My neighbor has cats that she has had for a long time, and I think that they are fine staying outside because I've never seen them on another street. EVER.<br /> Their garage door is open 8-10 inches, so they move about freely. Yes, my neighbors have had raccoons, possums and a few snakes in her garage at times, but overall, the system that they run is fine.<br /> This is not to say that I would've let my past cats out, as they do not stay in one area. My cat Sassy got thrown outside because she knocked over another large cup of water in the living room for the millionth time, and she was gone for about a week. My late cat Simba (my stepdads cat) once they moved a street over into our new house, would escape and go back to his old house. The homeowners would call my stepdad, and he would go get Simba.<br /> <br /> I feel that there are cats meant to be outdoor cats, indoor/outdoor cats, and ones that live inside. It really depends on the cat. (I'm sorry that cats are killers, but we are too.)

I would love to let my cats outside, but after someone poisoned two of my previous ones, and both died within hours of being outside, I now refuse to let the remaining two outside. <br /> <br /> We attempted leash walking, both just flopped over and refused to get up.<br /> <br /> They're both kept sane by regular changing of their indoor environment, plenty of hidey spaces and things to climb.

Where I live, there are virtually no indoor only cats. The cats here are healthy, happy and normally live to an old age. Keeping indoor only cats is considered cruel. I live in a village in England and there isn't any wildlife that can kill the cats or any endangered species for the cats to kill. Most of these cats have to stay indoors at night though.

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Cats do not "need" to be able to roam.<br /> <br /> There are more dangers than cars out there. There are kids who like to torture animals, especially people friendly pets. There are wild animals out there willing to kill and eat your precious pet. There are other cats roaming at large who will get in a fight with your cat. Those cats are likely to be harboring diseases such as feline leukemia, which are transmitted when these animals get into fights, leading to a long painful downward spiral towards death that you wouldn't even notice... because your cat is outdoors all the time.<br /> There are people who will find your pet to be a nuisance - pooping in their yards, peeing on the grass and killing it, killing the birds in their yard that they like to watch. Those kind of people SHOOT cats. And you know what? It was running at large - so there's nothing you can even do about it.<br /> On top of all that, there's the chance someone will just pick up your precious kitty and take it home for themselves to keep as a pet. It was roaming around on its own, obviously no one cared enough about it to keep it safe indoors.<br /> <br /> Then, THEN there's the issue of cats decimating wild bird populations. Cats are NOT native predators - they don't kill to eat. They kill for fun. Many endangered bird species are endangered because of cats being allowed to roam. Heck, I'm pretty sure I remember there being at least one bird species extinction due to cats being allowed to hunt.<br /> <br /> If you want your cat to roam, put a harness on it and go walking with it. If you think it "needs" to be outdoors, make an outdoor cat run, so your cat AND the local wildlife will be safe.

My best friend has lots of cats and they go outdoors. In around 5 years, only 1 cat has died, due to being hit by a car. I used to have a cat and he was an outdoor cat. We took him in because he was a stray and we never had any problems. Cats need to be able to roam.

I personally do not agree with outdoor cats. Not only is it dangerous for the cat itself, but as stated prior to my post, the wildlife. Cat runs are always a great option. I see no logical reason why a cat should be let outdoors.<br /> <br /> I hate when my cat gets outside. We live on a very busy street, and he could easily be hit by a car. Not to mention flees, ticks, poisonous plants, and a whole lot more!<br /> <br /> Also, if your cat adores going outside, considering taking it for on leash walks if he/she allows it.

I know what you meant, and I told you about the "outdoor cats" that have hissed and swatted me while I fed them.<br /> <br /> My cats want to be all over me 24/7. If they hear my voice, they all wake up out of a dead sleep, circle my legs and scream at me.. even when they aren't hungry.<br /> My cats are obsessed, so that generalization is incorrect as well.

Clayton, I maybe didn't articulate clearly enough what I meant with outdoor cats. I meant cats that have a home and that are let to go outside. Then they have not been reported to act aggressively indoors. Apologies for being un-clear :)<br /> <br /> And yes, as you have noticed, it is really rare to an indoor-cat act aggressively. It has only recently been brought to attention with masses. There has been no research about it, all I've heard is from the mouths of a few 100%-indoor cat-owners.<br /> <br /> I can believe that when a cat is outdoors, it wants to be alone and not to bring too much attention to themselves (except when they want the attention) Though, there may be some variation for how the cats are treated when at homes. Early socialization for each cat is important for it to trust humans. And once they have been treated badly, they are wary.

<i>"there has been discussion on various cat-forums about indoor cats having personality and aggressivity problems."</i><br /> You are incorrect to assume this. Out of the three cats I have, two of them have NEVER bit, slapped, scratched, hissed, etc out of anger. EVER. One of them is 13 years old, the other is 1. They are entirely indoor cats.<br /> The other cat will only bite or slap someone if he is being taunted and that is the ONLY TIME. He is indoor as well and is 13 years old.<br /> <br /> Outdoor cats? I've had cats hiss and slap me while I'm feeding them to read their collar tag and find their home. Feral cats are too scared to come close, but when I catch them in my trap they hiss and scream and spit and swat

I have an interesting point to add to this discussion, glad to find this here.<br /> <br /> In Finland, there has been discussion on various cat-forums about indoor cats having personality and aggressivity problems. The owners have tried everything to keep their cats happy and safe, but the cats attack their owners. And when they attack, they're really going far with it. It isn't the usual playing cat that just nibbles and kicks a little bit, they're really trying to harm their owner.<br /> <br /> No outdoor cat has reported to act like this (at least no-one has written so), so one thing that can be assumed, is that the cat just can't be a cat if it can't hunt. The cat is a perfect predator and has always been. They have been companion pets for relatively really short while. The cats were originally pest hunters and I think that it is still deeply in their genes.<br /> <br /> I have a cat and we live in a suburb (I think). She can roam freely outside and she usually stays on our yard and in the nearby forest. My cat has no problem with being aggressive, though he got into 2 cat-fights before she had the surgery. Maybe her own area has shrunken after that?