i think it is mostly a cultural thing (although my understading from my days on rec.pets.cats way back is that most UK cats would be called Indor/Outdoor by USians rather than being soley Outdoors). I don't get it. If a cat has only ever ben indoors then it's not cruel to keep it in. If a cat is used to going outdoors then it may be cruel to make it be indoors only but sometimes ilness or injury make that necesary. The human's of indoor only cats have a greater responsibility to provide then with company and stimlation which an outdor going cat may be able to find for itself (though that isn't guarteeed) And the best situation for any individual cat depends on the cat, their humans and where they live. I do think that cats are closer to being wild that most other compainion animals and they should be allowed to do cat things rather tjhan havng tofit to much with humans. But that isn't a necessary justification for letting them go outside if the enviroment is cat-unfriendly. When i lived in Bradford on a busyish street with almost no front garden with 2 cats they were entirly Indooors and that worked fine. One of them, Martha, was a resqued street-kitten and was initally quite scared of te outside and unfamilar people anyway (though she got over that eventally) When i came down here (sadly with just Sylvia) i stareted letting her outside because here was a fairly potected garden away from traffic. Now she's used to that i wouldn't want to keep her indoors only for any great length of time - but if she got ill or injured then i might have to. omangel's cat Horrace who has varoious age related aliments including significant sight loss (he's 17) decided for himslf to be pretty much indoors only - he just stopped going outside unless omangel goes with him. When i moved last year finding somwhere Sylvia safe was one of my biggest priorities
I hope you find a shelter with a more flexibale re-homing policy soon
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Date: 2008-05-21 12:56 am (UTC)I do think that cats are closer to being wild that most other compainion animals and they should be allowed to do cat things rather tjhan havng tofit to much with humans. But that isn't a necessary justification for letting them go outside if the enviroment is cat-unfriendly.
When i lived in Bradford on a busyish street with almost no front garden with 2 cats they were entirly Indooors and that worked fine. One of them, Martha, was a resqued street-kitten and was initally quite scared of te outside and unfamilar people anyway (though she got over that eventally)
When i came down here (sadly with just Sylvia) i stareted letting her outside because here was a fairly potected garden away from traffic. Now she's used to that i wouldn't want to keep her indoors only for any great length of time - but if she got ill or injured then i might have to.
When i moved last year finding somwhere Sylvia safe was one of my biggest priorities
I hope you find a shelter with a more flexibale re-homing policy soon