As most of you know we lost our sweetheart cat two weeks ago. We couldn't believe why she ventured so far to the main road and was killed!

Our lives are empty now, our son is so upset but refuses to talk about it!

Me and hubby had an idea tonight to get two kittens and know that they're happy whilst we both at work. But what should we do when they've been neutered and ready to face the big bad world?

Should we keep them in or let them out?
We have talked about walking them on harnesess and making the road (well away from our house) a no no!

Our Poppy we let out but she was always hanging around the house and always came back and forth for dinner and kisseys and chucky nudges, Her venture to the main road was a strange one!

So should we keep cats indoors (after their injections and neutering etc) or would it be safe to let them out, firstly on a harness and then crossing fingers for good luck?

I am so sorry you lost your cat. My eldest cat dies in May 2007 and she was 21 years of age, I will never get over her as she was my life.
I do have three other cats, who are all in their teens and I have always kept all my cats as indoor cats. They know no different and it is not cruel to them in any way.
There are too many cruel shits out in the world who love to kill and torture cats and I am proud that my cats are well looked after and very happy.
I will never let my cats out as I think it is better for them to be indoor cats.
I honestly would advise you to keep your cats as indoor cats. You know they are safe and loved and they honestly do not suffer or miss out because of it.
The problem I have is with people who think that because they are vegetarians their cats should be too and they won't feed them meat which is what they should be fed on.

All my cats are indoor cats. I know I wouldn't forgive myself if I let them out and they got run over, and as Julie68 says, there's an awful lot of cruel people around. I know they're safe indoors, and they're perfectly happy.

Glad you're feeling positive 3SM, it will be lovely for you to have 2 kittens. Have you considered your local Cat's Protection branch? I know that my local branch is overwhelmed with kittens at the moment, I'm sure you will find many a rescue kitten in need of a loving home like yours.

I think it is a bit cruel to keep them inside, we let our cat out, she luckily only stays around the garden but its natural for them to go explore

Think about what you've said for a minute.

When your cat is in the house, what does she do? Sleep in a corner somewhere, for 20 hours a day?

When a cat goes out, they only have three things on their mind. Shit, sleep and mate. That's all. If you get them 'done', and have their litter tray indoors, that's two of those out. Yes they will explore (instinct) but ultimately they'll find somewhere to sleep and stay there. The reason they mess on other people's property is generally because they're either too far from home and need to find an alternative place to go, or they've been locked out, in which case they won't go on their own property as this is dirty in car etiquette.

In any case, why is it any more 'cruel' to put a cat out than it is a dog? If anyone can come up with a credible reason why, please let me know as I have never come across one. It is only people's deep-rooted prejudices that make them put cats out.

Then these same people complain about their cat being unpredictable, feral and 'semi-wild'. Err, what exactly do you expect? If they are being put out, they have no choice but to call on their instincts to survive. You can't blame a creature with a brain the size of a walnut if it then has difficulty completely separating its two lives can you?

In general, indoor cats are gentler, more predictable, healthier, longer-lived, friendlier toward strangers in the house, cleaner, less smelly, don't spread disease (because the only diseases they come into contact with are the ones *you* are spreading to *them* rather than the other way around) and less inclined to snap for no apparent reason (the reason of course being that they -- the outdoor cats -- are on-edge, because they are used to not completely trusting humans).

By all means allow your cats out when you are there to keep an eye out for them. You'll need to block off all potential holes in fences etc to avoid the cat exploring the wrong place, but after a while they become accustomed to the garden being an extension of the house and accept the borders.

I agree with you EL I wouldn't like to spend my entire life indoors

Ive had lots of indoor cats and lots of outdoor cats it all depended on my circumstances at the time.

I don't find it hard to keep a cat in at all , just like I never found it hard to stop my children running outside or my dogs for that matter .


A lot of people from not so long ago would think us all bonkers for keeping our dogs in all the time, it wasn't so long ago that dogs roamed freely.

Exactly -- and ISTR that the reason for this given was the same as the one now given for cats.

It became unacceptable because of the way dogs become when left to their own devices. The pack instinct kicks in with a lot of them and they become a major headache, biting people in the street, entering people's property and destroying things, and generally being a bloody nuisance.

Cats don't. They find somewhere quiet to sleep, and doze off. They do their business on people's patios if they have no way of getting back in the house, and they attack wildlife, but that's about where it ends.

So the social stigma attached to people putting dogs out never extended to cats.

I ask again to anyone who puts their cats out: if you had a dog would you do the same? After all, a dog is a curious creature who evolved to live life outside -- isn't it 'cruel' not to let them do as they please?

Sorry I don't agree with you, my cat is very trusting and trusts people and is not smelly or aggressive at all... she is a very happy cat, she loves to sit in the garden all day and watch the world go by, she is so happy and content and certainly doesn't sleep 20 hours a day.

I don't put my cat out, she wants to go out and cries to go out, we have a catflap that she can use at her leisure. She has a very contented life and enjoys being out in the garden.


Exactly. Its good for them to go out and get some exercise.

I have 5 cats who were breeding and show cats, and weren't allowed out. They are burmese, very intelligent and easily bored.They have their mad half hours where they race up and down the stairs and retrieve catnip mice etc, the rest of the time they are fairly quiet ( unless there is something they want.)
I am now tentatively allowing them some freedom, they can go out with me. The main reason for this is the birds in our garden, cats are killers.They are all adults, and were kept inside at least until the age of 5,they like to go out, like me to come too ( sit at the door and winge for me to come) come back to use the cat tray, and won't go out in winter.They seem to me to be happy, healthy and not frustrated - the only indoor damage I get tends to be the stair carpet, and that is eleven years old.

Cats and Dogs can kill other birds etc, bigger birds kill smaller birds, it is nature, it doesn't make them a killer. It is just the way nature works. I just don't understand it and I would feel guilty leaving my cat inside all the time.

All cats sleep at least 16-18 hours a day. The 20 hours bit was partially a slight exaggeration and partially experience from our two seniors -- they do tend to become very lazy as they get older, especially the tomcats.

Talking of which -- you own an unneutered tom for a year that goes out, and see what condition and general demeanour they end up with.


Ah well you see there's a huge difference between that and the typical mentality though. When I see people putting their cats out at night, or when they are out at work, I despair. A cat that has no way of getting back into their home -- now that is cruel. Such owners should be banned from keeping animals IMO.


But you've just said yourself that they just laze around in the garden!!

Ours go out when the weather is fine, supervised. They spend the first five minutes clobbering insects, the next hour or so dozing off in the sun then they want to be back in. Regular as clockwork -- you can set your watch by them.

Yep when I was growing up you never see one dog walking around on its own but packs of dogs .
cats were put out at night and were not allowed for the most part to stay indoors.

I remember watching wickers world where we were shown how the Americans are with their pets
Oh how we pointed and laughed . Now go into pets are us and see all the pet clothing the 1000s of different toys beds and a million other unnecessary things I find it quite creepy.

People give to and leave more in their wills to pet charities than they do to children's charities.

To me its "alien" and "icky" for want of a better word

She is going out getting fresh air...she goes climbs walls, jumps around and gets exercise.

How would you like to be cooped up 24/7?

I have never owned male cats so can't judge.

We don't allow our cat out at night, she goes out in the garden and loves when we are in the garden with her as she likes the attention

Ours get more exercise running around the house than they do outdoors -- they've never asked to be let out, despite being in the garden thousands of times in their lives. It's what they get used to.


You've just admitted that yours are not allowed out during their peak active hours!! It's a meaningless comment -- they go out when we allow them out, simple as that.


And what does that tell you? Ultimately, cats crave attention far more than being outside.

If you look at cats in the wild -- they will spend almost every waking hour in their home. They go out almost exclusively because there is a reason to go out -- get food, get a mate, expel waste. Play doesn't come into it.

Load of nonsense spoken about cats being unusually predisposed to wandering outside, when the truth is that they are far more inclined to staying indoors than most species. Keeping dogs indoors except for walks, and keeping rabbits, rodents, birds, fish, reptiles, arachnids etc etc is just as 'cruel' or otherwise, so why this fascination with encouraging your pet cat to engage in wild activity?

I'm lucky my cat is a home loving girl, and on the rare occasion she does venture into the garden, its only to lay on the shed in the sunshine...if anyone walks past the garden, or she hears any loud noises, she's back in like a shot...she also comes in to use her litter tray..and comes straight back if we call her

But before we knew she was like this, we were very concerned about letting her out..we didnt like the idea of her being out alone and vulnerable, and we were worried about her wandering, as before we had her she was a stray..also we didnt want neighbours complaining if she went into their garden..so we looked into the possiblity of an outside run in our garden for her..

It seems its quite inexpensive..and if you can place it over a downstairs window, your cat can have the freedom to come and go as they please...they just need a couple of resting areas at different levels..as what they mainly like to do is lay in the sun...

I dont know if this would be possible for your cats, but its something to consider

My cat likes to sleep during the night and is active during the day. We keep her in for her safety as we don't think it is right she is out at night, she goes out about 6am and she is happy.

I am sorry but I am complete opposite to you. There is no way I would keep my cat in, she wants to go out and we let her out, she loves being out in the garden, wandering around, exploring.

If my dad or Mum are in the garden, she will rush to get outside in the garden because she likes being in the garden with us, not in the house.

But what can happen to her at night that cant in the day
Also toddlers would love to roam the streets but we don't let them . Cats like humans do not miss what they never had.




I just think if you let a cat out doors then you cant moan when they get run over, as it was your choice to take that risk.

My previous cat Cleo got run over and I will never forget finding out but its nature and cats like to explore.

Its dark and more cats are out at night time esp Tom Cats so we keep her in and she is more than happy to sleep

Ours was an outdoor cat. Didn't really see much of him for that reason, but he has a good long life. Lived until he was 19 years old.

My friend has a very special pedigree cat and he mostly stays indoors (she loves him to bits and would be heartbroken if she lost him)
She does take him in the garden, but stays outside with him. He is like her child, with a routinue and everything.
Playtime is at 10 o Clock in the morning, then he comes in for a drink and a cat biscuit.

Sorry about Cleo , I had a cat called Cleo too Good she was a independent madam and ruled the blooming house


The thing is its nature for dogs and small children to roam and explore but we don't let them anymore.

Never own a dog.

The thought of keeping it couped up (except for being walked on a lead) and not allowed its freedom will drive you nuts.

So let her out at night then if you're that concerned.

After all, it's in their nature to be nocturnal. The fact that you've conditioned the animal to be awake during the day should be immaterial according to your view of the world.

You can let it out your back garden. I had one ...

She isn't a nocturnal animal, yours might be... our cat isn't.