Well, I'm one of those people who think indoor/outdoor cats have the best life...and will likely never own a cat unless it can be an indoor/outdoor cat safely.
All five of my mom's cats (including Apollo) are indoor/outdoor. One of the reasons Apollo is not with me right now is because he would quite literally go insane if he were confined to a one bedroom apartment and not be able to go outside. He becomes increasingly aggressive/unstable if he is kept confined to the house.
All of the cats are spayed/neutered. Mom lives on ten acres away from any main roads. They typically explore our yard, our field, and our neighbor's field. Mikey and Apollo both have needed to have an abscess cleaned/flushed at the vets, and I think it is very important to realize that if you have an animal that goes outside unattended, you need to be extra vigilant about checking them over frequently to make sure everything is on the up and up. We have to keep up with deworming, too, as they all hunt.
If you're okay with the risks (aka, he doesn't come back one day or comes back injured), then I'd say go for it.
I would be devastated if Apollo were to turn up missing one day...but I'd feel even worse if I had to keep him indoors 24/7.
All five of my mom's cats (including Apollo) are indoor/outdoor. One of the reasons Apollo is not with me right now is because he would quite literally go insane if he were confined to a one bedroom apartment and not be able to go outside. He becomes increasingly aggressive/unstable if he is kept confined to the house.
All of the cats are spayed/neutered. Mom lives on ten acres away from any main roads. They typically explore our yard, our field, and our neighbor's field. Mikey and Apollo both have needed to have an abscess cleaned/flushed at the vets, and I think it is very important to realize that if you have an animal that goes outside unattended, you need to be extra vigilant about checking them over frequently to make sure everything is on the up and up. We have to keep up with deworming, too, as they all hunt.
If you're okay with the risks (aka, he doesn't come back one day or comes back injured), then I'd say go for it.
I would be devastated if Apollo were to turn up missing one day...but I'd feel even worse if I had to keep him indoors 24/7.