We hear a lot about the dangers to cats outdoors, but what about the dangers indoors? Of course there are good cat caretakers who are forced to keep their cats indoors to keep them safe and who make an indoor life fulfilled and as happy as a cat can be living that way. Giving their cat lots of love and attention, growing kitty grass for him to chew on, ensuring he has as natural a life as possible.
But there must be a number of cats living in misery who no one knows about. There is no danger indoors from traffic of course, or from wild animals or from strangers who would hurt a cat.
But in bad homes there is still danger from humans for indoor cats and an indoor cat has no way to escape from that situation! They are stuck in it 24 hours day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year….their whole lifetime.
An indoor cat is seen by no one outside, apart from if he sits in the window, but how many people look closely at someone else’s window? Not many, because of course it’s impolite.
Some cats may simply have a boring life, but the lives of others may be really miserable, particularly in the case of declawed cats who have nothing to do but eat and sleep. They can’t enjoy a good work out on a scratching post, or hook a toy to have a good kick at.
Do the people who have their cats declawed just want a living ornament? Why do they have a cat?
Those cats must be very vulnerable to the children and the dogs of the family. I can imagine them being treated like toys by the children, until they retaliate by biting and then as ‘bad cats’ are either shoved in a basement, put outside, or relinquished to a shelter.
How else can a declawed cat cope with a dog in the same house than by avoiding that dog? Jumping without claws is a risky business, so I imagine that the poor cat in those circumstances just keeps out of the dog’s way.
Hour after hour sitting with nothing to do. Maybe some declawed cats get loving attention from their owner (yes owner for all I hate that word I use it because caretakers don’t pay someone to cripple their pet). But I’d think a person who had their cat declawed rather than spend time teaching him to use a scratching post, wouldn’t give the cat much of their time at all.
I hate to think of cats behind closed doors living a life of boredom or fear and no one knows of their plight. At least indoor/outdoor cats are seen by other people and it’s noticeable if one needs help, some caring person can ensure the cat gets that help.
So while there may be many pros to cats being kept strictly indoors, there are many cons from an unhappy cat’s point of view!
Great topic. Our cats hang out at the windows in our dining room- large windows that cover the entire wall. I fixed up a comfy hammock for them to enjoy “kitty TV” watching the birds and squirrels.
I too am a queen size mattress for the boys. I just love them so very much I would do anything for them, but it is far too dangerous in our neighborhood to let them out. Not only are their stray and feral kitties roaming the area, but there are some not so nice kids- I don’t know what I would do if they hurt one of them. “I” am the one that would probably end up in jail.
On a positive note, and I suppose as proof that the outside can hold dangers for cats here in the US, I can tell you this. I have some nice picture windows with wide sills perfect for my cats to sit on, but the members of the family who came from the outside are hardly ever in the windows. It’s almost as if they know how dangerous they had it out there and want no part of it anymore. Dodge and Zep will not even look out of the windows. Of course, it helps that we live in a big house where they have the run of things, toys everywhere, other kitties to play with, and lots of places to nap. My long hallway is apparently a race track, and they think my king sized bed is theirs. In fact, I am the abused one in this household. I can’t lie down without being used as a mattress.
Just as it should be Bob, well done for making your cats so happy 🙂
Yea thankfully here, they can have both indoor and outdoor. They don’t go too far mostly, just down the road or in the nearest trees which is like a sanctuary of sorts. Have noticed though it’s colder here now they are sticking close to home.
It’s sad to read around the world that they can’t go out into areas. I guess one day will need to keep our animals always inside. Which I know they will miss dearly.
You are right Kylee, the way the world is going everything is for humans and as we get more and more, animals get less and less. It makes me sad 🙁
Yea its very sad. I actually feel really annoyed what’s happening in Australia. As we are just so close. Bad things are happening here in New Zealand too with that idiot Garath Morgan.
I feel so terrible for all of our Poc family that can’t have their animals outside. I understand it, really i do. Just wish there was a way they could experience both 🙂
I do have some cats outside. I pulled my
feral colony when the business where they were located said no one could come on the property to feed them. I had been feeding them everyday for about 3 years. They are backyard ferals with access to a large shed that has ac and heat. Would it be safer to contain them? Yes, but it would be a miserable existence and I won’t do that to them.
Good on you Cindy, it’s as cruel to contain feral cats as it is wild cats.
Good decision, I reckon.
Great job, Cindy! Perfect!