The etchics of keeping cats

[IXP]

First, a little history that has prompted me to post this thread.

My wife and I live on a busy road in the city, but with a bit of forest behind us. A stray cat had been hanging out in our back yard, most likely because we feed birds. Eventually, on a very cold day, it literally begged us to let it in the house. So we now had a pet cat. Naturally, this cat was an outdoor cat, choosing to spend much of his time roaming. And, as is the fate of outdoor cats, he was killed by a car after we had kept him for about 6 years.

With my wife in mourning, we decided to take in another cat from a shelter. This one, we originally kept inside, but she begged to go out every time we went near a door. Eventually, Mrs. IXP took her out on a leash, which did not work very well, then eventually let the cat out while she was working in the garden, and it stuck around. Then one day it disappeared. We found it the next day in our backyard shed, injured, presumably by being hit by a car. (We are saving the cat at great expense.)

So, I started thinking about the ethical dilemma about letting the cat out or keeping it inside. Both of our cats clearly preferred to go outside. So if we kept them inside, we were putting our desires (to keep the cat and birds alive) above those of the cat.

I am beginning to think it is unethical to keep cats, at least for someone who lives in a place where letting them outside is too dangerous.

Thoughts on the matter?

IXP

 

[Ron_Tomkins]

First, a little history that has prompted me to post this thread.

My wife and I live on a busy road in the city, but with a bit of forest behind us. A stray cat had been hanging out in our back yard, most likely because we feed birds. Eventually, on a very cold day, it literally begged us to let it in the house. So we now had a pet cat. Naturally, this cat was an outdoor cat, choosing to spend much of his time roaming. And, as is the fate of outdoor cats, he was killed by a car after we had kept him for about 6 years.

With my wife in mourning, we decided to take in another cat from a shelter. This one, we originally kept inside, but she begged to go out every time we went near a door. Eventually, Mrs. IXP took her out on a leash, which did not work very well, then eventually let the cat out while she was working in the garden, and it stuck around. Then one day it disappeared. We found it the next day in our backyard shed, injured, presumably by being hit by a car. (We are saving the cat at great expense.)

So, I started thinking about the ethical dilemma about letting the cat out or keeping it inside. Both of our cats clearly preferred to go outside. So if we kept them inside, we were putting our desires (to keep the cat and birds alive) above those of the cat.

I am beginning to think it is unethical to keep cats, at least for someone who lives in a place where letting them outside is too dangerous.

Thoughts on the matter?

IXP

Well, why does it have to be one or the other? How about installing one of those small cat doors on the bottom of your front door?

 

[IXP]

How does that help? If we have a cat that let's itself out, it is still likely to be hit by a car eventually.

IXP

 

[WildCat]

None of my 3 cats have any desire to go outside, and all were once outdoor cats - 2 were feral.

There's feral cats in my yard, yesterday my tenant ran over one of the kitten's legs with his car. Poor thing was dragging itself around in the yard, I don't know where it is now. Hopefully it is is dead now and no longer suffering. Animal Control, btw, refused to come get it and put it out of its misery unless it was caged. It's a rough life for outdoor cats, you shave their life expectancy in half.

 

[A'isha]

Both of my cats are actually afraid to go outside.

 

[MikeG]

This is the real ethical problem in my view.

Cats are an African predator protected by humans in an alien environment and allowed to cause utter destruction.

Mike

 

[DrDave]

Let the cat drink 7Up, then it will have 16 lives

 

[IXP]

None of my 3 cats have any desire to go outside, and all were once outdoor cats - 2 were feral.

Interesting, all of the cats I have had would either run out the door given the chance or begged at the door. So perhaps there is hope to find a cat that is perfectly okay inside.

IXP

 

[IXP]

This is the real ethical problem in my view.

Cats are an African predator protected by humans in an alien environment and allowed to cause utter destruction.

Mike

Yes, that is part of my dilemma. If we let out cat out, birds and rodents die.

IXP

 

[GlennB]

I am beginning to think it is unethical to keep cats, at least for someone who lives in a place where letting them outside is too dangerous.

Thoughts on the matter?

The bolded part is certainly true, but you can get round that by keeping them inside. The safety of 'outdoors' is a relative matter.

 

[Lisa Simpson]

If you have space, build a cat run. I have one and I believe Horatius does too. Picture to follow.

 

[Giz]

It seems to depend on the cat. Both of our cats love going outside (and will sit howling like mini-wolves if we don't let them out). OTOH, our neighbors cat seems content to stay in.

Of course, we have a six foot fence around our back yard, which is (generally) a deterrent to our cats going AWOL (though I'm sure they could scale it if they wanted to) and it keeps out the coyotes. So, no worries about cars or coyotes... just snakes (had a couple of them brought inside as "gifts"). One was venomous (a copperhead).


(The only downside of moving from South London to South USA: you go from zero venomous creatures to black widows, brown recluses, copperheads and rattlesnakes).

 

[Lisa Simpson]

It's about 4 feet wide, by 20 feet long, runs between my house and the fence that divides the properties and is accessible through a "doggie" door. I do need to tend to the weeds, I see. Anyway, the cats get some sunshine, they're safe from cars, other cats and the hawk that lives in the tree behind our house. Birds are mostly safe from the cats, except the ones stupid enough to enter the cat run. Then Bogey or Trouble catches them (and the occasional lizard).

 

[Sabretooth]

My 2 cats, and all of my previous cats, were strictly indoor cats. None of them ever had some crazy urge to go outside...or at least they didn't bug me about it.

I currently live in a country town with lots of woods and virtual no traffic...I still wouldn't let them outside. Their lifespan would be dramatically decreased. My neighbor across the street told me she hasn't had a cat live past 4 years (she believes due to the coyotes or birds of prey in the area). She now keeps her newest one inside.

Ethically? I think if you take on the responsibility of owning a pet, you have a duty to keep them as safe as possible. Unless you live in a one bedroom flat with no windows, the living space is big enough for them.

 

[Horatius]

Thoughts on the matter?

IXP

Yes, meet them half way.

If you have space, build a cat run. I have one and I believe Horatius does too. Picture to follow.

Indeed:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27443167@N00/7397086784/

 

[iknownothing]

If you have space, build a cat run. I have one and I believe Horatius does too. Picture to follow.

Wow, those are great. If I ever have cats again I'll want something like that.

 

[Weak Kitten]

It is dificult to gauge whether an adult cat can adapt to being an indoor cat. However a kitten who has been raised to only live indoors usually will continue to prefer to be indoors.

In my opinion there are two kinds of cats, pets and working animals. An outdoor cat is supposed to spend its life killing any small animal that approaches your stores and teaching its young to do the same. You provide it with water, basic medical care and enough food to pad out the lean times but it is not a pet. An indoor cat is supposed to be coddled and loved and kept from getting out into the big bad world out there. It is a pet. Trying to get both things out of a single animal seems unfair to me.

Edit: Nice cat runs guys. Those are wonderful compromises between safety and freedom.

 

[TragicMonkey]

My pet velociraptor, Snuggles, always begged to be let outside. I was a little worried he might slaughter his way through the neighborhood, ripping people and vehicles and animals apart like so much paper. So I let him out and he totally did, proving my suspicions correct. This left me satisfied with my predictive abilities and Snuggles satisfied with his murder spree, so everything worked out for the best.

 

[Xulld]

It is dificult to gauge whether an adult cat can adapt to being an indoor cat. However a kitten who has been raised to only live indoors usually will continue to prefer to be indoors.

In my opinion there are two kinds of cats, pets and working animals. An outdoor cat is supposed to spend its life killing any small animal that approaches your stores and teaching its young to do the same. You provide it with water, basic medical care and enough food to pad out the lean times but it is not a pet. An indoor cat is supposed to be coddled and loved and kept from getting out into the big bad world out there. It is a pet. Trying to get both things out of a single animal seems unfair to me.

Edit: Nice cat runs guys. Those are wonderful compromises between safety and freedom.

Excellent post.

Why you have the animal makes all the difference. Feeling guilty that nature takes a toll on life is not wise, but sadly I cant help myself. I know that the farm cats exist only because they are good at what they do, and I guess that should make me feel better when one gets hurt. I'm a softie.


But you simply cannot hug a farm cat, and would not want to send your Mr. Boots out into the farm. Each have their role, and the responsibilities and ethics involved should be different.

I shed no tears when I find a Starling, a Sparrow, or a Pidgin killed by a cat, but dammit if I don't get mad/upset when I see Willow (Farm cat) with a song bird.

 

[Lisa Simpson]

It is dificult to gauge whether an adult cat can adapt to being an indoor cat. However a kitten who has been raised to only live indoors usually will continue to prefer to be indoors.

Bogart, who was adopted from a shelter at 8 weeks old is the only one of my cats that will try bolting for the door. But when he gets outside, he stops and lets us pick him and bring him back in. Trouble, who thanks to the forum is officially The Best Cat in Orange County CA has ZERO desire to go outside. Outside is the scary place where bad things happen. Inside is where there's noms and comfy furniture to sleep on and hoomans to give scritches.