Do you think that letting your cat roam around outside is irresponsible?

[Ad_Quid_Orator]

When I lived in the Chicago area I never really thought that. But now that I live in Australia, I can't help but feel that way because a lot of the native fauna is threatened by predation from feral cats.

But in Colorado, I did think it was irresponsible for other reasons: a lot of the native fauna would like to eat your cat. Really, one night a cat was pawing at the sliding glass door on my apartment and when I let it in, it looked like it was scared shitless.

[NathanDavis]

my cats do have access to the outdoors... and yes, there's many more risks out there although they're "street-wise" but

but...

I know very well that they would be very unhappy if I contained them and forced these limits to them

just as anyone else in my family and life, I prefer see them happy and content and then you just let them live their lives in spite of all those risks

and I know very well that I'll feel quite terrible if something happens to them but, their every day happiness has more value to me, and to them as well

[loveslongnails]

It would really depend on where I lived, and what the risks were to the cat. There are many animals a cat could scuffle with and end up being badly hurt or killed. When your cat runs free, it's part of the food chain like any other animal. House cats live a perfectly happy life indoors, especially if you play with them and give them some form of exercise.

What's more irresponsible to me is giving your cat cheap, bad food, or only hard food. Some cat foods out there are the nutritional equivalent of a Twinkie, and you'll take years off your pet's life by giving it crappy food and not giving it proper shots and heartworm/flea treatments.

[DizzyDesii]

I wouldn't want to live indoors with a pet but thats just me

[spartan55]

I grew up with my parents always having indoor/outdoor cats and didn't think much of it. Since then I've learned that feral cars are wreaking havoc on our ecosystem.

[RedInnocent68]

Yes. My cat is an idiot. He’d definitely get himself killed.