Is it ok for cats to live indoors?

[tekla]

feed 'em, water 'em, love on them, and make sure they get enough physical play time - works for humans and pets.

[Natasha]

Rats! I spent € 4,000 on my Natanielle last year.  She got terribly ill. Foolish me! I could have given her "a little food and water and she was good to go"

ha ha ha ha i dont own any cats but i have dante & desdemona.  i wont say how much they've cost me to raise them  

this is dante, my great dane;




desdemona


desdemona, still wet but already brushed



desdemona looking terrific after her bath & makeover


there's only one kind of animal that i treat heartlesssly, idiot animals.  but dante and desdemona are not one of them.  ha ha ha ha

[RebeccaFog]

       Of course it's OK.  I mean, all other mammals do and it doesn't make sense to single out cats for this.  I am quite resolute in my opinion and I will never change it.  In answer to your question - YES, it is okay for cats to have livers.

[Nero]

this is dante, my great dane;

awww he's lovely.

desdemona


desdemona, still wet but already brushed



desdemona looking terrific after her bath & makeover

so is she. gorgeous! but what is she exactly. was thinking guinea pig but then never seen one like that with all that pretty hair.

[christene]

I could never have an indoor cat....never. Unless of course I adopted one that was older and was NEVER outside. I believe they take risks like the rest of us. They will do just fine if they are brought up going outside from the start. They are generally smart animals and can take care of themselves.
I love cats!! Actually I am amazed to see how many responses were "yes"...

Christine

[Dennis]

Wow Natasha, Dante is beautiful. He looks intelligent too.

Dennis

[Ell]

there's only one kind of animal that i treat heartlesssly, idiot animals.

Excuse me?

[Kir]

I'm allergic to cats, and I don't like them. They can please stay outside.

[RebeccaFog]

there's only one kind of animal that i treat heartlesssly, idiot animals.

Excuse me?

She saaiiiiiiid

there's only one kind of animal that i treat heartlesssly, idiot animals.

what are you going to do about it?

[buttercup]

I had my cat Trixie-belle for 17 years, raised her from a kitten.  I lived in the city so she wasn't at any risk when let out, except for getting hit by a car, which unfortunately happened when she 6mths old.  The incredible thing was after the accident, in which she had her jaw and pelvis broken, she never ventured out of our property ever again!  Luckily the vet said, the car must have been going so fast that it literally threw her into the kerb instead of running over her(which is why most die), and that was how she broke some teeth, jaw and pelvis.  Expensive but worth it, she was my beautiful tabby and I loved her to bits!! 
Just wanted to add, in her first two years of life, she did catch mice and a few sparrows.  I was told by the vet that cats usually hunt the most in those first two years, as they mature and are well cared for, that instinct sort of dies out.  She had one litter and then I spayed her.  She died peacefully in her sleep. 

[Ell]

there's only one kind of animal that i treat heartlesssly, idiot animals.

Excuse me?

She said

there's only one kind of animal that i treat heartlesssly, idiot animals.

what are you going to do about it?

experts always say how damaging it is to speak badly to a pet, but look how we speak to other humans. "It's nauseatin' Mon!"

i can't report her rudeness to a moderator because she already is a moderator.

Good one, Baby Mamba. Now go report to yourself.

-Ellie

[tinkerbell]

Well, another thing to keep in mind is that indoor kitties will live for 18-20 years, while the typical life span of an outdoor cat is 3-4 years.  Also, my kitties would think it cruel to be put outdoors anyway. After all, indoors is where all the food, sleeping places, etc. are. And my oldest cat currently, at over six years old, would probably be terrified if put outdoors. They have windows to look out, and cat trees to lounge on. They have all the advantages of being able to look outside, without any of the hazards, and I don't have to worry about them bringing in fleas.  A few of the reasons why we keep our kitties inside are:

1. When we get home from work, we want my kitties there to greet us, be in one piece and clean.

2. I adopted them because I love them, not to let them run around wild outside.

3. Where we live, there are coyotes, raccoons, large owls, other wild cats, etc

4. I don't want the outside coming inside my place.

5. There are people who kill cats they can catch, brats who grab any kitty that doesn't run away from them, dogs kill cats, people speed up to try to hit one, and now with the dog fighting rings any lonely cat is looked at as training bait for the pit bulls if they can be caught.


No, thank you, I don't want my kitties to go through that misery.  And incidentally the males are neutered and the female spayed, and they are all microchipped just in case.

tink

[RebeccaFog]

5. There are people who kill cats they can catch, brats who grab any kitty that doesn't run away from them, dogs kill cats, people speed up to try to hit one, and now with the dog fighting rings any lonely cat is looked at as training bait for the pit bulls if they can be caught.

Thanks a lot, Tink.   Now you've made me scared to go outside.  seriously. 

[tinkerbell]

5. There are people who kill cats they can catch, brats who grab any kitty that doesn't run away from them, dogs kill cats, people speed up to try to hit one, and now with the dog fighting rings any lonely cat is looked at as training bait for the pit bulls if they can be caught.

Thanks a lot, Tink.   Now you've made me scared to go outside.  seriously. 

LOL    you are not a kitty, Rebis.

tink

[Hypatia]

My cats love their life to come and go as they please. Fighting their fights, annoying the next door neighbours dog, hunting, killing, bringing a tribute of death to the house, sleeping outside in the grass, climbing trees and crapping in the garden.

What are your thoughts?

My thoughts are of all the cats I lost that way. 

[Natasha]

it'd be nice if people quoted everything i say and not just what it's "convenient".
i said:

there's only one kind of animal that i treat heartlesssly, idiot animals. but dante and desdemona are not one of them.  ha ha ha ha

fish, lizards, mules are idiot animals, yes?.  now if you'd excuse me,  i have more important things to do like posting the news for example.

golly gee wilikers tink!  all that for your cats.  a little food and water won't do? >

[RebeccaFog]

Someday maybe I'll be one of Tink's cats.   

[Ell]

fish, lizards, mules are idiot animals, yes?. 

Oh hi, Natasha! heh heh. *waves by wiggling fingers*

still mad at me, huh? i don't suppose i could just bail out of this argument right about now?

-Ellie

*dashes into her little corner*

[Sheila]

If that is what you want out of your pet, then it is OK to have them live inside. They will adapt to their environment. I have had both and in between with a lot of success. If your cat goes outside, be prepared for something to happen, unless you have trained your cat to stay in the yard, which I doubt. A cat has a mind of their own and they are very much into themselves. A cat can be just as much fun in the house as out. One thing though, don't ever declaw them. That would be cruel.
Sheila

[NickSister]

One thing though, don't ever declaw them. That would be cruel.
Sheila

I think this is one thing that would really polarise. I think it is cruel too, not that it is a choice in my country as declawing is illegal. This site has some information on declawing :http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm.