Why Cats Need to Stay Indoors
Thursday January 25, 2007
Abigail, a beautiful tortie girl is a lucky one. Her human "dad," Jeff Miller, heard her crying outside, and went out just in time to catch another neighbor with Abigail in a trap in the back of his pickup truck. The neighbor readily acknowledged that he had trapped Abigail because she was "trespassing in his yard." Although trapping cats for this offense is legal in Lodi, the cats are supposed to be taken to the shelter, not turned loose in the countryside, as may have been the case in this neighborhood.
Abigail's owners will never let her go outside again. They were the lucky ones.
Please read the accompanying title article, then vote in the poll.
Comments
I am an avid, long-time animal welfare activist. I am a member of PETA, ASPCA, HSUS, BigCatRescue.org and so on. I also volunteer at our city’s wonderful Humane Society.
Letting a cat outside without restrictions (like fences, et al) is foolish and could be a death warrant. Our city is in the midst of a huge project called TNR (trap/neuter/release), since there are, apparently, apprx. 200,000 feral, strays, throw-a-way cats out and about in our city. So, so sad! But the TNR program is better than wholesale killing of all cats running loose outside. (which is not legal anyway, in our town. For dogs, also, even if they’re wearing collars w/licenses)
What was not brought up in the polling was the most *important* question: “Is your cat spayed/neutered?” Allowing an “intact” animal loose outside is adding to the problem of over-population and nothing makes me angrier than irresponsible cat owners who do NOT get their pets neutered/spayed!!!
Dogs and cats who are spayed/neutered live much healthier lives–ask any veterinarian. Keeping one’s cat always inside keeps them safe from harm and most certainly will save a great number of song birds, which is yet another disservice to the environment, because you know our little darlings love to stalk and kill birds. (Well, in my case they have to settle for stalking and killing stuffed mice and small teddy bears)
There shouldn’t be any doubt by concerned guardians of our beloved furry kids….keep the cats indoors. They are sooo much better off!! And there is no rational reason NOT to spay/neuter your feline…none at all!
Lorraine O’Connor
What was not brought up in the polling was the most *important* question: “Is your cat spayed/neutered?” Allowing an “intact” animal loose outside is adding to the problem of over-population..
Yes, you are correct about that Lorraine. However, since our polls only allow one answer, combining all the possibilities into one poll would require more possible response fields than we presently have, and would also be unwieldy to handle.
Yes, TNR has been around for years, thanks to Alley Cat Allies and other organizations. Glad it came to your city! It takes time and dedication, but it really works.
Lorraine, I sorry to say this but I don’t care for the Humane Society. Here in Houston there was a story on the news about a woman who had to give up her cats, so she took them to the local Humane Society. That afternoon her friend say he wanted the cats. They went to the Humane Society but they were closed. The next morning they went back and the Humane Society had put the cats down because they were over 5 years old!!!!! I’m sorry but the Humane Society is not high on my list as good places to take cats.
Now back to the subject at hand. All of my cats stay indoors. I learned the hard way not to let your cats run outside,(which was 28 years ago). I have taken in my neighbor’s cat I call him my half cat. He lives in my garage at night and walks the streets in the day time. I worry about him all the time. What if he gets hit by a car, or he gets feline aids, etc. One good thing my neighbors did have him fixed so he does stay closer. So I quess you would say he was fixed and release. This does help the popultion of cats, but there is still a lot of other problems out in the world. Like what if the cats can’t find food, water, shelter, medical help, etc. I just don’t like catch and fix and let go, sorry but this is just how I think.
Thank you for your time.
Susan, there are good Humane Societies and bad Humane Societies and I’ve seen examples of both, in my travels. It’s been my experience that most of the “bad” ones are hampered by poor-to-nonexistant funding by officials with other priorities in mind. But even those usually have caring, devoted volunteers who seek to better the lives of the animals who end up there.
I’m terribly sorry about the poor cats who were euthanized in Houston. Many shelters are plagued by overcrowding and most states have laws which govern how soon or long owner-surrendered animals have before they are put down. You didn’t mention how long the cats had been there.
Lorraine is entirely correct that the failure to S/N is a critical problem. Were it not for that, shelters and Humane Societies wouldn’t have to euthanize so very many dogs and cats every year.
Franny Syufy
Franny, the story on the news said the cats were there just over night. That is why I think so hard agaist them.
Thank you talking to me
I want to add that NOT all Humane Society’s put canimals down with out a health reason. I worked at a “NO KILL” humane society in Jackson, Mi. and they are great and have veterianry care for all animals that come to them.Please don’t make up your mind that all humane society’s are cruel. We have a lot of good ones out there. Change the rules of the Houston Society by going to board meetings and giving your oppion. It may help other animals that go there.
I’ve always had indoor cats, until recently when we rescued an abandoned Maine Coon. He is huge, independent and stays in most of the time because he loves us and enjoys the house, but his will has won out and he has to have a door as he refused to use a litter box. We have gotten him to mostly hang out on our balcony where he suns and watches the birds and squirrels, but he insists on trooping down the stairs once or twice a day for his business on our 3 acres, but stays close to the house, and loves to romp along in the mornings when we feed the deer. The deer aren’t concerned about him at all and he loves to sit and watch them eat and then runs back up the stairs as soon as I start back up. Of course any time we hear any kind of noise outside we rush to see if he’s out and check on him. We also have a driveway monitor and know when anyone starts up our 500 ft. long driveway. He also runs inside, clear up to the bedroom loft and under the bed when anyone comes to the house at all. He’s so intelligent and comes to us to communicate his every whim. We would be devastated if anything happened to him but we also realize he deserves his life as he wants to, just as we do. We drive on the highway every day, risking our lives. Maybe we’d be safer if we just stayed inside. But, whoops, no, that’s not correct either, the majority of accident happen in the home. So, who’s to say where any of us are safer???
Speaking of accidents in the home, this reminded me of several years ago during a time I had 3 indoor cats, one of them, who lived to be 18 years old, ran in the kitchen one day when I opened the oven door to check on a roast cooking, jumped up on the open oven door, then flew off the hot door as she yowled loudly. After I got her out from under the bed I iced her paws and then kept put Aquafor on her paws and held her so she wouldn’t lick it off and she of course was fine.
I lost my heat and am loosing my place to live. Of the four cats that have cared for me two are offspring of a feral kitty–although their great grandmother is very tame–she is one of the four. I have no way to care for my four legged children and I don’t want them put to sleep as my husband was cremated less than a year ago. What do you suggest? If it wasn’t for food stamps I would not have food to eat.
Hi,I had a Kitten given to me 6 years ago, I had her spayed and loved her very much, She was the most wonderful cat I have ever had. I kept her in the house all the time. One day she got out when our door was opened and I never saw her again, It was like losing one of the family.She was such a good cat. I know if I get another cat I will always make sure she never gets outside.
PUSH FOR NO KILL IN YOUR TOWN. THANKS TO NO-KILL AND FERAL CAT CARETAKERS COALITION (THEY DO CLASSES ON TNR), SAN FRANCISCO, PHILADELPHIA, AND SEVERAL OTHER CITIES ARE NOW TOTALLY NO-KILL. GO TO FERAL CAT CARETAKERS COALITION ONLINE, OR ‘NO-KILL SOLUTIONS with NATHAN WINOGRAD’ TO FIND INFO FOR YOUR TOWN. IF SAN FRANCISCO CAN DO IT, ANYWHERE ELSE CAN TOO.
A Savannah breeder admitted she took her new-borns away from their wildcat mother so the mother could not teach them her “wild ways”. Cruel, cruel. Do they care about the
mother cat’s suffering, one asks.
Daphne, did you intent to post your comment here, or on this blog entry?
Franny Syufy
My cat and I live in a 11 story building. Darn right, my cat is an inside cat!
I, too, do not let my cats outside. We have 14 cats, that are all spayed or neutured. I also have 4 ferel cats living in my gagage. They came here as kittens with their mother. Finally, got them to trust me, but could not get the mom. There is NO help here where I live to get them fixed. I am hoping to be able to get bloodwork done and hopefully introduced them to the other cats. I really get angry to see cats running. We live in very cold weather (great lakes) and it breaks my heart to see them outside begging for food. 5 of the cats we have were rescued from outside.
I rescue ferals in the NYC area, TNR and remove friendly kittens from cat colonies. Unwarranted “trapping” is a fear we all have from unscrupulous people who are just plain ignorant. I tend to overfeed my cats to prevent them from being lured by creeps.
Well, the area I live has no such support for cats. In fact, a new shelter was recently built, but guess what, it was built to install a brand new and bigger gas chamber for the animals. You can’t even get discounts anywhere unless your a non profit organization.
My problem is that I moved to this area around 7-8 years ago when I was still in elementary school. We had a couple of cats 2 or 3 who were fixed, but at the time my mother was pregnant. We weren’t going to put them outside but we faced incredible pressure from my family down here, the doctors, and even the vet to either get rid of them or put them out. The vet even threatened to call the pound, i have no clue if he could’ve done anything but this put my mom under alot of stress. I begged her not to put them out, but then my uncle, aunt, and grandmother made me feel horrible about it. What was I supposed to do, I was 10. In the area I used to live, no one let their pets out. But here, it was considered unsanitary and disgusting to have pets inside, especially cats.
Well, my mother and I reluctantly put them outside. We kept plenty of food and water for them under our carport. However, it was then that I discovered the extensive number of stray cats in my neighborhood. So of course, with a source of food, water, and shelter all the neigborhood cats came to our yard and stayed. Well, unlike most of the people around here, we thought more of cats than just roadkill and pests. So we couldn’t bare to call the pound on them.
Well of course none of them were fixed and probably never seen a vet in their whole life. And honestly, their is around 30 of them so their is no way I can afford it. We have done our best though, we pay for tons of cat food and emergency medical care and that stretches the wallet. My mom is the only one working and supports 6 other people and the numerous cats. Most of them are tame because after so many years I’ve known most of them since they were kittens. I’m trying to find them homes, but like I said, most people around here don’t care for cats. The only thing going in their favor is that many of them are polydactyl and have bobtails. However, slowly but surely we are trying to get them fixed and we are even building a cat run in the backyard for those we can’t find homes for. So, i would just like to say that you shouldn’t judge people on what you see on the outside, you have to understand the situation. I do beleive in keeping cats indoors or in cat runs but for now It’s just not plausible for me. Also, we are all human, so we all make mistakes. I suppose there could have been many different things I could have done through the years, but I make mistakes. I also guess some people would say that I should have turned them all in a long time ago, but I didn’t (and never would)and now I’m trying my best to fix it. I’m the only one that can, my mom never really cared that much but she put up with it because she loves me and I love our little guests. Well sorry for rambling, I just wanted to get this off my chest. I feel horrible about it, but I really don’t know what else to do other than what I’m doing.
I used to have indoor/outdoor cats. It was not my intent, but I trapped a feral cat, took him to get him neutered, but they only “half”neutered him. I took him back to that vet five more times over the next three years because he was howling constantly and fighting with the other male (neutered) cat who had been his best buddy. He was also mounting all the other cats about every 10 minutes. He was determined to go outside. And worse, he was SPRAYING and ruining the walls, carpet, doors, everything! At first he would lie in wait to catch us offguard then dart outside. Then, with the house being ruined, and guests complaining about the skunk smell,
I had no choice but to let him go out when he wanted.
Once he started finding ways out, the others wanted to go out too. They would run out if we were standing in the doorway talking to anyone who came to the door. They would leapfrog over my head as I came in with groceries.
After another vet found the offending 2nd testicle inside him, and removed it, he stopped the fighting and howling and SPRAYING (gads! he ruined everything)within a couple of weeks. But, he was still going out daily, and coming in at night to sleep with us, his arms wrapped around my neck.
At age 9, he didn’t come home one night. I found him dead in a neighbor’s yard. An autopsy showed poison. I kept it quiet, then saw the neighbor two months later with another neighbor’s cat in a trap. I ran outside, but he ran inside and refused to come to the door. I called police but they wouldn’t do a search. I thought we lived in a nice subdivision, but we found another house that weekend and started to move out before even putting our house on the market.
No one was sure whether to believe us or the man with the trap because he seemed otherwise quiet and normal and was a grandfather in his 70’s. They saw him walk his grandkids in a strolller. They didn’t see him walk his dog each day and take it into yards to poop where he knew the people were at work and wouldn’t know. They didn’t know his dark side, which we saw more when we threatened legal action.
Now, we live in a house with a fully-screened (heavy duty wire) back porch and the cats LOVE it. They never go out and we no longer have to deal with fleas, bee stings, dogs, cars, etc…..
I am conflicted about the topic of leaving cats inside. Most of my cats are indoors cats, but they like to stay out and play in the flower bed, etc.
Of course I fear for their safey, from cars, other dogs, and cayotes.
In particular I have one cat that wants to go outside all the time, since he feel suffucated by the other cats and needs his space. But he has been hit by a car a few weeks ago, and luckily survived with hardly any injuries.
But since then, I would not let him out, and he is driving us crazy with his crying, wanting to go outside.
My heart breaks for him, and at the same time he is driving us crazy.
Any ideas, how to help calm him and help him accept the fact that he has to stay inside?