letting cat outside

arrianalexander

Hi guys

we got our cat when she was two months old, she had been in a vets since born. Since we've had her we have kept her inside except when we have brought her out for walks whilst on a lead...yes i know!!! but now we feel bad for leaving her inside all the time. We'd like to leave her out for a couple of hourss just so she can go exploring. we live in an estate and there are plenty of other cats about the place.

we fear that we will let her out and she will never come back

that she will wander down to the end of the estate and onto the road and get killed


do ye think she would come back of her own accord or what. would really like yer opinions on the matter


regards


Jonny

anniehoo

You'll probably get a mixed bag of responses here. One camp will fervently agree that an indoor cat will do just fine and its safer and healthier.Which it is to be quite honest.

Others (and i include myself in this) think its ok to let cats outside. Why,im not too sure as theres more negatives than positives in doing it. Id never dream of doing it with a dog either so im well aware that ill probably be criticised for saying it.Cats are natural hunters and explorers and any cat ive had has always been let out and always come home.

But letting your cat outside, you will run the risk of everything you are worried out-the cat not coming home,getting in an accident,attacked by other cats etc

Personally i think its ok for a few hours a day (with vaccinations,tag and microchip) but thats just my opinion.

Acoshla

I think it's up to the individual owner really, only you know your surroundings and your own cat, I have had 3 cats who I used to let outdoors, but my cat now is indoor only, this is for a few reasons, mainly that our house is close to a busy enough road, I couldn't bear to find him dead out there and as he's jet black I think the chances of him getting hit at night are pretty high, but we also have quiet a large house for him to play around so he gets plenty of exercise. I have a lead for him too though and sometimes I bring him outside with the dog.

If you do decide to let your cat out a tip is to make sure she is hungry when you let her out and she will come back to you for food, maybe let them out for 15 mins and call them back, then do it next day a bit longer, etc etc.

USER X

I know this is gonna sound funny, but when I wanted to first let my cat outside, I had the walking harness and used it to walk the cat up and down the garden (sounds so wrong now). Its kinda boring to try walking a cat so I tied the string onto the corner of a rotating washing line with enough length so the cat could explore some of the garden without me being there. I kept an eye on the cat to make sure he was okay and after he had been out in the garden a few times like this, I just left the back door open for him to roam in and out. They get the hang of it pretty quickly, cats are clever (most of em).

babychuckles

Dear OP.
Is your cat neutered? And secondly is it vaccinated?
Apologies if both are done already but they are very important in keeping your cat from becoming a "parent" and if its bitten while out, being vaccinated might help it stay well.
Yes it is very scary to decide to let a cat have freedom and the dangers are scary and this is the big downside to having cats outside.
If you leave it out then please put a snap off collar on it so that it shows people that she/he is loved and belongs. but it has to be a snap off or very elasticated collar so that if it catches on a tree or such. I dont know if i remember right from a few years ago but dont get a collar from tescos as my fuzzy memory is telling me that someone i know had a problem with them not being snap off in reality. if im wrong my apologies to tescos. but if i didnt say it then id never forgive myself if anything happened.
Whenever I have first introduced my lot to the outside world i have also left them hungry and use their favourite treat to entice them back indoors.
Also i only start letting them out on my day off and only for a short time and leave the door open so they can get back in. I always keep talking to them so that they know i am near and keep following with a string long enough to attract them back to me if the treats are having no effect.
I then leave them explore for longer and longer as time goes on.
If you have a shed in the back its a great idea to have a cat flap cut out even though none of mine ever liked the flap and i took that away and just left them use the cut out square and when i was out they were safe if they used it.
Good luck with it all.

The Sweeper

If you allow your cat out, there is chance it will not return.

Can you cat-proof your back garden so your cat can have the run of that, without being able to get out on the road, or without other cats getting into the garden?

It's nice for them to have fresh air and not have to be indoors all of the time, but allowing your cats to roam unsupervised simply exposes them to:

Injury or death through being struck by a car, injury or death through malicious intent from people who don't like cats, including poisoning, shooting and injury from other projectiles, being kicked or otherwise bludgeoned; your cat not returning because someone else is feeding it; your cat being made ill by someone else feeding it unsuitable food; injury or death through attack by another animal, including dogs, wildlife and other cats; diseases spread through fighting and contact with other cats, including but not limited to herpes, conjunctivitis, FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus, causes cat AIDS), FeLV (feline leukaemia virus), the corona virus, which can mutate into FIP (feline infectious peritonitis, fatal) and abscesses from fighting; the cat being locked inadvertently into someone elses garage or shed and going without food or water for days because you don't know it's there; the cat being transported to unfamiliar territory because it's hidden out in someone's trailer/on the warm engine of their car etc; the cat being injured or dying slowly in a trap meant for another animal (and unfortunately sometimes a trap meant for the cat) or catnapping, regardless of whether or not it's a pedigree, which can result in either a long life somewhere you'll never know what happened to it, or being torn apart as bait to blood coursing or fighting dogs.

Additionally, by allowing your cat to roam, you facilitate it shitting on your neighbour's garden, digging up their flowerbeds, spraying urine to scent mark on their house or other part of their property, and killing wildlife - all things that, if you allowed your dog to do them, would see you fined and possibly even your dog confiscated.

I've cat-proofed my garden sufficiently that I can allow my cats a runabout once a day and they don't get into trouble or bother my neighbours. Further catproofing is required so I can let them run about unsupervised. Gives me the best of both worlds - they're safe, they're not costing me a fortune in vets bills, they get to chase butterflies, sunbathe, roll in the dust and pace about in the long grass, chase each other and have fresh air, but they don't fall victim to the litany of possibilities listed above, and they don't make my neighbours hate me.

Whatever you choose to do, the notion of their being plenty of other cats about the place would deter me from allowing my cat out, not encourage me.

TooManyDogs

Please don't let your cat out to explore alone, I really hate pet cats being out on their own and here's why...

- They end up in huge danger, from cars, dogs, and cruel people. My own dogs have caught a neighbours cat on at least 2 occassions while it was in my garden, only that I was in the house at the time did the cat survive.

- They do huge damage to local wildlife killing birds and other small creatures

- They end up on the recieving end of distruntled neighbours because of them using neighbours gardens as litter trays, it really upsets people to discover sh1t while gardening and unfortunately it's the cat that cops it but really it's your fault for letting it out

- It's just not responsible for you to let your pet wander, if you had a dog would you even consider it?

Could you not construct a pen for your cat so it could be in the back garden but not able to get out and wander? You could build structures for your cat to climb and put tons of plants in it.

TooManyDogs

Basically everything The Sweeper said We were obviously writing our posts at the same time!

Sigma Force

Perhaps consider an in between option and either cat proof the garden so she can't get out of it or build an aviary type set up so the cat can wander around and sit out in the sun without getting out further than your own garden.

At the end of the day people don't allow their dogs to wander (well ok lots of people do but this doesn't make it right and it causes a nuisance and many are killed and injured daily because they are allowed to wander. Cats face more dangers than dogs outside.

Also sounds like you've put a lot of work into this cat it would be a shame for you to loose her or have something happen to her, years ago traffic wasn't as bad but these days cats don't stand a chance on roads.

iguana

If I owned a cat here is what would make the decision for me. Outdoor cats have an average life expectancy of 4-5 years. Indoor cats have an average life expectancy of 20+ years. If I could quadruple the life expectancy of my dogs I'd do it in a heartbeat.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

It's up to the OP to weigh up the issue but can I comment as someone who has had to put up with other peoples cats coming to the garden, using it as a toilet and scaring and killing our garden birds? Please if you let the Cat out make sure it stays in your own garden!

bazzjazz

iguana wrote: »

If I owned a cat here is what would make the decision for me. Outdoor cats have an average life expectancy of 4-5 years. Indoor cats have an average life expectancy of 20+ years. If I could quadruple the life expectancy of my dogs I'd do it in a heartbeat.

We had an outdoor cat for 10+ years with no problems. We had to rehome him due to the arrival of a baby, who he didn't see eye to eye with, but he is still an outdoor cat aged 15+.

Nextdoor neighbours cat is also outdoor and 15+ and their other outdoor cat died of old age last year!

Our baby is now not a baby so we have got two new cats and are now in the process of letting them outdoors. We have a cat flap in the back door and they will be able to come and go as they please.

My opinion only of course, but I think it is healthier for cats to be outdoors if possible, notwithstanding the potential hazards of course, but that's life!

iguana

bazzjazz wrote: »

We had an outdoor cat for 10+ years with no problems. We had to rehome him due to the arrival of a baby, who he didn't see eye to eye with, but he is still an outdoor cat aged 15+.

Nextdoor neighbours cat is also outdoor and 15+ and their other outdoor cat died of old age last year!

Do you understand what average means? The average human lifespan is 75-80 years in this part of the world. Yet I know people who died at 1 month, 42 years, 90 years and according to the news there is a woman in France whose 122!!!!:eek: Obviously the 75-80 figure is nonsense because I don't know anyone who died between those ages. Oh no wait, that's what average means.:rolleyes:

bazzjazz

iguana wrote: »

Do you understand what average means? The average human lifespan is 75-80 years in this part of the world. Yet I know people who died at 1 month, 42 years, 90 years and according to the news there is a woman in France whose 122!!!!:eek: Obviously the 75-80 figure is nonsense because I don't know anyone who died between those ages. Oh no wait, that's what average means.:rolleyes:

Hmmm, yes i actually do understand the meaning of the word 'average', believe it or not. What I don't understand is the need for a condescending post as a reply to a post which is simply informing the OP of *my* experience in owning outdoor cats. Never said it was average. I'd hate to be average

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

You still maintained that an outdoor Cat was healthier and cited your experience to back that up. The fact remains that statistically Indoor Cats live longer irrespective of your own personal experience.

bazzjazz

Mira Fancy Glove wrote: »

You still maintained that an outdoor Cat was healthier and cited your experience to back that up. The fact remains that statistically Indoor Cats live longer irrespective of your own personal experience.

True and I still do, but health and longevity are two different things. I wouldn't like to live to 100 if I spent the last 20 years of my life in a wheelchair with diminished mental capacity on a liquid diet. Quality of life has to be taken into account also and I believe a cat will have a better quality of life (but maybe shorter) if it can go outdoors.

But yes, statistically you are correct and I am not disputing your figures.

biko

Indoor cats will never know what it's like outside and are usually content with this.
I grew with cats and have them now and always let them out. Yes they run the risk of getting hurt but that's life. As long as it's neutered and vaccinated it should be fine (mind I have had cats that never came home again...).
It's a judgement call or your part. What do you think your cat would be happiest with?

Mink

The Sweeper wrote: »

I've cat-proofed my garden sufficiently that I can allow my cats a runabout once a day and they don't get into trouble or bother my neighbours. Further catproofing is required so I can let them run about unsupervised.

How did you catproof your garden?

mymo

My friend made a cat run outside one of her windows, they just leave the window open when weather permits and the cat goes in and out as it pleases.
Just a 3 sided timber frame covered with avery wire on the side and top is that plastic corrugated sheeting. Its bolted to the wall and can be unbolted one side like a gate, to enter. Inside there are corner shelves at various heights and sizes and large tree branches for climbing. Its half on the patio and half on the grass (which they let grow long) so cat can hide in long grass.
The cat loves it and is perfectly safe.

TooManyDogs

That's a brilliant solution to allowing the cat an outdoor experience

The Sweeper

Magnus wrote: »

Indoor cats will never know what it's like outside and are usually content with this.
I grew with cats and have them now and always let them out. Yes they run the risk of getting hurt but that's life. As long as it's neutered and vaccinated it should be fine (mind I have had cats that never came home again...).
It's a judgement call or your part. What do you think your cat would be happiest with?

See I don't understand how you can see your pets getting injured because you allowed them to roam as "that's life", and I also can't understand how anyone can be so at ease with their cat never coming home again.

"I used to have a cat, but I don't know what happened to it. Oh well. Oh look, a new kitten! Hooray, gap in my life filled again!"

How does that work? Do you convince yourself that they've been adopted by a neighbour? Or that they live "on a farm"?

Do you have to work in cat rescue to get a realistic idea of what happens to the cats who don't come home?

The Sweeper

Mink wrote: »

How did you catproof your garden?

Six foot colorbond steel fences and gates all the way around. It doesn't catproof it enough for me to allow them unsupervised access to the garden, because it wouldn't take long for them to start trying to climb the fence. As indoor cats, they're sufficiently entertained by the garden for half an hour twice a day that they don't try the fences.

For me to allow them out all day unsupervised, I need to either make the fence tops impassable using cat netting, a spinning fence paddle system or static electric string systems.

bazzjazz

See I don't understand how you can see your pets getting injured because you allowed them to roam as "that's life"

To me its about life balance. I do mountain biking and the pleasure I get from it far outweighs the risks. I've had to bring a friend to hospital where he was close to losing his life, but he's now back on the bike again and loves it.

Same with the cats, I feel the pleasure they get from being in their natural environment far outweighs the risks it presents. But hey, each to their own!

Ambersky

USER X Thats what I do too.

I know this is gonna sound funny, but when I wanted to first let my cat outside, I had the walking harness and used it to walk the cat up and down the garden (sounds so wrong now). Its kinda boring to try walking a cat so I tied the string onto the corner of a rotating washing line with enough length so the cat could explore some of the garden without me being there. I kept an eye on the cat to make sure he was okay

Being out on his lead allows my cat to have a bit of time in the garden every day but I always keep an eye on him from the window.
One day he jumped over the wall and got his lead stuck on a branch of one of next doors shrubs. When he tried to jump back he ran out of lead and was left hanging. The harness wasnt tight enough and he managed to get his paws out leaving him hanging by the neck. Obviously I rushed out and got him down but it gave me a fright to see what could happen. Ive tightened his harness and just keep an eye. I come home from work, make a cup of coffee and sit down and watch my boy having a nice time outside.

When I got my cat a friend took his brother and now when one of us goes away for a few days the other can mind her cat. So the brothers can visit.
This is working out very well.
An interesting point is that as my friend lives in inner city Dublin and has no garden her cat has never been outdoors and seems quite content.
My cat on the other hand was brought out on his harness and lead at a very young age and meows at me to go out. It got quite bad at one stage and I considered letting him out just to stop the meowing and because I thought maybe I wasnt being fair to him, keeping him in.
Then I discovered that by attaching him onto the long lead he can have quite a bit of freedom and this seems to keep him happy.
Another thing I discovered was, that it was calming for him to find a predictable time at which to let him out for his exploration every day.
That way he knew when to expect it, it became routine ( which cats love) and he hassled me less.
So now all is happy. Healthy cat, happy neighbours, happy wildlife.

My cat out in his garden walking in the snow.

seclachi

Id let it out, how fulfilled would you feel if your parents kept you locked indoors all the time. Even with cars & scobes I think historically cats had more to worry about when they were roaming 10,000 years ago.

cyning

I am always in two minds about this: I had problems with a dog recently and was petrified letting my cat out after BUT my cat gets so miserable when she can't go out it would be crueller to keep her in.

Mine can go in and out as she pleases, she stays inside most of the time and stays within mine and my neighbours garden: my neighbour has a cat too and they play so neighbour doesn't have a problem. I know the risks in letting her out, but I had her as an indoor cat for the first 9 months and the change since I started letting her out is unbelievable. She is happier.

Yes I know she could get knocked down. And that would be horrendous. But for me and my cat its the right decision.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

seclachi wrote: »

Id let it out, how fulfilled would you feel if your parents kept you locked indoors all the time.

Oh please don't compare Cats (or Dogs) to human children!
Apologies for straying off topic but let's now forget it's our pets and not our children we are talking about.:(

Orla K

I know a lot of people have replied already but if you do want to let it outside I wouldn't do it until it's older and after it's neutered. Younger cats can't defend themself and can easily be killed by other animals, they could also be taken in by other people because they're too cute and out wandering/'lost'


I myself keep my cats indoor only but one is indoor by choice(tried putting him out in the snow to see what he'd do, I never saw him run inside as quick, he just hates going outside) and the other can't go out (for medical reasons)

Graces7

A lot depends on the surroundings.

Here, in a very rural area and with no neighbours, my cats come and go as they please.

They are devoted and affectionate pets, sleeping on the bed at night and walking on my back when they are wanting out.

When I lived in a village, my cats then were indoor cats.

And these two are clearly healthy and very happy indeed. There is no way I would confine them.

What irks about some posts is the emotiveness.
It IS choice and a free choice.

They are cats.

To watch them racing up trees is a joy. Part of their heritage.

We have problems here with an aggesssive feral just now. A different aspect of cat life.

The Sweeper

Graces7 wrote: »

What irks about some posts is the emotiveness.

You think it's irksome that people get emotional about their pets?

I think it's irksome when they don't.

Graces7

This in the kind of posting that exemplifies what I mean.

There is a vast difference between "emotive" and "emotional"

Which it seems escapes some.

Maybe read what I actuallysaid before this kind of accusatory reply?

I refuse to have guilt put upon me.

Which is what many of the emotive posts seem to be aiming at.

The Sweeper wrote: »

You think it's irksome that people get emotional about their pets?

I think it's irksome when they don't.

TooManyDogs

I think the subject of cats being let out is always going to be emotive, there's too many dividing opinions. There's the people who think cats belong outside to wander, the people who reckon the only way to keep their pet safe is to keep them in and then the people who are annoyed about the damage cats do to other people's property and to wildlife when let outside. I'm just not sure there is a way around the subject without being emotive.

The Sweeper

Emotive can in most cases be used as a synonym for emotional.

I think Graces7 doesn't like the fact that I have strong opinions on wandering cats because of what I've seen as outcomes from wandering cats. I also think Graces7 thinking I'm exaggerating for effect when I talk about cats used, for instance, to blood coursing or fighting dogs, just to get a response.

I'm not. It does happen. I wish it didn't. It won't happen to all wandering cats. It will happen to some of them. As will disease, car accidents, so on.

Yes, of course it's a choice - but it needs to be an educated choice. Having cats in a rural area that function as barn cats, for instance, involves letting those cats out. My viewpoint is that you treat your working cat as well as you'd treat your working dog - you have it neutered, you worm it every quarter, you restrict its roaming at night, you take it to the vet when it's injured, you provide food for it and don't expect it to get all of its sustenance from hunting, and you go looking for it when it's missing. You don't just put it in the barn and ignore it, as you might pigeons nesting in the eaves.

If you live in a built-up urban area, high to medium density housing, with nearby roads, I think you have a responsibility to restrict your cat's roaming. I also don't buy the 'If it gets killed on the road, that's life' attitude - because it's not an attitude we extend to our dogs any more. There needs to be a mindshift - cats will benefit if there is.

Shewhomustbe...

I too find it funny that people think that keeping cats indoors is being cruel and hindering their natural instincts. I keep 99% of my cats indoors, but like many posters I also bring them for walks in the garden (& will this year be building them an outdoor run) They have loads of toys, scratchers and climbing frames in the house to keep them entertained and healthy.
Why is it that cats are the animals that people cite as it is cruel to keep them in, dogs would love to be allowed out to run and play to their hearts content, as I'm sure would any other animal that people keep as pets, but for safety reasons dogs are not allowed to have this freedom. If cats weren't quite so wary of people and posed a threat to them in some way rather than just being a nuisance regarding the little presents they may leave in gardens I think it'd be necessary for owners to keep them under their control like dog owners need (should) do.

susanroth

doesn't it depend a lot on where you live? if i lived near a busy street i'd say forget letting the cat out, i've seen way too many dead cats on the road and have often seen them running across the road in a lucky escape! sometimes you just can't stop in time!!:(

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

susanroth wrote: »

doesn't it depend a lot on where you live? if i lived near a busy street i'd say forget letting the cat out, i've seen way too many dead cats on the road and have often seen them running across the road in a lucky escape! sometimes you just can't stop in time!!:(

True enough, but I see plenty of dead cats on our rural roads as well. There's also the issue of the fouling of other peoples gardens and the killing of wildlife to be considered.

starbelgrade

My cat spends most of the time outdoors - he comes into the house for a few hours a day for a snooze & a bit of attention, then meows when he wants to get out again. He's over 15 years old too & probably healthier than I am!