Help What atre your thoughts on having an innisde cat?

[Aim]

I am very much thinking about getting a cat. Maybe it, can give my life some more meaning BUT Ii dont wntt a cat. That doesnt gets their needs fullfilled by staying inside most of the time Since i live on the seconf flor. Any thoughts? Can i tak me cat for walks? hahah

 

[Life_and_Death]

it depends on the cat/location whether or not its better for it to be inside or outside.
i use to have a bunch of outdoor cats, we also lived in the middle of no where with little traffic and they had been outside their whole lives so they were use to it. for them outside is fine
now i have a cat and live in town. theres traffic that could kill her. she spent her whole life inside so while she can hunt, i wouldnt trust her to be able to supply for herself or to protect herself from dangers. for her, inside is the better option.

considering you live on the second floor, id have to guess youd be better off with an inside cat.

as for taking them for walks, if they want to. some cats like going for walks, getting out. but if i put a harness on my girl she flattens out and walks weird, so going for walks, isnt for her.
i wish i had a better response but like everything else, only you know your situation so only you really can know whats best

 

[Aim]

it depends on the cat/location whether or not its better for it to be inside or outside.
i use to have a bunch of outdoor cats, we also lived in the middle of no where with little traffic and they had been outside their whole lives so they were use to it. for them outside is fine
now i have a cat and live in town. theres traffic that could kill her. she spent her whole life inside so while she can hunt, i wouldnt trust her to be able to supply for herself or to protect herself from dangers. for her, inside is the better option.

considering you live on the second floor, id have to guess youd be better off with an inside cat.

as for taking them for walks, if they want to. some cats like going for walks, getting out. but if i put a harness on my girl she flattens out and walks weird, so going for walks, isnt for her.
i wish i had a better response but like everything else, only you know your situation so only you really can know whats best

hmm, yepps thata true, i just think cats naturale instict is to be outside and hunt. But if its notr used to anyhing else, then maybye.. hmm heheheh. though one! Go t do some researche. Thank you very much <3 cats are so cuteness overlaod. <3

 

[tiger b]

It's great. A friend has one, who doesn't want to go outside no matter what the circumstances. It definitely gives him a purpose and helps him not get too down.

 

[L0nely]

To be fair, cats sleep most of their life, they don't need as much active time as you might think. If you get it toys, scratch thingy, pet it enough and take it for walks it should be completely fine. It might depend on the breed tho (some are more active than others).

 

[urwelcomelb]

having an indoor cat is great as long as you give it proper enrichment. You can even get a leash or a cat stroller and take it on walks. I have an indoor cat who's completely happy, and we take him outside on a leash

 

[EvisceratedJester]

It's actually recommended to keep your cat indoors. Domestic cats are an invasive species in most parts of the world and are responsible for a lot of birds and small mammal and reptile species becoming endangered. Keeping them indoors also keeps them safe, too. So long as you make sure to provide them with proper enrichment most cats actually do fine indoors. You can also harness train them and take them out for walks on a leash.

 

[Someone123]

I am very much thinking about getting a cat. Maybe it, can give my life some more meaning BUT Ii dont wntt a cat. That doesnt gets their needs fullfilled by staying inside most of the time Since i live on the seconf flor. Any thoughts? Can i tak me cat for walks? hahah

It is much better for a cat to be an inside cat, once ththey get used to being insde and tame there is no way they can defend themselves against raccoons and other wild animals- cats can be very happy inside- the mian thing, in my opinion, is to get wto cats, so they can keep ecah comnpany when you are away.

 

[GlassAlwaysEmpty]

Some cats breeds are more suited to be an indoor cat. Persian cats for instance, thr vast majority of Persian cats are indoor cats.

 

[whisperjump]

i have FAR too many thoughts about cats to not respond to this thread. i have had around 10 indoor cats in my life and they were all wonderful! however, they are naturally social. cats like other cats, so try to get two young cats from the same litter so as to ensure they don't get lonely. make sure you give them good toys and scratching posts to keep them occupied. remember, they definitely shouldn't have milk as a large part of their diet past kitten age. also, you can definitely take your cat on walks! just be sure to get it a harness.

 

[leavingthesoultrap]

I am very much thinking about getting a cat. Maybe it, can give my life some more meaning BUT Ii dont wntt a cat. That doesnt gets their needs fullfilled by staying inside most of the time Since i live on the seconf flor. Any thoughts? Can i tak me cat for walks? hahah

I have a British short hair and she spent half of her life as inside cat. I made sure I would play with her regularly but I can't deny that she became happier as an outside cat. But if you get a rescue you will still improve its life quality even as an indoor cat. I would pick a kitty that is not hyper active or exotic breed and I would make sure to catify the apartment. Than means adding shelves and resting spots for the cat. Also toys and scratching post are a must.

 

[adriandri]

i would never have an outside cat again. we had outside cats when i was younger and it was up to my parents, and it's too heartbreaking when one of them just doesn't come back. i'll never know what actually happened to them.

and i have to second @whisperjump that two cats do a lot better than one! if you can get littermates or two that are already bonded from a shelter or something it's ideal. you can add a lot of enrichment to an apartment but another cat the so much of what can be offered rolled into one. i know sometimes it's not feasible, but if it is i would 100% reccommend.

also, i have actually had one cat that i could walk on a leash, even starting later in her life, but i've also had multiple cats who absolutely refused. i think the best chance for them accepting leash walks is a younger cat who is not very highstrung to start with. easing them into it is important if they're not on board immediately! wearing a harness at all is usually the sticking point i think.

but also, walking a cat is not at all like walking a dog, and is more like following your cat and standing there while they investigate things for five-ten minutes at a time, and untangling the leash when they wrap it under and around every obstacle they find, so be prepared for that :)

 

[Kasumi]

My cat was an outside cat and she eventually got hit by a car.
I don't regret letting her outside cause that's just the kind of cat she was, she was very active, liked to explore, was often in my grandparent's home as well.
It was sometimes pretty hard to get her to come inside but for the night she had to.
For such a cat, an indoor life just is no real life, then again, the cat I have now hides under my bed when someone walks up the stairs to the front door, when I accidentally lock him out he waits infront of the door with big round eyes, when I try to put a harness on him he transforms into a crocodile.

Imo it really depends on the cat, there are definitely cats that enjoy an indoor life more, especially if they've grown up in a shelter and not outside, and there are also cats that would suffer if you locked them inside, my first cat was a stray / wild cat before she got picked up by the shelter so an indoor life just wasn't for her.

 

[just_a_guy]

I have a cat that is inside about 23.5 hours of the day. She's old (15) so she sleeps a lot but when I go sleep, she'll come to me and sleep by me so it provides some comfort and companionship

 

[sad_rock]

they are very affectionate and strangely intuitive creatures. cats can sense when you want to end things and ctb. they will nudge you affectionately if they sense something will happen. just to keep in mind if you plan on ctbing. sometimes they will cry if they know their owners will leave them

 

[Aim]

It's great. A friend has one, who doesn't want to go outside no matter what the circumstances. It definitely gives him a purpose and helps him not get too down.

having an indoor cat is great as long as you give it proper enrichment. You can even get a leash or a cat stroller and take it on walks. I have an indoor cat who's completely happy, and we take him outside on a leash

I have a cat that is inside about 23.5 hours of the day. She's old (15) so she sleeps a lot but when I go sleep, she'll come to me and sleep by me so it provides some comfort and companionship

Naaaaw

 

[greebo6]

Indoor cats can be fun and they are just as loveable (and love you back just as much) .
Older cats who prefer or have to stay indoors because of their age or impairment (for example they may have lost their sight or can see only a little) are sometimes difficult to re home because people want cute kittens or young cats.
So maybe think about taking one from a shelter who would otherwise get overlooked. Wonderful thing to do.

I did actually see a man walking a cat on a lead once. I must admit it looked strange but the cat looked happy enough.