Letting cats free Roam outside
- Thread starter LauraLeigh
- Start date
We don't even have a house right now, and between the extra we'll have to put in above insurance and the time frames its something Id consider but wouldn't even bring up to hubby right now....
We've never had a problem with a neighbor, cats always were close enough to come when called and the boys never had even a minor injury...
I don't see how I'll convince him we need the added expense of a cat yard
We've never had a problem with a neighbor, cats always were close enough to come when called and the boys never had even a minor injury...
I don't see how I'll convince him we need the added expense of a cat yard
I hear everyone when they say that some cats are just happier outside. And dire, you understand the risks to the cat's physical safety. But did you e eat stop to think of the nuisance your cat is to someone else? Does it not bother you at all to have your cat using someone's garden or flower bed or front porch as its litter box? Do you think a neighbor is just being an over reactive a-hole when he finds his car has $1,000 worth of damage due to your cat using its claws on the hood, roof, and trunk of said car? Or when he realizes your cat has been spraying the car tires? Is it just fair game for your cat to set up underneath someone's bird feeder and harass, if not kill, the native birds said person enjoys feeding and watching?
I won't even get into unvaccinated cats carrying and spreading FeLUK, FIV, fleas, and intestinal worms/parasites.
And who should pay to fix the neighbor's car after he was forced to swerve off the road as your cat darted out right in front of him? Or will you call for his head should he actually hit and kill your cat?
And don't forget that cats do indeed bite people.
If your offended by what I have said here, know that I'm offended by having to deal with the negative issues that one's outside cat brings my way.
Modern cats are a domesticated species. Just like our dogs. Just because one of my gamebred APBTs preferred being outside as opposed to inside doesn't mean I turned him loose to roam and enjoy the neighborhood outdoor life. Heck, my horses would prefer to eat the neighbor's long, uncut grass, but instead I keep them contained and supplement hay to make up for our short grass.
I won't even get into unvaccinated cats carrying and spreading FeLUK, FIV, fleas, and intestinal worms/parasites.
And who should pay to fix the neighbor's car after he was forced to swerve off the road as your cat darted out right in front of him? Or will you call for his head should he actually hit and kill your cat?
And don't forget that cats do indeed bite people.
If your offended by what I have said here, know that I'm offended by having to deal with the negative issues that one's outside cat brings my way.
Modern cats are a domesticated species. Just like our dogs. Just because one of my gamebred APBTs preferred being outside as opposed to inside doesn't mean I turned him loose to roam and enjoy the neighborhood outdoor life. Heck, my horses would prefer to eat the neighbor's long, uncut grass, but instead I keep them contained and supplement hay to make up for our short grass.
This is going to sound.. bad lol but here is the honest answer to your question. I mean, the answers to these questions is the reason why my family and I do NOT have cats now.. but as people who did USED to have indoor/indoor cats..
Did we think about the nuisances our cat were causing other people?
Nope.
Honestly not ONCE in my childhood do I remember the matter even being discussed.
Having an "indoor only" cat was not even something people DID around us lol we didn't buy our cats, we found them..outside as kittens and CONVINCED them to come inside and be "our cats" but we never even thought about keeping them inside.
Things like cats coming home injured by other animals, not coming home for 2 days, our cats getting yelled at and chased away for messing with people's lawns or something... it was just part of having a cat. We never really thought twice about it. It was what having a cat was like.. we hoped they would learn, we hoped they would stay away from other animals and stop getting hurt/stay out of neighbors lawns that didn't like them..
but it was all really hands off honestly.
Like "oh well those **** cats what are you gonna do" kind of thing.
Honestly we never even thought about what they did all day..nor did we really care.
I lived in Miami, in the suburbs.. we had neighbors everywhere and weird wild animals/birds.
Now we know better, the problem in Miami is greater and there are stricter laws now because of the feral cat and wildlife issues...and we don't have cats as a result.
That said, when I was younger even living in the city/suburbs, we honestly never thought about all those potential "what if.." or what our cats were doing.
To be totally honest it didn't even feel like our responsibility, you know? We fed the cats, we gave them water, we brought them to the vet, we kept them inside during storms but they were very much their own beings and responsible for themselves.
As weird as that sounds.
Did we think about the nuisances our cat were causing other people?
Nope.
Honestly not ONCE in my childhood do I remember the matter even being discussed.
Having an "indoor only" cat was not even something people DID around us lol we didn't buy our cats, we found them..outside as kittens and CONVINCED them to come inside and be "our cats" but we never even thought about keeping them inside.
Things like cats coming home injured by other animals, not coming home for 2 days, our cats getting yelled at and chased away for messing with people's lawns or something... it was just part of having a cat. We never really thought twice about it. It was what having a cat was like.. we hoped they would learn, we hoped they would stay away from other animals and stop getting hurt/stay out of neighbors lawns that didn't like them..
but it was all really hands off honestly.
Like "oh well those **** cats what are you gonna do" kind of thing.
Honestly we never even thought about what they did all day..nor did we really care.
I lived in Miami, in the suburbs.. we had neighbors everywhere and weird wild animals/birds.
Now we know better, the problem in Miami is greater and there are stricter laws now because of the feral cat and wildlife issues...and we don't have cats as a result.
That said, when I was younger even living in the city/suburbs, we honestly never thought about all those potential "what if.." or what our cats were doing.
To be totally honest it didn't even feel like our responsibility, you know? We fed the cats, we gave them water, we brought them to the vet, we kept them inside during storms but they were very much their own beings and responsible for themselves.
As weird as that sounds.
All the cattle I see here are fenced in. They aren't pets, they're livestock. It's still not responsible to let them wander freely. If that's my livelihood, I want to know I still have as many at night as I did when I woke up that morning. It can't be very good business practices to just lose track of half your inventory.
ETA: It just occurred to me the cows here are all dairy cattle, which changes things somewhat. It's still not responsible animal ownership to let them roam on to other property or unnecessarily expose them to predators.
I don't know... I don't know enough about the needs of doves/pigeons to know if there's a way to keep them without free-roaming. I'm still not wild about the idea. There's probably not the ecological impact that free roaming cats have, any they probably aren't that bothersome of pests.
But, well, Dove hunting is pretty popular here, and there's other ways the birds could get hurt or killed.
That's a lot of birds though. Do they normally form flocks that large? I'm more comfortable with the idea of managed wildlife than 300 pet birds. In that instance you're responsible for managing the population, not the well being of each individual.
ETA: It just occurred to me the cows here are all dairy cattle, which changes things somewhat. It's still not responsible animal ownership to let them roam on to other property or unnecessarily expose them to predators.
I don't know... I don't know enough about the needs of doves/pigeons to know if there's a way to keep them without free-roaming. I'm still not wild about the idea. There's probably not the ecological impact that free roaming cats have, any they probably aren't that bothersome of pests.
But, well, Dove hunting is pretty popular here, and there's other ways the birds could get hurt or killed.
That's a lot of birds though. Do they normally form flocks that large? I'm more comfortable with the idea of managed wildlife than 300 pet birds. In that instance you're responsible for managing the population, not the well being of each individual.
What?? You don't allow your horses to roam into the neighbors' lawns?? How are they supposed to be fully stimulated if you don't allow them to express their true nature all over the subdivision? They are different then dogs you know--they are creatures who are meant to roam and forage and graze over many miles....
Wow... Nice to read how you feel in such a nice way....
Good thing I don't live in a subdivision
Thanks! I'm doing a bit better now, people insist on talking about neighbors and flower beds and such... None of that applies to me so I've decided to just not let it bother me too much.... Or at least I'm trying...
I do realize and understand I likely shouldn't have posted this because I'm struggling still, but it has made me consider a large enclosure which is something I would never have though of...
Good thing I don't live in a subdivision
Thanks! I'm doing a bit better now, people insist on talking about neighbors and flower beds and such... None of that applies to me so I've decided to just not let it bother me too much.... Or at least I'm trying...
I do realize and understand I likely shouldn't have posted this because I'm struggling still, but it has made me consider a large enclosure which is something I would never have though of...
Personally, I'm all for indoor cats. I've always said that if I ever got a cat it would be strictly indoor with and outdoor enclosure - I'd be too paranoid having a truly indoor/outdoor cat.
However, if the cat was previously an indoor/outdoor cat and is truly miserable being only indoors and you don't have close neighbours or roads nearby and don't have room for an eclosure, I would consider the indoor/outdoor situation again. For me it would come down to quality of life. I would rather have a cat live 6-10 years being happy as an indoor/outdoor cat than live 20 years being miserable as an indoor only cat.
However, if the cat was previously an indoor/outdoor cat and is truly miserable being only indoors and you don't have close neighbours or roads nearby and don't have room for an eclosure, I would consider the indoor/outdoor situation again. For me it would come down to quality of life. I would rather have a cat live 6-10 years being happy as an indoor/outdoor cat than live 20 years being miserable as an indoor only cat.
Really?
There was no snark here at all, you are misunderstanding my post. I haven't said a word about negligence, trapping cats and taking them to the shelters, etc.
I'm simply taking the arguments used by a number of posters other than LauraLeigh and applying them to another non-canine domestic species. If you can let your cat roam freely though out a subdivision without consideration of your neighbors using quality of life and nature of the animal as reasons, surely my horses deserve the same consideration?
LauraLeigh--This was not meant as an offence to you, and if you want to let your cats roam the property and your neighbors don't care I don't have an issue.
However, I get tired of people who live in well populated areas using their cat's instincts and "quality of life" as an excuse to allow them to run rough shod over their neighbors property without a second thought.
My intention though was not to hurt your feelings, I'm very sorry.
There was no snark here at all, you are misunderstanding my post. I haven't said a word about negligence, trapping cats and taking them to the shelters, etc.
I'm simply taking the arguments used by a number of posters other than LauraLeigh and applying them to another non-canine domestic species. If you can let your cat roam freely though out a subdivision without consideration of your neighbors using quality of life and nature of the animal as reasons, surely my horses deserve the same consideration?
LauraLeigh--This was not meant as an offence to you, and if you want to let your cats roam the property and your neighbors don't care I don't have an issue.
However, I get tired of people who live in well populated areas using their cat's instincts and "quality of life" as an excuse to allow them to run rough shod over their neighbors property without a second thought.
My intention though was not to hurt your feelings, I'm very sorry.
Yes dairy cattle need to be milked daily. Even here they are fenced in & fed rather than ranged. Beef steers are turned out on the range for about a year with a couple of round ups for shotting. The most supervision they get is a ride over the range for head counts & evidence of loss. There is an experiment underway to try to get them to accept LGDs.
ONCE AGAIN, I am personally not talking about cats who "would prefer" to be outside. I'm talking about cats with serious behavioral problems mitigated by going outdoors.
No it is not all cats. No it is not my cats, who seem perfectly happy to be indoors or outside with me in their own backyard on occasion. But it is some cats I have met and if I had one of them, yup I would absolutely let them outside unless I lived next door to a highway or something.
ETA: I've never met a dog, or a horse, or any other animal who can go crazy living indoors like some cats do. So that's the difference to me. Aside from the fact that there are a lot of logistical differences between a horse and a cat roaming my neighborhood.
No it is not all cats. No it is not my cats, who seem perfectly happy to be indoors or outside with me in their own backyard on occasion. But it is some cats I have met and if I had one of them, yup I would absolutely let them outside unless I lived next door to a highway or something.
ETA: I've never met a dog, or a horse, or any other animal who can go crazy living indoors like some cats do. So that's the difference to me. Aside from the fact that there are a lot of logistical differences between a horse and a cat roaming my neighborhood.
It's all good, I'm just super sensitive and actually totally agree that in most places, free roaming cats would be a huge nuisance... My set up here is not the norm for sure...
That said, I pretty well trained Minnie and Nuts from when I got them as you g adults to stay close, using food bribes..
This guy I don't trust enough, I'm worried I'll let him out and he'll never come back... So I think I'll suffer through and hope he adjusts, we're about to be a construction zone as well and that would be a risk in itself...
Going to broach the idea of a fenced area the dogs could use as well
That said, I pretty well trained Minnie and Nuts from when I got them as you g adults to stay close, using food bribes..
This guy I don't trust enough, I'm worried I'll let him out and he'll never come back... So I think I'll suffer through and hope he adjusts, we're about to be a construction zone as well and that would be a risk in itself...
Going to broach the idea of a fenced area the dogs could use as well