Why do so many cat owners let their cats roam free?

[Terridon]

Some dogs are also more outdoor dogs, doesn't mean we let them roam free. You've basically just avoided the question by pretending this is necessary and you seem to underestimate the impact cats have on local small critters, it's pretty devastating.

Dogs are pack-animals and are happy being around you.
Cats generally wants to roam. You're a terrible cat owner if you keep it caged when it want to be outside constantly.

It's like asking why you don't keept dogs in an aquarium. After all fish works great in there

[Deleted]

Australia is killing millions of feral cats. Feral cats that wouldn't be there if people wouldn't have let their pet cats roam free and make kittens everywhere.

[surrounded]

How is this thread not been locked? People are just making stuff up as they go.

And to all the people who say being outside is, "good for them", lets not forgot worms, mites, lice, etc. Please google the average life expediency of an indoor cat vs outdoor.

Just because I enjoy eating cheeseburgers every meal, doesn't mean it's good for me. Just because you have an indoor cat doesn't mean you have to deprive it of the outdoors. There are things called leashes, and screen porches - shit, you could even build something so the cat could go out and get fresh air without being released into the world on its on.

[Mifuyne]

How is this thread not been locked? People are just making stuff up as they go.

And to all the people who say being outside is, "good for them", lets not forgot worms, mites, lice, etc. Please google the average life expediency of an indoor cat vs outdoor.

Just because I enjoy eating cheeseburgers every meal, doesn't mean it's good for me. Just because you have an indoor cat doesn't mean you have to deprive it of the outdoors. There are things called leashes, and screen porches - shit, you could even build something so the cat could go out and get fresh air without being released into the world on its on.

My parents have this outdoor running "zone" for their cats that weren't allowed to go outside that they can't get out of.
Another cat was able to go outside since it usually went insane if it stayed in the house too long.

[Deleted]

Dogs are pack-animals and are happy being around you.
Cats generally wants to roam. You're a terrible cat owner if you keep it caged when it want to be outside constantly.

It's like asking why you don't keept dogs in an aquarium. After all fish works great in there

"I believe my cat should be able to roam free, thus I won't accept anyone who thinks otherwise"

Must feel good to know your cat could get AIDS, get run over by a car or another threat it doesn't understand because it's not "natural", or humans who like to lit them on fire.
*My* view on this: you just arn't taking care of it if you let them roam free.

If you want it to be outside, go get a leash... it works.

[surrounded]

Dogs are pack-animals and are happy being around you.
Cats generally wants to roam. You're a terrible cat owner if you keep it caged when it want to be outside constantly.

It's like asking why you don't keept dogs in an aquarium. After all fish works great in there

Dogs are not "pack" animals. That is a false assumption that has been disproven. You protect what you hold close to you, and it IS proven that indoor cats have a longer life expectancy, and given the right stimuli and entertainment, they are perfectly happy.

[Mifuyne]

Dogs are not "pack" animals. That is a false assumption that has been disproven. You protect what you hold close to you, and it IS proven that indoor cats have a longer life expectancy, and given the right stimuli and entertainment, they are perfectly happy.

True - mostly you can't really choose on what kind of a cat you have/will have - a outside or inside one.

[Orange Joe]

The funny thing is how you guys try to narrow it down exclusively to pests, ignoring that there are a lot of other small birds and endangered mammals such as hedgehogs especially infant ones who also fall prey to cats in far largerl numbers.


My problem is, that the mayority of cat owners seems to be terrible in that regard and somehow think their cat running rampant on local critters is doing the city and nature a favour.


Except, they do. Had one of them recently sprint ouf a garden and block the way building itself up as if it was something to be taken seriously.


Because the answer of horrendous cat owners that basically boil down to "it's okay if my cat kills stuff, lololol" are convincing me that the biggest issue is the owners who for the most part should not be allowed to own a cat much less any other animal.


"Hurrr, I have a cat!" "Erwarth.

He is doing me the favor of not having to trap/kill them myself.

[dr2022]

Honestly OP, it seems like you created a thread to bait people, and once they respond you answer back in denial and somehow include a hostility toward "cat people". So just save everyone sometime and type "the nature of the cat" in google and figure it out yourself.

[Terridon]

"I believe my cat should be able to roam free, thus I won't accept anyone who thinks otherwise"

Must feel good to know your cat could get AIDS, get run over by a car or another threat it doesn't understand because it's not "natural", or humans who like to lit them on fire.
*My* view on this: you just arn't taking care of it if you let them roam free.

If you want it to be outside, go get a leash... it works.

So can your kids. People still let the run outside. Jesus christ. Talk about shielding your pets too much :P
No. Leash don't work on all cats :P

[Deleted]

Honestly OP, it seems like you created a thread to bait people, and once they respond you answer back in denial and somehow include a hostility toward "cat people". So just save everyone sometime and type "the nature of the cat" in google and figure it out yourself.

The nature of the dog is to hunt, doesn't mean we encourage it or accept it nowadays much less let them roam free to do so. You guys act as if it's "a force of nature" we have to accept and just live with while almost hoarding them in increasing numbers and there's quite a few cat owners here who don't engage in that kind of behaviour showing that it's completely possible not to and be reasonable about these things.

[Mifuyne]

So can your kids. People still let the run outside. Jesus christ. Talk about shielding your pets too much :P
No. Leash don't work on all cats :P

Kids are a way bigger problem than either cats and dogs will ever be.
Also hate people with dogs that make them shit on the troitour or on grassy fields where kids play all the time.

[Deleted]

So can your kids. People still let the run outside. Jesus christ. Talk about shielding your pets too much :P
No. Leash don't work on all cats :P

You let your kids run around unsupervised if you don't know they fully understand dangers such as cars?
Way to go bro. I'm pretty certain you know where they are most/all of the time too? Well... actually I'm not certain anymore after that statement.


The solution to the problem would be to not get a cat that "wants to be outside all day" (whatever makes you think that) in an urban area btw. Just like you wouldn't/shouldn't get a dog if you can only take care of it for a few hours a day.

[Mifuyne]

You let your kids run around unsupervised if you don't know they fully understand dangers such as cars?
Way to go bro.

Cars are still a problem even if you know about the danger of cars.

The solution to the problem would be to not get a cat that "wants to be outside all day" (whatever makes you think that) in an urban area btw. Just like you wouldn't/shouldn't get a dog if you can only take care of it for a few hours a day.

You can't just see what kind of a cat it is when you get it.

[Deleted]

We have 2 cats. We let them out when they want to go out, let them in when they appear by the windows, but we don't let them out late at night.
It's the norm here in my village at least. To not let your cat go outside seems weird to me.

I can understand if there are endangered animals in your area, but NOT letting a cat go outside? What kind of life is that? You can't take a cat on a walk like a dog. I have never seen this as a problem. We have dogs, but take them on walks. One of them can walk without a leash on the yard, but we don't leave him outside.

[Mehrunes]

So other than creating a space where you can project some weird shit on all cat owners (because they are a hive-mind) and all cats (because they are also a hive-mind) or people you perceive as cat owners (your straw-man of Mifyune at the start of the thread was simply laughable) just so you have a (pathetic) excuse to reaffirm your own biases against cats and cat owners (you kinda admitted that part), does this thread have any point?

[dr2022]

The nature of the dog is to hunt, doesn't mean we encourage it or accept it nowadays much less let them roam free to do so. You guys act as if it's "a force of nature" we have to accept and just live with while almost hoarding them in increasing numbers and there's quite a few cat owners here who don't engage in that kind of behavior showing that it's completely possible not to and be reasonable about these things.

not up to you to decide what is natural to a dog or a cat honestly. You gotta stop thinking big picture. stereotypes, just like in humans, is not a good way to judge things. Each cat or dog have their own nature. If a cat likes to go outside then let it go outside.

[Terridon]

You let your kids run around unsupervised if you don't know they fully understand dangers such as cars?
Way to go bro. I'm pretty certain you know where they are most/all of the time too? Well... actually I'm not certain anymore after that statement.


The solution to the problem would be to not get a cat that "wants to be outside all day" (whatever makes you think that) in an urban area btw. Just like you wouldn't/shouldn't get a dog if you can only take care of it for a few hours a day.

All people do that before their kids fully understand the dangers of the world. Don't kid yourself

[Mehrunes]

Hedgehogs might have completely died out in the UK by 2025. It's looking similarly grim in quite a few other places. Are you seriously saying they aren't rapidly dwindling in numbers? I mean we have "discussed" for about 30 minutes and you made so many mind bogglingly stupid statements it's unbelievable that you could be remotely serious.

Have you heard the tale about the pot and the kettle? It sounds appropriate here.

[Deleted]

Cars are still a problem even if you know about the danger of cars.

Oh god, please stop trying to weasle yourself out of this... That Kids/Cats comparison was horrible and cringeworthy in the first place.

All people do that before their kids fully understand the dangers of the world. Don't kid yourself

No, rofl...It's pretty common to walk them to school for the first day, as an example. So they know their way and dangers, street lights etc etc. And by that time, they are 6-7 years old.