Could someone explain this?
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Scatskitties — 9 years ago(April 30, 2016 08:30 PM)
I thought I implied that cat owners who let their cats roam outside were irresponsible when I listed all the ways that they could DIE from being left outside, but if you need me to use the word in order to understand, then I will. They are IRRESPONSIBLE. Happy now?
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SapphEyeR — 9 years ago(May 15, 2016 03:56 PM)
Let's see,
Dog owners who let their dogs run loose are irresponsible because loose dogs attack cats, and cats die.
Cat owners who let their cats run loose are irresponsible because loose cats get attacked by bigger animals, and cats die.
Have I got it right? Is there any more to it than this? Because no, I'm not completely happy with this cat-centric reasoning. -
SapphEyeR — 10 years ago(April 29, 2015 06:28 AM)
The problem is probably that there are too many of them since no animal was made to be inside.
There are too many cats because there are two many people. Thanks to modern medicine and agriculture, humans live long and multiply. That's great for us as individuals, but Earth's population is increasing all the time. Humans are continuously pushing into and occupying parts of the globe that used to be the exclusive domain of wild animals. All the wilderness areas of the earth are being fragmented and destroyed. We are driving out the animals because wild animals can't raise young very successfully in areas occupied and transformed by humans. Manicured back yards full of roaming domestic pets are not places where wild animals can survive easily. Their numbers decrease all the time and many are headed for extinction of their species.
Some people, like myself, try to keep their back yards as natural as possible by letting native plants grow, even overgrow, to provide habitat and cover for wild animals. It undermines my efforts if my neighbor's cat is patrolling my back yard killing things. Don't I have the right to keep my yard as I want it?
[Cats] come from nature too so I think cats have a right to be able to enjoy this world as well.
Cats are not a natural part of the environment, they are a domesticated animal (like cows, horses, and dogs) whose physical qualities and behavior has been shaped over the centuries by breeding by humans. They are not native to the environment although their wild distant ancestor was, somewhere. Cats have been artificially bred to live with humans and to kill small animals that humans dislike living with and regard as pests. They are too proficient at killing to be a part of the natural environment. The can't co-exist with the environment because they kill more than they would need to eat which is destructive to the environment. -
LilyViolet — 10 years ago(April 18, 2015 07:59 PM)
i live near a busy road. i see at least one cat a week dead on the side of the road. and i dont even live in a big town.
in fact this last two weeks. since it has become warmer. i have seen more. i saw 3 cats just this week dead on the side of the road.
unless you have acres of land . your cat shouldnt be outside. not only you have to worry about cars, you also have to worry about evil buttheads outside that enjoy hurting animals. people dont like it if they see a cat pooping in their yard. and they will try to kill the cat. -
Fatal_When_Swallowed — 10 years ago(April 18, 2015 11:45 PM)
sparklingly
, if you have a cat, you need to keep it inside. You can make an outdoor enclosure where your cat can still lie in the sun and be safe.
Over half a century, I've had idiots for neighbors who insisted on keeping their cats outside, and guess what happened? The cats always came to MY house. I've kept some and given away others to loving homes. But I cannot take care of everyone's stray cats, and I will NOT be responsible for what happens to yours if it wanders onto my property.
God help your cat if a nasty person who likes to abuse animals comes along, sees your cat and decides to use it for target practice, Satan worship, or just plain torture. I live close to several schools. Every summer, cats, dogs and all other kinds of pets get dumped on the street near my house. I've picked up cats that were run over and taken them to the vet, or felt them die in my arms. I see them dead on the highway baking in the sunat least, I pray they're dead when I see them there. And, every year, I see cats who are starving, sick and abused, who are so frightened that they won't come near me because they would rather die than trust another human being.
Bottom line:
KEEP YOUR PETS INDOORS. -
sparklingly — 10 years ago(April 19, 2015 04:59 AM)
Well I'm sorry but like I already explained this cat is 20 years old now and has been an outdoor cat her whole life so it would be cruel to take that life away from her when that's all that she has known. We actually tried to have her as an indoor cat in an apartment a short while when she was younger but she was so unhappy that she started protesting by peeing everywhere and actually managed to escape from the balcony(it was the first floor) and was gone for 6 weeks! After I finally found her again she got to go back to the country and be an outdoor cat and she has never gone missing since then. So it wouldn't be right for this cat.
I wish people would realize that every case is different and you can't lump everyone together and declare that is what is best and works for everyone. There isn't a busy road nearby and she knows not to go on the road that is here. I've always seen her turn back before she gets on the road. She hasn't survived 20 years by sheer luck so don't underestimate her. There is 1 neighbor here and we know them and they don't have any pets. I'm not saying that in some cases it isn't better to keep a cat indoors but I don't like people acting like every case is the same.
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul. -
helee81 — 10 years ago(April 25, 2015 06:17 PM)
to answer your original question, his reasoning for keeping cats indoors is, number one, cats don't possess the instinct to stay away from roads. they don't understand the danger of traffic and are often run over by cars. and number two, outside cats are much more likely to contract feline AIDS and leukemia. the dirt outside contains germs that the cats can't fight off, so allowing your cats to spend the majority of their time outside can actually be hazardous to their health.
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sparklingly — 10 years ago(May 03, 2015 05:34 AM)
Considering the environment she lives in here it would be a higher risk of her just getting sick and die while being an indoor cat. Life comes with a certainty of death and indoor cats die eventually too and this cat has actually gotten several years on the indoor cats I have known. So when she dies here she has both gotten a long life and the life she prefers to live. The only time she got herself in real danger were when we tried to force her to be an indoor cat. So I know what is best for my cat, please respect that.
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul. -
thesnowleopard — 10 years ago(May 03, 2015 10:31 AM)
Twenty is a bit old to start keeping a cat indoors. I was once involved in taking care of a Scottish kitty in our back garden at university who was estimated to be between 24 and 27 when she died. She was very happy with her little cubicle next to the garden, had a small, insulated place to sleep, got fed regularly (including during holidays), got a lot of attention, was protected from predators in an enclosed outdoor environment, had regular vet visits. She was fine and eventually died of natural causes.
However, if you're starting with a younger cat, you should bring them in if possible because outdoor cats generally only live a few years, and indoor/outdoor cats are also at high risk, even with the right shots. There's a lot of ugly out there.
Innsmouth Free Press
http://www.innsmouthfreepress.com -
avnrulz — 10 years ago(May 08, 2015 04:41 PM)
My indoor male, fixed, started spraying, etc, and got out. He lived outside for the rest of his life (12 years), and even walked with me when I walked my dogs. We provided him with food, and a cat tree. He has since passed (old age), and now a female (fixed) has decided she wants to live outside and walk with me and my dogs.
BOHICA America! -
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saltnurwound — 10 years ago(October 24, 2015 05:10 AM)
Spark
Whatever the general "rule" is for cats, it looks to me that you and your cat have a life of harmony and longevity.
Don't change a thing. Maybe if you get another cat some day, you can decide to continue the practice or keep him/her indoors. -
sparklingly — 10 years ago(November 14, 2015 03:37 PM)
Spark
Whatever the general "rule" is for cats, it looks to me that you and your cat have a life of harmony and longevity.
Don't change a thing. Maybe if you get another cat some day, you can decide to continue the practice or keep him/her indoors.
Aww, thank you! I really appreciate that. I'm glad someone understands that at least.
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul. -
Ike_McAdoo — 10 years ago(November 05, 2015 12:07 AM)
in
most
cases, a cat being indoor/outdoor will end up with a cat that goes missing: either eaten by coyotes, hit by a car, caught and tortured by kids . . . etc. if you can keep an eye on your cat and obviously have a fenced yard, it's not so much an issue as an animal that just comes and goes as it pleases. even when cats are fixed, someone always has an intact male that wants to fight and that's dangerous as well.
i live downtown and there's just no way for my cats to go outside safely. all there is outside is a sidewalk, a busy street, and a light rail. the two cats i've had that have passed were both 18. i now have an 8 year old and a 5 year old. overall, indoor cats tend to live longer than those allowed to roam, simply from the things i already mentioned, and parasites. if you can watch your cat while she's outside, good for you, but most people just let them come and go and it's kind of dangerous.
i have no problem with cats killing birds. the closest my cats have ever gotten was eating a miller moth that somehow got in. -
kirroth — 9 years ago(June 11, 2016 07:55 PM)
Cats do not belong outside. Due to selective breeding, they have become a creation of man and have no place in any natural ecosystem. It is cruel to the cat and cruel to the local wildlife to allow the cat outside. The cat is exposed to many dangers (predators, poison, evil people, etc) and the local wildlife is exposed to a predator they may not be familiar with. If you want your cat to enjoy some outdoor life, I strongly suggest either harness/leash training the cat, or building some sort of catio (cat patio).