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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / October 2005At last
At last a sensible article about the difference between UK & USA methods of keeping cats indoor/outdoor and why. http://www.messybeast.com/ukcats.htm Tweed >At last a sensible article about the difference between UK & USA methods of >keeping cats indoor/outdoor and why. > >http://www.messybeast.com/ukcats.htm > >Tweed Few of the reasons stated there account for why my cats are indoor-only. I live in New York City-- it is simply not any more appropriate for my coddled, pet-raised kitties to be alone out there on those streets than it would be for a human toddler. Every week, I see different posters up for lost cats, and I will never allow one of mine to be one of those. I also just can't agree that indoor-raised cats inherently have more behavior problems that outdoor cats. I just haven't seen that at all. There is often a difficult transition for an outdoor cat -- but cats raised exclusively as indoor cats are usually happy as indoor animals. Theresa Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com Make Levees, Not War >>At last a sensible article about the difference between UK & USA methods >>of [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > There is often a difficult transition for an outdoor cat -- but cats > raised exclusively as indoor cats are usually happy as indoor animals. I hope you don't think I meant this post as a criticism of keeping indoor cats where it isn't safe outside, or to say that the UK way is the only way. I came across the website via birdwatching site!! and I just thought it might make both sides of the pond understand why we each do what we do. Love your new kitten posts. Tweed > At last a sensible article about the difference between UK & USA methods of > keeping cats indoor/outdoor and why. > > http://www.messybeast.com/ukcats.htm > > Tweed That's a great article. I'm reading it with the back door wide open, and Ripley and Cav wandering in and out of the fresh night air as they will. Jeanette > At last a sensible article about the difference between UK & USA > methods of keeping cats indoor/outdoor and why. > > http://www.messybeast.com/ukcats.htm > > Tweed I love her website and the information there. As for outdoor cats, I always planned that when I bought a house, it would be in a place that's safe for cats to be indoor/outdoor. It was just something that was a given. I've lived in an apt complex where it wasn't practical, but when I bought this house, it became apparent that unless I was going to live in an area where the commute to decent work would be worse than it already is, there just aren't any safe places that I could have bought. I was sad for my boys that I had when I moved. But, they adapted, and one of them was an indoor/outdoor cat before we moved to the apt so he knew what outdoors was. It just isn't safe here any more. Some areas are, but I just don't live there. I would love to make my backyard fully enclosed, and maybe some day I will. But for now, they have the enclosure, and even with that, I don't let them out during certain hours, like when mosquitoes are out in full force. Heart worm and all.  SignatureCheryl > > At last a sensible article about the difference between UK & USA > > methods of keeping cats indoor/outdoor and why. [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > -- > Cheryl Jasmine is more restricted now she's expecting, but she still goes outside during the daytime. She only really sits on the front verandah, it's her fav. snoozing spot, or she sits and watches the birds on the front lawn. I live on a very quiet, animal friendly street in the suburbs so I feel it's safe for her to be out at daytime, as I know she doesn't wander out of sight of the house. I leave the door open so she can help herself to dry food and water all day. I don't allow her outside at night, as cats freeze in car headlights, even though we hardly get any cars after dark-our area is mainly older couples, so we're all pretty quiet after dark, but I'v had a bad experience before, so I don't want to take any risks. About that UK article too, cats are almost native to the UK; their wildcats were widespread and not much bigger than domestics, so are a necessary part of the ecosystem there. That's a really good well balanced article in my opinion, Otis is mainly indoors, I can't have a cat flap put in as it's a glass back door and he's not allowed out the front door as I live on a busy road. He only goes in the back garden when I'm around, and comes in to do his business (well he is 16, old habits die hard) - luckily for me he has no interest in climbing the fence to explore the other side so I can leave him out to sunbathe, catch flies, and see off (by tail puffing and howling only) the other cats who come to steal his food! > At last a sensible article about the difference between UK & USA methods of > keeping cats indoor/outdoor and why. > > http://www.messybeast.com/ukcats.htm That article is only a comparison of cat-keeping habits, not really about indoors or outdoors. http://www.messybeast.com/indooroutdoor.htm is more applicable to the indoor/outdoor difference. > > At last a sensible article about the difference between UK & USA methods of > > keeping cats indoor/outdoor and why. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > http://www.messybeast.com/indooroutdoor.htm is more applicable to the > indoor/outdoor difference. The second article suggests, in the "Indoor Stress" section and the one above it, that the reason so many cats have behavioral issues, are on antidepressants, etc. etc. are that they are cooped up indoors. That's pretty vague. I'd sure like to see some statistics on that. The reason I wonder is, purely anecdotal evidence to the contrary. My cats absolutely come and go as they like, until about 5 p.m. They all get along fine. But we still have the same behavioral issues (chewing fur off, inappropriate elimination) that the article alludes are strictly-indoor cat issues. I'm just not sure I believe that. Sherry > > > At last a sensible article about the difference between UK & USA methods of > > > keeping cats indoor/outdoor and why. I think a pet owner, having judged the risks for her/his area, should be able to choose whether or not to let her/his cat outside alone. (I'm not so sympathetic to declaw, and I'm proud to go to a vet who will not offer declaw as a service save for medical necessity (ie infected nail bed). I don't let mine out. I don't feel that a Canadian city is safe for a cat outside alone, what with the traffic, local sickos, disease, and predators (wild and semi wild dogs, coyotes, etc.) I see so many missing pet posters that I do not ever want my cats to be "starring" on, at least not as long as I can prevent it. I don't think that those who do decide to let their cats out are irresponsible pet owners or bad people--in my area, I do not want my cats to run the risks I see around me. And I have two cats who have never run unleashed outside, one cat who likes her leash, and one ex-feral who is now terrified by an open window, let alone actually forcing him into the open air. --Fil > I don't let mine out. I don't feel that a Canadian city is safe for > a cat outside alone, what with the traffic, local sickos, disease, > and predators (wild and semi wild dogs, coyotes, etc.) I see so > many missing pet posters that I do not ever want my cats to be > "starring" on, at least not as long as I can prevent it. In full agreement here. There are coyotes and mountain lions that are almost certainly roaming within a few miles of my house, and I've seen foxes in the parking lot of the local YMCA. I don't feel like contributing my cat to their diet. Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca > > I don't let mine out. I don't feel that a Canadian city is safe for > > a cat outside alone, what with the traffic, local sickos, disease, [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > -- > monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully That's fine, and that's your decision to make. If I lived urban, I'd make the same decision. However, I don't and nothing pisses me off more than a newsgroupie who's on a mission to make *everyone* feel like an animal abuser for letting their cats out. I'm not talking about anyone here, but you all know the kind of posts I'm talking about. If you saw my house you'd agree that it is just not necessary to keep them in for safety's sake. The last injury we had to go to the ER for was an indoor injury. You never know. Sherry > That's fine, and that's your decision to make. If I lived urban, I'd > make the same decision. However, I don't and nothing pisses me off [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > to keep them in for safety's sake. The last injury we had to go to > the ER for was an indoor injury. You never know. To be honest though, that "well-balanced" article sounded pretty biased to me. And yes, there are people on a mission to make everyone feel like an animal abuser for keeping their cats in. Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca >> > I don't let mine out. I don't feel that a Canadian city is safe for >> > a cat outside alone, what with the traffic, local sickos, disease, [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > > Sherry Part of the reason I posted that link was for that very reason that you said. I sometimes felt wrong for letting my cats go out, that they were at risk because I couldn't keep an eye on their litter box habits or they would be immediately grabbed by a weirdo, squashed on the road, shot by a territorial neighbour or made into fur gloves. I am confident that my cats are safe to go in and out at will. Neighbours don't care if my cats go into their garden, and they aren't allowed guns anyway. There is almost no traffic where I live but lots of huge gardens and fields. No big cat-eating predators, although foxes can occasionally be a danger. I've never heard here in the UK that we have to worry about homing black cats near Hallow'een either. It's different for different circumstances isn't it? The cat culture here is usually to let them in/out at will and in a big dangerous city - road wise - most folks wouldn't have one. Tweed > Part of the reason I posted that link was for that very reason that you > said. I sometimes felt wrong for letting my cats go out, that they were at [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Tweed I used to feel like I constantly had to defend the outdoor thing. I never once told anybody they should let their cats out, but I've had too many people to count jump on me for not keeping mine housebound. Pfft. There's a rural culture in the US also; I don't think anybody here keeps them indoors all the time unless they live in town. I think it would be cool to live somewhere that your cats could "visit" the neighbors and be welcome. Litterbox habits, well, that's no problem in the winter, but in summer it probably could be around here. They still use the box most of the time. We have to watch for fleas and worm them regularly because they eat gophers and mice. We also have to withhold their supper to get them indoors at night in summertime. If they're not hungry, sometimes they won't come in. I have to go out and commence a cat roundup. NOT fun. Sherry Great article thanks. Suz&Spicey |
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