Posts Tagged ‘interviews’
The Indoor versus the Outdoor Cat: Interviews
November 9th, 2009
Percy, an Indoor-Outdoor Cat
If you have a cat, you will probably hear a lot of different ideas about whether he should be an indoor-only cat, an indoor-outdoor cat, or an outdoor-only cat. An “indoor cat” is one that is kept strictly inside the house at all times. An “indoor-outdoor cat” is a cat that lives inside, but that is let out depending on the whims of the cat and the owner. An “outdoor-only cat” is one that is left outside of the house all of the time. (A purely outdoor cat might be a “feral” or wild cat, but for purposes of this discussion, the cats are domesticated pets.) There are many differing opinions, so I thought I’d interview a few people who own cats. Here’s what I heard on the subject:
LLB: “If there’s distance from the street and no predators about (like raccoons or coyotes), I’d say outdoors is fine for cats–as long as they come in at night! However, there are a lot of cats that do their share of killing birds. Even if they live partly on store-bought food and partly on mole or mice entrails, once they get a taste of Tweetie, the party’s over. These days I’m much more partial to indoor-only cats. I wouldn’t turn my cat loose outside, despite the fact that there is wonderful flora and fauna; there are just too many predators lurking out there.”
EW: “My cat likes to go outside to roam the neighborhood, hunt, eat grass, and observe activity. I think he also likes to experience the weather, even when it’s wet, cold, or snowy. The downside is that he can get fleas and tapeworm, and get dirty from the streets. He has also had a few run-ins with other cats. He brings in birds, chipmunks, and mice, both dead and alive. The upside is that he gets more active play time outside, and I feel like he’s less bored than if he were totally confined to the indoors. I would like to keep him as an indoor cat, except that he’s expressed so much interest in going out that I finally gave in. Now he has me trained to let him in and out whenever he pleases. A kitty door would help, although it would allow the transport of hunted animals into the house. I think you have to consider the personality of your cat, your neighborhood, and your tolerance for dealing with the hazards of an outdoor life.”
