do you let your cats outside?

United States
November 16, 2008 8:27pm CST
I have 3 cats all are indoor cats. Last night 2 of them got out for the first time ever because someone didnt shut my door all the way. One came home at 1am and the other I looked everywere for and she finally came home at 6am. I couldnt sleep untill they both came home. I am a worrier. So if your cats are indoor cats would you wait up if they got out?
9 people like this
27 responses
@phoenix25 (1541)
• United States
17 Nov 08
My cat is an indoor/outdoor cat. I don't worry about her being outside. I think she used to be a farm cat because when we first got her she was always going through the trash and she always wanted to go outside. We let her in and out as she pleases, though sometimes it gets annoying. When she wants to come inside, she jumps up on the window outside of our living room and clings onto the screen on the window until we let her in. But, she likes it outside and she hunts animals and likes to go to the bathroom out there. In the winter, she stays inside more, but she still goes out if there's no snow on the ground. She hates the snow on her feet.
• United States
17 Nov 08
That is cute, I think that I wouldnt worry so much if they were raised outdoor/indoor but there are wild dogs around here and that kind of thing.
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
17 Nov 08
Before my dad moved in with me to tend to his ailing health he had many many cats on his farm. He has 280 acres and got a few cats from a neighbor. Well these cats turned injto about 50 in a few years time. They were all outdoor ferrals except for the first one which was an indoor one. He would set out food for them twice daily. He'd mix dry food with cooked macaroni and cheese for them. As expected a lot were lost due to wolves, foxes, and rthe ocaasional car collison on the highway. But he loved all those cats. HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB !!~
• United States
17 Nov 08
I have a cat that is a year and 3 months old and he has been raised indoor his whole life but he's really sneaky and he likes to sneak outside when people go in and out the door, and boy he's super quick when he runs out the door and it's hard to stop him. I wish he wouldn't sneak out because he get's really scared once he's outside and he always hides and we can't find him sometimes. I thought that since we got him fixed when he was 6 months old that it would cure him from having the desire to sneak out, but apparently it didn't work. He's such a big baby and does not know how to defend himself, I worry about him a lot when he sneaks out and I also don't like it when he brings flea's back with him because I'm always having to make trips to the vet to buy him expensive flea treatments( those are the only flea treatments that work)
2 people like this
• United States
17 Nov 08
yes my male cat is also like that. he is a big baby. He is the one that didnt get out. I am glad to see that I am not the only one. LOL
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63194)
• United States
17 Nov 08
Well, all my cats are inside cats. Not to say they don't have a place they can get outside, I have a porch made just for them so they can be outside, but safe. There's a flap in a window they go in and out thru. If any do get outside, I do worry about them. Generally tho, its Gabby, Booboo or Ping that get out and Boo and Ping are pretty easy to catch. Gabby is harder, but she's been getting out less.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63194)
• United States
17 Nov 08
We thought so....
• United States
17 Nov 08
that is a good idea if I had my ow nhouse I would make a porch area for them.
1 person likes this
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
17 Nov 08
Hello ladybug. I don't have cats, but I will be worried my cat if it is an indoor cat. Well, I live on campus and there are quite a few cats raised by the school canteen. These cats run wild in every corner of the campus. They are not neutered and make a lot of loud noise in the evening, very scary when heard at night when everyone is sleeping. But anyway, it is good that these cats make those rats seldom run to our apartments. In fact, I have not seen rats on campus yet. It owes a lot to these cats.
1 person likes this
• China
6 Dec 08
Yeah, noisy cats make the rats away, which is true indeed.
• United States
17 Nov 08
I hate the sound of cats fighting at night! That is good that they keep the rats away.
@merstar1 (76)
• United States
17 Nov 08
I have one cat, he is my heart, and I "never" let him outisde. He'll be 6 years old next month. I'm too afraid that something bad will happen to him. I can tell he kind of resents and doesn't understand, but he just doesn't get that it's for his own good. Recently, there's been an outside female cat that comes around, his new friend. She'll pop up once in a while to see him. She seems to be funny about me and she won't let me catch her. I think she belongs to someone in the apartment across the way from me. I've been opening my door to let my cat and her just touch noses for a moment and sit there to look at each other. One day she even stepped in and back out real quick about two times. My cat normally doesn't try to get out, but when I came home the other, both hands full of groceries, he looked he was about to try to dart out the door. That totally freaked my out. I would be in a total panic if anything ever happened to him.
1 person likes this
• United States
17 Nov 08
that is so sweet. my animals are like kids to me I would be really sad if anything happened to them.
• United States
17 Nov 08
By the way, my cat is fixed, but I don't know about his outside friend.
1 person likes this
• United States
17 Nov 08
I believe if you truly are looking out for the best interest of your cat then you shouldn't let them outside. There are countless dangers such as traffic, predators and always the chance of them getting lost. If my cats ( I have adopted 6) got out, I would be up all night looking for them. Probably running around outside banging a cat food can with a spoon and calling their names. Oh I hate to think of it!
2 people like this
• United States
17 Nov 08
that was me alright outside calling them shaking the catfood bag till 6am. LOL
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
17 Nov 08
I only have one cat but the only time she likes to be inside is when it is cold outside, I love her being inside, she is good company, but she likes being outside so I let her so long as she is happy...
• United States
17 Nov 08
yea it is good to have a happy cat. I spoil mine but they have never been out except when someone leaves my door open. they did both come back on thier own though despite my search. lol
@irisheyes (4370)
• United States
18 Nov 08
We have two cats and they've both been fixed. We try to keep them both inside since indoor cats usually fare better and have longer lives. One (avatar cat) is fairly easy to keep in but the other is a little terror. We have to look around every time we open a door to see if he is lurching. Even with constant vigilance, he still occassionally makes a quick run for it and gets out. Can't do much then except wait for him to come home which fortunately, he always does.
• United States
19 Nov 08
you'r avitar cat looks alot like my old cat trouble. it is true one they get out there really isent much to do but wait and worry.
@Loverbear (4918)
• United States
17 Nov 08
I have four cats and they are all inside cats. Each is so special to me that it would hurt too bad to loose them in a way that isn't "natural". I live in a remote area that has predators like bob cats, mountain lions, raccoons, hawks, eagles, owls and coyotes. So, when I moved into the place I own now, I had the patio screened so it is like being outside for them. They don't seem to mind not being outside...especially since they are so spoiled. I have had them get out on occasion and have had sleepless nights without them being in the house safe and sound. It's worse than having kids!! (LOL) But I guess it's a sign of being a good pet owner when you go to the kinds of extremes that we go to to make sure that our small furry companions are protected. In fact, Khuay is busily climbing into my lap for his before bed nap. He also is the one who likes to chase his tail in the bath tub. Keep protecting your furry friends...and hug them all for me.
1 person likes this
• United States
17 Nov 08
Thanks I will hug them all for you. Cats are really great.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
17 Nov 08
My daughter has a black cat that was a stray, she lived under our pine tree until it got too cold and she allowed us to take her in..So my daughter insists she stay an indoor cat, because of the large dogs that run around and also many years ago our neighbor had an outdoor cat that got ran over, so my daughter doesn't want to chance it.. But one time she did get out, but we didn't know it because we had left and was gone all day..When we got back and couldn't find her, we thought she just found a really good hiding spot until when my daughter heard a "meow" right where she was sitting, next to the window..She looked out and she freaked, because her kitty was outside all day long.. Then a few weeks ago, I thought she had gotten out again, but my daughter wasn't here, but I freaked out because I didn't want to tell my daughter that her cat got out again....I looked everywhere and right before my daughter returned, this cat jumped out from nowhere behind me in the kitchen..I was never so glad to see that cat and picked her up and gave her a good talking to..(Like it really helped.. )
• United States
18 Nov 08
Actually the cat didn't get out, she just found a better hiding spot which we never did figure out where..Though we did tell her that we couldn't find her cat most of the day and that she was hiding, when my daughter saw the discussion I started about the missing cat, she about lost it until I explained the day I wrote that..
• United States
18 Nov 08
lol. did you ever tell your daughter that she got out again?
1 person likes this
@fifileigh (3615)
• United States
17 Nov 08
my cat is an indoor spoiled cat, and he got out by accident twice. i search everywhere for like 3 hours, until i suddenly looked out the window and saw him slowly walking in the street. i ran out after him and carried him inside. i would probably keep searching until i find him and worrying that something bad will happen to him.
1 person likes this
• United States
17 Nov 08
I'm glad you found him before he got hurt.
@sudalunts (5523)
• United States
17 Nov 08
I would be frantic, if my cats got out and I did not know where they were. One day I was getting ready to leave for work. My husband went downstairs to start the car, and I went to the bathroom. When I came out of the bathroom I saw that my door was opened. When I went in the hall, I saw that my husband had left the outside door opened as well. What did I see but my cat Jake standing on the porch on the outside. My heart started to flutter, because there is a lot of bus traffick on my street. I ran back in the house and got a bag of kity treats. I did not want to approach Jake, because I did not want him to run away from me into the street. I shook the bag and called his name, and thank God he came back upstairs. Yes, I would wait all night if I had to because my cats got out of the house.
1 person likes this
• United States
17 Nov 08
I am glad Jake came back in. I was a frantic mess my daughter and I searched everywere, Squirell came home at 1 am and tequilla rose came home at 6am. I was really worried but they came home when they were ready.
@jamesgrub (673)
• United States
17 Nov 08
i have 4 cats and 1 of them stays indoors and the other 3 of them go outside. i have one named grimmlen she never goes outside although she did get out once but just sat on the front steps. my other 2 named katana and bootz go outside whenever they want and sometimes stay out at night. the last one basil is an old cat he stays in at night but goes out during the day for a little then comes in at night. i don't worry about them because they always come back, and i live on a busy road so it just depends.
• United States
17 Nov 08
I live in a complex in a rural area so I worry about the wild dogs but everyone says I am just a worry wart in general. LOL
• United States
17 Nov 08
my cats are afraid to go outside, lol. they'd probably go out to the middle of the deck and thats it.
1 person likes this
• United States
17 Nov 08
LOL. that is probably good. one of my cats is afraid to go outside he would probably get himself lost.
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
18 Nov 08
All the cats that I've had were always indoor/outdoor cats...that is until the last one I got. For the first 3 years of his life he was indoor only, except for when he went places with me (yep, he was leash and car trained ). But I eventually let him have his freedom as his fur wasn't in the best shape. Poor thing had scabs on the back of his neck. But once he was allowed outdoors he neck healed up. Lucky for him we live on a lot of land, otherwise I don't think I would have been willing to do this seeing as I lost all my other cats with them being outdoors.
• United States
19 Nov 08
wow, I would let my cats out if they were in bad shape like that and it helped!
@ericajoyce (1746)
• Philippines
18 Nov 08
Hello ladybug565. I have three adult cats and three kittens. Only one is an indoor cat. One of the adult cats go out of the house and comes home after a few days. Im not really bothered by this because he comes home. Recently, my sister's siamese cat went out and went to our roof. She wouldn't come down. She always goes to the roof and we have to get her down, unfortunately, today is different. We are having a hard time bringing her down. She's been in the roof for a few days already. Im starting to worry because I couldnt see her on the roof anymore. I was thinking that someone took her or she went away. I wish we could she her again and bring her down.
• United States
18 Nov 08
I hope your sisters cat comes back soon.
@bestboy19 (5478)
• United States
18 Nov 08
Our cats are indoor outdoor cats. They know that when we're ready to go to bed, they are to be inside. If they aren't home, we go looking for them. It's rare for them not to be at home when it's time to go to bed.
• United States
19 Nov 08
wow, your cats are very smart and well behaved to come home at bedtime! I wish mine were!
@daceyp (327)
17 Nov 08
the cat i have at the moment does go out during the day but she stays in all night.if by some chance she is out i find myself wondering if shes ok.i used to have a cat that never went out if he did want to try to go out i always went with him but he always got so far and paniced.
• United States
18 Nov 08
I would let my cats out durring the day if I knew they would come back at night. I might worry that they would come home and I wouldnt be there to let them in though, because I really am a worry wort.
• United States
18 Nov 08
If my cats managed to get out I would be searching for them both! They are both declawed and would not be able to survive the night! So I would definitely have to search for them!
• United States
18 Nov 08
Yes, that would be really bad.
• United States
17 Nov 08
My cats are strictly indoor cats too. My mom's cats are strictly indoor also. Her cats are sneaky and have gotten out a couple times, and since i'm better at wrangling the cats then she is, she always calls me frantic to come help her get them back. Both sets of cats are fully declawed to, so it's a real panic when they get out that they won't be able to defend themselves. Especially with the vicious stray dog that wanders around my mom's neighborhood.
• United States
18 Nov 08
Yea they would defenatly be pretty helpless it is good that you help your mom get them back in.