Is your cat an indoor cat, an outdoor cat or both?
By moonshadow68
@moonshadow68 (723)
United States
March 21, 2007 11:36pm CST
I read an article today in the purina newletter I get that said the average lifespan for an outdoor cat is only about a year and that indoor cats live 13 to 15 years!! The article said that cats that do both live between 3 and six years usually. Now, I know I want to keep my cat inside, but what do cat owners think? Do these numbers sound right?
4 people like this
10 responses
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
22 Mar 07
I believe those figures are just generalized. I've known barn cats that never saw the inside of a house, live to be over 10yrs. old. My cat, Lightning, will be 11 at the end of May and he's very much alive although a bit lazy and he's an indoor/outdoor cat who prefers the outdoors during the warm months but likes to stay in more during the cold months. He's not stupid. lol My daughter's cat, Lil' Bear, will be 9 this summer and she's also an indoor/outdoor cat who comes and goes as she pleases. They both have all their shots plus are on Interceptor that is a combo of heartworm/flea/tick drops. People who usually have outdoor cats tend not to take care of them properly (shots, food, etc.) therefore get sick quicker and die but there are some ppl that love cats but are allergic to them that take very good care of their cats even thou they live outdoors. So it all depends on the situation.
@moonshadow68 (723)
• United States
22 Mar 07
I think that makes a lot of sense. Most people I know sadly don't treat outdoor cats the same as they do the indoor ones. I'd actually like to be one of thos ehorrible cat owners who puts a harness on their cat and takes them for walks, so she can be outside sometimes, but we live right on a three-lane highway so i don't want her outside off a leash. And, she hates the harness, so I think outside may be a thing of the past for her.
1 person likes this
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
30 Mar 07
3-lane highway? ugh!!! Best to keep your cat inside then. I live in the country where traffic is scarce. Thanks for the BR. :-)
1 person likes this
@recycledgoth (9894)
•
22 Mar 07
Moomin is quite happy both indoors and outdoors. She was a stray when she arrived at my house and was used to being outdoors, now she will make hereself comfortable on my bed. Indoor cats do normally live longer, they are warm and safe inside.
@moonshadow68 (723)
• United States
22 Mar 07
Rain doesn't like to go outside anymore...I think it holds bad memories from when she was not a pampered and spoiled indoor cat.
1 person likes this
@natrlvr2 (383)
• United States
22 Mar 07
I would never have my cats outside.Too dangerous and I can't handle the 'where is my cat now?'feeling.I used to take care of about 30 strays/feral cats when I lived in the country.Many of them would dissappear in about a yr. to 2 yrs. but there were also idiot trappers too.
2 people like this
@sherrir101 (3670)
• Malinta, Ohio
1 Apr 07
Our two cats (Molly and Jasmine) are pure indoor cats. Jasmine we rescued as a young cat and she is about 9 years old now. Molly is almost 4 years old.
@moonshadow68 (723)
• United States
2 Apr 07
I think rescued pets are the best! I lopve knowing that when Rainy picked us, it was because she really needed people and that because we love her, she will live a happier, healthier and longer life.
@crimsonblues (1191)
• United States
22 Mar 07
My cat is an indoor cat. I'm sure that's probably not completely accurate. Outdoor cats can live long sucessful lives if they have owners who take care of them. Im sure that study also took strays into account..
2 people like this
@moonshadow68 (723)
• United States
22 Mar 07
That's what I was thinking, but it has me alittle worried because my cat was a stray, outdoor cat when we adopted her. I know there is less chance of her dying in car accident or something awful like that now, but I worry that maybe since she was a stray for the first six months it could shorten her life. And, I'd like to have her around as long as possible.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
12 Jun 07
Hi moonshadow--love your avatar by the way..I've had cats all my life practically and they've always been indoor cats...actually out of practicality more than anything else as I've always lived in an apartment building and in an urban environment, so it would've done my cats more harm to let them outdoors and exposed to all kinds of dangers---as for cats living longer indoors vs. outdoors, perhaps in a country setting it might not matter whether indoor/outdoor--all I know in a city type area they probably wouldn't live very long..as for my cats..I had one cat one time that lived to be 22 years old!
1 person likes this
@moonshadow68 (723)
• United States
12 Jun 07
The avatar is my rain, showing us all that she rules the roost.
I hope we can keep her for 22 years! That's awesome! We just put her on a kitty diet because she was getting a little chubby now that she's not a kitten anymore, but she thinned right down, so now I just can't give her tuna twice a day...just once :)
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
13 Jun 07
Why don't you know that all cats are the rulers of their domain?? LOL
@margieanneart (26423)
• United States
29 Mar 07
Yes, they are right. Cats that live outdoor are lucky to make it to 4 years old. They get hit by cars, dogs kill them, cat fights, infections, poisoned, sick from garbage. Indoor cats can live up to 20 years with proper shots and food.
1 person likes this
@Withoutwings (6992)
• United States
11 May 07
My kitty lives indoors. She is 7 now. My mom's kitty was an indoor kitty and he lived to be 17.
1 person likes this
@marinarovi (1318)
• Argentina
13 Jun 07
I have an indoor cat. She could die of boredom every minute now.
But all of my friends have outdoor cats. Truth is, all cats I've known, have lived at least 10 years, and the longest I know has lived 15, and was an outdoor cat.
I guess that outdoor cats that live only a year are stray cats, or really stupid ones that fall under cars or something!!
