Thread: Putting indoor cat outside.

My daughters have a cat that is an indoor cat. she's snuck out of the door twice but has always come back. I think it could be a good idea to let her outside more often since she has proven to come back before. Anyone done this with your cat and how was the experience?

I've lost some cats over the years, by letting them out. Even when they were reliable, when they never return it's heartbreaking. There's coyotes and foxes in my area, and also street traffic. The city where I live also has laws against cats "running at large". I'm torn right now myself. I have a new 7 month old kitten that I would love to let roam free. If he stayed in the back yard, life would be perfect for all...but there's no guarantee. I get tempted, because I see many outdoor cats in the neighborhood, enjoying their freedom.

Right now I'm taking him out there on a harness, and he loves being outdoors. I'm not sure if I'll give in and let him out on his own, it's always taking a chance. And when they disappear, you never know what really happened. Gotta think about this one myself.

Mine is also an indoor cat whom I would love to give the freedom to explore the outdoors. In your case, I would offer a treat each time the cat comes home. Then when you want her to come in, you can just shake the treats and call for her and she'll come running (hopefully). Give her a specific period of time and try not to leave her outside all day, as she will be sure to wander... Perhaps it would be a possibility to give her the run of some enclosed space outdoors? I know I would be more comfortable if there was a fence involved.

Like setting up something mentioned in this thread...http://www.petforums.com/showthread....Cat-Enclosures

I am firm believer that cats should remain indoors. When someone lets their cat outdoors, the cat wanders through the neighborhood causing trouble for the neighbors. They like to get into gardens and use the bathroom which kills the plants because of the acidity of their urine. There is feral cats (probably owned but not cared for) in my neighborhood. We do not have a screen on one of our windows and I cannot count how many times other people cats have came through our windows and damaged the walls when they realize my dog is there. This is my opinion, after all you wouldn't want stray dogs running the neighborhood. Cats should be indoors for their safety. They could get mauled by a dog, hot by a car or even held for animal control. Another issue is outdoor cats that are not fixed tend to add to the cat population problem.

I just noticed the post about cat enclosures and they can be great. They are relatively inexpensive as well.

When I was a child we had some indoor cats and some outdoor cats. We actually had a cat door on our front door. It was similar to a dog door, but smaller for cats. During the spring we often left the front door opened and left the screen door locked. The cat door was on the screen door. The cats would come and go as they pleased. But most of the outdoor cats stayed outside most of the time and most of the indoor cats stayed indoors most of the time. Most of our indoor cats would go outside for a little while each day. They would go outside to play, socialize, and get some fresh air. Then they would come back in.