Should dogs and cats be allowed indoors?

With dogs the situation is most important, cats can and do live happily outside provided they have somewhere like a barn or shed to shelter from the most inclement weather. But dogs are innately social animals, to shut a dog outside is to exclude it from the pack, is severe treatment for a dog. For a dog to feel safe and secure it needs to sleep near the pack, preferably next to high status pack members, which to you dog means you, the owner. Indeed the most effective form of punishment for your dog is to exclude it from your presence. al the best urban

I have two cats who are strictly indoor cats and cannot imagine it any other way! I think some pets are okay in and some are better out of doors. My personal opinion is that some dogs are too big to keep indoors, but then I am a cat person not a dog person. Our kitties are very much part of our family.

i currently have a dog and a cat, but in the past i have had many other animals. certain animals are better off in the house, where as others do better outside. my dog is an indoor animal, he would hate to be outside all the time. my cat is an out door cat, though he did not start off that way, he is fully house trained and can manage to be indoors for long periods of time, but he meows alot and wants to spend time outside. i had 2 rabbits a while back (they lived to be about 7 years old) and they had a hutch outside, in winter (i live in the uk, so it can get pretty cold in winter) i always put a blanket over the hutch doors to help keep the heat in, and they always had fresh warm hay too. but i have friends that keep their rabbits indoors... i had a gerbil that lived to be about 9 amd he lived in his cage indoors. all animals are different, and both dogs and cats can live either inside or outside, providing they are safe, warm and well fed. but i just prefer to keep mine indoors with me unless they want to go out.

My cat is strictly an indoor cat. I've never seen a point in anyone having animals that they keep strictly outdoors because then...well isn't it just a wild animal if it never comes inside? I think the point in having a pet is having a domesticated animal that lives indoors with the rest of the family. A Pet is a part of the family. Now if parents had kids that they constantly kept outside...I'd see how pets should not be allowed indoors. But if kids are allowed in so can pets (and hey... some kids are probably more dirty than some pets!)

Why not? If you take good care of them, if they're clean and have vet care, why you shouldn't? They are from your family.

I do not have any pets, but if i did, they would not come indoors. I personally do not have a problem with people having pets in the house, but I am allergic. I think that it is ok to have pets in the house if you or your children are not allergic to them, as long as they are kept clean and do not tear up furniture or carpet. My step-sister had a dog that lived in the house and he was stinky all the time, plus he pretty much ruined my mom's sofa by scratching. So that instance was not cool. My mother-in-law used to have a cat in her house. Every time I went to visit, I would have to take allergy medicine. It was the pits, because after a while, I would start having an allergy attack. I hope other people that have pets in the house are considerate of their allergic guests. Please put the animal in a separate area of the home, dust, and vacuum the rest of the house before the guest arrives, so that you may enjoy their company for a longer period of time.

Oh, some will get angry when they read this but what the heck, it's my apartment! My chihuahua, Chiquita, is a great little gal and stays mostly on the sofa or on one of the recliners. No one would have too much of a problem with her. On the other hand, Charlie, the Cat Love Of My Life, stays anywhere he wants to. He does it simply because he can. I have had people tell me to "spray him with water" - He loves water! He doesn't get on the kitchen table until a visitor walks into the apartment and then he will run to the table as if he has been sprawled there all along. It's really okay because we always eat in the living room in front of TV. If we have friends for dinner (not in the way that Hannibal Lector had friend for dinner mind you), I change the table cloth and put out fresh place mats. His favorite spot is the kitchen counter where he loves to sit and drink water from a cup in the sink. Naturally I use Clorox wipes and sanitize it before he gets on it so it is clean for him every time.~Donna

I wouldnt have it any other way, my pets are part of the family so of course they come inside. I have 2 cats which live inside all the time and 2 dogs which can come inside whenever they like.

I have many pets and according to the weather all mine are welcome in thehouse if it gets to cold or to hot out for them and sometimes just for some play time

I have two cats which go indoors and out doors, and a little dog who goes outside and inside. We often leave the doors of the house opened so they can go in and out as they please, that is when there is someone at home. I will not let the dog out by himself if I am not at home because he is Sir Barks A lot, I feel sorry for the neighbors so I keep him indoors when I am gone so he will not bark the neighbors to their graves. LOL

I always keep my animals inside and let them go outside for potty time and exercise. My cats and dog get along ok although the youngest cat wants to play with the dog and of course they start to play rough. So I spend most of the time as a referee to make sure no one gets hurt.

Yes you are right . Dogs and cats are social animals. But you should keep them in your house if you can take care of them properly . Animals can spread diseases to humans ...

yes there are the only best friends after human beings and compared to human they are the best.. we have indoor dog but it also a family member in our house... actually it has to die before 3 years but still today it is alive because of the affection and love we shown to it and it will help to in all our works.

Yes, or a raccoon might come and kill them.

We have 2 adorable cats and I prefer not to let them outside at all. I live right off of the main stree in my town and I dont want them to get run over. Honestly if a person wants a pet then I dont think it is right to keep it outside al lthe time. Like you said they are social creatures and need to be arround people who love them and who will give them the love and attention they deserve.

My dogs only go outside when necessary. They think they are deople (dog-people). The rest of the time they are as close to us as they can get, sitting outside the bathroom door when I shower, one sleeps on the floor, the other sleeps on the bed a part of the night. They are members of the family.

yes they should! i think dogs would love to be allowed inside. personally i would love it if i can have my dog sleep on my bed, something warm to cuddle with! but make sure that the dog is clean and flea-free, or else you'd be itchin' all night haha!

I don't see the point in having a pet if you are just going to leave the poor animal outside. How can the animal be apart of the family if it is outside and everyone else is inside? We have four large dogs, all of which are inside pets. They are treated just as if they are our children. The dogs spend a few hours each day outside playing but it is always with one of us with them.

Yes we have pets at home..they are staying in our dirty kitchen, outside of the house but still covered..we allow them to enter the house once in a whiie but they stay over night in the kithcen..

I have a cat and two dogs. My cat stays indoor while my two dogs are outside. I have placed a dog house for my dogs but they absolutely hate being placed inside the dog house. Tody prefers to sleep on our door guarding us from robbers while Jorge stays on our shed. I guess all of my pets have come to an agreement to situate themselves at a strategic location in guarding our house. Whenever the weather is cold, I would place a blanket on all my pets to keep them warm.