discussion Do you believe in “Cats should be banned outdoors”

[glitch]

26 minutes ago, americanshameless said:

Massive stereotype 

My point is that cats can go out and exercise and provide their own mental stimulation. Dogs can't really do that without a human to walk them or play with them.

[Bloo]

Cats shouldn’t be outside. Outdoor domesticated cats are basically eco terrorists. 

[aesthetic bih]

2 hours ago, Archetype said:

Domesticated cats have been around for over 10,000 years, and within the past 200, humans have trained them to be lazy, fat, and diabetic.  If other small animals, which are supposed to be able to survive in the wild, can’t outrun or fly away from a simple house cat that has never needed to hunt for food in its life, then maybe cats aren’t the problem.  

well, when you think of it that way, you kinda have a point! 

[Aethereal]

2 hours ago, Archetype said:

Domesticated cats have been around for over 10,000 years, and within the past 200, humans have trained them to be lazy, fat, and diabetic.  If other small animals, which are supposed to be able to survive in the wild, can’t outrun or fly away from a simple house cat that has never needed to hunt for food in its life, then maybe cats aren’t the problem.  

Cats are not killing enough rats, they are being fed by their owners.

[NeverSincerely]

That would ignore the real cause of of all these animals going extinct and being endangered. Even if you got rid of all cats tomorrow, humans would still be encroaching on these animals natural habitats, stripping areas of vital natural resources, making their homes uninhabitable due rampant pollution, accelerating climate change ect. Like deal with the real problems first if you actually care about these endangered animals  

[SapphireSky]

My cat is 17 and has always been  outdoors

[She-Rah]

3 hours ago, Archetype said:

Domesticated cats have been around for over 10,000 years, and within the past 200, humans have trained them to be lazy, fat, and diabetic.  If other small animals, which are supposed to be able to survive in the wild, can’t outrun or fly away from a simple house cat that has never needed to hunt for food in its life, then maybe cats aren’t the problem.  

This. 
 

and my cat literally has a bell on his collard that should alarm any potential prey that he’s nearby, and he STILL catches birds, squirrels, snakes etc. I kept my cat inside until he was big, neutered and strong enough, but after 1 year of being indoor, he kept begging to go outside and I live in a neighborhood with very little traffic action so I felt comfortable letting him out once a day. Then, I saw how happy he was running around our backyard jumping around and climbing trees I did not have the heart to keep him indoors only anymore. Folks kept telling me he was going to live less years by being outdoor but I say at least he will live those years HAPPY doing what he loves instead of him getting to live past 20 years fat, diabetic and depressed indoors just sleeping all day.

Edited December 3, 2023 by She-Rah

[bjorn]

38 minutes ago, NeverSincerely said:

That would ignore the real cause of of all these animals going extinct and being endangered. Even if you got rid of all cats tomorrow, humans would still be encroaching on these animals natural habitats, stripping areas of vital natural resources, making their homes uninhabitable due rampant pollution, accelerating climate change ect. Like deal with the real problems first if you actually care about these endangered animals  

This is what I’m thinking. Isn’t HUMANS the real cause of wild life going extinct, not singling out cats lol 

[ICLDXU4HS]

2 hours ago, BletaRexher said:

Every single person I’ve known who lets their cat go in and outside has had their cat die prematurely outside. 
So if you hate your cat let it be outside I guess. It’s low key animal abuse in my opinion. I have no idea how you could love a cat then be like “k, now go fend for yourself and get run over now kitty!”

Most pets/animals live longer in captivity. That doesn't necessarily mean that they're happier. Forcing your cat to spend its entire life in a small apartment sounds closer to animal abuse to me than letting it roam. My friend's mom has a cat that's over 20 years old and has spent all its life in like 2 rooms. I've never seen it not look miserable, lethargic and bored. 

 

Obviously you have to take into consideration where you live. It wouldn't be smart to let a cat roam around the city center or near busy roads. If you live in a small village or on the edge of the woods I'd find it cruel to not give your cat the opportunity to go outside. It's pretty much the norm where I live for cats to have a kitty door and come and go as they please. 

Edited December 3, 2023 by ICLDXU4HS

[Feanor]

Yes.

 

BUT in return people need to also make sure that there's enough for your cats to do indoors, like plenty of stimulation physically and mentally, enough space for their zoomies etc and ideally a 2nd cat so that they have someone of their own species to spend time with. If you have a balcony or garden that you can turn into a little cat-proof, but still enclosed outdoor area, that'd be perfect ofc, but generally I'm against letting cats roam freely.

[Afterglow]

2 hours ago, Bloo said:

Cats shouldn’t be outside. Outdoor domesticated cats are basically eco terrorists. 

Wait a min...  is this a human calling a cat an eco terrorist?

[Reginald]

Banned, no. But as an owner of two cats who lives in a neighborhood, I would NEVER let them free roam.

 

Cats are predators, but they're also small enough to be prey, or get hit by a moving vehicle. If you live in a city, it's irresponsible as hell to let your pets run around unsupervised.  

[Arrows]

Absolutely, if the ecosystem isn’t used to them

[She-Rah]

1 hour ago, glitch said:

My point is that cats can go out and exercise and provide their own mental stimulation. Dogs can't really do that without a human to walk them or play with them.

Plus, if I’m going for a walk, I’d rather encounter a domesticated cat than a dog without a leash (dog owners LOVE letting their dogs walk around without a leash when they take them for a walk) 

 

so many stories of children and older people being killed by bug dogs.

 

has a domesticated cat ever killed a human? 

[TaggedGalaxy]

Yes they are invasive and awful for the eco system

[Afterglow]

49 minutes ago, TaggedGalaxy said:

Yes they are invasive and awful for the eco system

And what are you to the ecosystem? 

[kawk]

so what if some unknown birds that no one cares about or can even name go extinct.. let the kitties feast!  

[Bloo]

8 hours ago, Afterglow said:

Wait a min...  is this a human calling a cat an eco terrorist?

Maybe you should read about the ecological footprint that human-domesticated cats have on wildlife when they’re let outside. This is still a human problem at the end of the day, but it isn’t trivial.

[John Slayne]

i think it depends on the cat and where you live. i know cat owners whose cats are fixed and go outside but usually don't go far beyond the garden, they just chill somewhere near the house. 

[magazine]

No. We need them to [redacted] the RATS out in the street 

[khalyan]

14 hours ago, Prodigal Self said:

They don't if you fix them. Easy!

My fixed male of 3 years wants to run outside nearly every time I open the door. It’s not that easy

[khalyan]

It’s very dependent on the situation. 
 

I have two cats in my apartment that never go outside. I also take care of two cats outside my apartment that refuse to come inside (plus four inside cats is a lot in a small apartment). 
 

I have helped fix those two cats and nearly 10 more in the years I’ve lived at the apartment. I have built shelters for the outside cats and provide a constant food and water source. Because they are constantly fed, they don’t feel the need to bother birds or other wildlife that might show up (we get possums every now and then and they leave them alone). 
 

You do the best you can to be responsible and there isn’t anything else you can do. 

[KOMH]

It should absolutely be illegal to keep a cat outside. A cat kept outside but fed by its “owner” is functionally an invasive species.

[Sabrina Carpenter]

i kinda agree because it’s risky for them to be outside not because they’re a “danger to wildlife”