Indoor/Outdoor Cat Debate
by bemused on Jan 19, 2008 with 21 Comments
Summing up the cultural differences between the UK and American views on the indoor/outdoor cat debate.
Facts in this article have been sourced from reputable organisations, direct conversation with owners and also life experience.
In recent years we have seen the gulf between the two arguments surrounding this debate widen. For the purpose of this article I am going to focus mainly on the differences in opinion between cat owners in the USA and those in the UK. Whilst there are different factors affecting cat ownership in many other countries too, it would appear that the main contributors to this debate specifically come from these two countries.
The majority of cats in Britain are outdoor cats (domestic cats allowed to come and go as they choose), around about 85-90%. The same can be said for American indoor cats (cats that never go outside or only under supervision) but it is important to point out that these numbers do actually in fact also represent the number of pure breeds in each society. In Britain about 10-15% of domestic cats are pure breeds which are also probably kept as indoor cats. The opposite can be said for America. Opponents to the indoor argument have to consider the fact that an outdoor cat in the States will have a much shorter life expectancy than an outdoor cat in Britain. Similarly, proponents to this idea must understand that cats in Britain who are allowed outside often reach their late teens and even early twenties.
INDOOR CATS
In the United States, it is considered the norm to keep your cat locked indoors away from the dangers of the outside world. Many rescue centres will only allow adoption of cats on the strict proviso that they are kept indoors. It is also the popular opinion among Americans that an owner is irresponsible or careless if they let their cats roam about outside unsupervised. Whilst this attitude would shock the majority of Britons, it is perfectly acceptable and understandable considering the vast differences between local environments. The outside world in many parts of America is a very dangerous place for small animals such as cats. Below, I have listed the main dangers that have been pointed out to me by many American cat owners.
- Fights with other cats or animals
- Dangerous traffic
- Eating poisonous spiders or insects
- Attacks from dogs
- Diseases such as Feline Leukemia, FIV, rabies
- Cruel humans who cause harm
- Hunters
- Other predators such as Coyotes, Bobcats, birds of prey etc
However, it would appear that indoor cats can also face many dangers mostly caused by their owners. These dangers include injuries sustained by falling heavy objects, as cats are curious creatures and love to climb and explore. Also, cats can chew through wires or eat other small and dangerous objects such as rubber bands, toy parts and other plastics. A lot of cats also sustain injury from doors being closed on them when darting through them as they can do. The main danger posed to an indoor cat however is stress and boredom caused by owners that work during the days and also lack of exercise. It is now possible in the United States to buy behaviour controlling drugs such as Valium or Prozac type drugs for a cat that is stressed or depressed. To be fair, the majority of caring cat owners will allow their cat to exercise regularly by providing them with an exercise wheel for instance. This is a newly designed concept that involves a structure similar to an oversized hamster wheel. The majority of pure bred cats in America are Bengal’s and this breed requires an awful lot of exercise, hence the wheel craze. A lot of American owners do not think twice about taking their cat to the park on a lead for a bit of a run around either, something that would turn almost every head in Britain! There is also the method of “fencing in” your garden to create a safe environment for your cat to stretch his legs, an idea adopted by many Americans who still insist on supervision but like to let the cat out occasionally.
OUTDOOR CATS
On the other side of the planet, you have cat owners in the UK, the majority of who think it is cruel and unnatural to keep a cat from going outside. Many take the view that really, if you cannot afford the cat the necessity of going outside due to certain circumstances, you should not take in a cat as a pet. This is a view that is voiced strongly by British owners and also by rescue centres and associations. As opposed to the American rescue centre stance, a cat association in the UK is not very likely to rehome a cat to a house that does not have access to a garden, unless however there are specific reasons why that cat should not be let out.
Many British people believe that de clawing is also cruel and inhumane and that this should be outlawed. However, there are many Americans who believe this is not the case and that to keep their furniture and belongings from being destroyed, a cat should be put through this surgery. I must point out at this point that the majority of American cat owners I have talked to believe this kind of surgery to be cruel and wrong and that many vets are now refusing to do this, so any British person who believes that it is the norm to declaw indoor American cats, should stand corrected.
Not many of the dangers that face outdoor cats in America are faced by those in England. The UK for example does not have a coyote population, or any deadly spiders or insects. Dogs are kept away from cats and besides, most cats could give a British dog a run for its money! Dogs in the UK are more domestic pets rather than trained guard or attack dogs and most owners train their dogs to be wary of and sometimes friendly with cats. Many households have a mix of cats and dogs as pets who can and do get on very well together, and lets be honest, in those households, the cats are normally the bosses!
Cats can of course get into fights with each other, but most are territorial and stick to their own areas, they then generally learn to get along with each other too. I personally have not heard of many cats who have died as the result of a fight with another cat. If a cat does get wounded, treatment is generally sought from a vet to stop infections occurring.
There is of course always a small chance in the UK that a cat may fall victim to mindless thugs who have in the past done terrible things to them However, this is very rare in the UK and one does not hear, thankfully, of many cases.
The main danger to cats in the UK in most peoples opinion is traffic. Unfortunately, the law states that drivers must stop for dogs and bigger animals but not cats. Most people however, when faced with a cat in the road will thankfully stop or in the worst case scenario, if the cat is hit, will contact a vets, rescue centre or try to locate the owner. The majority of cats are road savvy in the UK, admittedly, many still die from traffic incidents, but most will avoid roads altogether or wait until there is no car in sound range.
And with regard to illnesses and diseases, like humans, any cat can get ill regardless of whether a cat is allowed outside or not. Studies have shown that cats living inside a smoking house are more likely to develop respiratory illnesses and significantly more likely to suffer from feline leukemia. This chance is in essence increased if a cat is unable to go outside and benefit from the fresh air.
AGREE TO DISAGREE?
To sum up this argument, people on both sides of the debate need to understand that there is in fact no right or wrong answer regarding keeping a cat inside or not. The decision is influenced by environmental factors. The outside world in parts of America is massively more dangerous to cats than the outside world in Britain. Cats that are kept inside in America have a drastically increased life expectancy compared to a cat that is allowed outside on its own. However, cats that are allowed outside in the UK already have a very healthy life expectancy (up to early twenties!) and this is not likely to be increased by keeping them indoors with no access to the “wild” that they were born to be in.
Liked it
Published in: Pets
Tom | Apr 21, 2008 | Reply
I hear of many studies conducted in the UK where outdoor cats literally decimate the local bird population. Also, American drivers are heartless and will not slow for any creature (my friend was just killed on his bike in chicago yesterday), even the quickest cats cannot avoid speeding drivers coming over a hill. I love them too much. I can see their yearning for the wild, so i do my best to satisfy by bringing them into the woods and roam for an hour or two, away from traffic.
Sara Hassan | Jun 14, 2008 | Reply
I have a beautiful silver tabby called Nelson and I love him to bits. He will be turning 1 in July. For a year I have kept him as an indoor cat….and about a month ago we constructed an outdoor pen in the garden. Prior to this I trained him on a harness to walk around the garden with me. My husband puts pressure on me saying that we are not being fair to him, but I have no doubt, if we were to decide to let him out, because he is such a beautiful specimin, that he would be stolen. I still question my decision each day and a lot of my British friends think I am cruel…I beleive I am mearly protecting my cat from dying a nasty death or from being pinched!
Sara, UK
RebeccaS | Jul 4, 2008 | Reply
If you live in the US, your cat belongs indoors. Plain and simple.
Gordon | Jul 11, 2008 | Reply
I don’t think one can generalize that all cats need to be indoors or outdoors. If you live in an urban environment, the cats are probably better off indoors. In a rural environment, I think it is cruel to keep them locked indoors. Yes, there are predators in rural areas, and the cats have to be wary, which most are. I have owned 4 cats, all of which were allowed out much of the time, although not left out overnight ever. None have been killed. The worst has been one cat that tends to get into fights and has cost about $500 in vet bills, but hasn’t suffered any permanent injury. One died of old age at 22, another at age 11 from cancer of the stomach. The other 2 are still alive at 10 and 5. It is true they catch some birds, but hardly are decimating the population. They probably only catch one about every 3 weeks or so. Our cats would be very unhappy if they weren’t allowed out. I think I can tell how happy they are when they do get out to romp, and they clearly ask to go out. Who are we to think we know so much better what a good cat life is than they are themselves?
Patsy | Jul 17, 2008 | Reply
I feel very strongly that a cat should have the right to live as cat should – climbing trees, playing
in the bushes, feeling the ground beneath their feet, and feeling the breeze of the outdoors.
I currently am the proud owner of six cats, three of which are semi-feral. I do live semi-wooded
area with a river in the backyard so my cats can explore, hunt, but also are exposed to many
dangers. My cats could lose their lives, but at least they had a chance to live as a cat as opposed
to a prisoner in a human environment. Recently (in February) my 19 year old cat Max died of CRF and the he lived primarily as an outdoor cat. During the last two years of his life, he preferred to
be indoors, but whenever he wanted to go outdoors, I let him out. I can understand that when an cat owner lives in big-city apartment or highly-urbanized area they may not want to let their cats out – but that should be an exception, not the rule. Most homes in the U.S. have backyards or access to a garden so cats should be allowed to go outdoors. Of course there’s dangers outdoors and our beloved cats may end up dead – I’ve shed many tears already. But they still had a chance to live the way they were meant to. Please cat owners, don’t expose your cats to
the boredom and loneliness of the indoors. Train them to go outdoors and come at your command – mine do. Let them keep their claws for defense, and they’ll have happier lives verse
just existing in a human environment which won’t prolong their lives anyway.
angie | Jul 21, 2008 | Reply
i live in Seattle Wa. and have a gorgeous tabby. She was abandoned, fixed and desperate we became fast friends i hate how much i love her to me it seems as tho we animal lovers sometimes have an imbalanced view of animals in this world , we project our issues on the animal such as to much natural grieving when they die or to much affection for being alone etc.,( or the protector) . Tabbagail would be really miserable if she couldn’t go out . i feel sorry for cats that cant but i also feel that at least they have a owner who loves them period. i feel sorrier for cats whos owner smokes in their face .that is so deadly so if you have a cat who you subjected your animal to that please let go its better in the wild then with you. . If your an animal lover and want to see the future for animals read ..isaiah chapter 11
Bemused | Aug 15, 2008 | Reply
Outdoor cats do not ‘literally decimate the bird population in the UK’. That is quite a daft thing to say. Cat’s do catch birds, but that is the natural order. We can’t go about locking up tigers and lions because it’s unfair that they kill stuff. Cats are cats and even if they don’t always eat the bird after it’s been killed, it’s what they do. What God or nature (whichever you prefer to believe) has programmed them to do. So who are we to try and change that?
Andrea | Aug 29, 2008 | Reply
I grew up in rural Washington State, where 75% of our cats and small dogs were killed by coyotes (in two cases grabbed off the front porch in front of us). It is a heartbreaking thing to have your pets eaten. Now I am a veterinarian in suburban Seattle, where our neighbors have lost 2 cats in two years to coyotes (they are so bold as to walk up and down our street in the day). At work I daily treat cats with abscesses from fights, fatal viruses from other cats, those poisoned accidentally by neighbors (antifreeze, slug bait and rat poison) and cats hit by cars. My two cats are 14 years old and have always been indoors only, with a large outdoor pen (the size of a bedroom) to go into whenever they please. I do encourage my clients to consider their neighborhood dangers if they let their cats out, I personally will never allow my cats to free roam again.
Gillian | Sep 9, 2008 | Reply
I have 3 beautiful outdoor cats. One is 6, one is 2 and the other 3 months. They have never even had a brush with danger. Nothing would convince me to cage them indoors. It’s cruel. Cats should be allowed to live freely. Would you like to be stuck indoors for the rest of your life? Would we do it to our dogs? Never let them out? Would we do it to our children? Never let them out to play regardless of the dangers? Of course not, and to lose a child would be far far worse than to lose a cat. If I lived without a garden in an apartment, I wouldn’t keep a cat, plain and simple. Besides UK cats (where I’m from) live well into their late teens anyway, so keeping them indoors is not likely to prolong their life. And even if it did, life measures QUALITY, not it’s length
Gillian | Sep 9, 2008 | Reply
Anyone who thinks that their indoor cat has a good quality of life should try living indoors for a few months, and see how happy they are. There’s a reason people are terrified of prison and of nursing homes. Because you rarely get out, you’re stuck inside all the time, with no quality of life.
Michelle | Sep 22, 2008 | Reply
I wish those who think that indoor cats have a hopeless and boring life would realize that we pet owners who do keep our cats indoors spend hours each day entertaining them and making sure they are living happy and stimulating lives. I realize that here in the US, we do have more wild animals, but outdoor cats in the UK are vulnerable too.
Some of you talk about your cats who lived to be 15 or 20, but what about the thousands who don’t? And I don’t mean from death due to cancer or something unavoidable. Cats don’t drive, so estimating the speed and distance of an oncoming car is a crapshoot. People have car crashes trying to avoid hitting animals in both continents, and not every dog owner is a responsible one. There are communicable diseases that even vaccinations can’t prevent, and animals who have been spayed/neutered will still have fights over territory.
And what about the damage caused by your neighbor’s cat who is allowed to roam freely and crap in your garden? Responsible cat owners scoop the litter tray twice a day, and there are eco- and cat-friendly deoderizers that keep your house from smelling like a toilet. An owner of an indoor cat will also “cat-proof” his house much like the new parents of an infant, removing or locking up harmful chemicals, bolting bookcases to the walls, covering cords with chew-proof protection, etc.
Cats are no longer a useful part of the ecology (for the last 3000 or more years), and continuing to allow them to roam freely, even with a catdoor, ensures that they will do more damage to the population of small animals and birds. Bell collars aren’t as effective as many think because cats are extremely quick and will still be effective hunters because they’ve adapted their killing techniques without ringing a single bell.
For every cat you know of that lived a long happy life outdoors, there are a hundred who died from disease, trama, or poisoning.
no name | Jan 1, 2009 | Reply
I do not like anyone not letting their cat have the freedom of the outdoors. It is true that cats live longer if kept indoors but I think it is either a cat lives indoors longer and is unhappy or a outdoor cat goes outdoors and is extremely happy. I also do not like the idea of leashing cats, it pretty much seems like just teasing them with outdoors but I guess its better then a cat just staring out the window wishing to go outdoors. As for the bird population, keeping cats indoors is not going to help it much, there are more animals than cats that are decreasing it. I do not think any indoor cat can be truely happy even with love and affection from people.
Rob | Mar 3, 2009 | Reply
QUOTE: “Cats are no longer a useful part of the ecology (for the last 3000 or more years)”!!!
REALLY. And there was me thinking they were used on ships as Ratters and on Farms as Ratters, even up to and beyond the second world war. And to my knowledge that was little over 60 years ago. So where this 3000 years comes from I do not know. Besides which, Ecology is the study of how organisms interact with their environment, and I wouldn’t presume to be so bold as to say we understand it all and cats are a done deal.
If you love your animal, you do what is best for THEIR happiness. If that means you keep them penned in to prevent a snake from having an easy meal, then thats fair enough, providing you do as much as possible to alleviate any boredom and depression (and not with pills either).
If it means you are penning them in simply because you, as an owner, are scared that loosing fluffykins will cause you a great deal of heartache, then you are purely motivated by your own interests and not that of the animals — and not to put too finer point on the matter, you should not have animals.
I let my animals have free run of the house, except the bedroom – and they come and go as they please in daylight or at night. They both have tracker units on, are both microchipped, and I hope that they enjoy the freedom that life provides, and the meals that I provide.
I have done as much as is humanly possible to reduce the risks but I know they can get ill, they can get hit and they can be hurt by other humans.
I accept that, as I accept the heartache that will go with it if god forbid it happens. But I’m not so naive to think I can remove them from harms way with a simple closing of the door. So I choose to let them roam and enjoy whatever amount of life they have to live and they are happy animals because of it.
The problem with this world is that one person objects with a lot of flailing limbs, and all of a sudden owners of roaming cats are branded “menaces to society”.
The day I take a lecture from a society that allows guns on the streets…….
CatLover | Mar 28, 2009 | Reply
I just feel that when you adopt a pet in USA or anywhere else on the planet, it would be so that the pet can be happy, not so that you can be happy. Cats are gentle loving creatures, but they have been outside for many years and I’m sure they are survive without being indoor cats. I love my cat too much to keep her home just so that i can be happy that she lives few more years of stressed and boring life of indoor. Sure when she was young for about her first year we didn’t let her out that much, but now we let her go out for few hours and we do keep her under supervision. since she never had someone to teach her to catch and kill for food she might be lost. And much as some people might hate it but my cat loves to soak up the sun on the backyard deck, and as she gets little older we might just let her enjoy her life she she please, and as a cat owner i really love to watch her roam around in the backyard.
Alyce | Mar 30, 2009 | Reply
I have a kitten about 6-7 months and my mom wants it outdoors but i live really close to the road. I had a different cat, Nevil, and she died at the age of 1. We only had her for 6-7-8 months. I miss her. I need answers help me!!!
Pat | Apr 23, 2009 | Reply
I adopted a cat that was roaming my apartment complex for over a year (from the U.S). He was an outdoor cat before I took him in. And I made the decision that he could continue to go outside. Because that is what he enjoys.
Had I gotten him as a kitten, then I probably would have made him an indoor pet. He wouldn’t have known what he was missing (I’ve seen cats raised indoors that are terrified of going outside). But since he lived so much of his life outdoors and he enjoys it, he will continue to live part of his life outdoors.
I basically just limit his time outdoors. I let him out 4 days a week (no weekends, because there is too much traffic, increasing the odds he will be hit. I also don’t let him out on Tuesdays when the groundskeepers are mowing the grounds). That seems to keep him happy.
I know that it’s possible that he may be killed because I let him go outside, but I’d rather he live a short life and be happy, than a long life and be miserable. Believe me, after a weekend of not going out, he is MISERABLE. I have to let him out on Monday for MY sanity, as well as his.
peggi | Jul 9, 2009 | Reply
our in-outdoor cat female died after 18 years on cancer not because she was also outside her whole life.
we adopted another 3 year old cat male this time from our local shelter who was “biting they said” and should be kept as an only cat without little kids, he was a kind of hardly adoptable and soon his time would have been over……to live! shelter do not keep cats for ever so sadly it is…..
perfect for us this little guy and he is now, was never before outside too. i love to see him running around and enjoy life. no biting or other bad behaviors…..so when it is almost dark he comes in and we close the door and is never outside over night!!
we are living subruban, have a nice size yard and neigbours who know and like him. just want to say he lives with us alrady now for 1.5 years and is very happy with us as his housekeepers and we love him very much.
Linda | Jul 26, 2009 | Reply
I had a 6 year old cat that I had adopted from the shelter as a kitten. I introduced him to the outdoors when I brought him home because I wanted him to enjoy the freedom of the outdoors as opposed to what he was living in at the shelter.
After a couple years of going inside & out, he never forgot the beauty of nature and wanted out all the time.
I tried to keep in inside after awhile, but, to no avail. He cried all the time to go outside. He was just happier being able to do what cats love to do once they get a chance to see the outdoors.
To this day, I knew that he was bored out of his mind at the apartment, and I worked all day and he was just driving me mad with his cries that I had to give him what he wanted for his best interest, and not what I wanted.
He always came home from going out and I knew that he would always be an indoor/outdoor cat.
So, as far as dangers go, I can only hope he doesn’t encounter any. But, at least he will have the quality of life he loves than being cooped up indoors and crying everyday.
Linda | Jul 26, 2009 | Reply
I had a 6 year old cat that I had adopted from the shelter as a kitten. I introduced him to the outdoors when I brought him home because I wanted him to enjoy the freedom of the outdoors as opposed to what he was living in at the shelter.
After a couple years of going inside & out, he never forgot the beauty of nature and wanted out all the time.
I tried to keep in inside after awhile, but, to no avail. He cried all the time to go outside. He was just happier being able to do what cats love to do once they get a chance to see the outdoors.
To this day, I knew that he was bored out of his mind at the apartment, and I worked all day and he was just driving me mad with his cries that I had to give him what he wanted for his best interest, and not what I wanted.
He always came home from going out and I knew that he would always be an indoor/outdoor cat.
So, as far as dangers go, I can only hope he doesn\\\’t encounter any. But, at least he will have the quality of life he loves than being cooped up indoors and crying everyday.
Linda | Jul 26, 2009 | Reply
I had a 6 year old cat that I had adopted from the shelter as a kitten. I introduced him to the outdoors when I brought him home because I wanted him to enjoy the freedom of the outdoors as opposed to what he was living in at the shelter.
After a couple years of going inside & out, he never forgot the beauty of nature and wanted out all the time.
I tried to keep in inside after awhile, but, to no avail. He cried all the time to go outside. He was just happier being able to do what cats love to do once they get a chance to see the outdoors.
To this day, I knew that he was bored out of his mind at the apartment, and I worked all day and he was just driving me mad with his cries that I had to give him what he wanted for his best interest, and not what I wanted.
He always came home from going out and I knew that he would always be an indoor/outdoor cat.
So, as far as dangers go, I can only hope he doesn\\\\\\\’t encounter any. But, at least he will have the quality of life he loves than being cooped up indoors and crying everyday.
Patsy | Aug 5, 2009 | Reply
In July of 2008 I posted a comment (I’m ‘Patsy’) about my cat Max. I found a possible descendant of Max – a little orange Manx cat we named ‘Rus’. In May of 2008 we brought him home and were reminded how adventurous Manx cats are. He swam across the river and started disappearing for a few day this last Spring, and I know some of you will be disappointed to hear that I didn’t have him neutered quite yet. Well he did disappear in the beginning of May and I looked for him everywhere, putting up flyers and talking to neighbors. On May 31’st I got a call that I feared – a cat was found dead on the street about five miles away over the hills. Rus still had his collar on and I was called by various bicyclists that they saw him hit by a car. I’ve heard comments from various people that he’s in ‘Cat Heaven’ right now. But actually he was in ‘Cat Heaven’ during the month of May – living off the land in the Stanford Hills. Other than his injury from being hit by the car, he looked pretty good and had grown a bit. My heart still goes out to him and I shed tears almost every day these last two months since his death. But I want everyone to know that I wouldn’t dream of keeping such a young and adventurous cat locked indoors and not experience the life of the outdoors. That’s the chance I’m willing to take by having a cat as a pet, and people need to know that’s a chance they need to take. Max lived for 19 years but Rus lived for only one year. My semi-feral cats are still alive and stay close to home. Whether a cat is ‘fixed’ or not they can be hit by a car or experience other dangers out there. But please remember cat owners, the grief you’ll experience if your cat dies won’t overshadow the fact that he/she may have been very happy before they died and you were willing to that that chance by allowing them to go outdoors.