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Anonymous #1
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Indoor/outdoor cats
#28508351 - 10/17/23 04:08 PM (3 months, 10 days ago) |
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Wassup everyone,
I own two cats and I love them dearly. There was a time they were living with my aunt, and she let them outside regularly. She has a wooded backyard and it seemed like an ok space for them to do their thing.
They’re back with me and my neighborhood is much different. Lotta small yards with big fences, no woods.
Anyways, sometimes I feel bad that I don’t let them out. My rationalization though, one of my cats, the one that makes me feel bad for not letting him out, had two near death emergency hospital visits because of being outside. In one instance he had to have an X-ray because he was deathly ill bleeding internally and trouble breathing and he has what we believe to be a coin in his body and that fucked him up to where the doctor didn’t think he’d survive.
He survived. Then he had another instance where I think a hawk or something caught him, because he was missing a giant patch of fur on his back. Again, it was a serious injury where the doctor wasn’t optimistic and he had weekly doctor visits for a month or two to get back healthy again.
Now he’s chillin and he’s generally a happy/healthy cat. Every so often tho I know he wants to go outside.
What do you all think? Am I justified in not letting him out? Am I a bad guy for not letting him out?
Any input is appreciated.
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Anonymous #2
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I dont think your asking yourself the right questions man. Are you afraid of loosing this cat because of his past run ins, or are you afraid of large vet bills and its possible reduced quality of life due to a long impacting injury?
If not answer one, consider its had the taste of total freedom during its day and has now been reduced to inside restrictions only, which likely bores him now. Isn't this greatly reducing quality of life still?
If #1 is the most serious issue, consider how much shorter its life span is, in comparison to your own. Think about the few years of difference this might mean added to its inevitably short lifespan. Pets are the shit, but there are other opportunities for you to fill that void after this guy would be gone. Consider it's intelligence as well. Some animals need owners on top of mess for their own good. Darwinism in nature isn't always the kindest system and your guy might be on the slow end of staying alive according to your previous experiences.
I think your struggling here because you want this critter to be happy, but are still a brooding parent with an empty nest fear.im the kind of guy who could easily put down a beloved friend who has no hopes of recovery due to injury, or situation surrounding it, if it's gonna remove MOST quality of life. Alot of people aren't, and just couldn't summon that strength. Either way you choose here your gonna have to summon the strength to benok in your choices and stand by them because you've thought them out.
/end rant. Sry hope it helps in your reflections on it anyways.✌️
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Anonymous #3
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Sounds to me like they're good.
It is also your responsibility to manage your cats in an urban environment. If your neighbor was raising bunnies, I'm sure at least the one would really really want to kill their babies. And it would be your responsibility to deny him that little moment of joy.
But seriously, I've had cats across the spectrum, from friendly feral cats who flipped out if they were locked inside, to indoor cats who never knew the outdoors. I've also had cats I adopted who made it clear that my eyeballs would be clawed out if they were not permitted outside time. If these two are relatively chill most of the time, then they're obviously choosing to adjust to this new reality.
The two cats living in my house right now were both born outside, but then raised as indoor cats. They now have access to a little bit more of a yard, and get supervised outside time. Because I don't want them wandering into trouble, and because I don't want them to kill anything other than small insects. They're pretty well trained to come in when called, because they get their favorite treats. Sometimes they scam the system by going out just long enough to register it as a coming-back-in event.
I have no idea if something like that would work for cats who were previously supreme rulers of a woodlot, but the real point is, indoor cats will be more dependent on the relationship you have with them. You have a lot of leeway in how you choose to build that relationship. As long as they're engaged and comfortable, you know you're doing a good job taking care of them.
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Anonymous #4
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All of my animals have lived long lives, being some of each -- inside and outside.
I almost wonder whether the healthy elderly could go on forever, if there were never any catastrophic illnesses or accidents, but that's how most people and animals typically spend the end of life.
Emergency care is inevitably part of the cost of animal ownership.
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Anonymous #5
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The way i see it, you are kinda doing those cats a favor: outside is dangerous. They can be run over by cars or attacked by dogs. Not a safe place for cats.
I cant tell you how many cats I have seen dead on the side/middle of the road. Its sad as fuck to see. Keep those kitties safe.
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Anonymous #6
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I want a cat pretty bad but feel conflicted about having one in an apartment. Would mean zero outside time and me cleaning a litter box. I have done this before short term(cat ran away never to return when we put her outside) and recall the litter cleaning being pretty bad. Not sure I'm up for it.
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Anonymous #4
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Quote:
They can be run over by cars or attacked by dogs.
Technically true, but they are usually wary.
My dad ran over one of his cats once.
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Anonymous #7
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I know you just want too make them happy and safe at the same time, thats rough. I lost 3 cats 2 got hit by cars one got attacked by a pit n had back broken.
I would always keep my 2nd cat for a few months inside but she would always get me too let her out. she wasn't the same kitty inside as outside. some cats just are not smart. I hate too addmit it I even ran over my own cat one time. he acted like I wasn't even there and just took a left turn under my car as I was pulling in driveway.
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Anonymous #4
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Imagine that you can see in the dark, run up a vertical tree trunk, jump several times your own body length, and are kept in a room, all day.
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Anonymous #8
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Male or female cats?
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Anonymous #3
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Quote:
Anonymous #4 said: Imagine that you can see in the dark, run up a vertical tree trunk, jump several times your own body length, and are kept in a room, all day.
Most humans are content to do much less than their physiques are capable of.
Florida is filled with feral cats who pretty much just eat out of dumpsters and catch very small prey on the ground. My cat who was born in that environment is pretty low-energy. Even when she goes outside for yard time, it's a slow pace around the yard and then a whole lot of sitting around.
Edited by Anonymous (11/03/23 08:57 PM)
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Anonymous #9
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My cat lived indoor over 20 years and was one of the happiest and thankful cats taken from the street, my trip sitter and kinda Cheshire Cat for me.
 My second cat lives outside mostly and brings ticks, comes bited sometimes by other cats, sometimes disappears. I think to live indoor is more nice to cats.
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Anonymous #10
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I had an indoor outdoor cat who lived for 18 years.
She died at home on a big fluffy pillow and a heating pad via euthanasia when her chronic kidney disease got the best of her. I made the call when I noticed her mannerisms changed but before she could no longer walk and before she began having seizures and excruciating pain (which is is what happens to CKD cats at the very end, I'm told.)
We lived at 6 different houses in 4 different towns. The first town being a rural area, a house on a 40 acre plot on a dirt road.
When we moved to a larger town, she acclimated perfectly and every time we moved to a new place, she acclimated well. She always came home.
She brought me all manner of prey; mice, ground squirrels, rabbits, a flying squirrell, shrews.
The vet who euthanized her was surprised she lived so Long and said some cats were "just really streetsmart."
She would not tolerate being inside. For this cat in particular, to force her to be inside was to ruin her quality of life entirely- she was her own cat and she required freedom to roam.
I don't think this is true for all cats. Some are more streetsmart than others and do better outside and will find a way out no mater what, but some are happy to spend a life indoors. Mine was the former. She would not rest until she was permitted to go outside. She would have never let me sleep, ruined all my doorjams, and spent every waking moment plotting to get outside had I not acquiesced. In fact, when we first moved to a larger town with houses everywhere and busy streets, I kept her indoors until I got her a collar and tags and she made it clear that she was miserable the entire time. The moment I put the collar on her she walked over to the door and asked to he let outside.
Had she been doing dumb shit like swallowing coins or if she had had other near death outdoor experiences, I imagine she probably would have lost her outdoor privilege, especially if she seemed content to be inside.
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Anonymous #9
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Cat of my friend used to go outside, many times cat was okay, returned back, but once the cat went outside and never returned. It's hard to lose your pets like that.
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Anonymous #10
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Yeah I worried that might happen but I had to let it go and accept quality of life over quantity.
Got very lucky sue died how she did.
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Anonymous #4
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So, what people seem to be relating, imho, is your animal is going to be put down from outdoor or sedentary reasons, depending on where it spends most of it's time.
Everyone thinks theirs is the happiest situation, based on how long it has lived.
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Anonymous #10
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Quote:
Anonymous #4 said: So, what people seem to be relating, imho, is your animal is going to be put down from outdoor or sedentary reasons, depending on where it spends most of it's time.
Everyone thinks theirs is the happiest situation, based on how long it has lived.

Everyone and everything dies.
I think my cat's situation was a good one because she got a home death when her incurable and progressive illness reached end stage, but before she was in so much pain she could not longer ambulate and while she certainly had discomfort, she was able to enjoy affection and company for her last day before the vet came.
Most people don't die as well as that cat did.
Prior to that, she lived a life of freedom and luxury. She was well loved, had her own catnip garden, had friends of her own, and received good medical care and healthy food.
So, while she lived a long time, I think her quality of life was what was most important.
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Anonymous #4
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I eat at least my fair share of meat and have fed it to my animals. I know how they are typically put down. I have never gotten over doing that to my companion animal, although I know that nature may be crueler.
My last one started going real slow, to point that it had to be held up. I have sleep apneas. I wanted it to spare it the panic of an apnea. They put it to sleep and turn off it's breathing. I can't think of any other way that would be less dramatic, but it looks dramatic to me, every time.
Beef was for dinner.
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Anonymous #10
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I cried every day for well over 6 months after it was done.
It was a sad thing to have to do but ultimately my gratitude for having had such a fine companion overshadows the grief, most days anyways.
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Anonymous #11
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Our cat started leaving more and more for longer periods. He found female cats. My son has indoor/outdoor cats and they are really awesome cats.
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