Why do people think it's such a horrific idea to let a cat outdoors?

R

Rexxy_<3

New member
Joined
Sep 15, 2009
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Like soo many people online always say that if you let a cat outside it will die within like 3 years cause it will get hit by a car/killed by another cat/random people will kick it(i mean wtf)

Like are you kidding? It's just plain cruel to keep a cat indoors, they are outdoor animals. I've never met anyone with an indoors cat, and all the cats i know of that are allowed outside are like between 14-21 years old
Plenty old (minus my new kitty who is 6 months)

I just can't understand why anyone would make a poor cat stay indoors it's whole life, other than being severely overprotective of their cat..

Sorry for the rant, it's just on any forum whatevs, when i say i let my cat outside, i get totally attacked..
Omg, all those things all of have you have mentioned would never ever happen here, apart from like maybe if the cat was 'not all there' and walked in front of a cat. But all those diseases, and and fighting, and seeing dead cats on the road? Seriously? I have never ever in my life seen a dead cat on the road, i saw a hit cat be taken to the vet once but that was it. I'm presuming most of you are from the U.S, and well i'm from Scotland, and things are clearly very different, to the wild things you have there (no offence).
Here, when you get a kitten, it gets shots at the vets so that it doesn't contract any diseases, also i don't let my kitten out 24/7
Whenever he is out, the door is always open, and i wouldn't let him stay out overnight (although all of my other cats have and the youngest one died at like 14?)

I should have addressed this to UK only...
 
If you have 10 outdoor house cats that live to be 16 years old, then you have 5 kittens that are born outdoors and killed by a coyote before they are two months old, then a 2 year-old stray male cat that dies from untreated infections in wounds that it sustained fighting another male cat over territorial issues, then another female cat that contracts feline leukemia from exposure to other infected strays and dies at age 3, plus two young barn cats that die from exposure to extreme cold before they've made it through their first winter, and then another cat that gets hit by a car at age 5, that gives you these numbers:

10 outdoor house cats x 16 years each=160years
5 kittens killed by predators x .1 year each = .5 years
1 cat killed by infections from fighting x 2 years = 2 years
1 cat killed by disease x 3 years = 3 years
1 cat killed by car x 5 years = 5 years
2 cats killed by exposure to extreme weather and starvation x 1 year = 2 years.

Add those together and divide by the total number of cats (20) and you get: 172.5 years / 20 cats = an average life expectancy of 8.625 years.

People who don't understand statistics take that to mean that all cats that goes outside all the time will die before they reach 9 years of age, which, as demonstrated by our example, isn't necessarily true. Depending upon where you live, an outdoor cat will have a decent chance of survival based on how many of the above mentioned risk factors: predators, competition from other cats, disease, starvation, traffic exist in the area where the cat lives. Also, there are different types of "outdoor cats" from which all of these statistics are drawn. There are strays, barn cats, true feral cats, urban cats, rural cats, suburban cats, and just outdoor pets. These different types of outdoor cats have different levels of risk associated with them, yet the statistics used to address life expectancy lump them all together.

Granted, there are also issues of owner responsibility...would it be ok for people to let their dog roam freely through the neighborhood, peeing, pooping, and *hunting* in any neighbor's yard that they saw fit? That would earn that dog a one way trip to the pound, and would likely get the owner fined or arrested. So, then, why is it ok to let cats roam that freely? It's not only a health issue for the cat, but just an animal control issue in general.
 
Good grief! What a hornet's nest your question has stirred up! *lol*

I have to laugh at some responses. Like the one about how cats are now "domesticated" and have no links to their wild ancestors - what a load of tosh!! My two are no less wild than any wild cat (big or small) when outside hunting. Pet cats aren't fully domesticated, just reared around humans so they soon learn where a good, easy meal comes from, as well as cuddles and a nice warm spot to sleep in.

A lot of these answers do come from the USA and, arguably, they do have more nasties than either in the UK or NZ (where I am now, having moved from the UK) like coyotes and raccoons or whatever. But what gets me is the culture of fear that pervades a lot of these answers. And a lot of them seem ultimately selfish - more about having a companion around for many years than having an active and happy cat who's allowed outdoors.

For the record, I lost one cat in a freak accident on the road, but I still let my other two out during the day and the most of the evening to hunt, laze around, etc. I wouldn't have it any other way - they're active, happily hunting and chasing each other around the garden, and they stay fit and healthy. I'd far rather have a cat that lived a shorter, happy, healthy, active life outdoors than one that lived to doddery, sick, painful old age.

Sometimes I think people let their emotions get in the way of common sense..
 
Keep your cat inside - for the love of cats and God and the rest of the members here..

Every time this question appears on this forum KIA KOALA (it's like she has cat radar) runs over two of them and the rest are ALL eaten by coyotes and foxes. And then CafeMochaValencia finds out about it and she's in a bytchy mood and goes on a REPORTING CRUSADE for the next three days and nobody's account is safe. And then the rest of the indoor clique get wind of what your doing and you will never see another thumbs up or best answer on this forum. And Amanda will just report you because she doesn't agree with you.
And then I will come in and sell one of my breeder kittens to one of the survivors. This forum has turned into a joke run by a bunch of petty little people with cat brains.
Saucers of milk all round, my little pussykats; I'm buying.
Read some of the questions from members that are claiming that their cat was injured outside. Most of this stuff is so blatantly fabricated that a 6 year old can see through it. Or go back through their profiles - three months ago they were promoting indoor cats. Hell 1/2 these people don't even own a cat. They are just on here collecting GD points.
 
i have had my cat for almost 4 years now, she was a stray when i found her....very skinny, could feel every bone on her body....she had to have been outside with no one tending to her needs for quite some time.....i brought her home and fattened her up....she has absolutely no desire to go outside!!! when i found her she was already de-clawed, so its not safe for her to be outside anyway....she has no protection against predators!! also, just a tidbit to think about...if they never go outside, they never come in contact with other cats or their feces, so therefore they cant get any diseases that are carried by other cats/animals....my cat has never been to the vet in all the time i have had her....there is no need for preventative vaccines!!!
 
Rexxy, I do TNR in our city. None of the cats survived past 3 years of age. We have a feeding station and water bowl out all year and I watch which ones come and check their health.

Our area has dog fighting. People grab any cat they can to use as bait to teach the dogs to kill. Kittens die this way too. I've seen people driving on our street speed up to hit a dog or cat. I've seen dead cats weekly on the main road north of us which is a major traffic area. Two years ago someone was cutting cat's tails off and I know several owners who were ready to take a baseball bat to whoever was doing it.

I live in a NICE area, our street doesn't get a lot of traffic, if three cars go by every ten minutes that's a lot. But I can guarantee you that every outdoor cat is terrified when they see a lose dog. The 'regulars' we have only are around for a year or so, it's exceptional to see one for two full years not to mention three. They don't find other areas to live, this is their territory--so when one doesn't show up anymore I know a car or dog or human killed them. I've seen several of the bodies on the street a block over, hit by cars. If animal control has one of mine turned in, they call me (all the cats are microchipped with the TNR),so it's not an issue of someone catching them and turning them over to the shelter or animal control.

You have been very lucky to not have anything bad happen to yours. All I can say is what I've experienced here. We have about 8 regulars I'm feeding now. At one point it was up to 14, but they all die, one by one, when outdoors.
 
Cats have been domesticated. They are not outdoor animals just because they do like to wander. It is not cruel to keep them inside. I don't mean to bash you or your choice but how on earth could it not be cruel to risk their lifespan from being on average 16-20 years to 3-4? Its good the cats you know have been lucky. And what about the possible disease risks of being outside besides the obvious risk of being hit by a car or any other scenarios you pointed out?
 
I had a cat a few years ago. We got him when he was close to a year old. He was picked up off the street and then put up for adoption.

Problem was he was ferel, and very very wild. We were unable to tame him and told we wouldn't be able to. We needed to look at options for him.

He actually would attack anyone or anything that came into the room he was in. I still have scars from where he got me.

He ended up going to someone who was looking for a barn cat. Guess what he is thriving. He only gets attention when he wants it instead of people forcing it on him. From what we were recently told they couple doesn't have mice problems anymore. He has a job to do and he is happy now.

He was never meant to be a housecat or even a pet.

He is thriving now. I'm glad we sent him to that farm.


I wanted to add: When he lived with us he lived in a 600 sq ft apartment inside all the time in the city.
 
Cats have been domesticated. They are not outdoor animals just because they do like to wander. It is not cruel to keep them inside. I don't mean to bash you or your choice but how on earth could it not be cruel to risk their lifespan from being on average 16-20 years to 3-4? Its good the cats you know have been lucky. And what about the possible disease risks of being outside besides the obvious risk of being hit by a car or any other scenarios you pointed out?
 
To me, the major difference was injuries requiring vet visits.
We owned 6 indoor cats, and fed an equal number of outdoor cats.
Most of the outdoor cats were previously owned cats, that had been dumped or left behind when people in the community moved.
It seemed that at least one of the outdoor cats needed veterinary care weekly. We had them all spayed/neutered..but they were constantly being injured..by neighboring dogs, each other, wildlife, splinters and embedded foxtails, toxins, parasites, etc.
Both groups of cats were happy, but the world was definitely more dangerous for the outdoor cats.

My son's family has one of the indoor cats, now. She is very old, has been totally happy as a family member, and wonderfully healthy.

If you have cats that prefer to be outdoors, it is well worth it to install cat fencing. This keeps the cat in the yard, and other cats and critters out.
 
It's CRUEL to let your cat outside and die a horrific death! People like you come back on answers and cry when their cat dies and then you get another one and still let it outdoors!

I just can't understand why anyone would make a poor cat stay outdoors it's whole life knowing that at one time or another, the cat will die!

Here are just a FEW dangers that occurs to outdoor cats:
•The risk of contracting killer diseases, including FIV, FeLV, and FIP
•Injury and/or death from attacks by dogs, other cats, or predators
•Injury or death from vehicles
•"Cat-napping" for profit, or personal gain
•Trapping and disposal by cat-hating neighbors
•Torture and/or killing by psychopaths

When your cat dies, do know that it will be only YOUR FAULT!! So, don't blame anyone else!!!

Edit: I do not believe that the UK is a safe haven for cats! There are dangers everywhere in the WORLD for cats!

Why would you address this question to the UK when your question comes from Yahoo Answers United States??
 
i had a good cat. I always let it out but we had a problem with my cat(dave the cat, lol) trying to mess with the neighbors dogs and they threatened to call the pound so we had to keep her inside and walk her like a dog .
lol
oh she got stuck in a really high tree one day too.
That was scary!!!
:)
 
North America is virtually the only region that prefers cats indoors for their "safety", yet it's also one of the few remaining places where it's still legal to declaw cats.

Enough said.
 
my grandma and grandpa use to keep our cats outside as a kid. as i remember many of them wandered and never came back (or that is what my grandparents would say. i always wondered if the gave away my half siamese.) i found one dead in their yard once. also i remember one got their paw ran because he was under my grandpa's car.
yes they have their natural instincts and can be outdoor cats but after a while every cat they had outdoors would disappear and they would have to replace them. so i keep my cat indoors.
 
I Agree Rexxy! it not fair for a cat to be locked up! My cat (5 years old) has been going out for 4 years now and nothing has happened! Most cats can keep care of themselves anyway.
 
I drove over 2 dead cats on my way to work today. Cats are NOT outdoor animals, they are from a genetic line that was bred to stay inside as a pet. They have very little genetic ties anymore to their predatory brethren. In some places, letting your cat go outside isn't so bad (rarely). But allowing a cat to go outside exposes it to predators, rabies, cruel humans, cars, antifreeze and other poisons, they kill indigenous wild life (like birds and rabbits), they crap in other people's yards which I happen to consider very rude on the owners part. There is NO justification along the lines of "they are meant to be outdoors" because its not true. If you want to let your cat out, just take into consideration that it may be the last time you ever see it each time you open the door. Cats are perfectly happy inside, its mostly owner laziness that pushes them out the door into a cruel world.

Edit: Its has been scientifically proven that inside cats live longer (up to 10 years) than outdoor cats. This study included stray kitten deaths, along with other ferals. But it included house cats. Watch the Y!A cat section for a while. You will see a daily influx of questions about cats that were hit by cars, shot with BB guns, have strange cuts and injuries, have worms, fleas, got pregnant, or just never came home. Compare that to the injury questions of cats inside. You will see a distinct difference.

Edit: posted 10 minutes ago... http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ar0mt06SXy05kuLR0UmpRhjK7BR.;_ylv=3?qid=20090914104258AA0yd3j

Edit: Yes, we are mostly from the US. Y!A is a US based site and unless you specify, you will get posters from all over the planet. I know that yes, it is safer overseas to allow your cats to roam. But, its still pretty rude to your neighbors, who are always on here asking how to keep your cat from crapping in their backyard. It might be safer, but its by no means "right".
 
Well, let's see...here are just a few of the reasons I keep my cats indoors:

alligators
snakes
bobcats
raccoons
poisonous snakes
traffic
abusers

That's my abbreviated list. My cats get fresh air on a larged screened lanai/patio, and a small upstairs balcony (supervised of course). Just the other day a snake found it's way inside the lanai and before you could say "cat", my Samson was on it. Luckily it was a small non-poisonous snake and I was able to get it away from him, but that's why the cats have to be supervised even in the fully enclosed lanai. (the spot the snake came in has been sealed off now.) There are just too many dangers outside where I live.
 
I think part of it depends on where you live. Growing up, one of my uncles had a farm and had a few farm cats who lived for years and years, and in that environment, as long as the number of cats was under some level of control and they have good care from their owners and aren't ignored, I don't have any issue with it.

When I was a teenager, we lived about 75 yards from a US highway and had, over that time, five indoor/outdoor cats. Two were run over by cars on the highway (after they had lived in the house and gone in and out for over a year) and one had to be put to sleep because of an infection it got in a fight with a feral cat.

I keep my cat indoors for a couple of reasons - 1) she is the most non-aggressive cat I've ever known - never seen her hiss, attack, put up her paws, be freaked out by another cat, dog, person - I'm not sure she would defend herself (and she has her claws), and 2) she is a long-haired cat who doesn't clean herself as well as she could, so I am afraid to think how dirty she would get outside. She also hasn't expressed much desire to go outside and seems content and happy.
 
I live in Big Bear Lake Ca.we don't let our cats because we might not get them back! we have[RACCOONS&-COYOTES-BEARS] but not only that! cars-people can hurt your cat as well; think[???????????CAT-FAMILY]?????? hello!!!!!!!!!!
 
There are hazards in letting cats out anywhere. But every cat that goes outside is NOT going to die or be injured. That is simply ludicrous. I have barn cats - my neighbours have barn cats - the whole dar ned farming community has barn cats and we rarely lose any animals to all the causes that you hear of on this forum. That's just a bunch of city dwellers spouting rhetoric and second hand information. Outdoor cats in the country are actually safer than outdoor cats in the city.
 
Back
Top