Cats outside

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So now i know (after a rather heated facebook debate) that there are people out there that believe cats should never be let out.

And i'm fuming that people can be so stupid! Cats are natural predators and some cats need to be able to go outside, hunt, explore and just simply do their natural thing! But apparently some people think they can save the whole world by stopping cats from going outside and killing birds.

This is what cats do! Why on earth would you want a pet cat if you don't like their natural instincts? You don't get a pet tiger and hate the fact that it eats large prey. What a ridiculous notion.

So instead people are buying these.... catios???? As if that is in any way a substitute.

So, in short, I was eventually blocked from the page and all my comments (along with someone elses) deleted. Which also makes me fuming because other people seeing the post can think this kind of thing is ok. And that is not ok!

And now i know there are people out there with such views and it breaks my heart to know people can be so stubborn to want to subdue an animals instincts for their own misguided views and it's just going to frustrate me now.

Wildlife is under such massive pressure from humans and their pets that I can't see the problem. It is quite easy to substitute interactive play with a cat to replace the mental stimulation that hunting would provide. I don't think that anyone should be allowed to own a 'pet' tiger.

Personally, I keep my cat indoors mainly because I worry of what could happen to her outside. This stems from the 2 previous cats I had -- the first was hit by a car after a few months of owning her, and I have no idea what happened to the second as I was simply informed that he just showed up dead (theory is that he was poisoned, but I wouldn't know since I never saw the body), also a few months after basically adopting him from the streets. So basically, I've been really paranoid with my current cat, so I can see why people WOULD choose to keep their cats indoors.

That said however, I CAN see where you're coming from, and do sometimes feel guilty about not giving my cat some freedom, but at over 12 years of age, and the fact that she doesn't jump the heights she used to, I still can't give that to her. Basically, the point I'm trying to make is that I disagree with their decision to ban you IF it was simply done because they did not like your view as opposed to some other issue such as combativeness.

I completely understand that not all cats are outdoor cats and will quite happily live indoors. I also understand that some cats should not be let out due to health reasons. I also don't like the fact that cats can get ran over or poisoned and what not. However these are the risks of owning a cat and as responsible owners it's up to us to ensure our cats journey outside is as safe as we can make it. IE, if you're a driver, be sure to be cautious of any potential cats on the road, make sure your cat has a light reflective collar. There is a lot of information online about how to ensure your cats safety outside. And lets not forget, cats have been outside for thousands of years and have adapted to live amongst humans very well and most will have road awareness.

I used to work in a cattery and one particular cat we had in, his name was Charlie, he regularly came back to us because he was an outdoor cat, he could not cope very well with being kept indoors. The problem with Charlie, is he had a flea allergy, a very bad one and so he HAD to be kept indoors for health reasons. Except anyone who adopted him wouldn't keep him up to date with flea treatments and would still let him outside. So honestly, what do you do in that situation? He was part siamese too so he had the vocal chords of an opera singer lol

Sadly, however, humans are a$$h*les and will put poison anywhere and everywhere, maliciously or not, wont care about running over someones pet and sick b******s use cats as easy targets for things like dog baiting, fireworks ect. Those are the ones that need to be locked indoors for a lifetime.

And in regards cats killing birds...? Nothing in the world is going to change that. It's a fact of life, it's what they do and I don't believe that is our place to intervene.

But if people can't cope with cats killing birds and such... then why would they even want a pet cat?

I think this is not the best time to discuss this subject. Peace, take care of yourself.

Not me, I was more concerned you were still fuming from your first post.

You are really going to hate me for this, but I keep my two cats indoors. Indoor cats usually live longer and healthier lives. I live next to a high school where the traffic gets really heavy and I worry about my cats being out during those times. Even I don't really feel safe gong out when there's so much traffic. And there are other things I have to worry about, like aggressive feral cats, dogs, fleas, ticks, worms, evil sick people who are abusive to animals, my cats thinking my neighbors' flower beds make a great litter box, and so on. On the plus side, I don't have to worry about unplanned kittens since they are spayed and neutered.

I think it can depend some on where a person lives. Like in more urban areas you might live in an apartment or a home that just goes out into a parking lot and than roads, not really a good place to let a cat out. So I can see people keeping cats inside in some locations, so they don't get hit by cars and such. Of course than inside they need to be provided with enough entertainment and activity.

But the cat I grew up with was an outside/inside cat and there are some cats at my moms house who are also outside/inside cats...but she also lives in a house with a yard for the cats to go out into, and its away from traffic enough that if they do wander out of the yard its shouldn't be too risky.

As for cats hunting yes, this is what they do, it does not makes sense to try to suppress their instinct. Also humans are probably a lot more destructive to birds than cats are...cats eat some of them, humans destroy their habitats.

Humans are responsible for a lot of things

I would rather say humans are irresponsible

I agree that keeping cats always inside may be cruel, but on the other hand, letting them out destroys the natural balance. In normal circumstances they wouldn't be able to kill too much birds without facing starvation, but when we support them in between, they can kill as many birds as they like. That's huge pressure on birds, so we should support them also, otherwise they may disappear.