Why do people think it's such a horrific idea to let a cat outdoors?

[Rexxy_<3]

Like soo many people online always say that if you let a cat outside it will die within like 3 years cause it will get hit by a car/killed by another cat/random people will kick it(i mean wtf)

Like are you kidding? It's just plain cruel to keep a cat indoors, they are outdoor animals. I've never met anyone with an indoors cat, and all the cats i know of that are allowed outside are like between 14-21 years old
Plenty old (minus my new kitty who is 6 months)

I just can't understand why anyone would make a poor cat stay indoors it's whole life, other than being severely overprotective of their cat..

Sorry for the rant, it's just on any forum whatevs, when i say i let my cat outside, i get totally attacked..
Omg, all those things all of have you have mentioned would never ever happen here, apart from like maybe if the cat was 'not all there' and walked in front of a cat. But all those diseases, and and fighting, and seeing dead cats on the road? Seriously? I have never ever in my life seen a dead cat on the road, i saw a hit cat be taken to the vet once but that was it. I'm presuming most of you are from the U.S, and well i'm from Scotland, and things are clearly very different, to the wild things you have there (no offence).

Here, when you get a kitten, it gets shots at the vets so that it doesn't contract any diseases, also i don't let my kitten out 24/7
Whenever he is out, the door is always open, and i wouldn't let him stay out overnight (although all of my other cats have and the youngest one died at like 14?)

I should have addressed this to UK only...

[aybee27]

If you have 10 outdoor house cats that live to be 16 years old, then you have 5 kittens that are born outdoors and killed by a coyote before they are two months old, then a 2 year-old stray male cat that dies from untreated infections in wounds that it sustained fighting another male cat over territorial issues, then another female cat that contracts feline leukemia from exposure to other infected strays and dies at age 3, plus two young barn cats that die from exposure to extreme cold before they've made it through their first winter, and then another cat that gets hit by a car at age 5, that gives you these numbers:

10 outdoor house cats x 16 years each=160years
5 kittens killed by predators x .1 year each = .5 years
1 cat killed by infections from fighting x 2 years = 2 years
1 cat killed by disease x 3 years = 3 years
1 cat killed by car x 5 years = 5 years
2 cats killed by exposure to extreme weather and starvation x 1 year = 2 years.

Add those together and divide by the total number of cats (20) and you get: 172.5 years / 20 cats = an average life expectancy of 8.625 years.

People who don't understand statistics take that to mean that all cats that goes outside all the time will die before they reach 9 years of age, which, as demonstrated by our example, isn't necessarily true. Depending upon where you live, an outdoor cat will have a decent chance of survival based on how many of the above mentioned risk factors: predators, competition from other cats, disease, starvation, traffic exist in the area where the cat lives. Also, there are different types of "outdoor cats" from which all of these statistics are drawn. There are strays, barn cats, true feral cats, urban cats, rural cats, suburban cats, and just outdoor pets. These different types of outdoor cats have different levels of risk associated with them, yet the statistics used to address life expectancy lump them all together.

Granted, there are also issues of owner responsibility...would it be ok for people to let their dog roam freely through the neighborhood, peeing, pooping, and *hunting* in any neighbor's yard that they saw fit? That would earn that dog a one way trip to the pound, and would likely get the owner fined or arrested. So, then, why is it ok to let cats roam that freely? It's not only a health issue for the cat, but just an animal control issue in general.

[Skibabe]

Good grief! What a hornet's nest your question has stirred up! *lol*

I have to laugh at some responses. Like the one about how cats are now "domesticated" and have no links to their wild ancestors - what a load of tosh!! My two are no less wild than any wild cat (big or small) when outside hunting. Pet cats aren't fully domesticated, just reared around humans so they soon learn where a good, easy meal comes from, as well as cuddles and a nice warm spot to sleep in.

A lot of these answers do come from the USA and, arguably, they do have more nasties than either in the UK or NZ (where I am now, having moved from the UK) like coyotes and raccoons or whatever. But what gets me is the culture of fear that pervades a lot of these answers. And a lot of them seem ultimately selfish - more about having a companion around for many years than having an active and happy cat who's allowed outdoors.

For the record, I lost one cat in a freak accident on the road, but I still let my other two out during the day and the most of the evening to hunt, laze around, etc. I wouldn't have it any other way - they're active, happily hunting and chasing each other around the garden, and they stay fit and healthy. I'd far rather have a cat that lived a shorter, happy, healthy, active life outdoors than one that lived to doddery, sick, painful old age.

Sometimes I think people let their emotions get in the way of common sense..

[Whocares]

Keep your cat inside - for the love of cats and God and the rest of the members here..

Every time this question appears on this forum KIA KOALA (it's like she has cat radar) runs over two of them and the rest are ALL eaten by coyotes and foxes. And then CafeMochaValencia finds out about it and she's in a bytchy mood and goes on a REPORTING CRUSADE for the next three days and nobody's account is safe. And then the rest of the indoor clique get wind of what your doing and you will never see another thumbs up or best answer on this forum. And Amanda will just report you because she doesn't agree with you.
And then I will come in and sell one of my breeder kittens to one of the survivors. This forum has turned into a joke run by a bunch of petty little people with cat brains.

Saucers of milk all round, my little pussykats; I'm buying.
Read some of the questions from members that are claiming that their cat was injured outside. Most of this stuff is so blatantly fabricated that a 6 year old can see through it. Or go back through their profiles - three months ago they were promoting indoor cats. Hell 1/2 these people don't even own a cat. They are just on here collecting GD points.

[SexyRed]

i have had my cat for almost 4 years now, she was a stray when i found her....very skinny, could feel every bone on her body....she had to have been outside with no one tending to her needs for quite some time.....i brought her home and fattened her up....she has absolutely no desire to go outside!!! when i found her she was already de-clawed, so its not safe for her to be outside anyway....she has no protection against predators!! also, just a tidbit to think about...if they never go outside, they never come in contact with other cats or their feces, so therefore they cant get any diseases that are carried by other cats/animals....my cat has never been to the vet in all the time i have had her....there is no need for preventative vaccines!!!

[ElaineM]

Rexxy, I do TNR in our city. None of the cats survived past 3 years of age. We have a feeding station and water bowl out all year and I watch which ones come and check their health.

Our area has dog fighting. People grab any cat they can to use as bait to teach the dogs to kill. Kittens die this way too. I've seen people driving on our street speed up to hit a dog or cat. I've seen dead cats weekly on the main road north of us which is a major traffic area. Two years ago someone was cutting cat's tails off and I know several owners who were ready to take a baseball bat to whoever was doing it.

I live in a NICE area, our street doesn't get a lot of traffic, if three cars go by every ten minutes that's a lot. But I can guarantee you that every outdoor cat is terrified when they see a lose dog. The 'regulars' we have only are around for a year or so, it's exceptional to see one for two full years not to mention three. They don't find other areas to live, this is their territory--so when one doesn't show up anymore I know a car or dog or human killed them. I've seen several of the bodies on the street a block over, hit by cars. If animal control has one of mine turned in, they call me (all the cats are microchipped with the TNR),so it's not an issue of someone catching them and turning them over to the shelter or animal control.

You have been very lucky to not have anything bad happen to yours. All I can say is what I've experienced here. We have about 8 regulars I'm feeding now. At one point it was up to 14, but they all die, one by one, when outdoors.

[callmedel]

Cats have been domesticated. They are not outdoor animals just because they do like to wander. It is not cruel to keep them inside. I don't mean to bash you or your choice but how on earth could it not be cruel to risk their lifespan from being on average 16-20 years to 3-4? Its good the cats you know have been lucky. And what about the possible disease risks of being outside besides the obvious risk of being hit by a car or any other scenarios you pointed out?

[ChylersMom]

I had a cat a few years ago. We got him when he was close to a year old. He was picked up off the street and then put up for adoption.

Problem was he was ferel, and very very wild. We were unable to tame him and told we wouldn't be able to. We needed to look at options for him.

He actually would attack anyone or anything that came into the room he was in. I still have scars from where he got me.

He ended up going to someone who was looking for a barn cat. Guess what he is thriving. He only gets attention when he wants it instead of people forcing it on him. From what we were recently told they couple doesn't have mice problems anymore. He has a job to do and he is happy now.

He was never meant to be a housecat or even a pet.

He is thriving now. I'm glad we sent him to that farm.


I wanted to add: When he lived with us he lived in a 600 sq ft apartment inside all the time in the city.

[callmedel]

Cats have been domesticated. They are not outdoor animals just because they do like to wander. It is not cruel to keep them inside. I don't mean to bash you or your choice but how on earth could it not be cruel to risk their lifespan from being on average 16-20 years to 3-4? Its good the cats you know have been lucky. And what about the possible disease risks of being outside besides the obvious risk of being hit by a car or any other scenarios you pointed out?

[chetco]

To me, the major difference was injuries requiring vet visits.
We owned 6 indoor cats, and fed an equal number of outdoor cats.
Most of the outdoor cats were previously owned cats, that had been dumped or left behind when people in the community moved.
It seemed that at least one of the outdoor cats needed veterinary care weekly. We had them all spayed/neutered..but they were constantly being injured..by neighboring dogs, each other, wildlife, splinters and embedded foxtails, toxins, parasites, etc.
Both groups of cats were happy, but the world was definitely more dangerous for the outdoor cats.

My son's family has one of the indoor cats, now. She is very old, has been totally happy as a family member, and wonderfully healthy.

If you have cats that prefer to be outdoors, it is well worth it to install cat fencing. This keeps the cat in the yard, and other cats and critters out.