3 ms·

> i keep mine strictly indoors for peace of mind In the Rest of the World you do have some cats kept indoors the whole time but it is not the normal thing to d

> i keep mine strictly indoors for peace of mind In the Rest of the World you do have some cats kept indoors the whole time but it is not the normal thing to do. Only in America are they de-clawed, kept inside an apartment for their whole life and not given special 'cat' rights to do things like climbing really 'dangerous' cat ladders. Cats very much have their own patch to patrol. Their home is there for them come feeding time. Despite being portrayed as antisocial they do interact with other cats in occupying this larger territory. In a society where people let their cats patrol their territory it seems cruel keeping them indoors. In a street with lots of cats you would let yours out too. But if all the cats are locked away and not able to roam then you would lock your cat away too. Interesting how Switzerland also has much more cat friendly traffic than what you get in America. Maybe this is why America has become this place where people lock up cats and daren't let them roam freely.

clairity 7y ago
most people understand declawing is cruel and don't do it. and as i've witnessed far too often in my own neighborhood, feral cats often live short lives and suffer tragic deaths. unless you have supportive research in human-feline relations, cat population epidemiology and comparative global felis catus sociology buttressing those anti-american presumptions, my cats will continue enjoying their happy indoor lives.
- thunderrabbit 7y ago
  For me, the "logic" goes like this: my cat wants to go outside, so I let him outside. (He was neutered, so not going to make any more cats.) He's an adult (cat) and can make his own decisions. I won't let my (small) fear of his death imeped his (great) desire to go outside. Update: he lived a long-for-a-cat happy life and passed peacefully several years ago.
  - clairity 7y ago
    it's nice to hear that your cat had a good life. however your experience doesn't generalize, particularly your assessment of the risks and benefits. i watched a neighbor's cat get hit by a car and then die in my hands. the mortality rate for cats in my neighborhood is probably north of 20% per year (huge). it would be irresponsible to expose my cats to such risk when they're quite content already. mortality would have to be less than 1% (small) for me to reconsider.

clairity 7y ago

most people understand declawing is cruel and don't do it. and as i've witnessed far too often in my own neighborhood, feral cats often live short lives and suffer tragic deaths. unless you have supportive research in human-feline relations, cat population epidemiology and comparative global felis catus sociology buttressing those anti-american presumptions, my cats will continue enjoying their happy indoor lives.

thunderrabbit 7y ago
For me, the "logic" goes like this: my cat wants to go outside, so I let him outside. (He was neutered, so not going to make any more cats.) He's an adult (cat) and can make his own decisions. I won't let my (small) fear of his death imeped his (great) desire to go outside. Update: he lived a long-for-a-cat happy life and passed peacefully several years ago.
- clairity 7y ago
  it's nice to hear that your cat had a good life. however your experience doesn't generalize, particularly your assessment of the risks and benefits. i watched a neighbor's cat get hit by a car and then die in my hands. the mortality rate for cats in my neighborhood is probably north of 20% per year (huge). it would be irresponsible to expose my cats to such risk when they're quite content already. mortality would have to be less than 1% (small) for me to reconsider.