Should domesticated cats be allowed outside?

[Fudgepuppy]

EDIT. This concerns letting out on their own. Not with supervision or with a leash. If your answer is "yes but only with a leash", the answer should be "No" in the poll.

While the answers in the poll are quite binary, I would say it's okay for there to be exceptions. For example, you could say "they should not be allowed outside, except for maybe at farms where they're taking care of mice".

So vote for the option you lean the most towards.

 

[Spork4000]

Why would you do this?

The can of worms is open I guess.

 

[WedgeX]

Why would you do this

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And on the weekend, no less.

 

[Fat4all]

my statement on this is to keep cats inside, and walk them like dogs outside

yes, on a leash/lead

 

[Fat4all]

my statement on this is to keep cats inside, and walk them like dogs outside

yes, on a leash/lead

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so I guess… yes*?

 

[Kyuuji]

You know what you're doing with this one lol

 

[Last_colossi]

With supervision yes.

 

[Walter White Walker]

Binary choice, so I voted no. However, I do understand there are places where it's ok, while where I live it's a big fat no.

 

[Fudgepuppy]

so I guess… yes*?

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That reads like a no to me.

Updating the post

 

[Soj]

Yes, while supervised.

I take my cats outside every day to have a run around. I don't let them wander freely to hunt.

 

[Deleted member 93841]

Ey, I always love this thread.

I keep my kitties inside, make sure they have plenty of toys to entertain them and I play with them every day. They're happy, they're healthy and they're safe. They don't kill animals unnecessarily and they don't pester the neighbors.

 

[Fat4all]

That reads like a no to me.

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OH GOD

 

[lvl 99 Pixel]

Brought to you by Stray, the video game.

 

[entremet]

Doesn't work in the US. You EU folks killed a lot of your wildlife so I guess it makes sense there.

 

[Fat4all]

Brought to you by Stray, the video game.

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THE PROPAGANDA

THE PLATFORM

 

[Strings]

Blagh, not this again. A thousand times no, but we'll get some really disgruntled posters who ignore all studies and logic to claim otherwise.

 

[hobblygobbly]

the vast majority of cats in europe are outside cats if they have easy access to the ground floor and have been that way since domesticated cats were in europe in the first place

 

[Last_colossi]

That reads like a no to me.

Updating the post

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So the thread title should be "Should domesticated cats be allowed outside unsupervised?".

 

[Fat4all]

farm cats need a union

farm cats need structure

 

[Tygre]

This thread will go as well as the last dozen of threads on the subject.


People from countries where cats going outside is normal and has been happening for more than a thousand years will say yes, of course cats should go outside, it's normal and has been happening for over a thousand years.

People from countries where cats are a more recent invasive species, or from countries where cats face an increased number of dangers from local wildlife, will say no, letting your cats outside is too risky and irresponsible.

Everyone will talk past each other.
People will post bullshit studies that they cherry-pick details to support their position from.
Cultural and environmental differences will be ignored in favour of simplistic moralism and name calling.


Speaking from a UK perspective: Of course cats should be allowed outside, it's normal and natural and has been happening for over a thousand years. Walking around the neighbourhood handing out pets to a variety of affectionate fluffballs is one of the great joys of a summer in the British countryside.

Outdoor cats in the UK are healthy, they're happy, and they make the world a brighter place.

 

[Fudgepuppy]

So the thread title should be "Should domesticated cats be allowed outside unsupervised?".

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I can't seem to change the title :(

 

[Pop-O-Matic]

 

[Fat4all]

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Jesus fucking christ

 

[Last_colossi]

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Oh… god.

I'm out.

 

[RPGam3r]

I don't really like the idea of letting a cat outside bc it's introducing an invasive predator. Then you can go into it being a nuisance to your neighbors.

 

[Fudgepuppy]

This thread will go as well as the last dozen of threads on the subject.


People from countries where cats going outside is normal and has been happening for more than a thousand years will say yes, of course cats should go outside, it's normal and has been happening for over a thousand years.

People from countries where cats are a more recent invasive species, or from countries where cats face an increased number of dangers from local wildlife, will say no, letting your cats outside is too risky and irresponsible.

Everyone will talk past each other.
People will post bullshit studies that they cherry-pick details to support their position from.
Cultural and environmental differences will be ignored in favour of simplistic moralism and name calling.


Speaking from a UK perspective: Of course cats should be allowed outside, it's normal and natural and has been happening for over a thousand years. Walking around the neighbourhood handing out pets to a variety of affectionate fluffballs is one of the great joys of a summer in the British countryside.

Outdoor cats in the UK are healthy, they're happy, and they make the world a brighter place.

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I'm from a country where it's normal for cats to be outside, and I grew up with cats being let outside.

I still voted no.

 

[Saladin]

No. Mine are too scared to even walk outside and I like it that way

 

[PinkSpider]

Didn't we do this a few weeks ago; UK people who aren't near main roads and people in other countries in which it's safe are often fine with it with those who don't understand people who live in safe areas do not get this. (I've always had out door cats, currently live off a terrace off the main street with no traffic and no natural predators, generally always have lived in these places or the cat has used the back garden. My cat sits and shits (He has a litter tray too which he mostly uses) in the garden (And generally my garden or yard), usually just chills out in the yard in front of the garden).

Only ever had one issue with a cat been outdoors over say 10 or so cats we've had in my life and that was a cyclist on the pavement in which they should not have been.

 

[Deleted member 10691]

As a bird lover absolutely not. Fortunately we have mountain lions and coyotes in town so pets owners have learned to keep them inside.

 

[Tygre]

I'm from a country where it's normal for cats to be outside, and I grew up with cats being let outside.

I still voted no.

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Why?

Didn't we do this a few weeks ago

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Yes

 

[MrKlaw]

This thread will go as well as the last dozen of threads on the subject.


People from countries where cats going outside is normal and has been happening for more than a thousand years will say yes, of course cats should go outside, it's normal and has been happening for over a thousand years.

People from countries where cats are a more recent invasive species, or from countries where cats face an increased number of dangers from local wildlife, will say no, letting your cats outside is too risky and irresponsible.

Everyone will talk past each other.
People will post bullshit studies that they cherry-pick details to support their position from.
Cultural and environmental differences will be ignored in favour of simplistic moralism and name calling.


Speaking from a UK perspective: Of course cats should be allowed outside, it's normal and natural and has been happening for over a thousand years. Walking around the neighbourhood handing out pets to a variety of affectionate fluffballs is one of the great joys of a summer in the British countryside.

Outdoor cats in the UK are healthy, they're happy, and they make the world a brighter place.

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if you could train them to not shit in my garden I'll agree with you. I 99% already do

 

[Arsene no Kiseki]

Not a fan of it no. My cat wont leave the backyard and im okay with that. I take comfort in knowing my cat is safe and happy when im not around

Guess it depends where you live though.

 

[Lobster Roll]

I've participated in this tinder box of a discussion here and in real life enough times to decide that I'm just not going to participate in the mayhem this time.

 

[Fudgepuppy]

Why?

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Because I don't see how the benefits outweigh the negatives. They kill other wildlife (my mom's cat would bring home a squirrel and badger almost every day, dude was a fucking monster in general), and it increases the chance that they never come back.

My local grocery store has like five different missing cats posters, with all of them saying "he usually comes home after a couple of days, but now he's been gone for three weeks", and I'm just thinking how everyone of those families probably have children and others who love that cat, who will now probably never see it again.

 

[jph139]

As a default, no - not if it's domesticated. For a variety of reasons, health of the cat, health of the environment, so on. I understand there's a lot of cultural inertia but "it's the way it's always been" is rarely a good defense for something.

Like, cats tend to be pretty agile, but that doesn't mean they can't get sniped by a coyote or other midsize predator, run over by a car, trapped/hurt/whatever at their own pace. So it's unnecessary risk for the cat. And on the other hand, cats are killing machines AND have the unfair advantage of always getting square meals and shelter. Not only will they kill wildlife, their ability to kill wildlife probably muscles out a lot of other animals who are already being muscled out by humans. So unnecessary risk for the environment.

Cats are probably happier outside, but they're also happier fucking each other and fighting each other and eating whatever they want and all sorts of stuff that's bad for them. The tradeoff of being a pet is that you get food, shelter, and affection, but you get your little animal freedoms restricted. Sorry cats, thems the rules!

 

[Sidebuster]

I imagine it depends on the person and place, but I let cats outside when they ask because it feels really controlling to force this animal to stay inside when they're begging me to go out. I also live in the country where everyone lives on an acre+ and surrounded by farms. They only ever stay out for like 15 minutes and stay in the yard, so it's been okay. You also have to be okay with the fact that they might get got but at least they weren't imprisoned in a house.

 

[leafcutter]

Depends on the cat.

 

[Deleted member 93841]

if you could train them to not shit in my garden I'll agree with you. I 99% already do

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There's nothing quite like doing some Sunday afternoon gardening only to dig up a bunch of cat turds.

 

[Surakian]

Sure if you want a coyote to eat them.

 

[Booshka]

I used to let my cat out all the time, but realize how destructive that is to local wildlife and how risky it was for my cat.

I voted no even though I do like seeing domestic cats outside, they are too destructive and humans are already leading to catastrophic biodiversity collapse, don't need our cats to help the process. They are also at increased risk of being killed by coyotes as we creep our cities and suburbs outward and coyotes adapt to urban living.

 

[Mesoian]

Depends on the area.

I would never let a cat out in a city space. So many of the cats around here get fucked up cars or get sick from unchecked Rodentia.

When I lived in the mountains though, sure. They always came back and were healthy and the only thing I had to directly worry about was flea and tick medication. Eventually they got old and fat and didn't want to go beyond the yard anyway.

 

[nekkid]

Do you live outside America?

 

[Moogle]

ResetEra has proven time and time again that this thread will not end well.