My wife just left to go to the store and like 5 minutes later she came back and she was crying and holding a towel that was full of blood. At first I thought something had happened to her but when I asked her what was wrong she told me that she had just saw a kitten get ran over. She stopped in the road and picked it up in the towel, we put it in a box and burried it in our yard, at least we took the time to care for it. Made me think about all the other cats that run free in the streets while the people who "care" for them are in their nice comfortable homes. I personally don't think that cats should be let out if people really care. I know one cat that doesn't get let outside and that is ours, we care to much for the animal to even think about risking losing him. Anyone else feel this way?
Yea, I feel exactly the same way-that's the way I always was with my cats (both of whom have passed away)-they were solely inside cats-I have one dog left. A friend of mine has cats, and spends a lot of time and energy taking care of them. They're allowed to roam around outside, mainly at night, and they've been run over, attacked by other animals, disappeared, etc. Not my animals-I care too much about them to let them roam around outside.
oh, don't you know? If you keep your cat inside you are a horrible person? Just ask the experts around here! :H
I don't think that cats are to be left inside. They have to run, hunt and live in nature. Therefore, if you live in an area where you cant let your cat run, don't have one! That's how you care for animals.
So what you are saying is that I would be a kinder and more humane person if I let my cat out in rain and snow where he would have to hunt for his own food and then hopefully find a warm place to sleep rather than provide a place where it is always warm, has an unlimited supply of food and water, and a soft place to sleep? wow guess my vision of kindness is all wrong
That's not what I am saying. Our cats were always free to go and free to come, and sleep and be in the warmth. Yes, they had to hunt mice at our house, but we also provided food and water. They had the choice! Guess what they did..spend all day outside, even in the winter. But to me, it has nothing to do with love for animals, to deprive them of their natural environment (the nature) and their natural food, and their nature to be a hunter. I know that there are cats out there, that don't have a hunting drive, because their mother never taught them, because they never hunted. And yes, you have to feed them, because otherwise they would die. To me these cats are poor, of their nature amputaded beings. To be able to hunt is a vital function for cats. Just like the ability to go out and work and shop for foods for humans is. Imagine if you wouldn't be able to do these. Yes, you have to help people like that, and it's caring if you do that, but bringing a person or an animal in the position of not being able to care for themselves has nothing to do with love. And that's what humans do with cats. Just because you don't want to go outside and hunt mice, doesn't mean your cat wouln't want to. That's why they are cat's and we are humans. Just the other day, there was a lady in a nearby supermarket, and suddenly a cat jumped out of her backpack. The cat was terrified and hid somewhere, and the women admitted that she takes her cat everyday everywhere she goes in her backpack. I mean in her BACKPACK. Yes this women loves her cat, but what she does, is it also good for the cat?
That is terrible. It's a delicate balance between an animal's welfare and what makes them happy, and there's no ultimate right way. Most people I know who have adopted cats have a cat flap so their cats can come and go as they please. We live in a suburb so there are some risks. Cats usually have good instincts and fair well if their guardians also pay attention and are sensible (yea to neutering, nay to declawing). Nature is red in tooth and claw, so yes animals might get hurt. Still what counts is that they have a happy life. Often what makes sense to us has no relevance to animals and vice versa, so we just have to roll with it. I've never had a cat, but do have rabbits and they are so much happier outdoors probably because it's close to their nature and meet some still instinctive need. Am sure a lot of cats would be happy to be inside, but others want to roam. In which case yes it would be unfair to deprive them of such needs. How would you have liked it if your parents never let you play outside as a child because you might have been kidnapped or whatever? [but never explained their reasoning]
agree with sage. my cat is indoor/outdoor....he comes in and goes out whenever he pleases and we keep fresh food and water both in and out for him. in the winter he likes to be inside more often but now its so nice outside i cannot get him to come inside and spend time with me! but we do live in a quiet neighborhood with forest on all sides so its like cat heaven here. he actually goes with me and my dogs on our daily walks everyday....he loves it. he cries if we walk to far in front of him. yesterday we were walking like usual and we came upon a dead kitten in the road....she had been run over. no one even bothered to move her out of the road! she was already dead so there was nothing i could do. beaker (my cat) sniffed her for a long time and then just stood there staring at her and then would look at me like...."how did this happen?" and then afterwards anytime we heard the slightest noise he would jump. that sight made him very paranoid. he's a smart baby. i did not allow him outdoors tho untill he was old enough.
Awww, give your wife a hug from me! ((((hug))) So sorry to hear that, stuff like that chokes me up real bad too. If you live in a rural area, your cat has shots, & tags..I'm all for letting it outside. Around here, even an animal lover like myself has to be very careful not to hit an animal scampering into these crowded streets from behind somebody's parked car. I adopted my grandmother's cat after she died. Saved him from the shelter. He wasn't exactly friendly when we took him in... This animal grew up indoors at an old folks home. He is absolutely terrified of the outdoors.
My other feline is city trained. He'll keep a twelve foot radius around mom outdoors. He just likes to smell stuff and chew on grass. He took off after a baby bunny one night. I thought he was a goner..He backpedaled at the sound of my voice, & came back up to the house. There is a girl across the way here, that puts her cat on a leash, & walks him. I've met him, he seems pretty well adjusted. Another issue was taking in a male cat when I already had one. Two major issues, I thought I was going to come home to an eyeball leaking out of one of their heads...Got real tired of cleaning their wounds...The other was sure to land us out in the street...Despite the four foot tall catpost in the other room, the fact that I clipped their nails..They were still intent on destroying rented apartment carpeting, which quite frankly would've cost much more than front paw declawing. It would've landed the three of us in the street. I did not want to do it. I felt I really did not have other options. At that point in time I simply did not have the funds to get them capped regularly. Also, it wasn't widely available yet. One saved from the humane society, the other saved from certain doom at a shelter. (I was the only person who could even get close to this thing) WTF? Leave them for destruction....? They certainly seem pretty damned happy now. My first choice would be to let them out. Had them or I been given that choice. Life is imperfect. It's still life.
Really? My old basement apartment had fieldmice. My black male cat used to get all set up to watch them sneak under the basement door, & steal his food. He never even tried to kill one. He was certainly fascinated. I used to watch this ritual play itself out many times. It was hilarious! He never even tried. The one that died before him nailed two. But, my black male...Much, like some humans, he just liked to watch. He's more a lover than a fighter. What exactly, do you make of that? BTW, mice tend to carry fleas, fleas carry tapeworm...Which isn't necessarily always deadly, but can definetly lead to malnourishment. Fleas let to get out of control can be deadly. Is it all natural to give flea meds, or to de-worm a feline? Your rationale is faulty.
I believe that if you live in town, your cats should be indoors. It' simply too easy for them to get hurt or run over. Now, my family lives in the country and they have several barn cats who are happy and healthy...they stay right outside 24/7 but live in the barn and do not appear to wander. I can't swear they never leave the property, but I know that I've never SEEN them more than an acre or so away from the barn. I've never had any cats that went in and out...mine have always been strictly indoors or strictly outdoors cats. Barn cats aren't supposed to be pets, afterall. They are supposed to in the barn keeping mice out of the grain. My house cats are not used to being outdoors and wouldn't do well, so they stay inside. Just my personal take on the situation.
Our cats are mainly indoor cats, but as we've learned, good luck keeping them inside. We generally let them roam in the daytime because they keep close to the house, the whole neighborhood knows them, and they're generally pretty obedient about a "curfew." It's really amusing because they know when to be home and while they may put up a fight about coming in, generally they're pretty good about it. Socks (our oldest) has developed a rather annoying habit of not coming when she's called at dusk and just waiting until I get home to come strolling up (she hides in the bushes and waits until my boyfriend drops me off, I kid you not). The only times we force them to stay in are when we know there are coyotes that wandered into the neighborhood (we live right before the city limits)or dogs loose, or when it's dark out. We live in a really small rural town, so cats are normally safe out here.
Thats a terrible thing that happened, but personally I think it's cruel to keep a cat indoors all the time. We have a cat flap at home and my cat is free to come and go as he pleases. They are not meant to be shut indoors all the time.
I do not think it would be ethical to let my cat outside to fend for herself. She was rescued from a shelter and was depressed. Now she is a very happy kitty. We let her go outside, supervised, and she stays close to home. She usually just sits on the porch and sniffs the air. There is a street right by our house so it is stupid for anyone in our neighbourhood to let their animals roam. One of our neighbours lets her un-tagged un-neutered dog out all the time. he is a tiny little thing and could easily get hit by a car. He is so sweet and I don't want anything to happen to him. The cats I grew up with got to go out unsupervised because my parents have a fenced in yard. They wouldn't run away anyway, they might miss their treats Dweezil- I am sorry about the kitten and your wife Thank you for burying the kitten.
i'm sorry to here about the kitten, its horribal to find anything dead or dying & its even worse when people just leave animals dying on the side of the road. its a very kind thing you did burying it. i dont really agree about keeping cats indoors all the time, there are some exceptions of course but i agree that cats should be able to come & go as they please. i have a cat, called pisces who's 14 months old, he loves being out doors. i'm a responsible pet owner & i had him spayed or neutered as early as was posible, he's had all his jabs & is micro chipped. i know he dosent wander far from the house, he generally just stays round our back garden & the two neighbours at either side back gardens. he enjoys going out watching the birds, trying to catch flies & guarding the garden & house from the wall. i wont let him out on the front as the cars come up the road pritty quick but he dosent mind. the next door neighbour has a dog & they seem to keep each other company. he only goes out during light hours, now its summer he's out quite alot but once it gets dark he'll come in. i'm in the prosess of building him a cat tree/condo thing for him to play on & sleep in during the night & winter dark hours. we had a bit of a problem at one bit as we had a standard cat flap & other cats started comming in the house & eating his food & making pisces feel very intimadated in his own home (which i hate). i kept him in for a while, while i got a new magnetic cat flap & he absolutley hated it. he would sit in the window sills & meow so to me that just reenforsed that fact that they need outdoor stimulation as well as indoor comforts. he's using the new catflap well & is much more happy & relaxed indoors now.
