A friend of mine is disappointed because he wants a Maine Coon and the breeders stipulate the cats must be indoors only. Is this true? I have 2 and they have always been indoors but why can't they be both?

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2000

Answers

I am not a breeder and I cannot answer for them, but why, why would anyone want to let their kitty outside to subject them to illness or death???? Does your friend ever drive down the road and see splattered kitties? It is sickening! For the life of me, and for the life of these animals that we vow to take care of, I cannot and will not ever understand someone who just opens their door and lets their "pet" outside.

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2000

I completely agree with Sue.....I cannot understand why some people feel it is acceptable (even "natural") to let their cats wander around freely outside. As I have written before on this Q&A page, most people accept the fact that dogs, horses, hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, parrots (you name it!) shouldn't be let out to freely wander, so why would they consider cats should be able to do this? Aren't hamsters or horses equally entitled to "be free"?!!!!!!!!! The average lifespan for an outdoors cat is one-third that of an indoor cat. Surely that alone should be enough motivation for your friend? If it isn't, then he doesn't deserve to have any kind of cat IMNSHO!! Very happy to hear yours are inside only....good for you.

-- Anonymous, January 17, 2000

Has your friend also considered the fact that if a cat does not go outside there is never a problem with fleas, ticks, contagious diseases, and not the least of Cat Fights, which will always result in a vet bill and scaring.

-- Anonymous, January 19, 2000

My answer to your friend is if you had a toddler would you open the door and let them to wherever they pleased. Same situation. Your cat is yours to take care of. Some people take better care of their fine chrystal than they do their animals. End of subject.

-- Anonymous, January 23, 2000

I too signed a contract that I wouldn't let my Maine Coon kitten be an outdoor cat. What I did do, however, was to get it used to, at a very early age, a harness and retractible leash. It has worked out really well. My kitten, now almost a year old, sits quietly to have his harness put on and loves to walk around the yard with me on his leash. When I sit out on the deck and read, he can be outside with me, but safe. It takes a lot of patience, but it can be done. There is a great book that describes, in detail, how to train a cat to a harness, it is called Good Owners, Great Cats, by Brian Kilcommons. Hope this helps!

-- Anonymous, January 24, 2000

I think cats can be both indoors and outdoors. But the outdoors part should be with animals that are fixed and during daylight hours and early evening. I've kept cats up to 18 years that were both. It depends where you live of course but my two cats love to prowl the yard during the day and at supper time they come a running home to spend the night in the house or garage (California Coast). These cats were declawed by the prior owner and I don't think I would have done that based on their habits. I use a cat scat electronic devices to control their access to off limit rooms in the house. I also have collars and big bells to protect the local bird population. However, they still manage to climb trees like monkeys and once in a great while catch a slow deaf finch. In California a cat without claws will not last too many nights until a coyote makes a meal of it. The new Advantage flea medicine works perfectly for me. I also trap and have fixed any feral cats that start to hang around. I try hard not to feed the feral cats so that they move along.

-- Anonymous, January 27, 2000

My grandmother had a Maine Coon and let it mostly stay outside. My family is from Maine and Canada. Never had one problem. Hardy little thing it was. I think it depends on where you live. City, burbs, country. In Portland, ME it is a mixture of all. You see cats all over and I mean all over...winter or summer.

-- Anonymous, January 28, 2000