Why are more "house" cats now?

People used to let cats go out whenever and wherever, why do people lock up their cats in their homes now? what has changed?

A lot of cities and towns have 'leash laws' for dogs, and restrictions for cats as well.

One of my neighbors actually had a dispute with another neighbor after the cat one owned jumped on their new truck and scratched the paint. Not only did the cat owner have to use their home owners insurance to pay for damage to the truck but they were fined by the town for not properly securing the cat to their own property.

When people don't spay/neuter their animals they'll breed- cats can and do turn feral, which can cause overpopulation problems, destruction of property and at times environmental unrest when fleas, disease and illnesses are spread.

It can also cause an overload with local agencies- police being called when there are 'strays' or damage, city workers being called to pick up the deceased off of roads- animal control agencies work harder and therefore use more tax payer funded money in housing, caring for, euthanizing and disposing of the unwanted, hurt or stray animals.

Of course, there comes the point of protecting the animal, may they be dogs or cats- from injury, disease, predators, unruly individuals and others of their kind.

I guess people want to 'protect' their investments as well. Or, maybe it's their own money, LOL! Injured pets co$t to repair and give medical attention to, something that people don't always have immediate funds to attend to. A healthy, relatively "safe" animal is generally less costly to have which in the end will be more beneficial to all involved, and especially when animals reach a more advanced age and need additional funding to better their existance overall.

Very informative.
People did not seem to have that kind of problem for hundreds of years until now.

I guess that comes at the cost of the cats' freedom and their ability to defend themselves. I'd go crazy if I am locked inside the same house for life lol.

For me I learned indoor cats live longer healthier lives than out door cats.

(02-26-2012 01:04 PM)bw Wrote:  For me I learned indoor cats live longer healthier lives than out door cats. Of course that is a rule of thumb and there are exceptions to every rule. But for the most part I think it is true. I have had people tell me cats are happier when they can go outside. Several times over the years I have had to shovel up someones outdoor cat from our alley and I have to say, they did not look too happy to me.

I know someone's indoor cat is 18 years old now. But you know, usually animals in captivity do live longer than their wild counterparts. It still does not cover the fact that their wild relatives are more healthier, stronger. I can imagine that with proper food and care, animals in captivity will never need to go through the trouble of looking for food, and being constantly starving and maybe in fear of natural predators, but I can also imagine how the animals stay indoor throughout their life are physically weaker and easier to get sick. Just like humans who rarely go out to participate in outdoor activities.

There is also the fact of "freedom". Being locked up inside the same house for life sounds horrible to me lol.

My cats seem happy and according to the vet they are healthy.

It would be obviously that the cats never go out will have less chance to catch diseases and parasites.

Lots of indoor cats are over-weighted though. Some people's houses are just not big enough for them for basic "exercises".

Our place is large.

Ten years used to be a good lifespan for a typical pet cat. Now it's fifteen to twenty, partly becuase if better nutrition and vet care, but also from keeping them inside more. Yes, it's a trade off; limited freedom for safety. That's why we need to go out of our way to make the indoors more interesting. Sometomes just having another cat or a dog for company is enough. Other times you need to hide portions of dry food around your house for them to hunt for, even puting some into treat-balls or puzzle-boxes so they have to figure out how to get it out. Also, rotating toys so there's constantly "new" things to play with. A birdfeeder to watch through the window also helps.

I agree. As I've said, we have three

That's a good question! I remember when I was a kid a lot of people would let their cats outside. I have 5, only 2 of whom go outside. One we adopted as an adult, and he was already an outdoor cat, so it wouldn't have been fair to him to change that. The other one we adopted as a kitten and intended on keeping him as an indoor cat, but he decided one day that he wanted to see what the outside world was all about, as he decided that he liked it. We tried to discourage him from going outside at first, but then gave in. There is no humanly possible way to tell a cat it can't do something Our other 3, also adopted as kittens have shown no interest in going outside, so we keep them inside.

I think the difference between then and now is people just don't feel as safe as they used to.

(03-01-2012 07:27 AM)CrazyCatLady Wrote:  That's a good question! I remember when I was a kid a lot of people would let their cats outside. I have 5, only 2 of whom go outside. One we adopted as an adult, and he was already an outdoor cat, so it wouldn't have been fair to him to change that. The other one we adopted as a kitten and intended on keeping him as an indoor cat, but he decided one day that he wanted to see what the outside world was all about, as he decided that he liked it. We tried to discourage him from going outside at first, but then gave in. There is no humanly possible way to tell a cat it can't do something Our other 3, also adopted as kittens have shown no interest in going outside, so we keep them inside.

I think the difference between then and now is people just don't feel as safe as they used to.

Welcome, CatLady!

I never personally had a cat myself, but when I was a kid I've seen cats walking outside all the time lol. My dad always had family cats when he was a kid. The cats would go out and have fun, then return for food on time.
I agree that the outside world is more dangerous for the cats as well as for humans lol. At least compare to stay at home.

One of my dad childhood cats died because of suspected rat poisoning. She had several kitties while still going out for fun, but she would come back for food and to breast feeding the kitties. One day my great grandmother prepared the cat food and did not see her come home on time. When she looked for the cat, the cat was already home early, but she was dead beside the kitties. I think she struggled to come back to her kitties when she didn't feel well.
At least all the kitties were healthy, and my dad kept one with him while the rest were given away.

Well, I don't see many cats walking around outside any more. It is a rare sight around here these days.

Hi Crazy Cat Lady! Good to see you here.

I grew up on a farm so every cat that I knew was an outside, nearly wild cat. I noticed people having inside cats as I grew up and I notice that the nature of the inside cats are not much different from outside cats because they bothe share the curiosity to explore. I notice indoor cats often looking out the doors and windows with such curiosity I want to open the window and door and let them go, but it isn't certain that they will return, be able to protect themselves, or keep from threatening others because I do remember the fights between cats that would arise betwen the male farm cats.

I have had to shovel so many dead cats from our alley that I am never tempted to let one out.

They are probably abandoned cats or they have lost their way home. Poor kitties.

Most of the ones I feed outside that I know die succum to infections from bite wounds they recieve when they get in fights. So for me, the most likely cause of death in outdoor cats is other cats. Another good reason to keep yours inside.

Fights, poison, traffic, diseases. All good reasons to keep your cat inside.

ADMIN, They are not all homeless. We have neighbors that let their cats roam. Maybe I should leave the dead ones for them to shovel up.