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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / June 2005Indoor-only and outdoor cat in same household
Is it possible (or common) to have an indoor only cat and one that roams outside, in the same house? We were thinking of getting a purebred indoor cat (perhaps Burmese) alongside our existing 3 y-o moggy Khamun who goes out as he pleases via a catflap. One way would be, I suppose, to have a magnetic flap which only opens for Khamun and not the purebred. But it would be a bit strange for the purebred to see his companion going out, and finding he can't. Or maybe he wouldn't have any desire to. We're out at work all day and keep the cat in the kitchen with the catflap in the back door, so we could keep another cat in the remainder of the house without access to the kitchen - but the whole point of our getting another cat was to allow them to play etc, so keeping them apart all day would defeat the purpose, I suppose...unless playing together when we're there but not during the day (or night) would not be cruel. But then they'd only be together for 4 or so hours out of 24. Are there any purebred breeds who can roam outside, or we really restricted to moggies? Without wishing to start a indoor v outside heated debate of course! Thanks Alex > Is it possible (or common) to have an indoor only cat and one that roams > outside, in the same house? We were thinking of getting a purebred indoor [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Alex Alex, I don't understand. You seem to be assuming that it is safer for a mixed-breed cat to wander than for a "pure bred" one to do so? Why would you assume that? (...) > Alex, I don't understand. You seem to be assuming that it is safer for a > mixed-breed cat to wander than for a "pure bred" one to do so? Why would > you assume that? I think it's more prosaic than that: To take a purebred cat home, you invariably (?) need to agree to keep it indoors only, at least in the USA. So, if the OP adopts a PB cat, then assuming he wishes to stick to his side of the bargain, he'll have an indoor and an indoor/outdoor cat by default. (In fact, the journal article of Rochlitz I've occasionally referred to suggests that PB cats are *less* likely than moggies to be involved in a RTA (in the UK). However, this is almost certainly due to the mediating factor of owner behaviour, rather than PB cats being smarter.) Steve. > Alex, I don't understand. You seem to be assuming that it is safer for a > mixed-breed cat to wander than for a "pure bred" one to do so? Why would > you assume that? Well, from what I've read many breeds like Burmese don't have such good survival instincts outside, and most sites seem to say that they should be kept indoors. I assume that most, say, Bengal owners don't allow them to roam but maybe I'm wrong. Cheers for the response, I'd be interested if there are any purebred cat owners who could tell me if they allow their cats to roam - I'm in the UK where roaming sems more common. > > Alex, I don't understand. You seem to be assuming that it is safer for a > > mixed-breed cat to wander than for a "pure bred" one to do so? Why would [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > owners who could tell me if they allow their cats to roam - I'm in the UK > where roaming sems more common. I think maybe Steve G. has an answer for you. I wish I could help but you and I are at opposite ends of experience: I am in the US, have only had moggies and have never let them roam. Growing up we had some that did and they all got run over, poisoned, etc. I understand things are different in the UK. Good luck. (...) > > Well, from what I've read many breeds like Burmese don't have such good > > survival instincts outside, and most sites seem to say that they should be [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > I think maybe Steve G. has an answer for you. Not really. The Rochlitz study (Vet Rec 2003: 549 - 553) found that purebred cats were as third as likely as moggies to be involved in a RTA. This indicates i) at least some purebred cats in the UK have roaming outdoor access, ii) the reduced risk of RTA probably means that the purebred cats were restricted more (by the owner) in their movements than moggies. The sample size in the study was small, however. I doubt there's any evidence that purebreds have somehow had their 'survival instinct' bred out of them. Or, in other words, if you want to keep a purebred indoors, a reason to do this is not because they are especially stupid wrt the outdoors! Indeed, Rochlitz suggests that purebreds 'may have behavioural characteristics that reduce their risk of being in a road accident'. Just handwaving though, is that, and I would take it with a pinch of salt. Put it like this: the logic for keeping a purebred indoors applies just as well to a mog, with the exception that perhaps purebreds would be more likely to be stolen than moggies, which feeds into the equation somewhere... S. "Steve G" <news@stevethepsycho.co.uk> wrote:> > > > > I think maybe Steve G. has an answer for you. > > Not really. The Rochlitz study (Vet Rec 2003: 549 - 553) found that > purebred cats were as third as likely as moggies to be involved in a > RTA. "as third as likely??????" This indicates i) at least some purebred cats in the UK have > roaming outdoor access, ii) the reduced risk of RTA probably means that > the purebred cats were restricted more (by the owner) in their [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > more likely to be stolen than moggies, which feeds into the equation > somewhere... Well you know I will not argue with this. ;0) > "Steve G" <news@stevethepsycho.co.uk> wrote:> > > > > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > "as third as likely??????" Or, in other words, being a moggy was associated with 3-times the chance of the cat being in an RTA (odds ratio of ~0.3 for pedigree vs. non-pedigree status in their regression model). Also, 3% of cats in the RTA population were pedigree, vs. 11% in the population of cats that had never been in an RTA. (...) > > Put it like this: the logic for keeping a purebred indoors applies just > > as well to a mog, with the exception that perhaps purebreds would be > > more likely to be stolen than moggies, which feeds into the equation > > somewhere... > > Well you know I will not argue with this. ;0) Indeed, indeed. Mind you, replace 'indoors' with 'outdoors' and it still means the same, as long as we ignore any latent emotional content... Steve. > > "Steve G" <news@stevethepsycho.co.uk> wrote:> > > > > > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > chance of the cat being in an RTA (odds ratio of ~0.3 for pedigree vs. > non-pedigree status in their regression model). Oh oh oh, ONE THIRD as likely. Meaning that mogs are three times as likely. Okay. I have two Brithish Shorthairs. One is a little over a year old, the other six months younger. Memphis and Phoenix are both kept indoors. Phoenix would like to go out, but I think Memphis is more scared! We are planning to move to Spain in the future, so they will gain access to the outside, simply because we would find it near impossible to keep them in when it is hot. I had not heard of breeders making you agree to keep them inside before!  SignatureSandra > I have two Brithish Shorthairs. One is a little over a year old, the other > six months younger. Memphis and Phoenix are both kept indoors. Phoenix would > like to go out, but I think Memphis is more scared! We are planning to move > to Spain in the future, so they will gain access to the outside, simply > because we would find it near impossible to keep them in when it is hot. This is because there are few screened windows and doors, many places are not air conditioned, and so the doors and windows are left open, as in other parts of Europe? In Spain almost all houses have grilles fitted to doors and windows so that they can be left open. To run air con all the time is very expensive, even if it is fitted. It would be near impossible to stop a cat from venturing outside if it wanted to. It's bad enough in the uk, Phoenix is downright sneaky! SignatureSandra > In Spain almost all houses have grilles fitted to doors and windows so that > they can be left open. To run air con all the time is very expensive, even > if it is fitted. It would be near impossible to stop a cat from venturing > outside if it wanted to. It's bad enough in the uk, Phoenix is downright > sneaky! So the cats can go throught he grills? Yes. no problem. They are security grilles to stop humans getting in - a cat should fit through easily. SignatureSandra > Are there any purebred breeds who can roam outside, or we really > restricted to moggies? Without wishing to start a indoor v outside > heated debate of course! *snicker* good luck with that. Why do you assume that purebreds can't go outside, but moggies can? The only added risk I can imagine is theft, which is actually a problem for moggies as well, as they can both be sold to labs. My moggie stays indoors and is perfectly happy with that situation. Signaturemonique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca |
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