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Our cat was indoor/outdoor that we would keep in at night due to a (justified) fear of larger predators. He lived a very long and healthy life and I definitely

Our cat was indoor/outdoor that we would keep in at night due to a (justified) fear of larger predators. He lived a very long and healthy life and I definitely attribute that to him spending many of his waking hours outside engaged in hunting and patrolling behavior. I'm not sure that a leeshed walk would be a good substitute though, since a patrolling cat wants to be able to start hunting a rodent or fleeing danger at a moment's notice, and I suspect that some of the exercise is in sprinting, running up trees, and pouncing on prey. In my cat's later years he lost the boldness to stalk our entire yard by himself, but would enjoy it if we walked out there with him so he could smell everything without fear. The benefit of the walk is probably keeping the cat mentally active rather than physically.

e40 8y ago
I came home from a trip one day and there was a beautiful cat sitting in my driveway. He was super friendly and chatty. It was getting cold, so we let him sleep just inside the front door on a towel. In the morning he would wait to be let out. Before he arrived we had a problem with mice and rats. He immediately went to work cleaning up the area, and leaving us tributes on the front porch. When we didn't take them, he would finish them off. He only came in at night, and loved being outside. He did get into it with a raccoon (we assume). He had a tooth imbedded near his tail. Had to have minor surgery and wear a cone and stay inside for 3 weeks. I caught this while he was using the litter in front of the house: https://i.redd.it/i8gwk5nod2321.png https://i.redd.it/i8gwk5nod2321.png I agree with others that outdoor cats can live a shortened life. He was with us for 6 years and was probably a few years old when he arrived. If your cat likes the leash and walking, it will be a treat. I think lots of cats might not like it.

e40 8y ago

I came home from a trip one day and there was a beautiful cat sitting in my driveway. He was super friendly and chatty. It was getting cold, so we let him sleep just inside the front door on a towel. In the morning he would wait to be let out. Before he arrived we had a problem with mice and rats. He immediately went to work cleaning up the area, and leaving us tributes on the front porch. When we didn't take them, he would finish them off. He only came in at night, and loved being outside. He did get into it with a raccoon (we assume). He had a tooth imbedded near his tail. Had to have minor surgery and wear a cone and stay inside for 3 weeks. I caught this while he was using the litter in front of the house: https://i.redd.it/i8gwk5nod2321.png https://i.redd.it/i8gwk5nod2321.png I agree with others that outdoor cats can live a shortened life. He was with us for 6 years and was probably a few years old when he arrived. If your cat likes the leash and walking, it will be a treat. I think lots of cats might not like it.