Keeping cats indoors
 

Why do we keep cats indoors? I have just been wondering this, as I watch my cats who have been indoor-only since birth pace anxiously at the doors and windows wanting desperately to be outside. I know it's because it's safer for them (dogs, coyotes, hawks, cars), safer for their prey (rodents, birds), and less risk of disease/injury. But is it true that cats can be truly happy staying indoors all the time? And if your cat isn't happy, is it better for them to be unhappy indoors than the risks of outdoors?

Re: Keeping cats indoors
 

My cats are very happy indoors, but I think the key is to think like a zookeeper (I take my username very seriously :shifty) and look at your house like it really is: an enclosure that needs enrichment. Give them stuff to climb and chase and scratch. Make them work for their food with puzzles or toys that dispense kibble as they roll or tumble. Have playtime where they can exercise in active bursts, which is how they're naturally inclined to hunt, and reward their successful hunts with treats.

For my cats that effort has paid off, and I'm happy to be free of the associated risks of pursuing those same activities outside (getting fleas and/or heartworm, being hit by cars, poisoned by neighbors, eaten by predators, attacked by other cats, or murdering songbirds). But, admittedly, it's an effort. I don't expect that those trade-offs will work for every household or every cat :shrug3

---------- Post added at 02:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:42 PM ----------

I am currently working toward harness-training at least one, if not both, of my cats for taking walks outside. I'm mostly doing it for their own chill and confidence when we travel, but if I can give them the bonus opportunity to safely explore the outdoors then I'm totally making that our new thing :heart

Re: Keeping cats indoors
 

It varies. My previous cat was happy indoors. He only ever popped his head out the back door and panicked and went back inside in fear someone would shove him out.

My present cat was formerly an occasionally outside cat and so far is fine inside. As she has dietary issues and its common enough people poison cats here I hope it stays this way.

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Re: Keeping cats indoors
 

My cat wouldn't wander outside if you let her.

We have a screened in porch that she loves to lay on. And watch the hummingbird feeder. Rarely she has gotten out of the screened in porch and stays within 5 feet of it but generally doesn't do that. And if anything spooks her she runs back to it immediately.

She also lays on window stills, but has never anxiously paced the window or the door. And if the door is wide open (the front door) she doesn't try to go out it.

She is played with (laser toy, etc) and generally enjoys sleeping a lot, so seems very content with her indoor lifestyle.

So I guess not all cats want outside. We would have to force it on her. :giggle

Not sure how I would feel if she really wanted out.

Re: Keeping cats indoors
 

My seem happy....but they are four brothers, so they always have a playmate

Re: Keeping cats indoors
 

We have three cats, and have had two others that have died. I feel like they do need fresh air and sunshine and enrichment but that they do not need to be outside.

I have one cat who is ... just not quite right. He's a manx and they are known to be a bit doggish, and I think his lack of tail has caused him to struggle with body language relating to the other cats. He seems to actually need to be outside at times, but since he's become a good little hunter we are struggling to find ways to meet this need. It's hard for us.

Re: Keeping cats indoors
 

We are the odd ones out and let our cats roam around outside. We live in the country. They are indoor/outdoor cats. Even though they are declawed (they came to us that way when we adopted them 5 years ago) they can still catch mice and groundhogs and squirrels and chipmunks and rabbits and birds. They've also fought off all the other cats in the neighborhood and are the king and queen. They do have to stay inside from sundown to sunrise though.

For *us*, we figure that they will die at some point. It might be inside or outside. But they will have had fun outside and inside.

Of course, these are also cats that love to go on walks with us, so there are a bit weird that way. They go without any leash. Just following us. And if I send the children outside to play on their own in the woods, the female cat will follow them, giving me dirty looks all the while as if she has to take care of my children since I'm not. ;)

Re: Keeping cats indoors
 

Our cats are in and out. They are rodent control as well as pets. They love going out. There is no chance of them getting hit by a car, though. The coyotes won't come on our property because we have two big dogs. Owls are a concern.

When we lived in the city our cats were indoor only. They did sneak out, though, when they could.

I do think it is healthier for them to go outside where we live-- but each person has to evaluate the risks based on where they live. Indoor only cats are more likely to be obese which carries health risks, too.

Re: Keeping cats indoors
 

My one cat went missing 3 weeks ago. He just came to CA at the beginning of February. He was an outdoor cat in NY, and it was fine. But here, I guess his internal GPS doesn't work very well. If I could do it over again, I would not let him out. :( My other 3 cats stay on the porch or wander a few feet away. This one didn't.

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Re: Keeping cats indoors
 

Oh. My cat is a fat.

However, she does this thing where she gets on her back paws and puts up her front paws and begs for food. Its really cute and we usually resist but sometimes cave.

ALSO, she can open the door where the cat food is kept, so sometimes she just helps herself to the bag. If we make sure its clicked all the way she can't, but sometimes it appears clicked and its not and she gets it open.

ALSO, she can been known to eat the dog food and the dog just watches her.

Re: Keeping cats indoors
 

My cat is an indoor/outdoor cat.
He’s happy. Almost all my neighbors have pets and know him by name so I’m not worried someone will hurt him. We live on a quiet side street and he doesn’t cross it much. He’ll (mostly) come when called. Sometimes he takes a few minutes so I know he’s a few houses away. He is always in from sunset to sunrise. I hate doing it. It if it’s warm and close to sunset I pop him into my room so I can leave the back door open

Last summer he got out near dark and didn’t come home til after dawn. It made me sick. I slept in the back room with the door open and his crunchies by my head so I could hear him.

Actually one funny thing he does is sometimes he won’t come home if I call, he will come if I run the kitchen tap. Goof

Re: Keeping cats indoors
 

We currently have three indoor only cats (who have zero desire to go outside ;)) and three outdoor cats who are all brothers that started off indoors. They were never happy being inside only cats. It was a fight every time the front door was opened, so eventually we let them just stay outside. One is a roamer, one is the hunter, the other just lounges about in the sun all day. :heart They are happy though. We live way off the road smack dab in the middle of the woods, so there’s a lot for them to do.

I think it honestly depends on the cat. The ones we have indoors now almost seem to know how spoiled they are. :roll They get a can of food a day, have toys everywhere, play houses, dh built a kitty condo that goes halfway up our living room wall, etc. We are serious cat lovers here. :heart

Re: Keeping cats indoors
 

Our cat was adopted from a shelter. He had zero interest in going outside for the first 2 years he lived with us to the point that we could leave the doors open and he would just sit and watch us outside through the doors. But the longer he lived here the more he watched us spend so much of the warm weather outside the braver he got. He is now an indoor outdoor cat during mild weather. In the morning he goes out does a loop of the house and comes right back in. If it’s nice he will hang outside with us. Seriously he is always within sight if we are out there and if we are in the driveway he will wait on the grass. Cars scare him. He has created a cat door of sorts in our sliding screen door so he can come and go as he pleases in the summer but he just goes and lays on the deck to nap then come back in. He does hunt and climb trees and our home is very cat friendly with enrichment. He has a pile to climb a padded perch to sit on toys and treats in every room but the master.

We tried to harness train him but it was just too stressful for him to put the harness on and when we realized he literally was not going anywhere we figured the stress of the harness was more detrimental than him willingly following us around outside.

Re: Keeping cats indoors
 

My mom walked her cat like a puppy.

The next one played outside in a netted area.

Re: Keeping cats indoors
 

We had one that tolerated a harness, that we'd stake outdoors while we were around to hear if any other cats gave her any trouble. The times that she got out unleashed did not end well...would come back hurt and hungry...but she was pretty happy about getting her outdoor time on her leash. We'd move it all around the yard, tried to keep it away from the birdfeeder and any known burrows. As she got older, she mostly wanted to just sit in the window instead.