Thread: One indoor one outdoor cat-problems?

Probably going to get hammered here but my Maine Coon comes and goes during the day as he pleases - we just shut him in at night. He doesn't wonder far actually and has stayed in the garden so far. If we all go indoors he tends to come in with us too, but he has access to the outside when he wants during the day if I am at home. I have nothing against keeping your cats indoors and I completely understand it's impossible for some people. Nor do I feel that a cat would be less happy being indoors if they have known no difference but I feel that where we live is very safe for a cat backing onto fields and down a quiet no-through road. I had to come to the decision and it took me a while but I feel Simba has a fuller life and is very happy outside. We did discuss this with his breeder before we got him and she was happy because of our situation.

Hi,
thanks for your reply. I am just unsure about my new cats happiness if he has to watch my existing one coming and going. i think i'll just have to speak to the breeder-i just feel its not 100% right keeping him inside for his life (Im not saying i disagree with those who do!)
also my breeder said that maine coons have no street sense and have a tendancy to wander off and never come back-is this necassarily true as i have read that they are actually one of the most intelligent cats
thanks again
jenny

With the recent few days of sun and seeing Hank sat at the kitchen door looking outside, And seeing how much he's enjoying his walks out on his harness I've decided I want to do something soon to enable him to play out, without a harness, safely and securely.

Since we're in a rented property and the rear garden is fairly large, we don't have too many options in what we can do but I've been thinking about securing it for him and think the best way for us would be to not net the entire fencing top to bottom, but place maybe a foot and half of netting across the tops of entire fence leaning inwards at 45-90 degrees. This should be fairly easy to install, inexpensive and easy to take down again should we move in the future. Then we can keep the back doors open and let him wander in and out as he pleases during summer, chase butterflys, have a one and only investigation of a bumblebee and all the other things cats like to do outdoors but not be able to get out.

I can only imagine your difficulty having one cat in and our and then restricting your MC. An outdoor play area sounds liek a good idea. Is there no possiblity to put a surrounding enclosure up like what i was ('trying to') describe ;-)

Several years ago we took in a MC mix stray that had lived outside for a while in our neighborhood. We were not going to allow him out--particularly since he turned out to have HCM so needed medication several times per day--but he loved the outside and was used to going out, so we allowed him out on a harness and rope. He had two runs, one in front and one in back, with approx 50' ropes on pulleys, so he actually could reach about 150-200 feet. In other words, these were just like standard "dog runs" that many people have. Everyone said you cannot do this with a cat, but we had few problems. So, he ended up being outside on these setups most of the time when we were home (was always inside at night and if we were not home).

Eventually we got more cats, and this cat continued spending most of his time outside. The first MC male that we got also wanted to go outside and we had a hard time keeping him from getting out, so we started letting him go outside on a rope with the other cat for short stints most days. This seemed to be sufficient for him, and the escape attempts largely stopped. Unfortunately, that cat died. Since then we have gotten four other MCs, all from breeders that do not want them going out unless supervised. Of these, one wants to go out, one has absolutely no interest in going out, another is just slightly interested, and we are not sure about the kitten. So, cats definitely differ in their desire to go out. The one that wants to go out gets taken out for half to one hour many days, on a leash or rope, and is always being watched. She loves this, and pesters me to take her out when I come home from work. She does not at all seem to care that she is not out all the time, though; the outings are sufficient.

As for being an outside cat...we would not ever consider such a thing. There are just too many safety issues and our cats are too important to us. If one were to die due to being allowed outside, we would consider ourselves to be to blame for the death. This is simply not acceptable. Now, we don't live in a particularly dangerous area for cats, as we are in a quiet neighborhood in the country. Other people in the neighborhood have outdoor cats that have lived for years. However, it is true that a couple of these cats have been attacked by strays and ended up having to have surgery to fix injuries. Luckily, none of these cats contracted FIV, etc., but that is certainly possible. There have been at least a couple of cats that have simply disappeared (there are coyotes not that far outside the neighborhood so who knows where they went). Then there are other neighbors with large dogs, heartworm from mosquitoes, and a variety of diseases from ticks, at least one of which is always fatal (and has occurred in the area). No, being outside all day unsupervised is just not a safe enough alternative for pets that we love. So in the end, if it comes down to our cats being alive and slightly unhappy they cannot go out vs. going out and risking injury or death, there is simply no question about the what the right decision is for us. (There is also the issue of all the wildlife that domestic cats kill, and we are big bird lovers, so yet another reason to keep cats inside!)

When we lived in a house with a lovely big garden that backed onto other big gardens & a very quite lane at the front we let our old MC out with the other moggys but they all came in at night as next door had complained that they pooped on his lawn ervery night, it was'nt the cats it turned out to be a fox anyway I felt they were safer in at night. Then moved to a house with a smaller garden in a buit up area so cat proffed the garden. Then I had to downsize & the house only has a yard but they can get into it anytime just cant get out, I used to feel realy quilty but they are hopeless at playing with traffic so better safe than sorry.

Louie spends most of his day in the yard now he's worked out how to get out there Our old MC never went to far away when he was roaming I could usually alwasys hear him chirping away to himself when I was in our garden & there was a magpie that was always winding him up so that was a big giveaway to

Personally I would cat proof any garden we have in future just because they have become such popular cats & I would'nt need to worry to much Louie gets into enough trouble as it is

Well I absolutely agree with NCarver, having lost Benson (Poppy's kitten) our moggie last year to a RTA it proved to me my instincts were correct. Benson was pure grey and absolutely beautiful, he had a lovely disposition about him, but how can I put this, he wasn't the full shilling. People thought he was a pure bred cat so we were frightened someone would pick him up. He started to really cry at the door when Poppy went out and so (against my better judgement) began to let him in the garden. As he got older he went further afield, but a couple of times when we came home in the car we saw him run across the road infront of us. I don't want to go into any more details, still a bit raw, but it was one of the worst experiences I have had owning a pet. The reason I looked into getting a house cat was for this reason. I have cracked the harness thing now, and Harry loves it in the garden. I can't stop everything like normal illnesses, but I can prevent him from being killed on the road.

Having said all that, everyone's circumstances are different, where we all live are different, you have to look at your own particular circumstances and make that decision.

We have done what Dave suggests on the 7ft high fence between us & neighbours & it works like a dream,ours can't get out & others can't get in.,where the fence tapers down & is not quite so high it gives them hours of pleasure just trying to get out & us hours of fun watching them.Before we put the extra wiring up one of them made it onto the neighbours shed roof & then just sat there wailing to be rescued,had all the neighbours in our close running to see what was happening because they thought all the noise was coming from an injured animal,sorry everyone just Bruce in a panic....!
Inside/outside,I think you could get baby to accept the situation quite easily,we are talking about brainy village idiots here & as someone in earlier post has said "with no road sense".They love to be with you that is the joy of this breed & why I think they accept the situations you place them in so readily.When big bruv goes out give baby playtime with his favourite toy,put him on the kitchen windowsill & let him have a splash around under the water tap while you are trying to do the washing up,bet it won't be long before he is saying to the other one more fool you I have great time being here with mum,thanks.
Good luck.

I used to let my cats outside ( not at night) many years ago but after one got hit by a car ( recovered), one attacked by a tom requiring vet treatment and a friends cat killed by a snake I now have my cats inside. I do have the cat run down the side of the house for them.

Even my 2 recently deceased 17 3/4 year old cats took to being inside relatively easily after being allowed outside for about 8 years with only a few escapes early in the piece.

Timmy (7) doesnt look to go outside and once I took him out the front to see someone he paniced and tried to shred the door to get back in. He will step out the back a few steps if I am out there with the door open but soon runs back in as I think he is just seeing where I am if I have left the door open.

Sarah has never tried to get out either door and has never shown an interest at all.

Zack is copying her and when I come inside they step back from the door and walk inside with me.

They have constant access to the cat run 14m x 3 m with plants and bugs and I would say they are out there about 1 hour in 24 - maybe 2 on a summer night if I leave the light on and the moths start flying around. Other than having to use a tray I dont think it would make much difference to them if I shut them inside all the time - they chose to be in themselves.

I think if they have never been out then they dont miss it

I like to come home and know I have the 3 cats I left in the morning in one piece!

ps - the MC breeders require them to be inside cats anyway unless on leashes

Originally Posted by Heather2mc

ps - the MC breeders require them to be inside cats anyway unless on leashes

Mine didn't - she goes on peoples individual circumstances. Everyone is different I think you should do what you feel comfortable with and what you feel is best for your cats. For me Simba would be a very unhappy cat being kept indoors and I feel that loving him is letting him have his freedom. In my case the risks are too minimal to keep him shut in for all his life and so they are outweighed by his happiness.