Letting Cats Outside, Is It Okay?

Maine Coon Nation ^

[Daffynition]

My personal experience tells me otherwise.

Had two cats die to coyotes. One was a white/deaf girl; the other a mean feisty tom. When we found their carcasses the the stomachs has been ripped open and eaten. The rest was left as waste....their internal organs gone. Gruesome carnage that.

I admit, I didn’t do an up-close autopsy. My attention was to my crying kids and making graves in the woods.

[Danette]

Cool. Got a picture of your cat?

[boatbums]

I'm on the author’s side. Cats should be inside ONLY unless you live on a farm out in the middle of nowhere and you need them to keep the mouse population in check. And even then it still should be acknowledged that they will not normally live as long or be as healthy overall as indoor onlies will be. I love our two too much to ever take the chance of letting them go outside. If outdoor strays could talk, I'd bet they would change places with indoor onlies any day of the week just because they know they WILL be fed, stay warm and dry and not have to fight off the competition or hungry coyotes. I'm sure, if they were also being totally honest, they would admit that cuddles, scritches and strokings are okay, too. :o) ♥

[Fiji Hill]

Rag dolls are said to be great pets. The singer Dusty Springfield had a rag doll cat.

[jocon307]

WOW, what a pretty cat; great tail!

[SisterK]

My 18 year old cat was indoor outdoor. Skin cancer took him (he was white white). Now I have darker indoor outdoor cats.

[Lady Jag]

It’s coyotes around here that feast on loose cats. They taught neighbors to keep pets inside.

[Danette]

Thanks. She’s about 7 months old in that picture. She’ll be 1 year December 3 and just hit 15 lbs. MC’s truly are gentle giants......

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

We had an outdoor cat. We had a neighbor who complained so we kept him inside unless he was out with us. Next summer they began to complain about the mole population and what it was doing to their lawns.

We looked at each other and at our mole-less lawn and smiled.

[Fiji Hill]

A cat is nocturnally active, so the kitty in the Coasters' song Yakety Yak is probably looking forward to being put out so he can roam around the back yard or the adjacent alley and be a cat. Meanwhile, the dog probably looks forward to sleeping indoors on a rug rather than in the chilly dog house outside.

[Daffynition]

I wish I could have a cat, but I can’t at this time. When I do, someday, it/they’ll be indoor moggies,b/c of the coyotes. Learned my lesson.

[k omalley]

Absolutely not. I want to protect my kitties from mean people, coyotes, and traffic.

[Lady Jag]

If I were Obama I would write an Executive Order for cats to remain indoors!




Support FR

[boatbums]

I love, love, love Ragdolls! Here is our 10 yr. old flame-point Ragdoll named Stella:

[Lady Jag]

I have had cats for so long I doubt I could live without one. They have some kind of control over me.



When/if you get one let's have a celebration!

[Sawdring]

Mice say yes, birds say no.

[joy361]

We had a outside (barn) cat that would disappear all winter and just walk back home in the spring smelling like 'old people'. We used to think maybe he went off with the neighbors to Florida for the winter or something.
Cats are hilarious

[JudyinCanada]

Sharing my home with animals doesn’t appeal to me. We always had cats OUTDOORS - kept the mice from coming INDOORS. I can, however, understand not letting a cat outdoors if you live in the city.

[Danette]

Stella is beautiful!

[boatbums]

I didn’t know cats grew on trees! ;o)