And just for the record, Tigger is well loved and well-known in my neighborhood. Everyone knows he's our cat. Even the mailman comes to give him love when he drops off our mail. And Tigger loves attention. ♥

Without reading anyone's responses, this is how I feel:<br /> <br /> I own a cat. His name is Tigger. When we first got him at 8 weeks-old, he was never let outside. One day, we took him outside (on a leash), and I didn't think he liked it very much. He hid under the picnic table the whole time. But it seemed after that, he always wanted to go outside. He'd whine at the window, paw at the blinds, run around the house like he was going crazy. I never wanted to let him outside for fear he'd run away for good, or he'd get hit by a car. (I didn't think about environmental issues.) My grandma said to just let him out, that he'd come back sooner or later. I fretted the whole time that first time he was let out by himself.<br /> <br /> It seems since then, a full 9 years later, that whenever I let him outside, he'll always come back. Now, I live in an area where it gets extremely cold in the winter (like below zero F). I will NOT let Tigger out during those times, even though he goes nuts, just because I don't want him to freeze. He has frost bite on his ears because he's so desperate to be outside, even when it's below zero.<br /> <br /> If I could have it my way, I would never let Tigger out of the house, just because I fear for his safety. Our road is very busy. I haven't thought much about environmental issues. Tigger brings home mice, birds, squirrels, and the occasional baby rabbit. (Once, he let a live bird go free in my room. I wasn't a happy camper.) He doesn't actually hunt much. He's declawed in the front, which is why it's amazing he can even catch anything, let alone kill it. He gets in fights most of the time with other alley cats, but he always wins. ^_^<br /> <br /> To be honest, I would keep Tigger in if I could. But he'd just be horribly miserable if I did. He lives for the outdoors. Keeping him in an outside run would probably not be a good idea, either. Since he's already 9, he's used to roaming the neighborhood (he's fixed, too). But the next time I get a cat, I'll be sure to never EVER let it get a taste of the outdoors. My worst fear is that Tigger won't come home, and I'll find him lying on the side of the road. I love my baby boy. ♥

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZz5rT5RvBg"> 2 very bored</a> unstimulated cats...<br /> And they look sooo <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KouPQzZ-lVg"> Stressed</a> also...

To this: <br /> "i do believe it IS lazyness to spay /nueter a pet simply so you dont have to watch them. However i ALSO said that i did not start out with my pets, i got them off of Craigs list, they came spayed/nuetered, not my choice but there previous owners"<br /> <br /> A female dog who is not spayed has a higher chance to have mammary tumors, a male dog who is not neutered has a higher chance of getting testicular cancer, and it can lower the likelihood of behavioral issues.<br /> <br /> Am I lazy? My dog is neutered. I take him outside 2 hours a day to exercise him. We go on walks 3-5 times a week, and bike rides. I also compete and train in dock diving, agility, obedience, schutzhund, weight pulling, oval track racing, and sprint racing.<br /> <br /> It does not make an owner lazy, it makes them more responsible.<br /> <br /> You are lazy with your animals if they are obese.<br /> <br /> <br /> To get back on topic. You can provide your cat with the stimulation needed to prevent stress indoors. <br /> <br /> And the likelihood of getting a disease because of the stress of not being outside is far lower than the likelihood of being killed, or injured outdoors.<br /> <br /> <br /> Here's a very reliable source.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.vetinfo.com/indoor-outdoor-cat-life-expectancy.html">Vetinfo.com</a>

To respond, to Jambers. When a leg is hanging side ways. Looking like it is only held by skin, and the animal is screaming. I'm pretty sure it's broken. I got within 20 feet and it took off. An animal can run on three legs, I'm not in the best shape myself.<br /> <br /> But that ^ is off topic.<br /> <br /> I agree with Crayton, Hempdog, and Nitrous.

<i>"You have got to be kidding me right, Really??"</i><br>No I'm not, and instead of repeating this over and over again, please explain how it is biased.<br><br><i>"<br /> "indoor housed cats appear to accommodate to a wide range of surroundings, the neuroendocrine abnormalities in the cats we treat do not seem to permit them the adaptive capacity that healthy cats have""</i><br>I see what you're doing, and it's not tricking me. You're trying to say outdoor = healthy, and it isn't.<br><br>and my cats don't stress out and scream in the windows, they lay in the sun and go to sleep.

<i>"im done debateing this subject, fact is, stress for inside cats is far greater than stress on cats that are let outside"</i><br /> <br /> How? Show me the proof. Everyone here has provided more than enough proof that cats are far better off indoors than out.<br /> <br /> <i>"my cats will ALWAYS be indoor/outdoor cats. Same as my moms, same as my sisters, same as my other family members cosens uncles aunts EVEN my grandma lets her cat out"</i><br /> <br /> You and your family are welcome to do whatever you want with your cats. Just keep in mind that doesn't make it right/responsible or safe by any means.

"The fact indoor cats have poor Diets, both in obesidy and in the loss of vegitashion for indoor cats that outdoor cats get."<br /> <br /> -chokes back laughter- And this is where you're going to say that birds, lizards and mice that are all known to carry diseases and parasites are a better diet than commercial cat food, right? lol. <br /> <br /> I adopted my cat when I she and I were both three years old. She's 17 now. We've kept her in the house, she's never been overweight, never had parasites, never been injured, never been sick, and no one believes she's anywhere close to being that old. I think it would be very interesting to compare her to the condition of your cats, Jambers. <br />

im done debateing this subject, fact is, stress for inside cats is far greater than stress on cats that are let outside. You think your doing a good job takeing your cat out on a leash? how often do you take your cat out? once a day? once every cupple of days? you dont think that the harness you put on your cat can stress them out as well because they cant tell you? <br /> <br /> my cats will ALWAYS be indoor/outdoor cats. Same as my moms, same as my sisters, same as my other family members cosens uncles aunts EVEN my grandma lets her cat out and she lives out in the middle of no where. We (my family) have never had a issue with a cat comming up missing, never. So go ahead, stress your cat out because you slept in and its a change in daily scedual. Your cat can get sick from being under stress. Oh and when your cat sits and looks out the window, hes not wagging his tail becuse hes happy.

Since I can't keep my mouth shut...<br /> <br /> The reason you don't see that mentioned on many of those sites is because it is uncommon. Yes SOME cats do have it but not ALL cats do. Generally it is because of people who DON'T take care of their cats properly. ie: mental stimulation and proper diet. This has already been pointed out to you several times. If you are concerned about keeping your cat indoors because of this, try to spend some time taking care of your cat and playing with it instead of dumping it outdoors.<br /> <br /> <i>"indoor housed cats appear to accommodate to a wide range of surroundings, the neuroendocrine abnormalities in the cats we treat do not seem to permit them the adaptive capacity that healthy cats have"</i><br /> <br /> Notice the key words there? <b>Healthy</b> and <b>abnormalities</b>. Means healthy (well taken care of) cats do not have that issue and that it is abnormal (which means not normal) for a cat to have that.<br /> <br /> <i>"We may not realize how sensitive your cat is to something as simple as moving furniture around the room or having company over for dinner."</i><br /><br /> I notice in that very article you linked it states <i>"Cats are creatures of habit, and they depend on us to keep their surroundings stable and safe."</i> Which would mean not leaving your cat outside in an unstable environment where you cannot control what happens. Way to prove our point.<br /> <br /> Seriously, your "don't let the cat stress but it's okay to get it possibly maimed or killed on a daily basis!" logic is just completely screwed up.<br /> <br /> Edit: Html fail.

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