Should you let your cat outside?

[JordanBlack]

I have 8 cats & 3 dogs, all rescued from the street. I live in an apartment building so I wouldn't be able to just let my cats wonder outside, but hey even if I had a back yard I wouldn't feel safe letting them out.

Anyway outta 8 cats, 6 I took in when they were babies so they wouldn't even want to go outside by themselves, but I have 2 that were about one year old when I took them inside the house, these two literally start crying at the window when they see me out with the dogs. So after I walk the dogs, I just take them out for a quick stroll - I bought those retractable kind of leashes, so they have a bit of false freedom so to speak.

Here we have a strays problem as well, dogs & cats, but some of us from the neighborhood just chip in a few bucks every other month to spay them.

Another thing, the strays, at least here, are spawns of the dogs & the cats that are thrown out on the street by their owners, for different reason - owner died/ kids don't wanna to take care of the critter, family having a baby/ they throw the dog out, to not hurt the kid. These are people that pay huge amounts of money for their pets, until they get bored of them. My sister has a rescued Newfoundland that was kept chained up, unfed & without water by its previous owners and bought only to breed other puppies.

So, like everybody said, spay your pets, but also stop throwing your pets on the street. STOP buying pets as fashion accessories and get rid of them if they eat your shoes (I wouldn't even call such an individual a human being :angry4: ).

 

[RainbowBryte]

I live downtown so I am scared of my kitty getting out and getting hit by a car.

 

[NataliaGrey]

I have two cats, and while they are indoor cats I want them to be able to experience the outdoors. They simply don't want to. I tried with a harness and then a leash, but neither were comfortable in them. So I tried just letting them sit on the back patio while I supervised them. They just crawled up in the corned against the house, scared as hell. If I try to take them on a car ride, they get too scared while I walk them to the car that I just have to take them back. I gave up, they're simply happier inside, which I'm kinda glad about. I like my wussy pussies.

That said, my cat before both of them was wild at heart. He was a fat Siamese who was raised indoors, so you wouldn't expect it, but he loved it outside. Unfortunately, he escaped once and we never found him. I like to think he was happy that way at least.

But yeah, spay/neuter no matter what!

 

[Miss_Lollipop]

I know they are little killers. :lol: Never would have thought it was as bad as this though.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21236690

New Zealand is even considering a ban on cats.

What say you? Should pet cats be indoors only? I am not sure where I would stand on this if I had a cat. In the past, I have had both indoor and indoor/outdoor cats.

Talked to my mum (in NZ) about this ban on cats they are considering. She said its never gonna get passed and is simply political drama making..

 

[Just Me]

I doubt something like this could get passed in any country.

Interesting thought. How about requiring that all cats have bells on their collars? I think that might cut down on the amount of critters they kill and would allow cats to be kept. Win win. :lol: More regulations can be burdensome but his is something everyone could personally consider if they are concerned. :twocents-02cents:

 

[Ladybee_]

My kitties chose me. They were stray or what we call feral cats. They have come off the streets, found us and we have fed them. They never left. I have two I live with currently and one acquired by the same means that lives with my mother. My two kitties are outside kitties because being half grown when they adopted us, that's what they are used to. It's really hard to keep them inside, they don't like litter trays and they just whine to go outside constantly. I love them dearly though and have had them spayed, got all their shots and take them to the vet whenever they need it, flea them and worm them. They do do some outside hunting, mainly mice (and the odd bird :? ) and while I know that it's pretty shitty that they prey on native birds it's also not their fault (poor things were introduced) and they don't deserve to be locked up inside because of it. So I do my bit by feeding them and taking care of them and i hope that this will reduce the amount of birds eaten by my cats. I think the only alternative is to have one really unhappy kitty, or put them down.

 

[TeaganO'Holloran]

I have a black cat (she's being kittysat now until I move into my new room), and she's a sweetheart. I do NOT let her outside, however... For several reasons.

First off, cats get picked up, ran over, etc. She's also a black cat, and superstitious people have been known to kill black cats.

Oh, FYI... when October 31st comes around and you have a black cat, it doesn't matter if it's an outdoor can or not... BRING IT INSIDE. Black cats are known to get killed, tortured, etc. on Halloween.

 

[amberleaf]

I swear... the world has gotten even dumber since 2010. Cats = Dangerous. Me = WTF?