People who let their cats roam the neighborhood

[Laura]

I hate it when people let their cats run free. I mean hey I can't just let my dogs run the neighborhood so why is it ok for cats to be able to? I don't get it my Lab knows the phrase "get the kitty!" Her ears purk up and she runs to the window to look. My little doxies just like to go outside and roll in the nice gifts that the kitty's have left in MY yard. Lovely. "Get the Kitty!"

Eeewww. I don't get the whole cats-can-roam-outside-but-not-dogs thing either.


My cats like to stay indoors most of the time; they don't try to escape, but they're curious about the outdoors. We have a screened, covered patio/three season room that they love to sit in. They can't roam around and catch birds, but they can hear and smell everything. Lately, though, they've only been lasting three or four minutes out there! We set our kitchen timer when it's too hot or too cold for them to be outside very long so we don't forget to let them back in; during nice weather the screen door stays open.

 

[missj1975]

I adopted a cat that used to roam outdoors but now that I have her, she is perfectly happy to stay indoors. I also think it is rude to let cats just roam around. My sister and brother-in-law live in the country and have chickens. One of their neighbors has outdoor cats that keep multiplying. The cats try to get into the chicken coop and the neighbors don't care saying cats will be cats so now the cats discretely disappear once they cross onto my sister's property.

 

[U2_rocks!]

Really? In the UK it's VERY rare for a cat to be kept indoors. Our cat does as he pleases - we have a cat flap so he comes and goes whenever he feels like it.

Same thing here in Barbados. In fact, it is impossible to keep an indoor cat here, as there's always a window open somewhere in the house. You can keep dogs in to a great extent, but not cats. Cats do get killed by dogs and cars - it is the life of a cat here. The only way to prevent this is to outlaw cat owning, but that's really not practical. What would happe to all the cats that already exist here?

Besides, I'm not convinced that roaming is such a bad life for a cat. Sure, it's much more risky, and many cats' life spans will be much shorter than that of the typical indoor cat. But they are following their instincts and happy for the time they are alive! I don't like to see caged birds or hamsters or guinea pigs either, nor fish swimming around a tiny bowl, and I won't keep those kinds of pets. With sugar cane and brush fields nearby, outdoor cats help to keep the rat and mice population down. They do kill a few birds, but they don't make a dent in the bird population here.

Different cultures, but I don't think it's fair to say that it's terrible to allow a cat to be outdoors. It's a trade-off between the cat's safety and it's ability to be a CAT (as opposed to just a human's pet). I can't really say which is better - I just know that where I live cats are outdoor, and I wouldn't feel right attempting to shut them in completely, just like I don't feel right caging any animal in a space that's unlike its natural habitat (in size or nature). In my mind a cat is a semi-wild animal, not a house pet. I realize that in other people's minds the opposite is true.

 

[themarquis]

I hate it when people do that, too.

However ... I think it is possible to have healthy, relatively safe cats who roam. Doing so requires living in an area where there are no major roads, making sure the cat or cats are sufficiently streetwise, allowing them access to a warm environment, and making sure they are all getting love and vet care even though they roam (I know a lot of people who think having an outdoor cat is an excuse for never taking care of it because it doesn't really seem like a "pet" to them ). Unfortunately, a lot of people just don't do these things.

I have two indoor cats who have no interest in the outside and are totally happy. To the posters who doubt this or think that a cat has an "instinct" to be outside, usually when a cat is raised from kittenhood to be an indoor kitty, they will never develop this "instinct". Keeping them inside means they will live something like four years longer because they are safe from being run over, cat fights, illnesses acquired from other cats, and other dangers, which is primarily why I decided to do this. One of my cats has zero interest in the world outside (he actually trembles if we have to take him out to go to the vet) and the other one sometimes likes to run out into the hallway of the apartments and sniff around, but that's it.

However, I have had situations where cats could not be indoors. I once had a wonderful cat who had a lot of energy and had been outdoors when he was younger -- he just never adjusted to being an indoor cat so I asked my parents, who lived in a rural area, to take him (it was not safe to let him out where I lived). I also once adopted a semi-feral cat who roamed my neighborhood. He liked to come inside for warmth and pets from time to time, but he prefered to spend most of his time outdoors, hunting, etc.

My point is that it is not inherantly wrong to let cats wander but some people do it indiscriminately without thinking aobut the well-being or safety of their cats. If these particular people are losing cat after cat to a busy street, then there is something wrong.

 

[Wish Upon A Star]

We have a neighbor who has three cats that come and go as they please and use our backyard as a short cut to get back to their home.

Now we have the yard completely fenced in, but they still found a way to get back there and torment our now deceased rabbits. They have a habit of laying on DD's jeep in the driveway and we've had countless of dead birds and chipmunks in our yard because of them, not to mention when DS and DD were younger their sandbox was used as a litter pan.

DH and I have had several outside conversations loud enough for our neighbor to hear exactly what we thought about his cats that he suspected us of "trapping" one of them . . .

One day he came ringing on our doorbell and asked if we had seen one of his cats and we were like, nope, haven't seen him, and he said "I think he might be trapped somewhere" I wanted to say "yeah, we've trapped him in the have a heart trap and we are planning on dunking him in the pond out back . . ." We've been living there for almost 15 years and these cats are still the same ones from 1992 . . . How many more years can they possibly have?

 

[munchkin bunchkin]

I admit , my kitties are spoiled !They are indoor cats with controled outdoor privledges.We bought a 4'x6' chain link dog cage ,put it up on concrete blocks,put a shingled roof on it and then enclosed the bigger openings with rabbit cage wire.This way they still get to have fresh air ( more then with an open window to sit in and look out of))and are entertained nicely with the birds and squirrels running around...all while being safe !Heck they even have roll up awnings on it that we pull when the sun gets to hot!

 

[CheshireVal]

Cats are very adaptable to living inside. Because they're so small, they can live vertically (in that they can climb on things and find perches), so they're not confined to the floor space of your home.

 

[jillyjoey]

Cats roaming the neighborhood at will is my major pet peeve. I do not let my dogs roam to poop and pee in your yard, why should you let your cat do it in mine?

We have a garage but I have seen them lying on peoples car hoods. Yea, thats what I'd want to buy a new car then have a cats claw marks on it from getting on and off the hood.

.

Ditto. My dogs are not free to roam the neighborhood -- why should cats be? My neighbor's cats have ruined the paint job on my husband's truck. And, while we too have a garage -- it is my property and why should I have to put my truck in the garage to protect it from trespassing cats.

What's good for one is good for the other. Cat owners don't want my dogs on their property -- why in the heck do you think I want your cats on mine? Sorry -- this is really my pet peeve -that plus the fact that no one seems to spay/neuter their cats and there are always kittens all over the place.

 

[grumpyvet]

I don't want to fuel a debate here...but a study showed that the average lifespan of a cat that goes outdoors is 3 years, while that of an indoor kitty is 13 years. I think that that study had to be a bit skewed, I know a lot of indoor/outdoor cats who make it into their late teens. Cats that go outside have a GREAT time..just more likely to die young.
That said, my four kitties are indoor ONLY..only one tries to escape on occassion..and I had two coyotes in my backyard last night that my Wolfhound delighted in chasing!!!
So, not a safe place for cats..or small dogs here!!!

 

[magicmato]

I don't want to fuel a debate here...but a study showed that the average lifespan of a cat that goes outdoors is 3 years, while that of an indoor kitty is 13 years. I think that that study had to be a bit skewed, I know a lot of indoor/outdoor cats who make it into their late teens. Cats that go outside have a GREAT time..just more likely to die young.

Not to start a debate, but I think you must have misread that study. Indeed, a cat that is feral and receives no help from humans will have a short lifespan, but a pet that is taken for regular medical attention, that is treated for worms/fleas, etc and fed and watered in an appropriate manner will live a nice long life, not taking into account cars and other accidents.

It is the lack of food and medical care that really cuts down on lifespan, just as it does in humans who never see a dr.

 

[CheshireVal]

Not to start a debate, but I think you must have misread that study. Indeed, a cat that is feral and receives no help from humans will have a short lifespan, but a pet that is taken for regular medical attention, that is treated for worms/fleas, etc and fed and watered in an appropriate manner will live a nice long life, not taking into account cars and other accidents.

But you have to take into account cars and other accidents. I can say for a fact that my indoor cats have a much smaller chance (or zero chance) of being hit by a car than any outdoor cats.

 

[druidia]

She should keep them in her home where they will be safe and warm. I know cats are cats, but to allow them to roam all day and night is irresponsible.

Super pet peeve!!! I 100% wholeheartedly agree. If they are domesticated, not feral, then they should be inside. Outdoor cats are more likely to get hit by cars, hurt by dogs and other cats, and acquire diseases.

Luckily my 2 rescue kitties know how lucky they are and don't bother us to go out. They have a glass sunroom from which to watch the world go by.

Spoiled rotten, I tell ya.

RANT: On the subject of people not taking care of their animals: Our renting neighbors across the street moved in right before the holidays. On their 2nd night in the house, their young golden retriever got out of the house and tried to cross the street to our yard and was hit by a large SUV, which just kept going. Nice. We saw them in the front yard and helped them get their fatally injured dog in the car and told them where to find the nearest vet ER. He didn't make it. Naturally, the dog owner was really distraught, as were we.

Now they have another dog who they just let out the back door and runs over to our yard and digs up our flowerbeds (we have a mole somewhere), and when we return him, they didn't know he was gone. The best part? Not only do they let him run, he isn't fixed. Funny how quickly people forget.

After 2 weeks of this, I typed up a letter and put it on their door and asked them to take care of their dog, and please get it fixed so they wouldn't add to the animal overpopulation problem. So far, so good, but he still isn't fixed. I don't expect their responsibility streak to last long.
:RANT OVER

What's interesting is that so far, the longest-lived cat I've ever had was my first. She was an indoor/outdoor cat that my parents gave me when I was 3. She died when I was 19, and only because she was deaf and didn't hear my dad backing out of the driveway. Very tragic, but she lived a long time to be an outdoor/indoor cat, but ultimately died of an outdoor hazard.

My last cat was spoiled rotten, exclusively indoors and died from cancer at the age of 10. Go figure.

 

[magicmato]

But you have to take into account cars and other accidents. I can say for a fact that my indoor cats have a much smaller chance (or zero chance) of being hit by a car than any outdoor cats.

You are right, but then they face the possibility of drowning in a toilet, of falling down the stairs, pulling shelving down on themselves, chewing an electrical wire and electrocuting themselves, etc.

I grew up with all outside cats and they all lives long healthy lives because they were cared for. Somehow I doubt that was the exception to the rule.

However, we now live where there are feral cats. They are undernourished and sickly and certainly will not live long healthy lives. It is not the cars that causes the short life spans in most cats.

 

[wdw4us2]

We have a garage but I have seen them lying on peoples car hoods. Yea, thats what I'd want to buy a new car then have a cats claw marks on it from getting on and off the hood.

That's my complaint. There is a "cat lady" in our neighborhood who has over 20 cats and lets them roam free. They're not licensed nor do they have collars identifying them or whom they belong to.

We finally got tired of the cats using our SUV as a cat bed/scratching post. It's particularly fun if they decide to urinate while they're on the hood, then the smell get into the vehicles heating/cooling system. It takes a great deal of work to correct that problem. We bought an animal cage trap and now we set it out about once a week. After they're trapped, we call Animal Control to take care of it.

If you're going to have pets of any type, keep them on your own property. If you want to let them roam, fence your yard.

 

[Andy B]

Humans can live inside for the whole of their lives also but we would consider that strange!

I can't stand all those birds being allowed to fly free, they can be the target of predetors and they poop over my Car, shouldn't someone keep those inside too.

 

[CheshireVal]

You are right, but then they face the possibility of drowning in a toilet, of falling down the stairs, pulling shelving down on themselves, chewing an electrical wire and electrocuting themselves, etc.

I grew up with all outside cats and they all lives long healthy lives because they were cared for. Somehow I doubt that was the exception to the rule.

Okay, I think the odds of my cat drowning in our toilet are way smaller than your (or any outdoor) cat's chance of getting hit by a car. I'm sorry, but those risks you listed seem very farfetched to me. Besides, catproofing your house takes care of most of that.

My outdoor cats I grew up with never made it past 5 years.

 

[Laura]

You are right, but then they face the possibility of drowning in a toilet, of falling down the stairs, pulling shelving down on themselves, chewing an electrical wire and electrocuting themselves, etc.

Uh, my cats are too big to drown in a toilet, and we keep the lids down so they won't drink from them. Drowning was only a possibility during kittenhood. Shelves are secured to the wall (like they should be in any home). And they don't chew wires. If they did, there are ways to keep them in tubes or under carpeting.

I grew up with all outside cats and they all lives long healthy lives because they were cared for. Somehow I doubt that was the exception to the rule.

However, we now live where there are feral cats. They are undernourished and sickly and certainly will not live long healthy lives. It is not the cars that causes the short life spans in most cats.

I used to have indoor/outdoor cats that were cared for, when I was little. It was a rural area and they weren't so likely to be hit by cars. Even so, we had a big black cat who was hit. Fortunately, he lived. He only had a broken leg. He was an excellent hunter and brought us presents all the time--one time he brought us a rabbit. He would go on hunting sprees and disappear for weeks. One day, he went away and never came back. I have no idea what happened to him.

The thing is, though, it's a lot easier for me to take care of my cats when they're indoors. They won't get fleas as easily, they don't get into fights with other animals, they don't make messes in people's yards, they don't need as many vaccinations, won't find poisons, they're not targets for mean people etc. There are so many more benefits and they really enjoy their lives. I honestly don't feel they're being deprived of anything. They're spoiled brats. And they are not--I repeat NOT wild animals. They're domesticated.

There are some cats, like Persians, that have absolutely no business being outdoors. And if I lived in an area, even if rural, where there were feral cats or other enemies/predators there's no way I'd let my kitties outside.

 

[jillyjoey]

H
I can't stand all those birds being allowed to fly free, they can be the target of predetors and they poop over my Car, shouldn't someone keep those inside too.

When bird poop starts scratching my car -- yes! The point is people would get po'd very quickly if my dogs were climbing on their cars (which would be impossible) and it would also be against the law. Why should we have to put up with people's cats on our cars on OUR PROPERTY. The last 2 words are the key words in this argument.

That said, if people want to let their cats outside -so be it -- just keep them off my property - or that BB gun might come in handy

 

[Laura]

Humans can live inside for the whole of their lives also but we would consider that strange!

I can't stand all those birds being allowed to fly free, they can be the target of predetors and they poop over my Car, shouldn't someone keep those inside too.

Cats aren't humans or wild animals.

 

[magicmato]

Uh, my cats are too big to drown in a toilet, and we keep the lids down so they won't drink from them. Drowning was only a possibility during kittenhood. Shelves are secured to the wall (like they should be in any home). And they don't chew wires. If they did, there are ways to keep them in tubes or under carpeting.




I used to have indoor/outdoor cats that were cared for, when I was little. It was a rural area and they weren't so likely to be hit by cars. Even so, we had a big black cat who was hit. Fortunately, he lived. He only had a broken leg. He was an excellent hunter and brought us presents all the time--one time he brought us a rabbit. He would go on hunting sprees and disappear for weeks. One day, he went away and never came back. I have no idea what happened to him.

The thing is, though, it's a lot easier for me to take care of my cats when they're indoors. They won't get fleas as easily, they don't get into fights with other animals, they don't make messes in people's yards, they don't need as many vaccinations, won't find poisons, they're not targets for mean people etc. There are so many more benefits and they really enjoy their lives. I honestly don't feel they're being deprived of anything. They're spoiled brats. And they are not--I repeat NOT wild animals. They're domesticated.

There are some cats, like Persians, that have absolutely no business being outdoors. And if I lived in an area, even if rural, where there were feral cats or other enemies/predators there's no way I'd let my kitties outside.

Just because we train them and keep them as pets does not change the fact that they are wild animals. If a 'pet' mother has kittens that never see a human, they sure as heck will be wild. Cats are amazingly well adapted at surviving, no matter what happens to them. That is why a feral cat population can explode with just the release of one male and one female. The fact that we name them and love them does not change the fact that they *are* animals. The wild part comes with how they are socialized.