OK, I'm going to step in here for the indoor/outdoor debate.

I've had cats me whole life. Growing up, my parents kept all my cats as outdoor cats. When I was 16, we got a cat from a friend of a friend, who did not have her fixed (was planning on it but didn't get around to it) but lived on the 21st floor of an apartment building and the cat never went outside. Anyhow, so got her, and a couple weeks later, noticed she had developped a bit of a belly... Yup Preggers. Called the old owner, and he was like "oh... well i did go out of town once for a week and left her with a neighbor... she has a male cat, but she kept them in separate rooms...)

Anyhoo, so we ended up with Momma cat, and her two handsome sons, all of whom we kept, and had fixed All were outdoor cats. We lived in a rabies free area, very suburban, quiet street, backed onto a golf course.

A year and a half later, one of the boys disappeared. I was positively devastated. Handed out flyer's, put up signs, called the local SPCA 4 times daily, he never showed up.

Two years after that, the second son got hit by a car right in front of our house, and I witnessed it. His eye popped out of it's socket, and he was still just barely alive when I got to him. I had nightmares for a long time after that.

They now have another cat, (who showed up in their yard emaciated and almost dead...) it was right around moving day (in Montreal, almost everyone moves on the same day) and we think the owner just left the cat behind. This is a cat who couldn't catch a dead mouse if it was put right in front of her. That cat will not go outside. She might go out on the deck with my parents for a minute, but is much happier inside away from dogs and cars and who knows what else.

My brother has 2 cats, one of whom he got as a kitten from a litter from a feral barn cat. Both have been indoor cats their whole lives, and both are extremely happy animals. He does have a fenced in porch so they can lay in the sun and get fresh air, but cannot roam. I think it's an unfair generalization to say that indoor cats are all miserable. Play with them, stimulate them, and make sure they don't get bored and they will be very happy.

Not so proud member of the WACHNRMG club
Last Edited By: erika May 31 09 6:13 AM. Edited 1 times.