How do you know whether a cat should be indoors or outdoors?

idiocracy69: What determines whether a cat should be an indoors or an outdoors cat?
My cat is an indoors cat. I bought him when he was a baby and was already an indoor cat, and I don’t seeing him being an outdoor cat. What do you think?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Natalie
Hes definitely an indoor cat. I see an outdoor cat a cat, that pees on everything and is just dirty. I dunno why but thats just what i see with cats. :]

Answer by maxmom
They are far safer indoors.

I know some people feel they are missing out on all of the fun outdoors
BUT:
Outdoor cats get hit by cars, beat up by tom cats, get scabies and other diseases from strays, tortured by mean kids, get in fights with raccoons, eat poison meant for rats and on and on.

In my opinion, it is cruel to make your cat an outdoor cat.

Answer by snagelfritz
When it goes to the door and looks out, it wants to be an outdoor cat. When it comes back to the door looking in, it wants to be an indoor cat. This how my Aunt’s cat does. At night he an indoor cat.

Answer by Luvon
I think you should keep him an indoor cat its better for his health from fleas to ticks just make sure you give the cat attention so he doesnt get bored.But if you do decide to let him go outdoors (which you shouldnt) make sure he is neautered so he doesnt contribute to the over populated cat and dog problem. I hope this helps!

Answer by oldone
All cats should be indoor cats. They should all have their shots and be neutred or spayed. People who allow their cats to be outdoor cats are not responsible in that they do not care for the health of their cat. Cats get fleas, contact virus or germs and come in contact with animlas that are ill.
By keeping your cat inside keeps many things from happening to your cat.

Answer by VeggieTart
You should keep your cat indoors. If he wants to experience the outdoors, there are things you can buy that will let your cat outside, but keep him restricted to a part of the yard. Or make sure he has a window perch for his “Kitty TV.”

Answer by papyrusbtl
It’s safer.
Outdoors, he might get hit by a car, hurt by a dog, drink antifreeze from the ground, or get kidnapped by animal-lab thugs who need research animals (our city has a large University “animal-research” facility, and it has always been rumored that the grad students supply it by grabbing local pets sometimes—research animals cost a bundle, and locals are free—they’re not getting any of my cats, I know that.)

Answer by Carl
What determines if a cat is an indoor or outdoor cat is how responsible the owner is. An irresponsible owner will let the cat become an outdoor cat. A responsible owner won’t let their cat outside! Simple

Answer by Angie K
Indoor cats, for the most part, love to lie around, take naps, and relax. While on the other hand, outdoor cats are very active, they run, jump, pounce, and they love to watch the birds and trees and stuff. If a cat sits by the door meowing, he’s probably an outdoor cat. Often you’ll see Alley cats being outdoor cats. I had a tabb..Alley cat where he was indoor/and outdoor. ^_^

Answer by A11ie
Well, it is really your choice. Outdoor cats are slightly higher maintenance as you should keep food outside as well as in. You should be prepared for their hunting instinct and i highly recommend Frontline for ticks (ask your vet).

I now have two cats one is all outdoor and one likes both. We have had no problems with either, and the outdoors is good for them.

One of the determining factors for your decision should be your house and property. You want a large enough lawn that your cat will have enough room to run around and explore. You don’t want to risk your cat wandering into the street!

If you want to have an outdoor cat, you must teach him/her where home is by giving it much affection and leave food outside your house. I suggest when you start off you give your cat a collar with its information by chance it does run away.

I hope this helps, and i wish you the best of luck!

Answer by iwasnotanazipolka
I think you are doing the right thing. To put your little guy out now would be a big mistake. At the very least you’d be trying to get him out of a tree!

My cats have all been outdoor cats because I have lived in a relatively safe place – in the country. When I lived in the city, I lost at least 3 fine cats to cars over the years. If only they’d stay in the backyard like a dog, but being cats…

Keep your guy in the house.

Answer by Kim J
It depends on where you live. Most people live in places where it is fairly risky to be an outdoor or indoor/outdoor cat. Cars are a problem, dogs are a problem, neighbors, toxic chemicals, other cats are a risk. In more rural areas, coyotes and even owls can be a problem.

Indoor cats will live longer because they don’t run the risk of being run over or killed by a predator. Zoo animals also live much longer than their wild counterparts as they get medical attention and regular meals.

Is it better to live a riskier, more interesting life in the wild or live a longer life in a zoo?

The rule of thumb that outdoor cats live for 2 years while indoor cats live into their teens assumes that outdoor cats are unneutered, unvaccinated, unfed and uncared for. I know outdoor cats in mild climates who are 20 years old.

If your cat is happy being inside then there’s no reason to push her out the door. Indoor cats do need an enriched environment which means they really need toys to play with (no laser toys which are terrible) and company. Indoor cats can become dull and uninterested if they aren’t stimulated to ‘hunt’ and play frequently.

I know some indoor cats that resemble furniture. They haven’t been engaged and have become almost immobile.

Answer by yesy_91
do what u want..
better of indoors..

Answer by boychooser14
First off if your cat is an indoor cat you probably shouldn’t change that. But if your cat keeps going to do the door and looking at it all the time like a dog when they have to go potty then you might wanna let them out for a few minutes but watch it. Second, if your cat ruins things in the house such as your couch or a chair then you might want to get it a scratching post.Third, if it is getting sick of being inside then you should let it out and then let him in and see what happens from there but take good care of him either way.

Answer by Elvee Kaye
The main factor is how long you want your cat to live. Outdoors, they can get hit by a car, stolen by another person, attacked by dogs, injured, get into fights with other cats, get infections from wounds, or be infested with fleas, ticks, heartworms, and other parasites. If you raise a cat from the time it’s a kitten to be indoors all the time, they don’t know any better and won’t be upset at being in the house. If you let them run loose after having been indoors all the time, they have no survival skills and will be more likely to encounter trouble.

Answer by luvkitties
We have 2 cats and they’ve been indoor cats since we brought them home at 8 weeks old (they are now 4 yrs. old). They try to run outside and both have gotten out overnight by accident. They came back eventually and were anxious to get back in the house. Every once in awhile, they’ll cry at the door and we’ll let them out in yard to go onto the grass, but we watch them the whole time. After awhile, we bring them back inside and their happy again. Cats are much safer indoors. They live longer, they’re healthier, they have clean food and water and their fur is cleaner. My husband had a cat (from before we dated) that lived at his mom’s house. She was mostly an outdoor cat. One day they realized her back leg was broken….not fractured, but completely severed in two. Vet said mostly likely someone kicked her because there were no other injuries to indicate she got hit be a car or bike. She had to have pins and rods in her legs. We nursed her back to health for 4 months and brought her back to his mom’s house when she was healthy. Weeks later, she went missing for a few days and they found her deathly ill. She ended up getting put to sleep. We never found out what happened to make her sick. Never again will I allow any cat of ours to live outdoors. We still miss her and we blame the neighborhood.

Answer by edward_church2000
Cats are reversible they can live in both areas my step son cat that is also his moms cat will go out when every chance she has a chance to and she is a inside cat likes to go out where she
is not able at times we live close where traffic is since it the st. jean boul she wants to come out when she does she goes down stairs under neath the porch and its hard to get her at times where we live in a up stairs apt building

and her son goes nuts he does not want to see her hurt or killed by the cars that passes on both sides of the streets ..so I feel cats can be versatile here

Answer by α&Ω
If a cat is male, then I think it could be a good outdoor cat. If it is female, it should be an indoor cat, because it could get pregnant by running around the neighborhood like a tramp.