I don’t think it’s irresponsible for them to say that. It’s the truth, there not at your door forcing your cats inside. They are just saying whats real. & many more people will tell you that cats are more safe inside then out that’s the truth. Yes, cats can survive living outside for their whole life, BUT a cat has a better chance of survival inside for many reasons. Just like you would have a better survival chance inside your house then out. Now a days cats are like babies they want to cuddle and be loved just like a human.

Repeat: There are dangers inside. It is possible to thwart cats that are hunting (another way is to bring them in at night as that is when they hunt the most). It’s irresponsible of PETA to say ALL cats should be indoor ones when they do not know the situation a person is in. If my neighbourhood is safe and I trust that the cats will come back, like on my father’s estate, I will allow the freedom they so need. Nobody can convince me otherwise.

My cat max was an outdoor cat all his life. He lived till 16, (we had to put him down). My current cat Milo is an outdoor cat, and only three times has he been caught attacking an animals, twice within the first year he became an out door cat. Two times we intervened before it go serious, and only once did he kill a bird, and he ate it. Here in my neighbour hood there are a good 8 cats, and the only animal to go missing have been dogs. In fact, right now there is two cats who have been “found”, proving people care about cats. I can not go anywhere without a cat coming up to me (slight exageration, but I do mean about 5 times a week) and rubbing up against me or asking for pets. It really does depend on where you live, my cat has been to the vet and he is a little over weight (2 pounds. We’e working on it) but other then that he is perfectly healthy. It really isn’t up to anyone to decide whether or not a cat [that belongs to someone they do not personally know and/or is not familliar with exactly where they live] should be kept indoors or outdoors.

If your not watching your cat & it goes out on the road and a car comes by there is a chance it will get no matter how fast the car is going. They are still safer inside but all my cats are outside. You can put stuff up that might hurt a cat inside. A cat has a much better chance of survival inside then they do out. I think most people will tell you that the dangers outside no matter where you live b.c you can’t know every danger outside because outside is endless… then being inside.

I don’t have any pets now, but I used to let my cats out all the time. I understand that they can get hit by a car or chased by a dog, but they’re still animals and they need fresh air as much as we do. They don’t like to be walked the way dogs do, so I just let them out. They always came out, fine and unscathed. The only thing that worried me was whether or not they’d get fleas from being around strays.

@nomeatnodairynoprob1em
What chenli said.

Nomeat, I take offence from you comparing myself and others who let their cats out to letting a child roam freely among sexual predators. A totally inappropriate comparison. Like it or not, cats are not as far from their wild counterparts as most domesticated animals are. There are many places outside where they are safe and as I said, it is up to the carer to make a risk assessment, just like we do with our children (since you use that comparison). Also, cats are not like children in terms of anatomy. Cats have far superior hearing and eyesight to a child so are more aware of an oncoming danger than a child would be, especially in the dark as that is when they are at the best anatomically.

Also, yes, wildlife is a healthier meal for a cat than factory farmed standard pet food. To believe the opposite is absurd when we have high rates of feline cancer, obesity, and other problems that can be linked to their diet. Cats are carnivores, and even though some people have successfully put their cats on vegan diets, it is not suitable for all. Every cat is different and has different tastes, health needs, and so on. You can’t go ahead and just simply turn every cat vegan – not only is it very unhealthy for the majority, it is also a gross neglect of their rights.

Your point about insects is also moot. Insects come into the house. Poisonous chemicals are in the house as I mentioned before and other such dangers.

About the only thing sensible you’ve said is spay and neuter. But don’t try to belittle others when you do not know their area, their companion cats needs or wants either. Each case is different and should be risk assessed by those who live with their companion cats. Not by a keyboard warrior.

@ Vegan4ever

“Yes, that all can happen. But it can also happen to people, yet we go outside when we don’t need to.”
You and I are adult humans who are aware of the dangers that exist outside in this human world, and we are capable of calculating the risks and determining whether or not the risks are worth taking.
Cats aren’t aware of the dangers that exist outside for them in this human word.
If you want to make a comparison between cats and humans, small children are the ones to compare them to.
Letting your feline companion roam free outside (in this world) is like letting a very small child roam free after learning that there are a dozen serial rapists driving around in your town looking for small children to abduct.

“When you only listen to PETA’s news about incidents of outdoor cats being attacked, it may seem like many.”
It is many, regardless of whether or not a person listens only to PETA’s news.

“millions of cats are outside and live fine”
And millions are being tortured in labs and suffering slow painful deaths on the street as a result of people allowing their companion animals to roam free outside in this human world.

“We shouldn’t be choosing for the cat whether it wants to go outside or not.”
Yes, we absolutely should be choosing for the cat, just as we choose for a small child who doesn’t understand the risks of roaming free outdoors.

“Animal rights also includes their choice.”
Yes, their desires should certainly be taken into consideration (that is why we try to make their indoor lives as pleasant as possible rather than just locking them in a cage), however, in this world, when our companion felines desire to do something which puts them in danger because they don’t know any better, it is up to us to make choices for them (just as we do with a small child). As a very basic example, imagine a puddle of antifreeze on the ground. If I see a cat begin to drink that antifreeze, should I allow him to continue because it’s choice, or should I stop him because I know that (like a small child) he doesn’t know what’s best for him?

“I’d rather have my cat eat bird’s, etc. than buy cat food that was made from factory farms.”
1. They eat all sorts of things when they’re outdoors, including animals and insects that carry harmful and deadly diseases & parasites.
2. It’s not as though they just find dead birds on the ground, pop them in their mouth like a bit of kibble and move along. They kill all sorts of things while they’re out there. And more often than not, they do it slowly and painfully. Many times, the victims will escape with injuries that leave them in extreme pain for very long periods of time before finally dying.
3. Cats are actually better off with the factory farm stuff. They’ll live longer and healthier eating it (even though it’s garbage) and there’s less pain & suffering involved in producing it.

“No, I’m not going to spend tons of money on special organic meat or unnatural vegan cat food. The closer to nature the better in most instances.”
1. Don’t bother bringing the word “natural” into it. As you previously mentioned, nature is cruel. Because humans like you and I (vegans) are more compassionate and empathetic than nature, we are often in a better position than nature to determine what’s best. “Natural” definitely does not equal right and oftentimes it flat-out equals wrong. In the case of feral outdoor cats living in the wilderness away from humans, their “natural” diet is a survival diet. It’s not composed of what’s healthiest for them. It’s composed of whatever is available. It’s a diet that often leads to injury, illness, disease and premature death.
2. The very existence of these cats and their relationship with us humans is already unnatural. These cats only exist because of the ignorance and irresponsibility of humans. Don’t fool yourself into believing that it’s natural for you to release your feline friend into the neighborhood to kill things just because it’s similar to what feral cats in the wilderness do. The whole thing is unnatural from the get go.
3. Seriously consider purchasing vegan cat food or making your own (after very thorough research). Vegan cat food, combined with spaying & neutering, is currently the best solution to this human-created cat conundrum.

*does not mean – even…

Again, Nicole, it is all about the area you live in. You cannot assume everybody lives in a location where it is totally unsafe for cats. Your area may have a bus going too fast in your area but that does mean all busses go too fast. The bus goes max 10-20mph if not less, around the estate I originally lived on.

There are also many dangers in the home to the cat, such as chemicals, poisonous house plants, electrical wires they can chew, and so on. Unless you actually wrap them up in bubble wrap or keep them in a plastic padded bubble with air, food and water, and some form of exercise mechanism, your cat will always have that chance of being hurt or killed. Inside or out.

As I said before, people need to take note of their neighbourhood and housing situation and determine what is best for the particular cat. Every cat is different, every area is different and every house is different.

I have outside cats because thats the way my mom wants it. Sometimes they come in but they don’t stay the night. Yes they do deserve to go outside b.c cats do like it ouside but one of my cats just wants to come in all the time but I can’t let her stay long. If I grew my cats up inside they would all like it much more then out I’m sure. But I can say this even though outside is a good thing for cats but there are many dangers I have a bus route here too & the bus even hit a cat!!!! So it doesn’t matter where you are if your cats are outside alone & they wonder off there is a good chance that nature or something man-made will kill your cat. So I can say 100% your cat is safer inside then out no doubt. I see it with my own eyes all the time.

@Nicole, that may be your area, but that is not all. It is down to each person to figure out how safe their area is. When I lived at my dad’s there were many cats and very few cars – of which probably only one was a frequent speeder. It wasn’t actually that easy to speed since it was a bus route so you’d have to go slow due to the bus. Also, as it was generally a cat person’s neighbourhood, worrying about cruel people was very low.

I did live in two different flats last year though, and both times I kept the mogs in since it was a dangerous area – druggies, murderers, etc. Also one of the flats was on a main road. My cats hated being cooped up and one did get out and I waited for hours during the early morning hours to get him back in. I love my mogs dearly and would never dream of putting them in harms way, but I am well aware that when it is safe to do so, cats should have outside access or when possible, an outdoor run. Cats are naturally outside hunters. We can quell their hunting successes but we can’t take away their want for being outside.

@chenli the busy roads part I think you have wrong. I live on a back road and not many cars drive on this road but they do speed & I have to say that these cats pop out onto to the road and cars do not pay any attention and hit them killing them. I can think of three cats in the past couple months that got hit, not to mention the wild animals they hit. But I know it’s hard to have inside animals but there is plenty more dangers outside. I just wish I could do something about these cars telling them to slow down does not help.

A cat should only be kept indoors if the carer lives near a busy road, the cat has health problems, on a strict diet, in an area with larger wild animals and so on. In the UK we do not really have the larger wildlife to worry about unless in the countryside. I used to live on a semi quiet road. My cats had reflective flea collars with many bells on. They would miaow to go outside. Unless there is a real threat to the cats welfare, it is cruel to keep them cooped up. Especially if you have a small place. The threat to wildlife is easily quelled with bells and other collar add ons or special collars that emit a warning sound to wildlife.