Should i get a house cat? Is it fair on the animal? Can they be happy kept indoors? Any advice or info?
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 at
4:43 am
I live on a fairly busy road so i dont want to have a cat which goes out because it could get into an accident. Does anyone have good/bad experiences of keeping a house cat?
Filed under: Cat Furniture
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I would never have any other cat but an indoor cat.
As long as you keep your kitty entertained your kitty will be happy.
I recommend you adopt 2 cats so that they never get lony. Give them lots of toys and cat towers to play and climb on and they will be great indoor only cats.
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They are better kept indoors. Less illnesses, parasites, injuries, and of course they’ll never get hit by a car. My cat is perfectly happy indoors – we play with him often and we let him out on our porch occasionally for fresh air (which is fenced and on the 2nd story so he can;t escape.) You’re doing kitty a favor by keeping them indoors!
i’ve owned indoor + outdoor cats. we adopted two indoor cats about 3 yrs ago. they seem happy and content. in the summer, i let them out on our patio because it is screened in. they sit out there, feel the breeze, see the street activity, but can’t get out. they don’t seem to miss the outdoors. i don’t know if they were outside before we had them or not. i think as long as you give them entertaining toys and fulfill their necessities (scratch, play, exercise, etc) they should be content to be indoors all the time. perhaps it will be happy not to have to deal with the heat of summer and cold of winter.
you won’t have to worry about them getting chased/beat up by another cat or by a dog. they won’t come in contact with parasites and other vermin that may carry rabies or infections. you are doing kitty a favor.
anna suggested declawing…DON’T do it! declawing a cat is the same as removing your finger from its tip to the first joint. it is painful, requires daily antibacterial treatments, and is expensive. simply provide your cat with approved scratching surfaces. i use catnip on my scratching posts. both cats LOVE it. also, consider pet nail clippers or nail files before declawing. it is inhumane.
Indoor cats can be just as happy as outdoor cats if you keep them entertained. Indoor cats are also give damage to your house. You might give them a scratch post but, cats have their own ideas. If you get a kitten you could have its front claws removed. That would help keep the damage down.
I personally think cats, as pets, shouldn’t be ever let out of the house. I own 3 myself, and would never let them outside, there are just too many dangers (Getting run over, getting lost, getting stolen) I love my cats too much to let them outside, cats are fine inside.
I have always kept the cats I have owned indoors because I didn’t want anything to happen to them. Cats are natural hunters and that is really the only "unfair" aspect of keeping them indoors. I would suggest a sitting post set next to a window so they can look outside, they love it! Also keeping plenty of toys inside helps to keep them occupied which is also an issue for cats. Cats under those type of circumstances will be happy because they are easily amused.
ok domestic cats are not lions or tigers – they were bred to be okay in smaller spaces.. some breeds do not do well out doors at all..
here is an excellent suggestion for you if you are concerned..
http://www.gomestic.com/Pets/Outdoor-Cat-Safety-Building-a-Cat-Enclosure.84546
Hello
You can get a houuse cat but yoou will need to let it go outdoors.
Just like my cats they really like to go outside and have fun. They get fresh air and have a good time with plants and grass. They like to meet insects too!!
If you buy a caat dont just let it sstay indoors, they will get boreeed just like you when you stay at home andd you never leave it!
Hope i helped
Yes, its fine, but get your cat a playmate. He/she will be happier if they become friends.
i’ve got two cats
one who loves the outdoors she goes out during the day, she is miroc chipped, she wears a collar with a bell to protect the birds.
the other is a yr younger and she hates the outdoor her choice.
house cats can be just as happy as outdoor cats
I live on a farm and have about 15 cats living outdoors. I find that they like the indoors way more. Everytime we open the doors they try to run in. The only reason we don’t allow them inside is they cause a mess and sometimes smell. So keep that in mind when you decide. You will probably have to do more cleaning than before and you will have to take out a liter box.
As you can see there is the debate between cat owners inside and outside. The only problem with inside cats what happens if they get out . They have no idea of how to deal with the outside world as you said busy road. but that the worst case. Cats are generally territorial so there no reason not to just keep them in one place.
I have never had any problems. My parents have. I think the key is to get a kitten or cat that has never been outside. My parents cats have been strays that like it inside, but because they have been outside they still want to go out and play. They tried to keep them in, but the males started spraying and peeing, and the vet told them to let them out. You may want to try a female, I think they are less likely to do this. It is definitely possible to keep them in, but get one who has never been out.
Keep them indoors please,they will be very happy cats.
I give mine lots of new toys (I rotate them).I also have a bird block outside my window.The cats sit all day watching the birds eat.
I do rescue work and ALL 9 cats I have came from living on the streets.They are all happy,wonderful,safe indoor cats!
Yes, cats can be very happy kept inside. They live much longer, safer and happier lives if they are. We have 3 that have never gone outside in the 10 years we’ve had them. There are a lot of dangers in the outside world for them….big dogs and other animals, cars on busy roads. Parked cars in driveways can pose a threat. Even neighbors trash cans can be dangerous for them.
If you can get two, they are great company for each other, and they are lots of fun to watch them play together.
We live in a suburban setting near a big city, and before we got these cats, we lost two to coyotes. I’ve seen foxes running around the neighborhood, and a marked decrease in the numbers of little bunnies hopping around. I’m really glad my kitties are all safely indoors.
No i don’t think so, i have three cats but they are free to go out the catflap whenever they wish. I think a small dog would be better because you can bring it for walks and give it excercise, which you couldn’t do with the cat. I don’t think it’s fair to keep a cat locked up indoors no matter what anyone else above me says, they should get the chance to roam around aswell.
My cat’s love to sunbath and relax under the trees outside, i’d never keep them in for their whole life. Try a dog.
I would prefer you get an indoor cat if you live on such on a busy street!! I had an indoor cat, and I believe they live longer kept indoors (my cat should be proof of that, we had to put her to sleep almost one year ago and she was 21 years old!!) She was the happiest little thing ever!! I think cats are content being indoors and not being outdoors.
A house cat can have a lifespan of 15 years or more. The average outside cat often lives less than 5 years. Outside cats are susceptible to many diseases, other animals, cruel humans, the list goes on and on. A responsible cat owner keeps their cats as house cats.
I have four cats in my house and they are very content. They have plenty of ways of entertaining themselves. And they’re safe from harm. One of them does trie to sneak outside when the weather is nice. She’ll go sit in my rose bushes for an hour or so. The other three want nothing to do with outside; and all four of them came to me as strays. So they’re obviously pretty happy with being house cats.
Just remember, a house cat still needs to be properly vaccinated and spayed/neutered. That will help keep them healthy for a long time and may insure their health if they do get outside.
you will be doing your cat a huge favor if you keep them indoors. They can’t catch a disease from anothere animal, get in a fight, get raped, get hit by acar, get lost, get stolen,get pooisoned. Cats adjust beautifully to indoor living, if they have a window to look out, they will love it, but they don’t need to be outdoors. Consider getting 2 cats–they tend to keep each other out of trouble when they are thinking about a brother/sister. Do it!! i cannot even imagine what kind of barren life I would have with out my 2 babies!!! One is sleeping behind the printer right now, & the other is sitting on top of the hutch, kind of all he surveys. it doesn’t get better than this!!
It’s healthier for cats to be indoor cats, but they are animals, and some really want to be outside. If you plan to keep the cat indoors, my advice is to get a kitten and never let it go out. It doesn’t know what it’s missing then, and won’t try to run. I have one cat who was raised from a kitten as an indoor cat, and she won’t go out even if the door is open. I have another who was an outdoor cat before I adopted him at about a year old. He REALLY wants to be outside, and will escape every chance he gets. Now that we’ve moved to a highrise condo from a house, he’s very confused when he runs out the front door and is still indoors! The third was a near-feral kitten, who I rescued in the middle of a very cold Chicago winter. Once he understood what indoors is, he never wants to go out again.