Indoor Cats VS Outdoor Cats

I think indoor cats are safer, especially if you are near parking lots or roads. I also recoomend soft paws instead of declawing which is really cruel and if the cat get out he or she will have no way to defwnd him or herself. Soft paws go over the claws and need to be replaced periodically.

I believe cats should stay indoors for a number of the usual reasons such as being run over or attacked by other animals and other reasons. Indoor cats tend to be healthier because they don't pick up illnesses from other cats or animals. If they come into contact with other cats they can catch FIV or Feline Leukemia which can be fatal. They also pick up worms which can block their intestines, if not regularly tested and treated. One other thing is cats can eat and drink things outside which can be dangerous such as if there is a puddle of antifreeze on the road or in a driveway which is definitely fatal. It is a sweet liquid to them and they have been known to drink it and there is no antidote yet for cats. This is of course my own opinion but I believe in the long run cats are healthier if they are kept indoors. Statistically speaking I have read in numerous places that outdoor cats on average live 3 years compared with indoor cats who live to 12 up to 20.

Cats out doors get run over by cars a lot more than indoor cats...they also eat more birds, & baby rabbits & usually leave them as presents for you, on your stoop. Inside, they can take care of any mice, & their 'smell' actually keeps mice away! My cat stayed mostly down stairs, in the finished basement, because he is getting old & throws up on occasion. I now have him upstairs when we are home, to hopefully make the upstairs are rodent free as the downstairs! We live in the country & mice are always around the fields, but try to find warmer digs in winter. Neuter or spade the cat & keep it inside to preserve the wild birds, & get rid of more mice! They are about the same to take care of, but the outside cat will be smellier, & may be harder to train to be a good cat! Good luck!

We only have indoor cat. I just think it is better. This way you know where the cat has been and it is not getting diseases from outside.

Mine are outdoor cats. My daughter and I are allergic so they can't come inside. Their perfectly tame and all. We live in the country on a backroad thats not heavily traveled so there's little chance of them getting hit. They've also been quite helpful in dealing with the mole problem we had when we first moved in. There's no cleanliness problem except when they get into burrs. Their longhairs so it takes a bit of effort to remove the burs from them.