File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
While outdoor cats don't live quite as long as indoor cats, I think they live much happier albeit shorter lives in retrospect. What does /an/ think?
>> Anonymous
I agree, my cats seem really bored with everything, while the neighborhood cat is always willing to play with anyone.
>> Anonymous
>>297671
> She got knocked up

There are ways to prevent this.

> Do it only with males

This is not one of them.
>> Anonymous
>>297670
>you cannot compare animals to humans
Cool. I'm going to make a kitten roast now.

It's not like they're endangered or anything. And they're just animals; in no way similar to humans, according to you.
>> Anonymous
>>297670
Cat's have free will, though it's different from our own. They have different priorities. (Goes for any animal.)
>> Anonymous
I grew up with 4 cats, all indoor/outdoor cats.
They all lived to their 20's. Once is still kicking, but he was the youngin of the group, and is probably getting close to his late teens now (no way to be sure, got him from our retarded neighbors across the street. said they were moving after we brough him back over to them one night. asked if we'd like him, cus they couldn't keep him. said sure.. they were still there when we moved 6 years later..)
They all liked spending fair amounts of time both inside and out. Maybe we were just lucky.
>> Anonymous
All of my cats have been house-trained to go outside when they need to shit or piss, and spend their time in or out as they like. On the other hand, I didn't live in a city or anything while having these cats, and if I did I wouldn't let them out simply because of traffic.
>> Anonymous
I can understand the reasoning behind keeping cats indoors, but it has always seemed wrong to me to keep them only outdoors. We let our cats out when we go outside, but overall they do spend more time inside.

I think it's good to give them the opportunity to go out and explore if they want to. However, it is important to keep tabs on them. In other words, know them, and make sure they'll come in at predictable times, etc. Also be aware of any possible hazards in your area. If you live near a busy street for instance it might be better to keep them in.
>> Anonymous
I agree. Cat's need space to be happy.
>> Anonymous
I recently adopted an adult male cat. Whose life is a good example of how not to, and now (with us) how to keep an indoor/outdoor cat safe.

At his previous home he'd been an indoor outdoor cat in the city on a busy street. He was entirely unvaccinated and was allowed out at night.

Currently I live in a low traffic cul-de-sac, in a small neighborhood with a rather deep (for a suburban) wooded back yard. The woods are large enough to be interesting to him, but small enough that they can't support any larger wildlife like raccoons or weasles. He is now fully vaccinated, and comes in at night.

He did have a few scuffles with the neighborhood cats when he first moved in, which was expected (he needed to assert his own territory) but is now a very happy and athletic cat.
>> Anonymous
>>297675
this anecdotal evidence means nothing in the face of the tens of thousands of outdoor (or indoor/outdoor) cats killed every day. In several years of working as an Animal Control Officer, I picked up an average of six cats a day, dead along side the roads. In just one area of one average sized municipality. In two decades of working in emergency animal medicine, I cannot possibly count the number of sick, injured, or dead cats I saw, all from incidents occuring outdoors. The only enrichment provided to cats by being outdoors is misery, illness, injury, and death.
>> Anonymous
Both my cats are feral rescues, and aside from just a desire to follow me, they never EVER go out an open door if they didn't see me go first.

So I think they enjoy my nice, safe apartment more than the outdoors.