Your Thoughts on an Outdoor Cat?

[bisous]

Our beautiful, wonderful 10yo cat Rascal passed away from a heart attack in February (he had some heart issues we've known about for some time!) He was honestly the best cat I've ever known. He loved everyone, was so sweet to the kids, the neighbors, even the MAILMAN loved him. He was the best. We "inherited" him from my brother who has two young kids and lives in an apartment. Rascal had always lived outside which was a change for me. I had cats as a kid growing up but they were mainly inside cats. DH is allergic to cats so we offered to take Rascal, knowing we needed to keep him outside both for DHs sake and also to make Rascal happy. Our kids adored him but also he kept our area free from rats. And now the rats have come back.

DH wants another cat. Another OUTDOOR cat. He said he basically wants an "employee". We have LOTS of wild animals around us. Everything from large mammals to birds to lizards and snakes. We love it. We DON'T want to use bait boxes. Rodents have proliferated in this area. Even our neighbors are asking us if we'll get another cat. Rascal didn't kill too many rats but he must have worked as a deterrent as everyone around us is seeing the rats emboldened.

I am very conflicted about this. I consented to Rascal living outside because that was all he had ever known. I hated that he wasn't allowed in the house. Although I completely understand why DH doesn't want to have terrible allergies, I also wanted him to have all that love and coziness inside!

What do you guys think about an "outside" cat? Our friend actually owns a farm and the farm cat (Maine Coon) had kittens. DH wants to raise the kitten here in our yard! Our yard is wild. The rats are huge so there is THAT already. But we also have had bobcats and coyotes spotted in our backyard, not to mention red tailed hawks and large owls that prowl the ravine behind our place. I also don't want to have to not allow the cat into the house.

DH will not budge on having the cat in the house. It may not come in the house! I thought maybe we could retrofit our dusty, stuffed garage to be my office? Then I can work in the garage and "be" with the cat for several hours a day. But my garage is not insulated and it is very dusty and uncomfortable. Our climate is super mild though. Maybe I could make it work?

What would you think of an outdoor cat that has a cozy "office" type of dwelling but mostly lives outside in such a "rough" neighborhood? Is this inhumane? (I mean, I'm asking this while acknowledging that the cat's main job will be to rid of us other animals--there's no small irony in this!)

I think a rescue cat would be better suited than a kitten. But even then I'm not sure I feel ok about it. And even if I do on a cognitive level I'm not sure my heart can take it? Every day I feel like I should have spent more time with my amazing cat Rascal and I still miss him every day.

Would love all your thoughts.

[MSWR0319]

I think outdoor cats are fine. People use them all the time around here to take care of rodents in their barns or on their property.

My grandma was a cat lover, and I never saw her cats being "lovey" unless they wanted to so I don't really feel like they'd be missing out on "love" if they were outside. They could come rub on you or get petted when you were outside and they wanted attention. But then again, I don't like cats because they never seem lovey to me like dogs do. And they just seem more temperamental than dogs, so my perspective may not be useful. You are clearly a cat lover, so if it's hard for you to see them outside, you may not want to get one. DS has a really bad cat allergy so even the cat being in the garage would mean that DS would never be able to go in the garage. I'm not sure how severe your DH's allergies are or if he would ever need to go in the garage.

Where would you put the stuff that's in the garage? Can you just play with the cat outside and snuggle with it on a chair in the back yard? I wouldn't go out of my way to redo a garage just so I could have a pet in there because I don't want him outside when his job is to be outside. But I also wouldn't judge you if that's what you wanted to do. I think it's fine, and I also think it's fine for the cat to be just an outdoor cat as long as he has food, water, and shelter which I know you would give him. Could the kitten stay at the farm a little longer until he's bigger than the rodents?

[SnuggleBuggles]

No. I get the appeal of a barn cat but they just aren't good for the ecosystem nor the health of the kitty. Your description of larger predators to the cat definitely would want me to keep my cat safe inside too.
https://blogs.umass.edu/natsci397a-eross/the-environmental-and-health-impacts-of-allowing-cats-outdoors/

We have no cat at the moment but I would like another one eventually. Dh does not. I figured maybe we'd go in life phases. No cat for 13 years, cat for the next 10-20 years (depending on lifespan), then no cat again...each of us gets what we want. :)

[niccig]

Most recuses won’t agree to a cat being an outdoor car due to damage the cat can cause to wildlife or the cat being eaten by a coyote. We keep our cat inside as would hate to lose her to a coyote. We often hear coyotes howling and know they’ve gotten someone’s cat.


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[Kestrel]

Kittens as outdoor cats are generally a bad idea. Many, many die before they learn enough to avoid predators and cars.

However, shelters often have "barn cat" programs where they capture and fix feral cats and then adopt them out. Keep in mind that these are not pet cats and have very little human contact. They may in time become more friendly, but no promises; and if your neighbors are close they may simply decide to live at another house.

I'm a firm believer in barn cats being fixed - there's no need for barn cats to have litters while there are so many cats that need homes.

[AnnieW625]

My parents had an outside Maine Coon cat for many years but they lived in the suburbs with no wild animals other than a regular squirrel, small yard snakes, and maybe a few turkeys that roam the area. The cat usually went out in the morning and came in as needed through out the day and then sometimes would stay out at night as well. They now have a kitten and I don’t know if it has ever been outdoors, but they will probably introduce her to outside soon but she is about 6 months.

My sister’s cat is outdoors as well but he has a small yard and comes in and out through out the day.

We do not have a cat here because we could only have an outside cat due to severe cat allergies (I have to take a Benedryl prior to visiting someone with a cat, and the fact that litter boxes gross me out....I know....sorry) and there are coyotes and skunks here so there is no way I would want an outdoor only cat.

I wouldn’t get a cat in your situation. An outdoor cat with a fenced yard that can occasionally fend for itself outside the yard is different than what you describe.

Our small terrier mix dog likes to terrorize the gophers and rats in our backyard. He would have a field day in the front but he isn’t allowed out front by himself.


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[Tenasparkl]

Most recuses won’t agree to a cat being an outdoor car due to damage the cat can cause to wildlife or the cat being eaten by a coyote. We keep our cat inside as would hate to lose her to a coyote. We often hear coyotes howling and know they’ve gotten someone’s cat.



This. There are way too many coyotes in our area to consider an outdoor cat. In my old neighborhood (in West Hollywood - not even that close to the hills) I saw a cat that had been attacked overnight by a coyote on someone's front lawn. I've never seen anything like it - so awful.

[bisous]

I know you guys. Sigh. With Rascal, the only reason I felt ok about him being outside is that he'd ALWAYS lived out there and he was really tough and street smart. I don't know how you would be able to tell that from visiting with a cat at the shelter. We have a no kill shelter here that is very good. I think they would allow us to have an outdoor cat but I'm still not sure if that would be the right thing for the cat even if they allowed it!

The other issue is wildlife. Rascal took a few rats, some bunnies and SO many lizards. And unfortunately, some birds. We love our birds. But we've lost birds with our rat traps too. And if we get a bait box, I fear that might be worse than a cat! So hard to know the right thing to do.

[Aishe]

I'd get one of the feral "barn cats." I'm pretty sure the Pasadena Humane Society has them. It's never going to be suited for a life indoors so I don't think you have to feel guilty about keeping it outside. We did lose a cat to a coyote (the first and last time she got out of the house), so it's definitely a possibility. Our other cat had some kind of arrangement with the coyotes because he would just casually lie around the yard with coyotes right there in front of him!

[bisous]

I'd get one of the feral "barn cats." I'm pretty sure the Pasadena Humane Society has them. It's never going to be suited for a life indoors so I don't think you have to feel guilty about keeping it outside. We did lose a cat to a coyote (the first and last time she got out of the house), so it's definitely a possibility. Our other cat had some kind of arrangement with the coyotes because he would just casually lie around the yard with coyotes right there in front of him!

Wow. I haven't heard of this. It would probably work for DH so I'll definitely pass on the tip. In some ways, planning never to have a relationship with the cat might be better for my heart.

[mom2binsd]

I think the neighbors should figure out a better pest control that a cat, our apt complex in San Diego put out rat traps, the black kind, if you have that big of a rat problem I would definitely look at that.

I am surprised coyotes didn't get to the cat all those years, coyotes are everywhere and pretty good hunters.

[PunkyBoo]

I think the neighbors should figure out a better pest control that a cat, our apt complex in San Diego put out rat traps, the black kind, if you have that big of a rat problem I would definitely look at that.

I am surprised coyotes didn't get to the cat all those years, coyotes are everywhere and pretty good hunters.ITA. Between coyotes and cars, outdoor cats are not encouraged. Plus if a neighbor puts out any pest poison, an outdoor cat could get into it. There is no predicting if a cat will be cuddly and sweet or more independent.

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[bcafe]

No to an outdoor cat. Our neighbors have 1 and there is another creeping about as well. They pee in my flower beds and dig up my flowers/mulch. So annoying!

[PunkyBoo]

No to an outdoor cat. Our neighbors have 1 and there is another creeping about as well. They pee in my flower beds and dig up my flowers/mulch. So annoying!YES!!! I don't have pets primarily because i don't wish to clean up any body's poop. So finding cat poop in our planters is so awful!!!

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[IansMom]

When we moved into our neighborhood 12 years ago, there were three cats that roamed our neighborhood. There is still one original from that group and about five years ago, our neighbor got another outdoor cat. I am pretty sure that our cats keep the mouse, rat and snake populations down, and I would definitely get another outdoor cat if something happened to our two. There are coyotes in the area (I can hear them (howling/screaming?) at night and I have seen them during the day within a mile of our house. I live on a culdesac and my next door neighbor has a creek in his backyard, so I have seen many animals (raccoons, groundhogs, possum, rabbits, turtles) traipse through my backyard. Somehow, the cats have survived.

[KpbS]

I’ll be an outlier and say yes to the outdoor cat. We have known quite a few over the years and the pros outweigh the cons for us.

[klwa]

I agree with those who say to get an adult cat that is used to being outdoors (feral or close to it) if you want an outdoor cat. And make sure it's been fixed.

[dogmom]

I live in a semi-rural area. People move here all the time, let their cats outdoors and the they go missing. A lot of them wind up eaten or in fight with some wild animal. I personally would not feel comfortable bringing a kitten into that situation. Kittens usually find homes. I would consider bringing a rescue that was mostly and outside or semi feral home since you would be providing them with a home.

[Liziz]

First, I'm so sorry for your loss of Rascal. Losing a pet is hard.

In general, I am frustrated my outdoor cats. In my old neighborhood, many people had outdoor cats that would routinely use my gardens and yard as their litter box and areas to dig. I found it so frustrating and disrespectful -- I pick up after my dogs EVERY time they poop and never leave for a walk without poop bags, and ensure my dogs are only ever in my own yard....so why are my neighbors allowed to let their cats poop in and destroy my space? However, as it sounds like your neighbors are actually ASKING you to get a cat, I'll cede this point in your situation!

If your DH has allergies, it's really unfair to pressure him to accept an indoor cat. Allergies can be so incredibly miserable - I know several people with cat allergies and they're ROUGH. To allow a cat in your house means your DH would have no escape from his allergies. It's not like it would be easy to confine the cat to one place in your house, either -- even if you tried, I think with so many people in your house and as good at cats are as sneaking around, it's bound to happen that the cat will go where it wants. So, indoor cat should be completely off the table.

Given the critters in your area, a kitten that starts its life outdoors sounds like a bad plan, as does trying to "convert" an indoor cat into an outdoor one. The barn yard cat program others have mentioned (or finding a cat that's already been living outdoors) does sound like a great plan, though! I think the mindset that the animal is more of a working animal (rat deterrent) instead of a family pet is probably important, though. If you think this will be too hard on your heart (to have a "pet" that isn't indoors or isn't necessarily going to be super lovable) to go this route, that's understandable though! Just like I think it's fair for DH to be pretty forceful about no cat inside, I think it's fair for you to be pretty forceful about no outdoor cat either, if it will be too hard for you to handle.

The rat problem sounds pretty awful - I would think there are some other options besides a cat or poison to try -- maybe it's worth consulting with a good pest company on other options. Around me there's a pest company that focuses on eco-friendly pest removal (more about exclusion, changes in the outdoor space to make it less hospitable and nice for the animals) rather than poison -- maybe something like that would have better options for you?

[mom_hanna]

I volunteer at a rescue in our town and they have a "working cat" program, which is basically barn cats, feral cats, etc. that they trap, fix, and then adopt out as working cats. They are cats that will not do well indoors, and are used to being outdoors. There are a lot of rural farms, stables, etc. around here that love to adopt those cats and will provide them a dry place to sleep, and regular access to food and water. That kind of situtation sounds like it might work for you as well!

[marinkitty]

I've had cats most of my life. LOVE them (and I will say that most of ours have been very loving, affectionate house pets although we have had a couple of more stereotypical aloof cats who only want attention when they want it over the years). Ours have all been house cats. Two of our current cats are adopted barn cats from my brother's farm (we have four right now). One of them adjusted to indoor life and doesn't seek to go out and the other likes to go out, but we take him out on a leash with a harness. For all the reasons that others have stated, a purely outdoor cat isn't a great idea, but a rescue feral cat might be an ideal fit as those are already accustomed to outdoor life and might otherwise be destroyed. I'd want to put a bell on its neck to save the birds and other wildlife, but of course that would negate its use as rat patrol. I will say the cats on my brother's farm never live long at all (that's actually how we ended up with our two - they were about three months old and my niece begged us to rescue them as their other litter mate had already been killed and she wanted them to have a good life.)

[bisous]

Thank you for all your thoughts. I'm intrigued by the idea of working cats. That may be exactly what DH is looking for. It just underscores to me that we had the most amazing combination of effective hunter, street smart warrior, and ball of love! I truly hope animals go to heaven and I get to be with Rascal again. I love my husband more of course and would never consider an inside cat because of his allergies. But I just don't think I can have a "pet" live outside again and never allow him in.

[dogmom]

Thank you for all your thoughts. I'm intrigued by the idea of working cats. That may be exactly what DH is looking for. It just underscores to me that we had the most amazing combination of effective hunter, street smart warrior, and ball of love! I truly hope animals go to heaven and I get to be with Rascal again. I love my husband more of course and would never consider an inside cat because of his allergies. But I just don't think I can have a "pet" live outside again and never allow him in.

I will say as someone who is very allergic to cats that I have had cats and I’m not allergic to all equally. Additionally I find that if I’m away from cats by allergies are worse than when I had them. I wouldn’t recommend getting a cat in hope your DH Changes his mind. However, things may change and the cat my be able to spend some time indoors. If I had to for some reason I could live with a cat if we kept it out of my sleeping space. My mother just died, I’m not taking her elderly cats because we have one dog, one puppy on the way, and two rabbits in an open top pen area that the cats could get into. It’s just too much with my allergies and probably too stressful for them to change to such and active household. But I can imagine a scenario that I would take cats in.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I will say as someone who is very allergic to cats that I have had cats and I’m not allergic to all equally. Additionally I find that if I’m away from cats by allergies are worse than when I had them. I wouldn’t recommend getting a cat in hope your DH Changes his mind. However, things may change and the cat my be able to spend some time indoors. If I had to for some reason I could live with a cat if we kept it out of my sleeping space. My mother just died, I’m not taking her elderly cats because we have one dog, one puppy on the way, and two rabbits in an open top pen area that the cats could get into. It’s just too much with my allergies and probably too stressful for them to change to such and active household. But I can imagine a scenario that I would take cats in.

We had a magical cat that no one was allergic to. People would come to our house and when the cat would walk past they would be shocked that there was a cat. She was just a random cat; no specific breed. It's so hard to predict!

[Kestrel]

Have you heard about the new cat food that limits allergy response in people? I have no idea if it works, but I find the idea fascinating! Mayim Bialik (Big Bang Theory, Call Me Kat) was promoting it. What an interesting idea - the food limits home much of a specific protein the cat's body makes, and that protein is what people are sensitive to. Or something like that. I overheard talk about it at the vet office.

https://www.purina.com/pro-plan/cats/the-liveclear-challenge?utm_campaign=prp-&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_content=&utm_term=pro%20plan%20live%20clear%20cat%20food&ds_rl=1280279&gclid=Cj0KCQjwp86EBhD7ARIsAFkgakg6uzdi221XolYyDXjK 5hYJA-b5zfHZ0Oj60YHxqTiMiuO3UVPlc4waAtzJEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Octobermommy]

We have cats in our area that have been outside & the shelters are advertising them as “unemployed & looking for a job “. They’ve been barn kitties & the shelters have spayed or neutered them but they aren’t going to be great for indoor family life. That might be something you could look in to or getting a cat from someone that is rehoming that has been outside.

Our cat is indoor/outside but she has been a street cat for her first 9 months of life before she walked up to our house. She would be miserable inside.