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Post by Iluvmypup on Sept 11, 2004 9:28:09 GMT -5
Slightly off-topic, but its always interested me to know different people's opinions. I used to own an outdoor cat when I was small. He would come in at night and would beg (whine, and whine, and cry... ;D ) to go outside during the day. We wanted him to catch mice around the area, and since he loved it so much, we let him. However, now I get people saying I was cruel to let my cat out and that its the 'old way' of looking at things that a cat needs to be out. After all, the cat is now domesticated, and its our job to look after it. Too many hazards are lurking outdoors for a cat. So now I'm confused... While a cat isn't in my near future, I'm still interested to hear both sides, on what you think about indoor cats or outdoor/indoor cats.
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Post by sibemom on Sept 11, 2004 10:35:42 GMT -5
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Post by amyjo on Sept 11, 2004 11:48:08 GMT -5
Oh...my favorite pet peeve!!!!! I hate loose cats! HATE THEM HATE THEM HATE THEM! They sit in my driveway and tease my dogs - making them CRAZY!
They piss and crap in my garden making it stinky, they kill beautiful songbirds in the neighborhood, yowl all night long - in general they are a nuisance and I squirt them and let my Elvis chase them away whenever I can.
I think people that let their cats run loose in the city are not a very nice persons. If you can't keep your cat in the yard - it shouldn't be outside - PERIOD because it shouldn't be in MY yard.
Have I mentioned I hate loose cats? I have a cat - I am not a heinous person... but this really ticks me off. Okay - I feel better now.
I would just add that if you live in the country and your cat won't be a nusiance to others - then that is a different story all together. I would also add that cats can take pretty good care of themsevles and don't seem to do the same stupid stuff dogs do when loose to get themselves in trouble - so it's not really a safety issue for the cat so much as a problem for neighbors.
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Post by ripley on Sept 11, 2004 14:24:33 GMT -5
I have two cats, both came from our ranch as mousers and my pets (since I didn't have dogs then) and they were almost strictly outdoor cats, going into their room ONLY at night and only if they felt like it. So when we moved, we made the studio apartment-style a-frame outside our house the place for the cats. They LOVE that thing, much more than they ever like the house. I get SO much crap about how cruel it is to leave cats outside, but, y'know what? they don't know my cats as well as I do. If I wanted to be cruel to them, I'd lock them in the house 24/7 and never let them outside to hunt or sit in the grass. One of the things that I'm very proud of is that my cats (prolly cause they're neutered) don't roam. On occasion, my neighbor will have some raw fish left over that she likes to give them, and she'll call them over to her house (she's about 3 hourses down) and they'll eat their fish, and come back home. But I also don't like loose cats marking up my house, my stuff, and my cats, eating their cat food, and then going back home.. I can see where you get so ticked amyjo.
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Post by Aussienot on Sept 11, 2004 18:05:01 GMT -5
I've done both ways, and I strongly believe pet cats should be kept indoors. It's not cruel - cats that never go outside don't miss anything.
Outdoor cats have a very short life expectancy in residential areas. Fights with other cats, dogs, cars, and disease are the dangers. Some are lucky, but many aren't.
Free running cats can be real public menaces for all the reasons Amyjo mentioned. And if you must let them out in daytime, keep them in at night to protect bird, bugs and wildlife.
Working cats - kept to keep down rodents, different story. Just treat them like livestock, and don't get too attached.
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Post by Iluvmypup on Sept 11, 2004 19:05:34 GMT -5
Outdoor cats have a very short life expectancy in residential areas. Fights with other cats, dogs, cars, and disease are the dangers. Some are lucky, but many aren't. Thats the main reason I would not keep my next cat outdoors. He died at the age of 3, when we had to put him down. I'm not sure if his being sick was related to being an outdoor cat or not (my parents chose not to get into the specifics when I brought my kitty in to get put to sleep). Great points by everyone though.
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