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> Please Consider This, Indoor Cat=Safe Cat.
Ilovejodie
post Sep 11 2005, 03:40 PM
Post #1





Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 13
Joined: 11-September 05
From: Liverpool,U.K.
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I had to learn the hard way sad.gif

Please consider the following.

Thank You.

http://www.peta.org/living/at-fall2000/cats.html
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mugoddai
post Feb 21 2006, 08:29 PM
Post #2





Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 1
Joined: 21-February 06
Member No.: 1,433



I do support PETA, but I don't believe an indoor only cat is a safe cat. My beloved cat has been missing for two years and there isn't anything I can do to feel better about this. Two blocks away someone else's cat has been missing for almost two months. She's also heartbroken. The difference is that my cat had been indoor/outdoor all his life. I have every confidence that he knows how to survive out there. My friend's cat has not been out in all of his fourteen years. I am extremely worried about him because he doesn't know what to do. I love my cat with all my heart and I hate those that ridicule the importance of this relationship. In the interest of raising healthy pets, it's imperative that their worlds are more than just the house. But unless you can guarantee that your pet will never, ever, be outside (an accidents happen), keeping it inside all the time isn't doing it any favors.
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JenniferLynn
post Feb 21 2006, 09:29 PM
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Group: Pet Lovers
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When it comes to my dogs, I practice the "better safe than sorry" rule. I have seen so many dogs run over or run away, whose owners "didn't believe in leashing them." "Oh, Spot follows me no matter what." dry.gif All it takes is a bird or a squirrel and poof! Spot is gone for good. Dogs should be in a fenced yard/area or on leashes at all times.

I guess it's the right of every pet guardian to take his/her chances but why would anyone want to?

Just a thought on the topic for those with dogs.

I do see someone's cat in my yard often and frankly, it angers me. The cat poops there and gets my dogs all crazed. I also don't think it's safe but there isn't anything I can do. Pets do get out accidentally sometimes, but they should have tags and microchips--that's the best protection. Just my.02 a a person who has her 5th dog.
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PETLOSSAUTHOR
post Feb 23 2006, 12:06 PM
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I could not agree more with you and all the people who responded with posts. All dogs and cats should be inside animals. From being run over to being left exposed to the elements like winter sub-zero temperatures - it is just cruel to expose them to these dangers.

Having said that and showing what camp of thought I am in, I have to confess that I had an outside cat and I understand why some people have no choice. My cat was an inside cat until he turned approx. 5. We were living in Connecticut. He decided he wanted out and he got out - anytime the door opened or he could slide into the garage to wait for the door to be opened. His whole life was spent waiting for that moment to get outside. We moved to Miami - same thing. He just wanted outside. Oh, he was not trying to get away - in fact, if I called him, he would come running and literally jump up in my arms. He was so happy outside - and when I brought him inside he would sit and cry for hours at the front door. He was not afraid of being inside - he just hated it. Then we moved to Kansas and I thought it would be perhaps the safest place for him. At the age of 15 however, we lost him - he ran into the cornfield one 4th of July to get away from the neighbors fireworks noise and we never saw him again. No doubt coyotes got him.

I cannot regret that he was an outside cat however. He was happy. Very happy. He even told me so - constantly he would sit with me outside and just "meeeooowww" serenade me with how happy he was. It was his choice and not mine. The only way I could have kept him in was to cage him or tie him down and that would have been too cruel.

Again, I support inside pets 100% - if it is our choice. When it is theirs, it is a very difficult thing to countermand.
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chrismnc
post Mar 21 2006, 08:58 AM
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Group: Pet Lovers
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I adopted a 4 month old kitten 3 years ago and promised to keep him inside. "Prince" my daughter named him. I had never had a cat that was allowed to roam outside before. This kitten from 9 months of age escaped in the blink of an eye everytime a door wa opened, pushed out screens..... Never wandering far, just getting outside. I found out some time later that he had been a barn cats litter. He just has it in him. I bought him a reflective collar, had him microchipped and he wears a nametag; oh, and has all his shots. He is like a dog. He goes outside to "do his business" and comes right back in if the weather isn't nice. Other days he just lounges on the deck or in the flower beds. Occasionally he jumps the fence. But, whenever I call him, he comes. Then I smother him with love and treats. I worry like mad about him but I can not keep him inside. So, I must keep him healthy and happy and loved. If this shortens his lifespan (my other cat lived to 19, "Elvis"),at least I know that he was as happy as he could have been.
Chris
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jane
post Apr 5 2006, 04:12 PM
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Group: Pet Lovers
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Guys, I hear you. Believed the same thing myself. I felt sorry for North American indoor cats. In our society, all cats are indoor/ outdoor (we are in the tropics). Our young cat would come when called, and we kept him in at night or when out, but every 2 months or so he would stay out all night. We'd leave an access for him to get in, in case he was being chased. He wandered into our lives as a tiny stray, after living outside for soem time, kept FAR away from dogs, etc -- I thought he was savvy but still worried constantly. Then one day he didn't come back. He had been around all day, affectionate and snoozing, and then he was gone.

Well, I didn't intend to keep the 2 new kittens inside permanently, but we couldn't face this heartbreak again -- almost every day I pass a dead cat on the road and I know I've made the right decision to protect my cats. I do feel badly when they want to get out so we built them an outdoor "playpen" and they adore being outdoors, spending most of the day there.

I know so many people whose outdoor cats have lived to a ripe old age. I can't deal with the heartbreak again, and I think, knowing the pros and cons as I do since ours disappeared, I would feel responsible if anything happened this time.
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Ken Albin
post May 2 2006, 10:31 PM
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Group: Pet Lovers
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From: St. Augustine, Florida
Member No.: 854



A long time ago I used to think that cats belonged outdoors. Then one day I went out to the mailbox to find a neighborhood cat who had been hit by a car. I had to use a shovel to scrape his remains up to bury. A few years later we rescued our Tommy after a horrible experience. I have this story at Tommy's Story.

These incidents taught me that there are just too many dangers outside for our furkids. As far as barn cats are concerned, Daddy Cat and his son Casper both grew up in a barn with almost no human contact. For the first month after we took them in, Daddy Cat would go to the door and cry to be let out. We stayed firm and after that Daddy Cat acclimated to indoors wonderfully. After a year you could not have begged him to go out. He lived with us for 12 great years and Casper is sitting here now as I write this. Neither would have been here this many years if we had let them stay outside. You can read Daddy Cat's story to see that he was almost killed before we met him. His tribute page and life story is at the end of this email. Casper's story is at Casper.

My wife and I both volunteer for Goliath and Bebe's World, an animal rescue and adoption group. I can't count the horror stories that I hear from the foster parents of sme of the cats we adopt out. Several have had amputations from injuries suffered because of dog attacks, infection, etc... That is one reason why our main condition for adoption is that the cat adopted has to stay indoors at all times. With the companionship of people and other animals they adjust very well and live happy, long lives.

Sorry to sound so 'preachy' about it, but first hand experiences have made me a staunch supporter of keeping animals indoors. Please read some of the other posts about outdoor animals hit by cars or poisoned. Or you can subscribe to the group Petbunny at http://www.petbunny.net and ask some of the 500 members about their experiences with keeping rabbits in pens outside. Their stories are not for the squeemish but are truthful accounts of what can happen to outdoor pets. Please don't sacrifice your furkid just to learn this lesson.


--------------------

Daddy Cat left this world at the age of 17. His tribute page is at Daddy Cat's Tribute Page
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Kim R.
post May 4 2006, 10:07 PM
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Group: Pet Lovers
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I think it is simply ignorant to think that it is imperative to a cat to be outdoors?!?! My cat has never been outdoors (except to go for routine vet visits) and he is happy as a lark! As a matter of fact, since he has never been exposed to the outdoors, he is actually afraid of being outside! My cat was actually standing in the doorway as I was trying to get my Great Dane outside to go potty and when she walked through she accidentally knocked him out the door. He FREAKED OUT! Immediately fluffy tailed, he high tailed it straight back inside as though he had just escaped death! If a cat is never allowed to know what the outdoors are, they will never feel the need to go out there!
Shoe on the other foot is that sometimes, once a cat has been exposed to an extended time of life outdoors and enjoys that lifestyle, it is more difficult, and in my opinion sometimes cruel, to confine them indoors. As strongly as I feel about cats being strictly indoors, I myself have an outdoor cat! I have a cat that lives in my barn. She was a stray that just wandered up, and she was so sweet....I took her to have all her shots and spayed, and she officially became mine. When I tried to bring her inside, she immediately panicked and climbed the walls like a wild animal....I knew she would never be truly happy inside so I had to make a decision. I decided that her happiness would prevail at that point and she would remain living the way she was used to for so many years..I felt like keeping her indoors, although it would be for her best interest, would actually be cruel at that point.
Point being is that the idea is to not let them out from day one~what they don't know they can't miss!!
Kim


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Sidney's Buddy
post May 22 2006, 07:48 AM
Post #9





Group: Pet Lovers
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From: Westchester County, New York
Member No.: 1,481



In my life I've lost three outdoor cats. One was mauled by a dog, one was hit by a car, and one simply dissappeared. That's enough for me. No more.

I take my cats out into my garden on harnesses. They seem perfectly happy to wear them. When I would show Sidney his harness he would start purring loudly. He had no problem wearing it and it would enable me to do my necessary work without worry.


--------------------
Sidney, Bergie you know that you are the light of my life. We will miss and love you forever.
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Phinny1
post Jun 23 2006, 08:49 AM
Post #10





Group: Pet Lovers
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I'm sorry but I have to disagree with most of you. Animals aren't meant to be kept inside all the time. It's not natural. Why is it when these animals get free they return to their natural state? It is us that is forcing them to live in an unatural way.
I equate it to being in prison. Can you imagine being in square box all of your life only to be able to look out of a window? Why would you do this to a cat/dog?
Yes, I understand we want them to be safe. And certainly I would never wish for any of you to lose your companion. But confining them to the indoors is not the solution. I think proper supervision is the key. I let my cats out, only when I am around. I walk with them around the house and at some point I bring them back in. They learn their boundries and know I will not permit them to wander off. Sometimes I use a harness. I've yet to lose a cat from being outside. They love to be outdoors, smell the air, mark their territory, get the tactile feeling of their surroundings. To keep them indoors entirely you are depriving them of their most basic needs/instincts.

Take care all,

Chris


--------------------
Moo - I miss your walrus kisses.
Rocky - What a gift it was to have you in in our lives. My heart aches daily for you and I can't wait to see you again.
...love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."- Kahlil Gibran
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mosmommy
post Jun 23 2006, 11:53 AM
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Group: Pet Lovers
Posts: 190
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All I can give is my take on this from my life.
I have had indoor cats since I was a baby. When I moved out on my own, I got 2 kittens. When they were about a year old, we had to move into my partner's parents home for a few months. They had all outdoor cats, so I knew instantly that it would be difficult to keep mine in while their cats went out. Within the first few days, my thoughtless father-in-law accidently ( negligently) let my cat Jedi out one morning before he went to work. I never saw him again! I tried for weeks to find him, with no results. I know part of the reason was that we had just moved, and he was not used to his new surroundings, also there is a busy highway about 50 feet from the front door.
Within a month, my cat Zachary was let out in the same manner, negligence, ignorance.
I called his name on and off for a few hours, but no sight of him. As I was changing his drinking water, a woman pulled into the driveway ( I figured she was an Avon lady or something) but she was there to tell me that a orange cat had just been hit in front of the house. There were 2 orange cats that lived there, so I wasn't sure which one it was.
I walked to the road, and it was my Zack! He was in the center of 2 - 55 m.p.h. lanes of traffic, and noone would even slow down so that I could get him. I was hysterical, crying and screaming, and finally my hubby's brother came out and got him for me. Later, my hubby and his Dad buried him.
After that, I took in the 2 nephews of my boys and they looked exacly like their uncles did. Orange tiger Beaner, looked like Zack, and black Bones, looked like Jedi. A few months later, I also took in a orange tiger named Tom, whose elderly owner had passed away.
By the end of the year, I had also adopted my white boy Rufus ( he is still with us now), and we moved to a new place. After some time, I allowed the 4 of them to go out whenever they wanted, Beaner liked to follow you around, Bones and Rufus stayed close, but Tom went missing and I never saw him again!
We moved again with our 3 boys, and in 1995, we got our Mo. By this point, they were indoor cats, but had an enclosed balcony to hang around on and were purrfectly content.
In March 1996, we got our first female dog, Sage. Later that year, we took in her Mom, Coco. Sage had been trained off the leash, but Coco wasn't.
In the fall of 1997, we got our black and white boy, Creep (actually his given name was Spock).
We were a happy, indoor family with the exception that the dogs needed to go out. Even Bones and Cosmo had both gone missing by accident for 2-3 days, at different times, but returned on their own, unharmed.
During Christmas 1999, we bought our home in the country, and had to teach the dogs new boundaries, but they learned and now both are "leash free", and stay in the boundary of the property. Even with squirrels, birds, and the occasional stray, they obey my commands.
In May 2000, Bones went to live with Aaron's sister, they were just the perfect match, and although it was tough, I let him go. He happily lived outside at her house until 2003, when he passed away.
As some of you may know, I had to put my Creep down on May 22, 2004 from irreperable megacolon. I had to put my Cosmo down on May 24, 2005 from kidney failure. I have lost several pet mice since November 2004. Beaner just passed away on Father's Day this year.
My story is bittersweet, and I would love to let my babies roam free, but even though I live on a rural route, daytime traffic does go at speeds 0f 45-60 m.p.h. Not to mention the coyotes, bears, racoons, and possums that all pose an extreme danger to all my babies.
I give my babies my all; undivided attention, tons of toys, treats galore, and many open windows when the weather allows. They seem happy to me, and never try to escape.
This is my personal choice from my experiences, and I live with it because when they are killed by a car or wild animal, or just disappear altogether, there is alot of guilt left to deal with. Knowing they are safe brings me peace, and my peace brings them peace.
Just my thoughts,
Michelle


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Our beloved Cosmo came to us in June 1995, and died on May 24, 2005.
Our beloved Beaner came to us in April 1992, and died on June 18, 2006.
Our beloved Creep came to us in October 1997, and died on May 22, 2004.
All our babies are loved and sorely missed.
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