house cats ?

[anneasquith]

house cats, is it fair to keep cats inside at all times ?

[maggiebee]

I personally don't think it's fair on the cat. Mine have always wandered far and wide. However, I realise there are cats who have never been outdoors and seem perfectly happy.

[ummmm]

I don't think so. They like to go out hunting. My cat is in and out all day....

[Nibble]

Cats as a rule cannot & will not be ruled to as to where they'll stay, i.e if they want to stay indoors they will, and if they want to get outside they also will. There's nothing you can do to change a cats wishes as to how they choose to live their lives, the cat will do as it wishes..

[EvianBaby]

They should at least have the option of going outside. If they want to stay in then that's fine.

I don't like the idea of cats being house prisoners.

[rowanwitch]

had house cats for years due toamount of traffic in area... they all lived to decent ages and had plenty of space in the house to cause chaos

[anneasquith]

i have a few neighbours who have " house cats" and they are never allowed outside, in fact 3 of them have never been seen ?

[sidkid]

I believe that the only reason a cat is a 'house-cat' is because they are kept in the house and not allowed out when young. Wrong in my opinion - bit like keeping birds in little prisons in your living room....

[EvianBaby]

I'd take the risk that the cat would stay away from the Traffic Rowan.

My sis and her husband moved to London about 6 years ago with their cats and they live basically on the A41, 4 lanes of traffic outside their front door and their old girl (16 has been fine with it). They lost one other to the road but I think that was more to do with the fact he was pretty ill and losing his marbles.

[ummmm]

Nibble, they can be ruled if you don't let them out.

[ladybirder]

One of my good friends has two house cats who have lived indoors for all their lives. They live in a large spacious 1st floor flat with a small balcony and seem perfectly happy. My friend is at home with them all day and does play and interact with them a lot. Sometimes they sit on the balcony and watch the world go by and do seem contented. Having said that it isn't something I would choose to do unless there was a genuine reason a cat couldn't go outside.
A separate issue but I believe all cats should be kept in at night.

[ummmm]

Mine stays in at night. He sleeps under my bed and as my bed goes right to the floor I don't think he can be bothered to get out again. He climbs up the back of the headboard when OH's alarm goes off.

[EvianBaby]

I keep mine in at night too, apart from the few occasions he's been stubborn and won't come back. He doesn't make that mistake often.

[B00]

I have a house cat.

And I do feel mean sometimes, as she sees the dog going out in the yard willy nilly and I know she'd love to join her.

We're thinking of getting some sort of collapsible rabbit run type thing for when the weather improves so she can join us outside.

[ummmm]

Wouldn't that just tease her? And surely she'd have more freedom in the house?

[B00]

Yeah possibly, it's a bit of a quandary to be honest Ummmm.

I felt sorry for her more when we had that nice week back in April, and I was out along with the dog, and she was sat at the door crying thinking we'd all left her. I had to turn the radio up i felt that mean to drown out her cries, lol.

[mccfluff]

my aunt has house cats they're rare breed persians, incredibly highly strung and they are better off indoors

murph is a moggy, a big fat moggy with an attitude that's got even worse as she's a house cat now unless i'm home, then she can feck off out

[friedgreentomato]

my cats are so spoilt that they won't go out unless I am in the garden with them!! which tbh puts my mind at rest as I get a bit nervous of them going out - during the winter they really don't go out at all - but during the summer they are out most of the day - but as soon as hubby or I goes in the cats follow.

[ummmm]

Bless her. In your case B00 I understand it. She'd be nabbed if you let her out.

Next door but one have a hairless cat....my cat sits on their windowsill staring at it.

[B00]

Not entirely sure it's fair to inflict the monster on the neighbourhood either ummm! Friendly she aint, lol.

Oooo a hairless, is it cute? I'm sort of weirdly fascinated with them, im not sure whether I like them or they gross me out.

[snags]

http://www.cartoonsto.../lowres/mban1942l.jpg