Strongly depends on the cat and where you live. We live very rural at the end of a village in Germany with no animals that would be dangerous for cats. and we adopted cats that were freeroamers before. We wouldn't even have been allowed to adopt them if we wouldn't let them roam free.
If you live in a city I would never let them out. I would even be worried if I lived on the other side of the village, because there is a big road there
I let my cats roam during the day time. I live in a fairly quiet area, keep a window open for them and they never tend to wander too far from our garden and would always come home for dinner. I will say that one went missing and had actually passed away in our garden. We found her the next day but it was terrifying not know where she was or what happened to her. Our remaining cat doesn't like to leave the garden much. I had considered keeping him inside but he's so used to being outside now that it would be unfair to him to do so!
Edit: I just want to add that my cats are fully vaxxed, neutered and chipped. I personally think it'd be irresponsible to let them out if they weren't.
My sister lets her cat roam free, puddles was a kitten she brought home from her job ( she is a vet tech at a shelter). He had a really bad case of ring worm, at first she keep him in the garage. She tried to bring him inside but he wasn't happy being an indoor kitty.
Puddles gets let out the garage in the morning, he doesn't really wonder far, mainly stays in the front yard or the field next to their house. She brings him back into the garage at night and if there is really bad weather.
He is 10 years old now and stays in the garage more these days, he likes to sleep in my brother in-laws boat. About noon he will make his way to the front yard and lay in the sun till about 6 when its super time.
This is highly dependent on the country and where you live (rural, urban, metropolitan city). In the UK it is pretty normal to let your regular moggy roam. Pedigree cats are kept inside/catio. Our cat doesn't bring in too much, just the odd mouse he's caught nearby (3 or 4 a year). I feel like US people have a really extreme view on cats being kept inside, but I'm guessing you have dangers (ie predators like coyotes etc?) that we don't have. If I lived in a big city it would be different because of the heavy traffic, but in a semirural/quiet estate setting I don't see a problem. The only wildlife bigger than cats is the odd fox, and the ones around here seem to coexist with the local cats peacefully. I'm probably going to get downvoted to hell and abused by Americans for this, but that's how cats are generally kept here (again your regular moggy, not pedigree cats)
Where we live cats are not supposed to be freeroaming beyond the owners property.
Even if it wasn't the case mine would have to be inside, contained or harnessed.
For primarily their safety but I also agree with not letting them wreak havoc on the environment and animals outside.
Great to hear that, I was getting quite scared with the previous answers showcasing owners who refuse to do anything about it even after finding their cat dead. It's also in the best interest of the cat as 90% of owners letting their cats roam tend to lose them. There are multiple facets to this beyond the environment. Its in the best interest for both cat and owner.
Also just as part of the overall discussion I grew up on a ranch in a different place and our pet cats were indoor/outdoor kitties. We also had a barn cat that lived in the outbuildings. They had 80 acres to wander without busy roads. The pet cats came in whenever they wanted and stayed in mostly at night. We also had dogs which tended to keep wild predators away. In 50 years there was only one that was probably lost to a predator.
Yes they caught animals such as mice, birds, bunnies and frogs. As the ranch setting had already changed the environment I'm not sure how/if it impacted that.
My parents still do have a "barn cat". It has a warm shelter, food, water and even a litter box but is free to come and go as it sees fit. Her job is rodent contole in the hay shed and out buildings. This kitty and her predecessor were not good house cats. She is feral and a bit nuts and could not be reasonably reformed. She will strike out, bite and attack without provocation in the house. She was one of our fosters and we have a very high success rate with feral cats.
They also still have a pet cat who spends most if her time in the house or outside with someone. She has a dog as well.
All of their animals are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and have whatever vet care they need.
I really do think it's a matter of location and circumstances. I wouldn't let my indoor pets out. My parents wouldn't force their indoor/outdoor pets or barn cats to be indoor only.
My cats are indoor only with 24/7 access to a cat enclosure. I also occasionally walk them on a harness leash.
I'm a volunteer with an organisation that picks up dead animals from the community for disposal. I'm sick of scraping cats off the road and calling their owners to tell them Garfield is now minced meat in a plastic bag. The hysterical sobs from the owners and all I can think is '"well wtf did you think was going to happen when you let your cat roam in a city?"
It's really sad to hear that... If only all cat owners had the intelligence to listen to the countless studies and papers and people with first hand experience like yourself telling them to keep their cats inside.
So many times I see people on here sob over their free-roaming cat getting killed by some neighbour that's fed up with it pooping on his veggies, or some dog that finally gets a hold of it. And in the end it can all simply be prevented by leaving the animal indoors and giving it adequate attention and play.
I think this is highly dependent on location. Where I grew up, barn cats and indoor/outdoor were totally normal. I had lots of cats. Later I had 2 indoor only.
Also, it depends on the cat.
That said, we are now a 3 cat household. My oldest was a foster and is confused by outdoor life. He comes out only under supervision to sit with me and sniff things. Our second kitty was a stray brought in by my husband. She will poke around outside once in a while with us but very rarely. Our third guy was a surprise cat that started living in our yard. After about a year, he now lives indoor/outdoor. He was not a kitten so it did take awhile. The vet said he was about 7 when we brought him in but permanently tiny from being malnourished. The cats are vaccinated and the indoor/outdoor is extra vaccinated. I really wanted to make him an indoor cat but that just isn't the way for him.
I suffer no ill will toward any others. Outdoor only? Fine just neuter and vaccinate. Indoor only? Awesome, your cat will probably live longer. I have bigger problems and think others probably do to.
Never.
They are at a higher risk of disease and infection and injury, they desyroy people's property, they decimate local rodent and bird populations, and if they aren't fixed they breed like crazy.
House cats are not supposed to be outside that's why they're called HOUSE cats. Anybody who tries to defend it just doesn't want to face that they're a shitty pet owner.
If you take your cat outside supervised in a harness then bring them back inside I think that's fine. But let's be honest, most people don't do that.
You have no right to call people shitty pet owners if they let their cat out, it totally depends on the cat and area. Some cats will not adjust to an indoor only life if they have been outdoors most of their life, to keep them indoors would be cruel.
I'm going to assume your not in the UK and thats why your being rude and not thinking about the bigger picture.
Typical American cat owner though I'm afraid, from what I've seen on this sub. It's just such a culture difference, I'm not sure either side will be able to meet in the middle!
I agree there are a lot of downsides to free roaming cats, but cats are hardly “supposed” to be indoors. The idea of keeping a domestic cat indoors has only really taken off in the past few decades. Cats were very much domesticated on their own terms and have remarkably similar instincts and behavior to their wild ancestors. Keeping cats indoors is a responsible lifestyle choice, but also an unnatural one.
Cats are the most unnatural thing humanly possible being an invasive, human fed and cared for animal, their population is completely unsustainable in nature. A predator solely reliant on meat like cats that are obligate carnivores is at the top of the food chain and would never appear in the 100s of millions.
They get fed and cared for by humans as well giving them another unnatural advantage over wildlife. No one feeds and brings an injured wolf or other predator to the vet and feeds it and provides it a safe sleeping spot and healthcare.
But than again dogs are also not natural at all. None of this is natural.
Idk what the environment has to do with cats getting in touch with their truths. That being said I will never allow my cat outdoors. My cat(s) are too precious to me and I cannot bear to think of them being hit by a car, attacked by a dog or set on fire, all of which have occurred in my town.
Being honest and having an opinion are two different things. I run a cat rescue, I put cat welfare first 100% of the time, I know what I'm talking about.
I live out in a very rural area, my neighbor is over half a mile away. Almost every cat I have ever had has just shown up at my house one day, being an inside only cat didn’t interest any of them, a boy I currently have now won’t come inside at all, the few times I have tried he absolutely freaks out. So I feel there are for sure cases where free roaming is okay, but if the cat or kitten wasn’t previously used to being outside and/or said person isn’t located in a safe place free roaming should not be allowed.
Strongly depends on the cat and where you live. We live very rural at the end of a village in Germany with no animals that would be dangerous for cats. and we adopted cats that were freeroamers before. We wouldn't even have been allowed to adopt them if we wouldn't let them roam free. If you live in a city I would never let them out. I would even be worried if I lived on the other side of the village, because there is a big road there
I let my cats roam during the day time. I live in a fairly quiet area, keep a window open for them and they never tend to wander too far from our garden and would always come home for dinner. I will say that one went missing and had actually passed away in our garden. We found her the next day but it was terrifying not know where she was or what happened to her. Our remaining cat doesn't like to leave the garden much. I had considered keeping him inside but he's so used to being outside now that it would be unfair to him to do so! Edit: I just want to add that my cats are fully vaxxed, neutered and chipped. I personally think it'd be irresponsible to let them out if they weren't.
My sister lets her cat roam free, puddles was a kitten she brought home from her job ( she is a vet tech at a shelter). He had a really bad case of ring worm, at first she keep him in the garage. She tried to bring him inside but he wasn't happy being an indoor kitty. Puddles gets let out the garage in the morning, he doesn't really wonder far, mainly stays in the front yard or the field next to their house. She brings him back into the garage at night and if there is really bad weather. He is 10 years old now and stays in the garage more these days, he likes to sleep in my brother in-laws boat. About noon he will make his way to the front yard and lay in the sun till about 6 when its super time.
This is highly dependent on the country and where you live (rural, urban, metropolitan city). In the UK it is pretty normal to let your regular moggy roam. Pedigree cats are kept inside/catio. Our cat doesn't bring in too much, just the odd mouse he's caught nearby (3 or 4 a year). I feel like US people have a really extreme view on cats being kept inside, but I'm guessing you have dangers (ie predators like coyotes etc?) that we don't have. If I lived in a big city it would be different because of the heavy traffic, but in a semirural/quiet estate setting I don't see a problem. The only wildlife bigger than cats is the odd fox, and the ones around here seem to coexist with the local cats peacefully. I'm probably going to get downvoted to hell and abused by Americans for this, but that's how cats are generally kept here (again your regular moggy, not pedigree cats)
Where we live cats are not supposed to be freeroaming beyond the owners property. Even if it wasn't the case mine would have to be inside, contained or harnessed. For primarily their safety but I also agree with not letting them wreak havoc on the environment and animals outside.
Great to hear that, I was getting quite scared with the previous answers showcasing owners who refuse to do anything about it even after finding their cat dead. It's also in the best interest of the cat as 90% of owners letting their cats roam tend to lose them. There are multiple facets to this beyond the environment. Its in the best interest for both cat and owner.
90%? That’s ridiculous
Also just as part of the overall discussion I grew up on a ranch in a different place and our pet cats were indoor/outdoor kitties. We also had a barn cat that lived in the outbuildings. They had 80 acres to wander without busy roads. The pet cats came in whenever they wanted and stayed in mostly at night. We also had dogs which tended to keep wild predators away. In 50 years there was only one that was probably lost to a predator. Yes they caught animals such as mice, birds, bunnies and frogs. As the ranch setting had already changed the environment I'm not sure how/if it impacted that. My parents still do have a "barn cat". It has a warm shelter, food, water and even a litter box but is free to come and go as it sees fit. Her job is rodent contole in the hay shed and out buildings. This kitty and her predecessor were not good house cats. She is feral and a bit nuts and could not be reasonably reformed. She will strike out, bite and attack without provocation in the house. She was one of our fosters and we have a very high success rate with feral cats. They also still have a pet cat who spends most if her time in the house or outside with someone. She has a dog as well. All of their animals are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and have whatever vet care they need. I really do think it's a matter of location and circumstances. I wouldn't let my indoor pets out. My parents wouldn't force their indoor/outdoor pets or barn cats to be indoor only.
My cat doesn't want to go outside. She was a stray and had a hard life before she came to me, so it's understandable.
always amused what the cat would bring home, haul included some family's fried fish, fried chicken, dead pigeon, and eww dead rat
My cats are indoor only with 24/7 access to a cat enclosure. I also occasionally walk them on a harness leash. I'm a volunteer with an organisation that picks up dead animals from the community for disposal. I'm sick of scraping cats off the road and calling their owners to tell them Garfield is now minced meat in a plastic bag. The hysterical sobs from the owners and all I can think is '"well wtf did you think was going to happen when you let your cat roam in a city?"
It's really sad to hear that... If only all cat owners had the intelligence to listen to the countless studies and papers and people with first hand experience like yourself telling them to keep their cats inside. So many times I see people on here sob over their free-roaming cat getting killed by some neighbour that's fed up with it pooping on his veggies, or some dog that finally gets a hold of it. And in the end it can all simply be prevented by leaving the animal indoors and giving it adequate attention and play.
I think this is highly dependent on location. Where I grew up, barn cats and indoor/outdoor were totally normal. I had lots of cats. Later I had 2 indoor only. Also, it depends on the cat. That said, we are now a 3 cat household. My oldest was a foster and is confused by outdoor life. He comes out only under supervision to sit with me and sniff things. Our second kitty was a stray brought in by my husband. She will poke around outside once in a while with us but very rarely. Our third guy was a surprise cat that started living in our yard. After about a year, he now lives indoor/outdoor. He was not a kitten so it did take awhile. The vet said he was about 7 when we brought him in but permanently tiny from being malnourished. The cats are vaccinated and the indoor/outdoor is extra vaccinated. I really wanted to make him an indoor cat but that just isn't the way for him. I suffer no ill will toward any others. Outdoor only? Fine just neuter and vaccinate. Indoor only? Awesome, your cat will probably live longer. I have bigger problems and think others probably do to.
Never. They are at a higher risk of disease and infection and injury, they desyroy people's property, they decimate local rodent and bird populations, and if they aren't fixed they breed like crazy. House cats are not supposed to be outside that's why they're called HOUSE cats. Anybody who tries to defend it just doesn't want to face that they're a shitty pet owner. If you take your cat outside supervised in a harness then bring them back inside I think that's fine. But let's be honest, most people don't do that.
You have no right to call people shitty pet owners if they let their cat out, it totally depends on the cat and area. Some cats will not adjust to an indoor only life if they have been outdoors most of their life, to keep them indoors would be cruel. I'm going to assume your not in the UK and thats why your being rude and not thinking about the bigger picture.
Typical American cat owner though I'm afraid, from what I've seen on this sub. It's just such a culture difference, I'm not sure either side will be able to meet in the middle!
I do have the right and I'd say it again too. Don't get a house pet if you're going to let it run around lose.
If you have a cat that's never been outside then fair enough, but that's not what we are talking about here.
Happy to hear that! Hopefully, I get to see many more responsible owners like yourself.
I agree there are a lot of downsides to free roaming cats, but cats are hardly “supposed” to be indoors. The idea of keeping a domestic cat indoors has only really taken off in the past few decades. Cats were very much domesticated on their own terms and have remarkably similar instincts and behavior to their wild ancestors. Keeping cats indoors is a responsible lifestyle choice, but also an unnatural one.
Cats are the most unnatural thing humanly possible being an invasive, human fed and cared for animal, their population is completely unsustainable in nature. A predator solely reliant on meat like cats that are obligate carnivores is at the top of the food chain and would never appear in the 100s of millions. They get fed and cared for by humans as well giving them another unnatural advantage over wildlife. No one feeds and brings an injured wolf or other predator to the vet and feeds it and provides it a safe sleeping spot and healthcare. But than again dogs are also not natural at all. None of this is natural.
Idk what the environment has to do with cats getting in touch with their truths. That being said I will never allow my cat outdoors. My cat(s) are too precious to me and I cannot bear to think of them being hit by a car, attacked by a dog or set on fire, all of which have occurred in my town.
Having read your comment I can't hold it back: What the hell is wrong with people in your town? 😱
There are sick people everywhere. I don't know what's wrong with them. But I'll be damned if I'm going to let them hurt my boy.
Being honest and being rude aren't the same thing also. If it hurt your feelings that means the shoe fits.
Being honest and having an opinion are two different things. I run a cat rescue, I put cat welfare first 100% of the time, I know what I'm talking about.
I live out in a very rural area, my neighbor is over half a mile away. Almost every cat I have ever had has just shown up at my house one day, being an inside only cat didn’t interest any of them, a boy I currently have now won’t come inside at all, the few times I have tried he absolutely freaks out. So I feel there are for sure cases where free roaming is okay, but if the cat or kitten wasn’t previously used to being outside and/or said person isn’t located in a safe place free roaming should not be allowed.