Is it creul to keep a cat indoors or outdoors? ?

[tiffany]

In my previous ask, people were moaning because I said my pets love the outdoors and live a lot outdoors.
I just think indoor cats arnt cats. They are trapped in a domestic environment without an oppotunity to be a CAT. They can't hunt, fight (sounds strange but cats love the occational scrap, its just their nature) and explore.

I have these views because I have an auntie who keeps a cat indoors only. This cat now has OCD, and has to perminatly wear a cone due to to over cleaning itself because of boredom. I find this upsetting to hear and whitness. They play with this cat alll the time and love it very much but its when they are asleep or even the OCD occurs in this cat. Having nothing to do indevidually made this cat over obsessed with itself and hygene.
At these points of boredom my cats would be outside playing and gaining skills in climbing and getting fresh air.
Okay I'm rambling now but this is just my opinion.
I hate to hear that people think animals shouldn't be aloud to roam and its ok for people to poison other cats and kill them. Because they are 'tresspassing' (not doing any harm? Oh no not a small poo that is Bi-degradable)

Which is better? A cat that lives a long happy life.. Or a reallly long, not so great life?
You decide.
Please don't go ape on my ass because I just wanna hear a few views on this. I just don't know what to think about this anymore, haha

[KoalasAreAwesome]

I think cats should be indoor/outdoor. Why? They get the best of both worlds. They wont become ocd or bored, and they always know they have a loving owner waiting for them inside. My cat is indoor/outdoor and I always make sure to bring her in at night, so she can sleep in my bed and wont get hit by cars who can't see her. I let her out in the morning after breakfast, but keep the door open for her to come back when she wants to, and if I leave I put her in the house (unless I'm not going to be gone when it begins to get dark.) I play with her often, but also let her play with the birds. Being outdoor only is not good. It can get cold and dark and scary with no one to hug when you're scared. (my cat hugs me during thunderstorms- so cute!) But indoors only is also cruel as you pointed out. So that's why I believe in outdoor/indoor cats.

[Antonio]

I agree with you I have two cats, one of them has been indoors all his life and the other was outdoors all her life. I think indoor cats miss out on all the enjoyable things a cat gets to do when they are outside. My cat always used to climb the trees in my backyard and I always saw her running around chasing birds and rabbits. They do have a chance of leaving or getting killed but my cat has been outside for 3 years and she's fine and perfectly healthy. She's indoors now because she's nursing a kitten I found. My other indoor cat is always looking out the window and staring at the birds. I can tell he wants to go outside but he probably wouldn't last outside because he's never been out. I totally agree with you though, I don't see why some people get so mad if they have their cat outdoors.

[birdgirl]

Outdoor cats don't live happy lives..they live short ones. Who said it is okay to poison cats....not okay, the the sad fact is that many outdoor cats ARE poisoned..not just by sick people, but by licking up antifreeze, eating plants in yards that are poisonous to cats, ingesting rat poison, snail bait, pesticides, herbicides, etc. etc. Not to mention getting hit by a car, getting attacked or eaten by a wild animal, getting in cat fights causing infection/abscess, getting diseases such as feline leukemia, distemper, etc, picking up parasites such as ticks, worms, fleas,ear mites, etc., picking up fungal infections like ringworm, being kidnapped and sold to a lab for experimentation, etc. etc. If you don't mind any of these things happening to your cat..than fine..keep letting it out. Don't come posting here crying that your cat has gone missing like the other HUNDREDS of posts like this here all the time! All the people here begging for help for their lost or dead cats are all also "outdoor cat advocates". Also, if you knew ANYTHING at all about biology and the ecosystem you would know that letting a domesticated NON NATIVE animal out side to kill native wildlife is a huge problem. Cats no longer have a niche in the ecosystem..they NEVER did....their ancestors lived in Africa and Asia. There were NEVER small wildcats in N. America. I have had indoor cats for the 40 years of my life that I have been a pet owner and have NEVER had OCD cats. What a bunch of bull! Go read a book and educate yourself and learn how to spell.

[Jenna]

Indoor/outdoor but maybe don't let your cat be a free roaming outdoor cat. Lots of sick people out there. Get a leash thing so that your cats stay in your backyard and that way they get outdoor time without any of the dangers. I personally keep mine indoor but I do take them for walks. They don't enjoy the outside all that much anyways. One growls and hisses the whole time we go adventuring haha