Cat Chat Feline Forum

Hi all,

I am looking to get a cat whether it’s from a shelter or from a private seller, I am not actually fussed.

However I am slightly concerned in regards to my property location and proximity to some busy’ish roads.

I have a large patio door in the back of my property leading to the garden.

Is it unrealistic to keep a cat indoors in such circumstances? Surely I can’t expect the cat to wonder just in the garden and not jump into adjacent gardens.

Apologies if this has been asked already!

There isn't one answer to your question, just a lot of different points of view and experiences for you to weigh up.

More and more people now have indoor only cats, some taking them out on a leash regularly. They are safe from traffic, dogs, wildlife, theft, getting lost etc but they are at increased risk of boredom and health problems associated with lack of normal exercise. I have indoor cats because that's all I have to offer but I am very much against it and only have this one and my previous one because they were adult and already indoor only for a reason. My local shelter won't home kittens indoor only, at all, because they say you don't know the cat's character and it's depriving them of the chance of a normal life. Not saying don't, I'm just saying think about what sits well with you.

Last time I had a kitten we lived on a very busy main road with no access to a back garden but on our side of the road were long gardens with low walls and on the other side the houses were right on the street with no gardens, so no temptation to cross. To reinforce this when my kitten started going out I would go with her and any time she went towards the road I would shout NO and stamp my feet, and she would bolt for home. She lived there for 12 years, had a large territory of 2 gardens one side and 5 gardens the other side, and never approached the road. If you get a shelter cat you can ask for a home-loving cuddle bug that never goes far, or if you have a kitten you can do what you can to train it, but nothing is failsafe, there will always be some risks outdoors.

Some people have successfully cat proofed their garden to keep cats in, or created a large catio run. Can be expensive, and sometimes look a bit like a high security prison, but may be worth considering.

As Molly says some cats are used to being indoors only and, with attention paid to making indoor life rich and interesting, can be very happy. Trying to keep in a cat that is used to outdoor freedom can be near impossible, though, so talk to rescues and plan carefully.

Also consider getting an older 10+ years cat. Most rescues have some and they are often quite happy with a more sedentary lifestyle. My Tilly, who as a young cat ranged far and wide, is now quite content to sit at home in front of the radiator.

Thank you all for the comments, I’ll be sure to take them all into consideration.

I live in a small town in rural USA. Our house is "in town" and dogs on both sides of us and across the street. Kind of surrounding us. I have five cats and our house isn't the largest two story. I've had cats for almost 30 years. My first two lived to be 18 and 19 yrs. old. Two before them died because they were outside cats at the time because I hadn't learned how dangerous it was out there for them. They just disappeared and never came back. My current oldest now is 19 yrs. I use to take her out with me and walk, but now she prefers to just be safe contently on the bed. I believe in animals to be able to enjoy the outdoors too. So, I built two full dog kennels side by side with access out from a large window in our back room. The kennels are connected by a tunnel made from a plastic trash can that they use to go from one to the other. I built a platform out of PVC pipes with wood platforms for them to get into the kennel and they go out most nice days and enjoy watching the rabbits, birds, chipmunks and occasionally catch a mouse believe it or not and even a bird now and then that wanders into the kennel which all they proceed to bring into the house to me as a gift. So can be done, mostly by anyone and makes them very happy. By the way, I'm a 73 yr old Great grandma.