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Indoor-only and outdoor cat in same household



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 7th 05, 04:07 PM
Alex
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Default Indoor-only and outdoor cat in same household

Is it possible (or common) to have an indoor only cat and one that roams
outside, in the same house? We were thinking of getting a purebred indoor
cat (perhaps Burmese) alongside our existing 3 y-o moggy Khamun who goes out
as he pleases via a catflap. One way would be, I suppose, to have a
magnetic flap which only opens for Khamun and not the purebred. But it
would be a bit strange for the purebred to see his companion going out, and
finding he can't. Or maybe he wouldn't have any desire to.

We're out at work all day and keep the cat in the kitchen with the catflap
in the back door, so we could keep another cat in the remainder of the house
without access to the kitchen - but the whole point of our getting another
cat was to allow them to play etc, so keeping them apart all day would
defeat the purpose, I suppose...unless playing together when we're there but
not during the day (or night) would not be cruel. But then they'd only be
together for 4 or so hours out of 24.

Are there any purebred breeds who can roam outside, or we really restricted
to moggies? Without wishing to start a indoor v outside heated debate of
course!

Thanks

Alex


  #2  
Old June 7th 05, 04:26 PM
Mary
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Default


"Alex" wrote in message
...
Is it possible (or common) to have an indoor only cat and one that roams
outside, in the same house? We were thinking of getting a purebred indoor
cat (perhaps Burmese) alongside our existing 3 y-o moggy Khamun who goes

out
as he pleases via a catflap. One way would be, I suppose, to have a
magnetic flap which only opens for Khamun and not the purebred. But it
would be a bit strange for the purebred to see his companion going out,

and
finding he can't. Or maybe he wouldn't have any desire to.

We're out at work all day and keep the cat in the kitchen with the catflap
in the back door, so we could keep another cat in the remainder of the

house
without access to the kitchen - but the whole point of our getting another
cat was to allow them to play etc, so keeping them apart all day would
defeat the purpose, I suppose...unless playing together when we're there

but
not during the day (or night) would not be cruel. But then they'd only be
together for 4 or so hours out of 24.

Are there any purebred breeds who can roam outside, or we really

restricted
to moggies? Without wishing to start a indoor v outside heated debate of
course!

Thanks

Alex



Alex, I don't understand. You seem to be assuming that it is safer for a
mixed-breed cat to wander than for a "pure bred" one to do so? Why would
you assume that?


  #3  
Old June 7th 05, 04:29 PM
Monique Y. Mudama
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On 2005-06-07, Alex penned:

Are there any purebred breeds who can roam outside, or we really
restricted to moggies? Without wishing to start a indoor v outside
heated debate of course!


*snicker* good luck with that.

Why do you assume that purebreds can't go outside, but moggies can?
The only added risk I can imagine is theft, which is actually a
problem for moggies as well, as they can both be sold to labs.

My moggie stays indoors and is perfectly happy with that situation.

--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca
  #4  
Old June 7th 05, 06:42 PM
Steve G
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Mary wrote:
(...)

Alex, I don't understand. You seem to be assuming that it is safer for a
mixed-breed cat to wander than for a "pure bred" one to do so? Why would
you assume that?


I think it's more prosaic than that: To take a purebred cat home, you
invariably (?) need to agree to keep it indoors only, at least in the
USA. So, if the OP adopts a PB cat, then assuming he wishes to stick to
his side of the bargain, he'll have an indoor and an indoor/outdoor cat
by default.

(In fact, the journal article of Rochlitz I've occasionally referred to
suggests that PB cats are *less* likely than moggies to be involved in
a RTA (in the UK). However, this is almost certainly due to the
mediating factor of owner behaviour, rather than PB cats being
smarter.)

Steve.

  #5  
Old June 7th 05, 07:47 PM
Alex Panda
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"Mary" wrote in message ...

Alex, I don't understand. You seem to be assuming that it is safer for a
mixed-breed cat to wander than for a "pure bred" one to do so? Why would
you assume that?


Well, from what I've read many breeds like Burmese don't have such good
survival instincts outside, and most sites seem to say that they should be
kept indoors. I assume that most, say, Bengal owners don't allow them to
roam but maybe I'm wrong.

Cheers for the response, I'd be interested if there are any purebred cat
owners who could tell me if they allow their cats to roam - I'm in the UK
where roaming sems more common.


  #6  
Old June 7th 05, 07:56 PM
Mary
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Default


"Alex Panda" wrote in message
.uk...

"Mary" wrote in message

...

Alex, I don't understand. You seem to be assuming that it is safer for a
mixed-breed cat to wander than for a "pure bred" one to do so? Why would
you assume that?


Well, from what I've read many breeds like Burmese don't have such good
survival instincts outside, and most sites seem to say that they should be
kept indoors. I assume that most, say, Bengal owners don't allow them to
roam but maybe I'm wrong.

Cheers for the response, I'd be interested if there are any purebred cat
owners who could tell me if they allow their cats to roam - I'm in the UK
where roaming sems more common.



I think maybe Steve G. has an answer for you. I wish I could help but
you and I are at opposite ends of experience: I am in the US, have only
had moggies and have never let them roam. Growing up we had some
that did and they all got run over, poisoned, etc. I understand things
are different in the UK. Good luck.


  #7  
Old June 7th 05, 08:48 PM
Sandra
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I have two Brithish Shorthairs. One is a little over a year old, the other
six months younger. Memphis and Phoenix are both kept indoors. Phoenix would
like to go out, but I think Memphis is more scared! We are planning to move
to Spain in the future, so they will gain access to the outside, simply
because we would find it near impossible to keep them in when it is hot.

I had not heard of breeders making you agree to keep them inside before!

--
Sandra


  #8  
Old June 7th 05, 09:11 PM
Mary
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"Sandra" wrote in message
...
I have two Brithish Shorthairs. One is a little over a year old, the other
six months younger. Memphis and Phoenix are both kept indoors. Phoenix

would
like to go out, but I think Memphis is more scared! We are planning to

move
to Spain in the future, so they will gain access to the outside, simply
because we would find it near impossible to keep them in when it is hot.


This is because there are few screened windows and doors, many
places are not air conditioned, and so the doors and windows are
left open, as in other parts of Europe?


  #9  
Old June 7th 05, 09:23 PM
Steve G
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Default



Mary wrote:
"Alex Panda" wrote in message
.uk...

(...)

Well, from what I've read many breeds like Burmese don't have such good
survival instincts outside, and most sites seem to say that they should be
kept indoors. I assume that most, say, Bengal owners don't allow them to
roam but maybe I'm wrong.

Cheers for the response, I'd be interested if there are any purebred cat
owners who could tell me if they allow their cats to roam - I'm in the UK
where roaming sems more common.


I think maybe Steve G. has an answer for you.


Not really. The Rochlitz study (Vet Rec 2003: 549 - 553) found that
purebred cats were as third as likely as moggies to be involved in a
RTA. This indicates i) at least some purebred cats in the UK have
roaming outdoor access, ii) the reduced risk of RTA probably means that
the purebred cats were restricted more (by the owner) in their
movements than moggies. The sample size in the study was small,
however.

I doubt there's any evidence that purebreds have somehow had their
'survival instinct' bred out of them. Or, in other words, if you want
to keep a purebred indoors, a reason to do this is not because they are
especially stupid wrt the outdoors! Indeed, Rochlitz suggests that
purebreds 'may have behavioural characteristics that reduce their risk
of being in a road accident'. Just handwaving though, is that, and I
would take it with a pinch of salt.

Put it like this: the logic for keeping a purebred indoors applies just
as well to a mog, with the exception that perhaps purebreds would be
more likely to be stolen than moggies, which feeds into the equation
somewhere...

S.

  #10  
Old June 7th 05, 09:29 PM
Mary
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Default


"Steve G" wrote:

I think maybe Steve G. has an answer for you.


Not really. The Rochlitz study (Vet Rec 2003: 549 - 553) found that
purebred cats were as third as likely as moggies to be involved in a
RTA.



"as third as likely??????"



This indicates i) at least some purebred cats in the UK have
roaming outdoor access, ii) the reduced risk of RTA probably means that
the purebred cats were restricted more (by the owner) in their
movements than moggies. The sample size in the study was small,
however.

I doubt there's any evidence that purebreds have somehow had their
'survival instinct' bred out of them. Or, in other words, if you want
to keep a purebred indoors, a reason to do this is not because they are
especially stupid wrt the outdoors! Indeed, Rochlitz suggests that
purebreds 'may have behavioural characteristics that reduce their risk
of being in a road accident'. Just handwaving though, is that, and I
would take it with a pinch of salt.

Put it like this: the logic for keeping a purebred indoors applies just
as well to a mog, with the exception that perhaps purebreds would be
more likely to be stolen than moggies, which feeds into the equation
somewhere...


Well you know I will not argue with this. ;0)


 




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