Indoor Cat VS Outdoor Cat (and anything else cat)

[N.E.OhioAtheist]

Outdoor cats or Feral cats are a plague and should be dealt with, without any emotion involved.
http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live...ec1781.pdf

[KidCharlemagne1962]

(24-07-2012 07:09 AM)Dom Wrote:  

Quote:Outdoor cats, even otherwise well cared-for cats, face an extraordinary array of dangers. According to The Humane Society of the United States, free-roaming cats typically live less than five years, whereas cats kept exclusively indoors often live to 17 or more years of age.

http://www.pinellascounty.org/animalserv...azards.pdf

I can bring you dozens of expert opinions that say that in today's world cats are screwed outdoors.

My husband was a cat lover and maintained a feral community and I am still taking care of these, in addition to having his 2 house cats. I am more of a dog person but I have also always loved cats.

The ferals are all fixed. They have an old camper to sleep in. I put food in there in the evening, all the cats have learned to go in then. I lock them in over night, otherwise they would live no more than a few months due to raccoons. In the morning I let them out and remove the food. This way they are motivated to go in at night. And I can spot if they are sick and catch them with a fish net and take them to the vet. (they are true ferals, not strays, and want no part of people)

So, even though they spend nights in safety and are well cared for otherwise, I have not seen one get older than 4. The males will stray further and get in fights with other males, get abscesses and 50% die from that. They also pick up mites and other insects that plague them and reduce their viability. Most of them just disappear and there is no telling what happened to them. Once in a while I see one run over on the street.

I have had cats for over 30 years. I used to let them come and go as they pleased and they all died early or just disappeared (cats hide to go to die). Since I decided to leave indoor cats indoors, they get to be between 10 and 15 years old. I always have 2 and they get tons of exercise because they play with each other.

A few generations back it was fine to let cats outside when you lived in the small towns that were the bulk of human population then. Not too many cars, no predators, just the males were a danger to each other because of the death from fighting. Females carried on the species. This is not the case anymore. Outdoors is a hostile environment all around.

The factual answer to whether it's ok to let cats outdoors is a resounding "NO".

And I have to say, you can have the most rational person, basing most decisions on facts, but when it comes to pets they all operate on outdated folklore as to what pets should be kept like. If you love your pets, do your research. If you don't, don't keep animals.

Dom hit the nail on the head here. I was and ACO (Animal Control Officer) in a town I used to live in. I have spent a lot of time with cats that were hit by cars, attacked by predators or injured intentionally by people. Chances are the cat will crawl off and die on its own, sometimes they can't and you get to see them suffer. Chances are if you have an ACO in your town they'll have the option of putting the animal down then and there or taking it to the shelter and letting it die a slow death (unless the owner calls in and can come get it). Few if any localities will allow them to take it to vet unless someone can pay the bill.

Keeping your cats indoors is the best option for them. Educating yourself about any animal you own and taking the time and effort to make sure their needs are understood and met.

[Dom]

(24-07-2012 07:36 AM)N.E.OhioAtheist Wrote:  Outdoor cats or Feral cats are a plague and should be dealt with, without any emotion involved.
http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/live...ec1781.pdf

Perhaps the people who let their cats outside without fixing them so they reproduce uncontrollably should be dealt with , without any emotion involved?

[kingschosen]

[Erxomai]

[elemts]

I've had this conversation with others in the past, and the simplified version (Dom's post covered things quite well) is that the world used to be cat-friendly, but now cats should be indoor-only in most locations. Really, we bread them for it, and there's more dangers outside from nature, humans (intentional and not), and who-knows-what-else out there. Just a few years ago there was a man who put out antifreeze in bowls just to kill off any animals that would come by his place (he put out food with antifreeze on it too!).

Keep in mind, I think the same for dogs too. Just because it's a dog, doesn't mean it's safe.

[houseofcantor]

All you peeps live in mean places.

Space Cat is an indoor plus eleven cat. Zombie Cat is a plus eleven outdoor cat. And yeah, he looks like roadkill. And yeah, he is probably a contributor to the decreased life expectancy of other males. But he's a cat. He's not a little human in a cat costume.

I agree with Dom's points in general, but specifically, here, I ain't gonna change my ways; besides, they ain't even my cats. Even though I did chip in to get Mofo neutered, the only one who ain't. But he had to get rabies shots first. And to do that, I hadda catch the little fucker and put him in George's cage until it was time to go.

There ain't ferals 'round here. The wildlife is kinda wild, along the river. Yet the cats we do have were somebody's strays, from elsewhere.

[kingschosen]

How do you make a cat sound like a dog?

Dip him in gasoline and light him on fire!

WOOF!

[Bucky Ball]

So little Petey came to our door. "Oh these peeps look like they'll take me to the vet cuz my leg is broken, and they can afford it."

One week later. "Thanks for the doc, the surgery, and the cast, I'm outta here".

Six months later : "Hi, remember me ?"

Been here ever since. (3 years).

[houseofcantor]

Hey, Violet! U gots to be an indoor kitteh!

(24-07-2012 12:09 PM)kingschosen Wrote:  How do you make a cat sound like a dog?

Dip him in gasoline and light him on fire!

WOOF!

Didn't someone say, this thread ain't for you?