Current Events > How are people comfortable with having outdoor cats?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Zodd3224 posted...

I just got 6 baby chickens today. First time chicken owner. Gonna start building the coop tomorrow.

https://youtu.be/VbTSr9iRoNk

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Every outdoor cat I had lived 10+ years and died from old age illnesses. Cats were meant to be outside creatures and if you have a problem with their natural instincts to hunt and kill then maybe you should get a hamster instead.

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CalypsoDoom posted...

Outdoor cats are extremely harmful to the environment, not to mention the drastic decrease in lifespan.

^This, if your cat is a pet keep then it inside.

Feral cats do all sorts of damage to native wildlife, and they are prey animals to dogs, birds of prey and coyotes.

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BettyWhite posted...

Every animal will take to freedom if given the chance.

Well, if an animal has a safe house to live in it will usually return there if it's been trained that's its home. I've only had one dog that had a tendency to stray and wander off, though even he knew where his dog dish was. I guess I'm just saying the freedom an animal feels should generally be because the owner has made a good living environment for them.

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Kolibri X posted...

Every outdoor cat I had lived 10+ years and died from old age illnesses. Cats were meant to be outside creatures and if you have a problem with their natural instincts to hunt and kill then maybe you should get a hamster instead.

Lol. Every fucking animal is meant to be outdoors. Where the fuck do you think hamsters come from? Are they just perfectly content with being confined to a 20"x20" cage their whole lives?

And dying at 10 isn't an old age for a cat. It's like your dad having a heart attack at 50 and saying "Welp, he died of old age."


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P4wn4g3 posted...

Well, if an animal has a safe house to live in it will usually return there if it's been trained that's its home. I've only had one dog that had a tendency to stray and wander off, though even he knew where his dog dish was. I guess I'm just saying the freedom an animal feels should generally be because the owner has made a good living environment for them.

Of course they'll return if they're taken care of and smart enough to know their surroundings. I'm arguing against the statement that apparently only cats take to freedom because they were bred to be outdoors. Which is bullshit for so many reasons, but they choose to ignore those reasons because they prefer to be negligent and lazy pet owners.

Letting any animal roam freely is a danger to their well-being and potentially their environment. While these fools are arguing as if a sheltered animal is abused and unhappy.

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BettyWhite posted...

Lol. Every fucking animal is meant to be outdoors. Where the fuck do you think hamsters come from? Are they just perfectly content with being confined to a 20"x20" cage their whole lives?

And dying at 10 isn't an old age for a cat. It's like your dad having a heart attack at 50 and saying "Welp, he died of old age."

Yeah all animals were meant to live in the wild. Like pugs, a breed that never could have existed in the wild because of the generations of breeding necessary to get the to even exist. :)

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My cat was basically a small tiger, and I lived in a sleepy area. He died from cancer, but otherwise he was probably the biggest predator out there.

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gunplagirl posted...

Yeah all animals were meant to live in the wild. Like pugs, a breed that never could have existed in the wild because of the generations of breeding necessary to get the to even exist. :)

I understand why you would come to that conclusion, but I've been arguing that no animal should be let to roam outdoors on their own. My stance was a counter to people saying that cats should be outdoors, when in fact every animal desires to be free to do as they please in the wild. My wording was merely used to mirror the post I was responding to.

(I was snarky in my prior edits and apologize, CE is like poison to the mind at times)

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:?

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Evening_Dragon posted...

My cat was basically a small tiger, and I lived in a sleepy area. He died from cancer, but otherwise he was probably the biggest predator out there.

My little calico from my childhood was a fucking beast. Constant dead little animals delivered to our doorstep. I wouldn't doubt her headcount to have been 10k+.

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My first three cats were allowed outdoors. Not only did they only live ~4 years on average, they also did the feline thing of hiding when they died which left me with weeks of hoping that theyd come back and no closure or chance to say goodbye. The last of these three contracted heartworms, which was rough to say the least and convinced me to start keeping my cats indoors.

My indoor cats have lived to be 16, 18 and 12 (this last one we got from a shelter and suspected she had been abused as she was super skiddish, would hiss at any new person trying to touch her (never scratch or bite though, and shed always purr loudly as soon as you began petting), was malnourished and had bad kidneys, so without these probably wouldve lived even longer. None of them seemed any less happy than my outside cats. Im sure if they had the choice (and had sentience), they would choose living 3-4 times longer over whatever advantage going outside might have.

Zodd3224 posted...

Didn't realize so many people kept their cats locked indoors

My boys stay inside but theyll get outdoor time in our yard or deck. And were out with them. They were out for an hour with my husband today. They also have plenty of toys inside to appeal to their predator instincts. Laser toys, mice, trackball toy, scratching posts, etc.

I watched my first cat die a painful death from feline leukemia. He was 4. Ill never forget it.

Cleo_II posted...

My boys stay inside but theyll get outdoor time in our yard or deck. And were out with them. They were out for an hour with my husband today. They also have plenty of toys inside to appeal to their predator instincts. Laser toys, mice, trackball toy, scratching posts, etc.

I watched my first cat die a painful death from feline leukemia. He was 4. Ill never forget it.

I can respect this.

I want to get a catio for my cats someday.

And I'm sorry about your kitty. :(

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Kolibri X posted...

Cats were meant to be outside creatures and if you have a problem with their natural instincts to hunt and kill then maybe you should get a hamster instead.

They also have a natural instinct to reproduce, fight, mark their territories, and do other things that we inhibit or stop because it's not only in our best interest but theirs as well. Stewardship isn't just letting them do whatever they want because oh well, cats will be cats.

Y'all keep harping on their "natural behavior" and "natural instincts" even though this situation is anything but natural. From litter boxes to veterinary care to feeding them globs of ground up animals they could never hunt in the wild, nothing about the existence of the modern house cat is natural. Find a better excuse for your irresponsibility.


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BettyWhite posted...

I can respect this.

I want to get a catio for my cats someday.

And I'm sorry about your kitty. :(

Thank you

Cleo_II posted...

My boys stay inside but theyll get outdoor time in our yard or deck. And were out with them. They were out for an hour with my husband today. They also have plenty of toys inside to appeal to their predator instincts. Laser toys, mice, trackball toy, scratching posts, etc.

I watched my first cat die a painful death from feline leukemia. He was 4. Ill never forget it.

Reasonable

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None of our cats died "in their sleep"--all have died from vehicles, wild animals, or the ravages of disease--but we helped each of them to live however they chose. Yes, the freedom to choose carries responsibilities and possible consequences for actions taken, but that's life. In the real world, such things are inseparable from each other.

[ Indoors has rules, outdoors has free-roam. We're in a more rural area, so these are luxuries that can be afforded to them. ]

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Outdoors has rules too. Neighbors aren't going to be happy with your cat pissing/pooping on their yard. You might as well not adopt a cat if you rather it be outside all day and only let it in your house to sleep. Just let every cat be a stray. Don't rescue them. That way they have freedom and whatever health problems or injuries they encounter is just nature taking its course. Wind blows, rain falls, and the strong prey upon the weak. You can't fight nature.

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Beveren_Rabbit posted...

Outdoors has rules too. Neighbors aren't going to be happy with your cat pissing/pooping on their yard. You might as well not adopt a cat if you rather it be outside all day and only let it in your house to sleep. Just let every cat be a stray. Don't rescue them. That way they have freedom and whatever health problems or injuries they encounter is just nature taking its course. Wind blows, rain falls, and the strong prey upon the weak. You can't fight nature.

So says a rabbit

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gunplagirl posted...

Yeah all animals were meant to live in the wild. Like pugs, a breed that never could have existed in the wild because of the generations of breeding necessary to get the to even exist. :)

Thank you for making some sense

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Beveren_Rabbit posted...

Outdoors has rules too. Neighbors aren't going to be happy with your cat pissing/pooping on their yard. You might as well not adopt a cat if you rather it be outside all day and only let it in your house to sleep. Just let every cat be a stray. Don't rescue them. That way they have freedom and whatever health problems or injuries they encounter is just nature taking its course. Wind blows, rain falls, and the strong prey upon the weak. You can't fight nature.

You can't fight nature, so you would instead imprison an animal and deny its nature?

This is my disconnect with fanatical pet owners. People who own hamsters, pure bred dogs who are heavily inbred and develop health conditions as a result (German Shepards and Pugs come to mind), etc. Despite people's ravings about how they love animals they would seek to domesticate and deny an animal's existence.

Your pets live as slaves their whole lives to your own human emotion. If you truly love animals, you should learn to respect the nature of an animal--and embrace the grace along with the ferocity we find in the cycle of life.

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<p style="background-color: transparent; --darkreader-inline-bgcolor:transparent;" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="">Respect an animal by not feeding it. Let it find it's own food. Don't pet it. Don't interact with it. Human contact with animals is unnatural.

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Beveren_Rabbit posted...

<p style="background-color: transparent; --darkreader-inline-bgcolor:transparent;" data-darkreader-inline-bgcolor="">Respect an animal by not feeding it. Let it find it's own food. Don't pet it. Don't interact with it. Human contact with animals is unnatural.

I think you broke your chat links

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Perascamin posted...

You can't fight nature,

When it comes to stewardship of cats? You sure can, and everything else you said built on this premise is inane bullshit full of pseudo reverence for ~nature~ that I'm willing to bet you don't actually hold in any meaningful way.

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Arguments for outdoor cats:
-more exercise
-if you live in a small home or a home that's not cat friendly, it gives them more space to do stuff
-less money spent on litter and toys. Only have to pay for a flea collar, medication, hygiene products, food, and water. Cat "has everything" they need outside

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Pseudomenon posted...

When it comes to stewardship of cats? You sure can, and everything else you said built on this premise is inane bullshit full of pseudo reverence for ~nature~ that I'm willing to bet you don't actually hold in any meaningful way.

I'm not surprised you, or any of your ilk would respond in this kind of way. Humans, the way we are now already have trouble grasping at the layers and depth of their own emotion, so it makes sense that when it comes to even more complex analysis of dogmatic belief, that which challenges what's believed as true is refuted and denied vehemently.


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Perascamin posted...

I'm not surprised you, or any of your ilk would respond in this kind of way. Humans, the way we are now already have trouble grasping at the layers and depth of their own emotion, so it makes sense that when it comes to even more complex analysis of dogmatic belief, that which challenges what's believed as true is refuted and denied vehemently.

More inane bullshit. What exactly do you think is "my ilk"?

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Beveren_Rabbit posted...

Arguments for outdoor cats:
-more exercise
-if you live in a small home or a home that's not cat friendly, it gives them more space to do stuff
-less money spent on litter and toys. Only have to pay for a flea collar, medication, hygiene products, food, and water. Cat "has everything" they need outside

Cats sleep 16 hours a day. They dont need a ton of exercise.

Keep your cats indoors if you want to them to have a long and happy life.


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Not real sure what the big fuss is about letting your cat outside... also couldve done without the examples of animal abuse..

depends on where you live and what what kind of neighborhood youre in. Had outdoor cats living in a place without coyotes, neighbors werent shitheads and had a fairly good size property.

Most of the time my cats cats were outside napping under elephant ear bushes or in a sunbeam or killing moles and snakes, leaving them on the door step for me.

They never ventured too far, came in and out during the day and were always inside at night.

wouldnt have an outdoor cat if you do have coyotes, live in a shitty area with lots of passing traffic or in a concrete jungle. If you have a decent sized backyard and your neighbors dont abuse animals, your biggest concern is probably coyotes.


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My ex had a badass manx tomcat named Button and he was like the Conor McGregor of cats. He was fighting other cats all the damn time, he just didnt give a shit. He could be sweet but after some pets he would bite a little, and he ruthlessly bullied her indoor cat. Someone ran him over and threw his body in my girls trash bin. Thats how she found him. Very strange and fucked up thing to do to imo. I miss him and the pic of him I use on my channel is all i have left.

Now she has another outdoor cat, a girl. And shes just like Button in many ways. She likes to go outside, it is what it is. If i had a cat, i wouldnt let it out because of where I live. But years ago i started feeding a stray, all white cat with green eyes. Another girl I knew named her Cat Benatar and that stuck, to me she was Cat Buchanan. Cat for short. She just died recently. But Cat was tough. She used to come sit on my lap while i smoked cigarettes and purr, but i wouldnt let her in because i didnt have a box. Except after many drinks, sometimes i let her in. Once I woke up after blacking out on the couch and she was curled up next to me sleeping, i think that was when I started to love her. My sister adopted her and she had a nice life.

EdgeMaster posted...

Not real sure what the big fuss is about letting your cat outside... also couldve done without the examples of animal abuse..

depends on where you live and what what kind of neighborhood youre in. Had outdoor cats living in a place without coyotes, neighbors werent shitheads and had a fairly good size property.

Most of the time my cats cats were outside napping under elephant ear bushes or in a sunbeam or killing moles and snakes, leaving them on the door step for me.

They never ventured too far, came in and out during the day and were always inside at night.

wouldnt have an outdoor cat if you do have coyotes, live in a shitty area with lots of passing traffic or in a concrete jungle. If you have a decent sized backyard and your neighbors dont abuse animals, your biggest concern is probably coyotes.

I dont know. My old neighborhood was a nice, quiet one. No coyotes or any type of predator animal. Not much traffic. Chill neighbors. We had a big yard. It was a nice suburb. As mentioned, my first cat contracted feline leukemia from another cat.

Then my brother brought home another cat a few years later that he also let outside. He wouldnt venture far. Hed always come home the same day. Until one day he didnt. I went around looking for him and asking people around. Some guy said he saw him and fed him granola. He seemed very nervous when I asked him about the cat. To this day, I think he took him. Who feeds granola to a cat? He was a year old. Then years later, my brother moved out and got yet another cat and tried to keep him indoors. One day, the cat escaped through the front door and he never saw him again. That one was about 3 or 4.

So not much luck for us with cats being outdoors. Even in a neighborhood with no coyotes/wildlife. And theres no way to avoid shitty animal abusers. They can be anywhere.

I had an outdoor cat as a child.

It used to lie in the middle of the road with the neighbours cat and cause traffic jams.

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I would never let my cats outside.

As someone who has never owned cats, but have stray cats living right outside my apartment, please keep your pets inside. I equate it the same as someone leaving their dog out. It's unnecessary noise they intrude on other's property, those cats would walk over my car all the time leaving their prints on it and I've seen some dead on the streets. You can't seriously care for your pets if you're willing to risk them dying a terrible death in the streets. You're being inconsiderate to others and not being responsible for your pets.

Jshipp24 posted...

As someone who has never owned cats, but have stray cats living right outside my apartment, please keep your pets inside. I equate it the same as someone leaving their dog out. It's unnecessary noise they intrude on other's property, those cats would walk over my car all the time leaving their prints on it and I've seen some dead on the streets. You can't seriously care for your pets if you're willing to risk them dying a terrible death in the streets. You're being inconsiderate to others and not being responsible for your pets.

I think you are more upset at cat paw prints on your car rather than their death

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EdgeMaster posted...

Not real sure what the big fuss is about letting your cat outside... also couldve done without the examples of animal abuse..

depends on where you live and what what kind of neighborhood youre in. Had outdoor cats living in a place without coyotes, neighbors werent shitheads and had a fairly good size property.

Most of the time my cats cats were outside napping under elephant ear bushes or in a sunbeam or killing moles and snakes, leaving them on the door step for me.

They never ventured too far, came in and out during the day and were always inside at night.

wouldnt have an outdoor cat if you do have coyotes, live in a shitty area with lots of passing traffic or in a concrete jungle. If you have a decent sized backyard and your neighbors dont abuse animals, your biggest concern is probably coyotes.

The argument still stands that you're letting an apex predator roam free and massacre local wildlife. By your own admission. Do tell how you know your cat isn't killing any endangered species.

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Cats kill billions of local wildlife a year and cat owners see nothing wrong with it because "it's nature". It's nature when it's a natural predator killing it's natural prey. Cats are an invasive species and your cat is domesticated. They don't even kill for food. Sometimes they don't even kill the animal and leave them to suffer.

"B-but they are killing pests like chimppunks, squirrels, rabbits, mice, and rats!"

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They can be trained to kill specific species just like any other animal, but I really doubt many people this day and age are training their cats to go do rounds on farm pests and come back inside.

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Most of the people saying cats should be let outside are confusing Natural and Good.

Getting eaten by a coyote is natural but it isnt good for the cat.

Always having food and shelter in your house isnt natural but it is good for the cat.

An indoor cat doesnt always need to be indoors, if your cat has the temperament to always stay in your yard you can go out with it to watch it or you can get a leash and harness and take it for walks for outside time. The dangers to the cat happen when the cat is outside unsupervised where they could be injured, hit by a car, or catch a disease from a wild animal/stray cat.

An indoor cat will need more attention and toys to get the mental stimulation they need but they can be perfectly happy staying indoors.

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Cleo_II posted...

I dont know. My old neighborhood was a nice, quiet one. No coyotes or any type of predator animal. Not much traffic. Chill neighbors. We had a big yard. It was a nice suburb. As mentioned, my first cat contracted feline leukemia from another cat.

Then my brother brought home another cat a few years later that he also let outside. He wouldnt venture far. Hed always come home the same day. Until one day he didnt. I went around looking for him and asking people around. Some guy said he saw him and fed him granola. He seemed very nervous when I asked him about the cat. To this day, I think he took him. Who feeds granola to a cat? He was a year old. Then years later, my brother moved out and got yet another cat and tried to keep him indoors. One day, the cat escaped through the front door and he never saw him again. That one was about 3 or 4.

So not much luck for us with cats being outdoors. Even in a neighborhood with no coyotes/wildlife. And theres no way to avoid shitty animal abusers. They can be anywhere.

Had a reply but this archaic website had to reload and fucked it up, so just gonna say Im not sure why tf someone would feed a cat granola but theres plenty of stupid people who wouldnt know cats dont eat granola

P4wn4g3 posted...

The argument still stands that you're letting an apex predator roam free and massacre local wildlife. By your own admission. Do tell how you know your cat isn't killing any endangered species.

Rofl. My cat being an apex predator. This was in a state where alligators eat small children. You wont be happy with my answer but gonna go out on a limb here and say my cats werent killing any endangered species because moles and garden snakes arent endangered.


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EdgeMaster posted...

Rofl. My cat being an apex predator. This was in a state where alligators eat small children. You wont be happy with my answer but gonna go out on a limb here and say my cats werent killing any endangered species because moles and garden snakes arent endangered.

Yeah that's a weak defense.

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P4wn4g3 posted...

The argument still stands that you're letting an apex predator roam free and massacre local wildlife.

Any population can get out of control, even people, in terms of density, habitation, and activity until all other targeted species in an area are exterminated. In the 1800s, passenger pigeons in NA numbered in the "hundreds of millions," but people (iow, us) hunted and ate them to extinction. The last reported one died, in captivity, in 1914.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GibiNy4d4gc

Change the physical environment of an area to support and/or deter specific behaviors. Otherwise, other species will gravitate to that area to consume local plants and animals.
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EdgeMaster posted...

... theres plenty of stupid people who wouldnt know cats dont eat granola

We had one cat that loved cake (no icing) and another cat that hated any kind of meat or fish. To each their own.

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andri_g posted...

Any population can get out of control, even people, in terms of density, habitation, and activity until all other targeted species in an area are exterminated. In the 1800s, passenger pigeons in NA numbered in the "hundreds of millions," but people (iow, us) hunted and ate them to extinction. The last reported one died, in captivity, in 1914.

What kind of argument is this?
Cats are literally an invasive species. Humans took them out of nature and planted them in foreign environments as a form of pest control. Now that the pest population is down, they don't stop killing other animals.

Outdoor cats have a negative impact on the environment. It is not natural, they don't belong here. You wouldn't let a wolf pet run wild killing anything it wants, you wouldn't let your dog run around killing rodents, don't let cats - which are incredible predators - destroy local wildlife.

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ChocoboMogALT posted...

What kind of argument is this?

It's not an argument, it's an observation.

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>:(

cats deserve to be indoors guys, tf