over.

If I ever will have a cat again, he/she will stay in the house.
01/31/2013
Contributor: LoooveMonkey LoooveMonkey
I live in the country, so I worry a bit less about my cats going outside. I feel like cats are meant to go outside and mine are very unhappy when they can't. They go in and out as they please.

I do have a strictly outdoor cat because he's very manly and pees everywhere despite being neutered. He was born to one of the farm cats here. He's 12 years old and doing very well.
01/31/2013
Contributor: Eyesonfire Eyesonfire
Quote:
Originally posted by spiced
According to this guy in New Zealand, housecats are a menace to birds, and have actually caused some bird species there to go extinct.

So, cat people...do you keep your cats indoors to protect birds?

(I deliberately don't say cat ... more
She's declawed so she stays inside all the time. She sits in the window watching the birds all day though
01/31/2013