Too cruel?

Liveen

I adopted a cat and it is currently staying in my sister's house out in the country. I, however, have become very attached to the cat and would love him to live with me but ... I live in a top floor apartment in the city centre. Am I being uber-selfish in thinking that he would be more than happy to be a house cat for the rest of his life, or do cats need fresh air and exercise?

anniehoo

Has he previously been an outdoor cat? Cats adapt very well to indoor living even in an apartment, mine spends alot of time inside but he does beg to be let out. I let him out because i live in a cul de sac so its safer but would have no hesitation of keeping him indoors if needs be. If your cat has previously been an outside cat, then it might take some time to adjust but he should be ok once you keep him occupied or even get him a "playmate"

planetX

sorry, it's just my opinion - but I think it would be cruel, especially if the cat is going outdoors at the moment. I had a cat who had to be kept inside for 3 months due to an injury, and her life wasn't worth living she was so miserable. Mine live to hunt and go out at night.

rainbowtrout

Liveen wrote: »

I adopted a cat and it is currently staying in my sister's house out in the country. I, however, have become very attached to the cat and would love him to live with me but ... I live in a top floor apartment in the city centre. Am I being uber-selfish in thinking that he would be more than happy to be a house cat for the rest of his life, or do cats need fresh air and exercise?

Why did you adopt a cat that doesn't live with you?

Shanao

I've got four cats, two moggies and two pedigrees. Under contract from the breeder, I have to keep the two pedigrees inside and my other two are inside as well because of the busy road behind our house. And as far as i can see, they do perfectly well inside as long as they have plenty to do. Our second rescue was outside for the first few months of his life but has adapted extremely well to living indoors. Our guys have pretty much full run of the house, two scratching posts and plenty of toys to keep them entertained. I know plenty of other people with pedigrees who keep them inside as well and have no problems with them. If you are going to bring him home, then maybe think about getting him some company.

JKM

We have recently made the transition from leaving our 5 cats out to keeping them indoors. We made the decision after one of them was knocked down outside our place. We tought it was going to be hellish as they have all except one (the youngest of them) been outdoor/indoor for their lives to date. We thought in particular one of them would go mental as she spent the most time outdoors, but it turns out she has transformed into the most happy indoor cat ever. Her personality is really shinning through since being inside.
We would have been fairly staunchly in the 'it's not natural to keep them indoors' camp before the accident. And even though it was a hastly decision to keep them in it has turned out to be the best decision ever.
We went through hell and back the 8 days Ollie was in the vets, not noing whether he would live or die.
The peace of mind is amazing for us. And they are all truely as happy, if not more, than they were before. And most importantly they're safe and healthy. As a previous poster said all you have to do is give them lots to do to keep them occupied. We have a whole room dedicated to ours.
If you love the cat and know you can provide it with love and care i'd say go for it.
The only thing is, if you're going to be gone all day to work, then seriously consider getting a companion for the cat. Also consider things like a fishtank etc for extra stimulus.
Good Luck. X

goat2

i have a cat who does not want to leave the house, she loves sitting on windowsill upstairs and watch the world go by, i have to put her out once a day i do feel, but she hates going out, so i would say your cat would settle in very well

MsFifers

I kept two cats "indoor-only" in an apartment & they were quite happy as they weren't used to anything else. You have to make a lot of extra effort though - playing with them a lot and making sure you aren't going to leave them all day & then all evening on their own (especially if its just one cat). I found that they did get v. riled up if I didn't make a lot of effort for them, and one of them got quite pudgy as he is a really big cat and it was hard for him to get enough exercise inside.

My two cats now live in a house with me where they have outside access. I must admit, I do think they are happier with outside access. There is more stimulation for them and they are fitter being able to come & go.

However, I am currently fostering a BEAUTIFUL stray cat who has moved inside & shows no interest whatsoever in going outside. All he wants is to curl up on a chair & get cuddles. He is really playful now that he is inside - when he was outside as a stray he just sat looking around all the time. Now, his "inner kitten" is more to the fore. So it obviously depends a lot on the personality of the cat.

(BTW - if you decide to leave your cat with your sister, and want an indoor only cat for your apartment, please PM me! This little guy would be an adorable cat for you!)

Liveen

Thanks for all the replies but as a dog person I cannot imagine an animal being inside all the time (there would be no option of ever being let out here on this top floor). It just seems wrong to me. Plus he's a rescue cat so I have no idea what kind of cat (indoor v. outdoor) he was before he came to me. He cries to be let out at home one minute, and the next is quite content to gaze out the window for hours. A funny soul, he is. & to answer the question as to why do I have him at all: he was a rescue cat and I had to take him or he'd have been confined to a cattery for the rest of his days. Ah well, the pressure's really on to move to the country now