Indoor or Outdoor Cats - Which is Best?

Cat in doorwayPhoto by David Peters https://unsplash.com/photos/selective-focus-photography-of-cat-lSXQOeWUb9E

There’s a lot of controversy regarding keeping cats indoors all the time or having them indoors and outdoors. Then there is the issue of taking care of feral cats, which live outdoors all the time.  Click here for a discussion of outdoor-only cat care. Right now I want to talk about keeping a cat indoors in the city or letting them go outside on their own sometimes.

Letting A Cat Roam Free Outdoors Is Dangerous To The Cat

There are lots of dangers to your cat outside in the city.

Cars

Cats can get hit by cars. I personally haven’t witnessed or heard about this happening very often.  Cats have great hearing and they are afraid of the noise a running car makes, so they keep their distance. They tend to hang out in quiet places, not near the street. 


But it does happen. Cats are small and not easily seen by drivers. They have evolved to be good hunters, but they don’t understand about cars.  If a cat gets spooked, it will run lightning-fast.  If the direction they run is into the street, it can easily be bad news for kitty.

Also sometimes cats like to hang out under cars or even on top of a car’s wheel. In the winter they might seek out a car because it is warm. When that car turns on and starts moving, it may crush the cat, or the cat might dart out into traffic,


The Royal Veterinary College in London England did a study on traffic accidents with cats. They determined that young, male, mixed-breed cats were more likely to get hit by cars than other cats. Cats had the most accidents in the Fall, the least in the winter. So perhaps older, female purebred cats are kept inside more and even male cats stay inside more in the winter. 


Cars are perilous to all outdoor cats in the city. Maybe slower speeds in the middle of a city make things a bit safer, but the risk is definitely there.

cat under car Photo by Harvey Mandt: https://www.pexels.com/photo/cat-lying-on-pavement-under-the-vehicle-5333186/Photo by Harvey Mandt: https://www.pexels.com/photo/cat-lying-on-pavement-under-the-vehicle-5333186/

Disease And Parasites

Outdoor cats can be prone to fleas. They could get ticks or get bitten by mosquitos.  They can get feline leukemia, feline AIDS, heartworm, upper respiratory infections, distemper, toxoplasmosis, and other diseases. Another danger is eating poisonous plants or drinking water that may have insecticide, antifreeze, or other contaminants. Outdoor cats are prone to diseases that can lower their quality of life or even kill them.

Other Animals

There is a surprising amount of other wildlife in the city. Raccoons, skunks, and even foxes and coyotes in some areas. Your cat could run into feral cats when outside and could get into a nasty cat fight. Off-leash dogs, or even a determined dog on a leash could go after your cat.

Including Humans

People spread rat poison around. It’s designed to taste good to animals, so the cat will eat it.  Or the cat will eat rodents that have ingested the poison and it will accumulate in the cat’s body over time.  It takes several days to a week after injecting poison for it to start affecting your cat.  They will be internal bleeding and will be lethargic, have a poor appetite, will vomit, cough, and other symptoms. Poisoning can be treated if it is not too bad and caught early.


Humans could also catch your cat. Maybe they will give it a good home, but probably they will do bad things, like use the cat as bait for a dog fight.

Getting Lost

Some cats have an uncanny ability to find their way.  Others may get chased by another animal and lose their way. You don’t know if your cat is good with navigation until you discover them missing.

cat in park Photo by Muhtelifane: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-cat-sitting-on-the-sidewalk-17502475/Photo by Muhtelifane: https://www.pexels.com/photo/white-cat-sitting-on-the-sidewalk-17502475/

Succumbing To Temperatures

Really hot or really cold temperatures can be dangerous to your cat.  If they can’t find shelter from inclement weather, they could get very sick. Neither heat stroke nor frostbite is good for your cat.

Letting A Cat Roam Free Outdoors Is Dangerous To The Environment

Your free-roaming pet cat can be a menace to local wildlife, other humans, and even you.

Wildlife

Cats are great hunters. They’ll keep the rodent population down, which most humans think is a good thing.  They’ll also kill birds, which we don’t like so much. If someone has a bird feeder, a cat might congregate around the feeder and hunt down the very birds that a person is trying to provide for. 


Depending on where you live, a cat might also hunt down fish, lizards, or reptiles. Free-roaming cats have actually contributed to the extinction of some birds and other animals by hunting them and by competing with other predators for prey. This may or may not be applicable to the area you live in. Outdoor cats have caused the extinction of some birds in Hawaii, but in your city, there may not be any danger of particular birds getting extinct.


Some people put collars on their cat that have a bell on the collar or that are reflective.  This may help limit the number of animals your outdoor cat will kill.


cat looking at a bird Photo by ersin izan: https://www.pexels.com/photo/cat-standing-near-window-with-bird-behind-16825813/Photo by ersin izan: https://www.pexels.com/photo/cat-standing-near-window-with-bird-behind-16825813/

Other Humans

Your indoor/outdoor cat can bother people in the area it roams. Between pooping in their yards or gardens, digging on their property, disturbing their dogs, meowing, or fighting with other cats, your cat could be quite the neighborhood menace. My cat, Cap’m Nick Furry, was an indoor/outdoor cat until a neighbor posted a picture of him on social media pooping in her yard with the question “Does anyone know this cat?” There was no way I could get him to use the litter box when my neighbor's yard was so close and desirable. So he became an indoor cat. It is actually better for him to be inside I think. He is becoming more used to living with us and is tolerating our presence much more as time goes by.

You

Toxoplasmosis is one of many diseases that cats can get and pass on to their human.  Indoor-only cats are not likely to catch it, but indoor/outdoor cats may get toxoplasmosis. They can also bring fleas and ticks into the house. Your cat is in danger of getting rabies and spreading it to you if they are not vaccinated.

But Isn’t It Cruel To Keep A Cat Indoors All The Time?

sad cat putting its face in its paws Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/orange-tabby-cat-hiding-its-face-209037/Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/orange-tabby-cat-hiding-its-face-209037/

I grew up, well, many years ago, in the suburbs. My mom grew up on a farm and she definitely believed that cats would be kept outdoors. All of my cats were indoor/outdoor cats (mostly outdoor to be honest). My first cats as an adult had been outdoor cats, so I thought it would be unfair to the cat to keep my pet indoors all the time. When I fostered cats, I kept them indoors all the time so they wouldn’t get lost and so that I could get a good idea of what they were like.  One cat was very sneaky, though, and she did sneak out when people were going in and out of the house.  I had to put a cat trap in my yard to get her back again!


My current cats, Cap’m Nick, and his sister, Poppy, are indoor-only cats now, mostly because he was a nuisance to my neighbor. I was also concerned about how he would take care of himself outdoors because he only has one eye.  Poppy was born a feral kitten but was rescued quite young and has lived indoors ever since.


It’s true that indoor-only cats can get bored and depressed. They can also become obese with little opportunity for exercise. There are lots of things you can do to make living indoors only interesting and fun for your cat. Click here for more information about keeping indoor cats stimulated.

Summary

If you let your cat outdoors unsupervised, you are taking a risk. The cat’s health and well-being, your health, the environment, and your neighbors are all at risk when domestic cats roam free. Some people might still believe that it is worth the risk.  They may feel that it is cruel and unnatural to keep a cat indoors all the time, especially if the cat was used to being outdoors. They believe that there is no substitute for free-roaming for their cat. Other people will work with their cat to make indoor living beneficial to all.

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