# indoor cat good or bad??



## vikkizz (Oct 28, 2008)

my cat is nearly 5 months old now and as a former dog lover im suprised how much ive fallen in love with my new lil friend hes not at all aggressive even when my 3 year old is draggin him around all he wants is cuddles all the time he did jump out of the window once but was sat at the back door cryin 2 mins later so my decision was to keep him as an indoor cat as he seems really content, he has lots too play with and there is at least 1 person in the house all the time i live next to really dangerous roads and wouldnt want to risk letting him out, but ive recently been reading its cruel to keep cats indoors??.....im totally torn!!! what do i do?


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## Guest (Jan 2, 2009)

vikkizz said:


> my cat is nearly 5 months old now and as a former dog lover im suprised how much ive fallen in love with my new lil friend hes not at all aggressive even when my 3 year old is draggin him around all he wants is cuddles all the time he did jump out of the window once but was sat at the back door cryin 2 mins later so my decision was to keep him as an indoor cat as he seems really content, he has lots too play with and there is at least 1 person in the house all the time i live next to really dangerous roads and wouldnt want to risk letting him out, but ive recently been reading its cruel to keep cats indoors??.....im totally torn!!! what do i do?


You've been reading the wrong stuff then 
There's nothing cruel about keeping cats indoors so long as they have plenty of toys to occupy themselves with and they also get excersise that way too. Oh yeah, food helps


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## Sungold-Bengals (Mar 10, 2008)

There have been lots of threads relating to this issue.
I personally wouldn't have an outdoor cat, mine have access to outdoor runs & they are perfectly happy.
I breed Bengals but putting straying/theft/unwanted pregnancys/disease aside, I too live by a busy road & I just couldn't bear it, if I had to find one had been killed by the roadside.

I know some people think it's odd or even cruel, I don't, my cats have never had 'real' outdoor experience so don't miss it.

I'd say if your cat is happy inside then keep him safe inside with you.
He won't bring home any unwanted dead things/fleas or ticks just some of the bonuses of an indoor cat.

I have found that house cats are more loving & friendly too.


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## bee112 (Apr 12, 2008)

It's not cruel at all..

alot of people have this idea that cats are roaming animals and should be aloud to do so.. even in the modern world with cars and not so pleasant people about....

dogs and horses naturally have always freely roamed but seem to adapt well to having boundries..

I have 2 indoor cats who have scratch posts, toys and loads of attention and they are thriving..

If you want to keep your cat indoors safe from the busy road then do so, and dont let any one tell you otherwise :thumbup1:


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## Janee (May 4, 2008)

Most cats in the UK are outdoor-indoor cats (80% + ). Also most cats in the UK are moggies, not pedigrees. Therefore the majority of opinion among cat owners, as opposed to forum members, is that cats go outdoors. Hence what you have read on other forums.

Some rescue centres will not re-home to indoor owners; pedigree breeders will not sell to outdoor-indoor advocates. 

As with all arguments/debates there is not a right or wrong answer. What I suggest is that you:

1. Risk assess your environment - busy major road is a definite risk.

2. Decide how you would cope emotionally if your indoor-outdoor cat failed to come back.

Whatever you decide, do this:

1. Chip, neuter and vaccinate - your cat may escape even if indoors only and this is a MUST if you decide indoor-outdoor

2. Flea and de-worm regularly - even if indoor though maybe with bigger gaps between treatments

3. Provide litter tray(s) even if outdoor/indoor

Also think about:

1. Catproofing your garden or providing a run.

2. Ensuring a regular routine when exiting your house to prevent an escape if indoor only.


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## Leah100 (Aug 17, 2008)

It's not cruel so long as you take the commitment to keep him occupied . Mine are now all indoor cats and they are very happy that way. Get him a cat tree [Pet Supplies, Pet Food, and Pet Products on Sale Now at zooplus.co.uk, or ebay have reasonably priced ones] get him some toys [you don't need to spend a fortune, some good cat nip ones and balls of paper and empty boxes are always well received  and you can keep changing them to stop him getting bored if you don't spend too much . Fishing rod toys are fab]
and the company he gets from you and your family will keep him busy.


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## Siamese Kelly (Jan 6, 2008)

vikkizz said:


> my cat is nearly 5 months old now and as a former dog lover im suprised how much ive fallen in love with my new lil friend hes not at all aggressive even when my 3 year old is draggin him around all he wants is cuddles all the time he did jump out of the window once but was sat at the back door cryin 2 mins later so my decision was to keep him as an indoor cat as he seems really content, he has lots too play with and there is at least 1 person in the house all the time i live next to really dangerous roads and wouldnt want to risk letting him out, but ive recently been reading its cruel to keep cats indoors??.....im totally torn!!! what do i do?


Catproof your garden in a word Vikz,imo and it is just an opinion but i would CP my garden or keep him as an indoor lad,as for being cruel well sorry but stop reading whatever it is you've been reading it's a load of rubbish,imo it would be far crueler to let him out and be watchful of your toddler with him as your kitten grows he will not tolerate being pulled around and may in defending himself hurt your 3 yr old,especially as your kitten will teeth and want to bite and scratchWe breed and rear all our cats/kitts as indoor only cats/kitts and they know no different and are more than stimulated and forfilled and very happyHow old is your kitt V?

Janee,sorry correction on pedigree breeders will not sell to indoor/outdoor advocatesAs always this is not a given,it really does depend on the family,where they live etc


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## Janee (May 4, 2008)

Siamese Kelly said:


> Janee,sorry correction on pedigree breeders will not sell to indoor/outdoor advocatesAs always this is not a given,it really does depend on the family,where they live etc


Not the impression I get from this forum - but glad you take into consideration risk assessment of the potential buyer's environment and circumstances 

What I was illustrating was the two extremes of the spectrum.


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## charmed73 (Nov 19, 2008)

This is a really hard one. 

Until recently I had 2 cats both moggies and they had a cat flap and came and went as they wished. I then was lucky enough to get my 1st gorgeous Siamese kitten and after a LOT of thinking and soul searching I decided there was no way I would ever feel happy enough to let him outside. Even though my other two go out.

All was going smoothly until my female cat Star went missing for 72 hours, I was frantic. I was so lucky that she came back and was relatively unscathed but it made me seriously reconsider the whole indoor outdoor thing.

Currently my two moggies do still have some limited access to the outside world, but nothing like they had before. I'm also in the process of planning to totally catproof my garden or a build an outdoor run and also convert my cellar into Cat Heaven. 

I'm also trying to harness train my Siamese so that I can take him for walks so he still gets some freashair. To be honest though he doesn't seem to miss going outside and the couple of times he has ventrued out into the back garden with me he has been terrified and run straight back in and sat by the open kitchen door watching me outside yelling at me to be careful and that I should come in as soon as possible....I don't think he likes the cold floor under his paws as he rarely goes on the lino in the kitchen either.

Anyway do what you think it right, but take ti slowly and you may want to consider taking your cat out on a lead to get them used to the outside world and also if they actually like it.


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## suzy93074 (Sep 3, 2008)

My cat is an outdoor-indoor cat but tbo if I had the chance again i would keep him as a indoor only as there is more risks when letting them out i.e cars, cat fights, getting lost, being stolen etc.. If you live near a main road then I would definetly advise you keep yr cat indoorsxx


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## gingersnaps (Jan 3, 2009)

My mum used to have an indoor cat, she was lovely and so loving and very happy she had lots of toys and always had someone fussing over her.

Sadly Pheobe is no longer with us, but she had a long and happy life, so i think it's fine to have an indoor cat and don't see it as cruel.


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## funkycub (Aug 24, 2008)

I have two indoor cats and they are far more loving than my previous outdoor cats because they are indoor cats (I think)

They have never been outisde and are not concerned by it. They liked looking out the window but that is about as far as their interest goes.

The reason they are indoor is my previous cats were run over (Deano) and never came home (Sophie) and it took me 12 years to ever want a cat again!


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## serenitylove (Nov 23, 2008)

i have 4 cats and they are indoor cats, i have lots of toys scratch posts etc for them and they all play together, my only prob few years ago is when i took in an outdoor cat for someone and it was forever trying to escape out of window [i live on second floor] which wasnt safe so i had to rehome her but other than that no prob at all they are happy safe dont get illness or mishaps in the sameway as they dont come into contact with ther cats and traffic etc


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## WhiteNile (Aug 24, 2008)

Keeping a cat indoors isn't cruel, and letting a cat roam isn't cruel either. Both situations depend on the living conditions of the owner and the character of the particular cat. My kitty is a mostly indoor cat (she goes out for walk and playtime on her harness) and she's totally fine with it, but she has plenty of toys to play with indoors and she's rarely left alone for more than a couple of hours. She has escaped a few times before, but she just sits on the doorstep waiting to be carried back in; :lol: I think she knows that she's only supposed to leave the house accompanied on her lead. I'd love to get one of those outdoor runs, though!


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## NoSpecialFeaturesHere (Nov 23, 2008)

vikkizz said:


> he seems really content, he has lots too play with and there is at least 1 person in the house all the time i live next to really dangerous roads and wouldnt want to risk letting him out, but ive recently been reading its cruel to keep cats indoors??.....im totally torn!!! what do i do?


It's not at all cruel to keep your cat indoors safe from traffic, with plenty to play with, plenty of love and company. You said yourself he seems really content and is happy to stay inside. You have absolutely nothing to worry about!! Keep him in where he's safe and happy. 

If you think about it, cats are the only animals that we send out unsupervised. I think many of them are perfectly happy to be home-bodies. I know my cat won't go outside for love nor money!

I think the only time that it would be "cruel" to keep a cat indoors, would be if the cat was used to being allowed to roam a large area, and its owner decided to lock it in the house and keep it there against its will for no good reason. But that certainly isn't the case here, so don't feel bad.


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