Cat owners: Do you let your cat outdoors?

[BrianNole777]

I was watching this news segment about how cats let outside bring in mice, rats and dead animals.

I read it's better to keep cats indoors because they're safer from cars and predators and don't slaughter wildlife.

 

[tarheelbybirth]

We have three. The oldest adopted us so he’s in and out. He’s fat and happy and mostly just lies in the sun. The other two - brother and sister - we rescued as kittens and, except for a few escapes, they happily stay inside.

 

[QChawks]

Our cat is stuipd. It will scratch at the back door to go out, it runs out and gets scared and comes right back in.

Everyone once in awhile it will hang out outside for a bit.

 

[TarponSpringsNole]

Yeah. She’s outside right now, actually. She sits under this stick house I built her. 😂
Never has she brought anything inside.

 

[Hendy hawk]

I was watching this news segment about how cats let outside bring in mice, rats and dead animals.

I read it's better to keep cats indoors because they're safer from cars and predators and don't slaughter wildlife.

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Son has an indoor and outdoor cat. Male, doesn't bring mice into the house.
Problem being it goes to the bathroom outdoors anywhere. Indoors usually in 2 litterboxes. unfortunately, it has developed a thing of if there is any old 1-time poop in the box it goes on the carpet down the basement. I told him to get rid of it or leave it outside. He said he'd like to but it's his 2 kids' cat and they want to keep it. I just said, Well let them use the carpet cleaner a couple times and that will change their minds.

 

[Hawkeyenuts66]

Nope, no front claws.

 

[StormHawk42]

Keep em inside. We don’t have kids so if they got out and something got em, we’d be pretty torn up.

 

[Hawki97]

Yes. I let the no pic's cat outside. When there is a hawk or eagle circling. Then I cross my fingers and watch with much anticipation.

 

[h-hawk]

No, for their safety and this (AI version)

"In the United States, free-ranging domestic cats kill an estimated 1.3 to 4.0 billion birds annually, with 69% of these kills attributed to unowned or feral cats, making them a significant human-caused threat to bird populations. "

 

[Colonoscopy]

We always let our cats out. Seems like life would suck for them otherwise

 

[SeaPA]

All of the cats we've ever had have been free to roam inside or out. They've brought in a variety of things...birds, snakes, moles, mice, rats, squirrels. Sometimes alive, sometimes dead.
Oh, and millions of lizards, which if they're alive have been received of their tails.

 

[HROT]

Yeah. Older one just hangs out on deck. Younger one ventures off to explore the wilderness. She is persistent in getting us to let her out. Even in the winter just to check the weather and come right back in.

 

[Greenway4Prez]

Ugh, yes. I rescued him off the mean streets of NW Cedar Rapids, so I was OK with him being indoor/outdoor.

But that indecisive dickhead will sit at the door howling at me after being out for 3 minutes. And after being inside long enough to eat 4 bites of food, will act like he absolutely must go back out or he’ll die. The only things he brings in are sticky burrs and ticks. Awesome.

So if I ever get another cat, I’m getting a kitten and keeping it inside 100% of the time. Start it young so it never knows what being outside is like.

 

[BioHawk]

No, although cats can do just fine if you do allow them outside. Just make sure they are spaded or neutered. And that they also have claws. Also, coyotes and bobcats love snacking on housecats.

The other issue with cats is they are devastating to local ecosystems when it comes to bird populations. I mean, there are enough strays running around where your cat won't make much of a difference but some songbird populations have been essentially wiped out in regions due to cats eating all the eggs.

 

[TennNole17]

I’ve started feeding expired tuna to a neighborhood cat.

I’d want it to like my yard, then hunt moles when I run out of expired tuna

 

[Colonoscopy]

 

[NDallasRuss]

I've never let my cats outside. I'm a firm believer that nothing good can happen to cats outdoors, but way too many bad things that could happen.

 

[Colonoscopy]

I've never let my cats outside. I'm a firm believer that nothing good can happen to cats outdoors, but way too many bad things that could happen.

think of it from the cat's perspective. Outside is freedom. Lots more fun

 

[NDallasRuss]

think of it from the cat's perspective. Outside is freedom. Lots more fun

I feel I have the benefit of seeing a slightly larger picture than the cat - who may fail to see the dangers until it's too late: neighbors that don't like cats and are mean to animals, other dogs, coyotes, eating mice that have been poisoned, fleas and ticks and other diseases, etc. My cats seem fairly happy.

 

[BrianNole777]

think of it from the cat's perspective. Outside is freedom. Lots more fun

Freedom to get eaten.

 

[CarolinaHawkeye]

Cats kill more birds than windmills.

 

[TarponSpringsNole]

Kitty is living her best life.

 

[warriors dad]

We have 7 cats all outside. Never even seen a mouse in our house and We live close to farmland.

 

[tarheelbybirth]

think of it from the cat's perspective. Outside is freedom. Lots more fun

You must have one of the smaller mansions on HOBT

 

[HawkeyeShawn]

Yes. Big Poppy is a lot like Dexter Morgan. His dark passenger needs to be let out to stalk and kill. It was a long winter for Big P. Its rabbit season.

 

[cjnoles9399]

We have an outside cat, out 99% of the time but he sleeps in the garage. Comes in the house for a treat every night around 630 and he’s back out to the garage til 6 the next morning.

 

[seminole97]

No, although cats can do just fine if you do allow them outside. Just make sure they are spaded or neutered.

 

[BioHawk]

Eh, whatever. You knew what I meant.

 

[The Tradition]

*Spayed

 

[The Tradition]

The big danger to outdoor cats is other cats.

Our two cats were feral and they adopted us. We have migrated them into being indoor cats.

 

[unIowa]

I was watching this news segment about how cats let outside bring in mice, rats and dead animals.

I read it's better to keep cats indoors because they're safer from cars and predators and don't slaughter wildlife.

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Cats want to go outside, they need to hunt. Ours is still a killing machine at 8 years old.

It’s better that they live free, die young vs being trapped inside as a slave.

 

[Hans81]

Yes. I let the no pic's cat outside. When there is a hawk or eagle circling. Then I cross my fingers and watch with much anticipation.

Sounds like a good way to “thin the herd”. 😉

 

[The Tradition]

Cats want to go outside, they need to hunt. Ours is still a killing machine at 8 years old.

It’s better that they live free, die young vs being trapped inside as a slave.

A "slave"?

LOL.

It's better to get runover by a car than to watch other cats get runover by cars from the the safety of a bedroom window?

 

[Hans81]

All of the cats we've ever had have been free to roam inside or out. They've brought in a variety of things...birds, snakes, moles, mice, rats, squirrels. Sometimes alive, sometimes dead.
Oh, and millions of lizards, which if they're alive have been received of their tails.

That sounds gross…no way would I let any animal (even a beloved pet) bring such critters into my house. 🤮

 

[unIowa]

A "slave"?

LOL.

It's better to get runover by a car than to watch other cats get runover by cars from the the safety of a bedroom window?

Plantation Masters said this sort of stuff all the time.

 

[The Tradition]

Plantation Masters said this sort of stuff all the time.

Our stupid "slave" cat climbed up into the engine compartment of my son's truck. You can guess what happened.

More than $1,000 later in vet bills on a feral cat that adopted us (not the other way around), he will not ever go outside again.

 

[BrianNole777]

Cats want to go outside, they need to hunt. Ours is still a killing machine at 8 years old.

It’s better that they live free, die young vs being trapped inside as a slave.

Build them a jungle gym inside with fake mice and they're safer and better off.

 

[Jimmy McGill]

I don't have any cats anymore, but I had one that lived to be outside during the day. Quite the hunter he was.

And I never had any mice problems.

 

[The Tradition]

Build them a jungle gym inside with fake mice and they're safer and better off.

Or just get real mice from the pet store and let the cats go wild.

 

[BrianNole777]

Or just get real mice from the pet store and let the cats go wild.

That's a terrible idea.