Debating

I have had 2 cats, both adopted from shelters and both indoor/outdoor cats. The first was with me for several years, was hit by a car, survived (but with an injured leg) and more than a year later, disappeared, never to be found. I looked for her for ages, and in the end, assumed she became prey. Her loss was very sad.

The second recently died at home in her mid-teens from kidney and heart disease. Watching her age and become sick was also hard and her death was very sad. We nursed her until the end and she was happiest in our arms, swishing her tail to the very end. We miss her a lot.

Both cats loved being outdoors, both came home when called (at least most of the time), the second was in at night, both worried me when they didn't respond, but both always wanted to go out, unless it was too cold or snowy.

I am now preparing to adopt our third cat and the sentiment against letting cats outdoors is very predominant. I have struggled with the ethics of this issue for many years, since the loss of our first cat. This is a tough issue. Our society as a whole has become very cautious, not only with our cats. Balancing the dangers of life outdoors with the losses that come from lack of contact with the natural, outside world are real dilemmas for both humans and animals. Zoo animals live longer than wild animals too, but we would not recommend keeping all wildlife in zoos.

I appreciate that you have a forum for exchanging thoughts and opinions. In my experience, public opinion is definitely trending towards indoor-only cats. I am not sure that I agree, but was glad to find a place that welcomed open discussion of this difficult topic.