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I just saw the documentary The Central Park Effect, about birdwatchers in New York. They interviewed an ornithologist about the migration patterns of birds, and the decreasing number of birds in the world. He made an impassioned plea for cat owners NOT to let their cats out. I had never heard this before, but have seen several other posters mention it.

Is your little guy neutered yet?

Yeah, he was done at 6 months.

I love the birds in our garden, I feed them everyday. I would not be happy to be gifted a dead one.

Augustus will be staying indoors.

When I was growing up, our cats were indoor/outdoor. They all died terrible deaths - cars, neighborhood dogs, fights with other cats, etc.

All of the cats I've owned myself have been indoor. They get their "call of the wild" time on the screened porch aka their "happy place."

You're welcome Please1983. Glad your little munchkin had a little garden adventure! Sometimes that's all they need is a little fresh air and some grass to chew on.

I'm lucky, my kitties don't get the birdies but love to bring me chipmunks, mice, voles and fn snakes when I am lying out in the sun. Yup!! lol

My cats would love to be outside. We used to let them....under supervision. We have a chain link fence. But I would let them out on nice days, and sit out there with them so they wouldn't jump over the fence.

Until they got fleas. Presumably from other cats who roam through my yard, "marking" it because they know cats live here...or from wildlife with fleas. It's a real bitch to get rid of fleas...takes forever.

Plus....they ate the grass, of course. Then promptly came in and threw it up.

Now, they must be satisfied with open screened windows and doors. They're fine....they're too fat to catch anything anyways.

I once adopted a stray, who had to live outside because he didn't get along with my other cats, and sprayed all over the house, even though he was fixed. He routinely ate squirrels, and like other posters have said...one day he just didn't come back.

Personally, I'm very annoyed at the cat owners on my street that don't keep their cats in. They come in my yard, fight, cry, hiss at my kitties through the window, and mark my yard. And oh yeah...leave fleas. I hate most seeing cats out there looking for a warm place on a snowy day...they have collars, so I know they belong to someone...

Just my two cents. Good luck!

I'd love to know what my neighbors would think if I decided my dogs wanted to be "outdoor dogs" and just let them have to run of the neighborhood to shit wherever they wanted and destroy things. Shit in my pine island? Left there by my neighbor's cats. Cat barf on my front porch? Left there by my neighbor's cats. My 2 now torn up and completely ruined $200 each front porch rocking chairs? Surprise! The neighbor's cats apparently needed something to sharpen their claws on. Or maybe they're just assholes. Who knows. Why is my dog barking like crazy in the backyard? Oh lookie there. It's the neighbor's fucking cat taunting him by walking back and forth on the other side of the fence just out of reach.

If you haven't guessed, I'm not a fan of "outdoor cats."

No. We have to keep ours indoors. Coyotes, hawks, bobcats, etc. We worked hard to train them not to bolt outdoors. They still try on occasion, but they just can't be outside and live.

Nope. I'm on the bus and that won't be changing any time soon.

Oh! Nevermind

I've always been a "keep the cats indoors" person.

I know someone mentioned fleas - that's a HUGE consideration here.

And there's just too much out there to make them sick, hurt them, etc.

My opinion on this was sealed with one word from the vet though. She asked if we let the cats out or kept them in. I said they never go out, and she said, "Good!"

She went on to say that their health and life expectancy is MUCH better when they are indoor cats.

Life expectancy for indoor cats averages between 12 - 18 years, and can be 20+.

Opinion on life expectancy for outdoor cats varies a lot, and it depends somewhat on how much they go out, but at best it looks like it reduces expectancy by 4- 5 years. Some say they usually only live 4 - 5 years.

The cat who lives with us is an outdoor cat. I will be sad when she comes to her inevitably untimely end but I don't feel bad about giving her free reign. As for her killing wildlife, I am impressed with her efficiency when it comes to murdering things but she is outdone by a bulldozer plowing a plot of land in a single afternoon. I think cats are less to blame for the decreasing number of birds in the world than, I dunno, bulldozing a wooded lot to put up a Starbucks. That the cats thrive in the subsequently bulldozed environment and the birds do not speaks to the cats close relationship with people and the inherent stupidity of birds IMO.

Remember - birds are just dinosaurs biding their time. Every bird your cat kills is another cinch in our evolutionary superiority.

If the oxygen content of our atmosphere ever reaches prehistoric levels and bugs get HUGE again and all the birds are too dead to turn into people-munching Terrorbird monsters, the world will be safe for habitation thanks to the cats.

Thank you, cats. And I dunno, dogs or something for being stupid and shit. FUCK YOU DOG FOR KNOCKING THE GODDAMN PLANTER ONTO 4 FULL BASKETS OF CLEAN LAUNDRY I HAD TO EMPTY THE VACUUM THREE TIMES.

Sorry, anyway, cats. Ours likes to wander around outside but makes sure to be in at night so she can wake me up at 4 am.

I have 6 cats, and they are all indoors On occasion, two of the oldest (17 and 16 yrs old) are permitted to go briefly into the specially fenced portion of the yard right outside the back door. They cannot get outside the fence, and other cats cannot get in. And even though I have bird feeders in the yard, they no longer have any interest in the birds; in fact, they will lie on the back steps and watch the birds without ever annoying them. I would never let even those two out unsupervised or out of the fenced yard, because of cars and neighborhood strays, as well as local coyotes. And ALL of mine get monthly Revolution flea prevention treatments, especially since the newest came from the shelter with a bad case of ear mites. I love my cats, but I love the birds and squirrels too, and I use cat repellent to try and keep the strays aways from the feeders that are outside the fence. Also, this is a rabies county, and two rabid cats have been found recently, so I don't want any rabid strays around my property.

Slightly O/T since we're now talking about fleas. I have always used Cutter lawn spray to keep the mosquitoes down. (Wooded back yard)The bottle hooks onto your hose and the spray keeps mosquitoes down for 60 days I think? I spray early morning on hot days and let it dry before my boxer or kitties go out. Well, last summer I was very ill, overcoming a botched surgery and discovering gluten intolerance, the lawn didn't get done. I had fleas for the first time in my life. :(

Took a month to get rid of them and $$$ Besides the paranoia of being auto-immune with nasty blood suckers! Freak me out. Never again will I let that go!! I never knew the Cutter spray also controlled the fleas! Live and learn, I never even had to do revolution treatments on my furbabies while using the Cutter. Hope this helps someone re: the fleas!

Nope. Cars, coyotes, dogs, raccoons, other wild animals (hawks), etc. can get them very easily. Outdoor and feral cats are also the biggest cause of death to many species of birds. Not to mention the diseases they can contract. It's not worth it.

Plus, if they use your neighbors yard/landscaping as a toilet they will likely end up being poisoned or in animal control's hands.

@madseason....EXACTLY!!

When the wind is right, I can smell my neighbor's porch (2 doors down)....cats have soaked the porch furniture with urine....their cats, so I guess they don't notice. Wow! I do.

"Lookie there"...

@madseason and sadmad,

I am with you on this one. We have a few cats that are loose in the neighborhood (but "owned" by someone). When the weather starts getting nice, we like to open our bedroom window at night. Which means our cats like to be IN the window. And then the neighborhood cats come around - making OUR cats start ungodly howling at 3 in the morning (because they are defending territory - both of our cats are fixed).

And because of the territory issues, that means the cats running free pee near our window (we're in a ground level townhouse-style condo)... and there goes leaving the window open! GRRRRRRRR!!!!!

We have found that spraying water or canned air through the window helps some. But we shouldn't have to worry about other peoples pets like this.

And don't get me started about the people who allow their dogs to use the lawn in front of our house as a bathroom and don't bother to clean up after them.....

I do not let my cat out.

Biggest reason: He is FIV+

I will not be responsible for getting other kitty cats sick.

My cat goes out on the balcony and if he goes outside, we supervise. I also don't want my cat hanging out in the sewer either

[This message edited by LeftBehind08 at 9:13 PM, April 19th (Friday)]

I think that barn cats that have generations of outdoor smarts behind them do OK outside lots of times. We have outdoor barn cats that lived to ripe old ages.

However, if cats do not learn outside smarts from somewhere they are just sitting ducks for an untimely death.

I personally don't want my cats outside. Too many factors out there that could seriously injure them (cars, dogs, wild animals, evil people). But with that said I do have an inside/outside cat. When he turned 13 years old he decided that he HAD to be an outside cat (he was found as a young kitten stray in my backyard and was never outside after that). If I didn't let him outside, he'd claw through my window screens and pee all over the house. Now he's 16 years old and comes in when it's cold or the weathers bad, but prefers to be outside. We've built all kinds of shelters for him, but he won't use them, lol. He seems smart enough to avoid the road, but I worry all the time if he's not greeting me when I get home.

I have 3 indoor only cats.

They do not go out for all the reasons already mentioned here.

My cat stays inside. My other cat (now lives with XH) used to escape every chance she could. I'd be roaming around the block looking for her. She always came back at night, but I worried too much while she was gone!