Notice the huge paws? A natural born killer
Posted on 11/22/2013 5:45:02 PM PST by Perdogg
It's a question all cat owners must ask themselves; "Should I let my cats outside?" The opinions and feelings of cat lovers are varied. Lets take a closer look.
I have been on both sides of this topic. I grew up in a small city, and our cats always went outside.
They were careful about crossing the street, and mostly stayed in the yard. They all lived full lives as well.
Now, as the owner of two great Maine Coon cats, we keep them indoors. Our breeder specified it, and I agreed. You may wonder why I see things in a different light.
Most veterinarians and experts agree that cats do not need to go outside. In fact, the benefits of keeping them in far outweigh the risks of letting them out.
If your cat or kitten came from a breeder, you probably were required to agree to a few terms. Spaying or neutering of your cat, no declawing, and keeping your new pet as an indoor cat.
Did you wonder why that is? Nowadays, as pet owners are becoming more conscious and aware, more and more people are doing their best to make responsible choices for their pets.
The old belief is that we need to let our cats outside in order for them to be healthy, happy and fulfilled. After all, they really want to go out! But just like children, animals don't necessarily know what's best for themselves.
Life Span:
The life expectancy for outdoor cats is roughly 4-5 years. For indoor cats, 12-15 years is average with many healthy cats living to be about 20 years old!
Simply by keeping your cat inside the house, you protect him from a variety of dangers. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that these things probably won't happen.
But this is exactly why the life span of an outdoor cat is so short. Here are some risks involved in letting cats outside: Being hit by a car Death or injury by dog attacks Being attacked by wild animals Parasites: fleas, ticks, worms etc. (Lyme disease in cats is a real danger. Tapeworms come from fleas. And heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes.) Getting lost or picked up by Animal Control Being stolen and used for sadistic purposes Being stolen and used as laboratory animals Being poisoned either accidentally or intentionally Roaming into neighbors yards, causing irritation Death or injury caused by cat fights Picking up infectious diseases from other cats, such as: Feline Distemper, which is highly contagious and deadly Upper Respiratory Infections (URI) There are multiple varieties FELV: Feline Leukemia, the most common killer of pet cats. An infected cat will spread it before any symptoms are shown FIV, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus FIP, Feline Infectious Peritonitis, which is always fatal. Cats who contract it are usually euthanized
Although we all know there are lots of risks for letting cats outside, seeing it listed out like this puts it in a pretty strong light.
If you find that your cat is obsessed with escaping (it's a bit like living in a house with children in the center of an amusement park) there is one popular solution. Outdoor cat enclosures are gaining popularity among indoor cat owners. They provide cats with the outdoor time they crave, in a safe way.
Of course, the choice is completely up to each owner. But new cat owners of any breed, may be wondering, "Should cats go outdoors?" or "Do I need to let my cats outside for their overall health or happiness?" The short answer is no. Experts agree that indoor cats can live happy, fulfilling lives, right in the house.
Our two get Blue Indoor Health dry cat food. They love it and are thriving.
We used to have this really ugly cat. We called her the Momma Cat because she kept having litters of surprisingly beautiful kittens. We never had any trouble giving the kittens away.
One day I checked in on her and her brood in the barn. She had a dead rat, two mice who had been injured just enough so they would try to get away from the kittens. She was clearly teaching them to hunt.
She also had a dead coral snake among her booty.
The JBTs look a little overmatched. I wonder if they sent for reinforcements?
Thank you. She can be very affectionate one day amd snooty the next, but she is a great kitteh!
I read this article to my cat. He rolled his eyes at me and went to the door to go out.
I do not want your cats on my vehicles, using the flower beds for a latrine. I'm not fond of them ending up in pieces, that I have to clean up, when they get in my yard with my dogs and get torn up.
If you want cats more power to you but I do not like your cats or want your cats so keep them at home. You have no right to impose your "not under control animal" on me or anyone else.
And stay off my damned lawn.
my cat is basically an indoor cat but we let her outside as she wishes and she stays in her yard... I have made it pretty cat secure and she hasn’t gotten out in more than a year.
are you out of bullets, is your gun broken??????Coyotes????
An indoor cat is safer, no reason to let them outdoors.
Notice the huge paws? A natural born killer
Around here, our two Maine Coons would be coyote or owl bait.
Oh wow. No that didn’t happen to any of the three who lived that way.
I have somewhere around 23 on the farm. People wonder how they get along with the chickens and ducks......well, they don't bother them at all. In fact, the cats avoid all birds, even songbirds. They do keep rats and mice away from the feed in the barn though. 
The kittens
Farnsworth - the "outdoor cat"
Callie and Moonie, more outdoor cats....
and then there's: 
Oh, wait-a-minute...that's not one of the cats...
The rest are around somewhere.
LOLOL.
There are those who defy the odds of course. I once rescued a front declawed Siamese on the verge of starvation that navigated through the winters, raccoons and roads quite nicely. No doubt quite content during the years of bowls and water. When I was forced to stop trapping and fixing (evil apartment manager), not so much. Very fortunate our rescue group was able to get the little guy adopted three months later by a PetSmart employee after fortuitously following a neighbor friend home. Cats that consider the outside as part of its territory will not only damage property but harass indoor cats creating untold behavioral, health and anxiety issues for all involved.
I suppose it depends on where you life. A few years ago we adopted a stray that showed up, and lived on the second floor apt in a densely populated low income city.
I was not the real owner, but i did not want a kitty litter box and so i made a simple overhead small door that fit in the window in the kitchen cupboard. Then i ran a board about 4' to the porch, and trained the cat (w/ food of course) to come in and go out.
Well, this independent cat was a real predator, and went out and came in at his pleasure. But too often he brought mice, or birds or snakes back in with him. The look in his eyes when h had prey in his mouth!. Ate them all whole.
He had all his $hots, and the only problem is that he got an tooth infection after loosing a tooth in one of his fights i guess. Vet wanted $400 for oral surgery. I prayed and held the cat firmly, and punctured the puss after using hydrogen peroxide, just like i had done to myself before, and we prayed over him afterward. Cat was fine.
But the sounds he made the one time i gave him a bath!
The owner always fed him well, but ended up giving him away, yet our landlady has cats which go in and out, and one was over 15 last i heard.
But we had ours before rats became numerous. 8 of them out on trash night a couple of weeks ago.
I keep my kitties indoors. I see strays running around and most do not last long. If I lived in a more country type environment, I would have a few outdoor kitties, but in the city, outdoors is too dangerous.
Beautiful polydactyl cat.
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