i have two cats which i have chosen to keep as indoor pets because i live near a main road and im sure if i let them out they would either be stolen or killed by someone (there are some cruel ppl around these days)

my mum got a kitten while back such a lovely thing but quite hyper she was a outdoor cat but they didnt let her out at night, one day my brother left the window open at night and out she went, the next day someone knocked saying there is a cat that has been knocked down poor girl had no chance she was about 9 months old when she died.

Hi Nina, we breed Siamese and also have a pure bred moggieOur cats are all indoor cats,however we are fortunate that my other half knows his saw from a paving flag and so we have cat runs adjoined to our back room window. They have heated quarters in which they have constant access to water and biscuits and can snuggle as well as a toilet area and they have loads of room to excercise or just sit and put the catworld to rights in the sun(when we have it) and they can be safe,still get fresh air and enjoy being cats tooWe also gave them toys and various objects to keep them active and theirs room for us to sit out and keep them companyIf your garden is big enough maybe this would be an option for you and yours,better if someone you trust could build it for you as it's slightly less expensive and you can have it built to suit

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Burnthwaites Siamese

I have had out door cats but never again, too many tears when they get run over.

My cats have a secure garden to play in, in the summer I can leave my doors open the cats come and go as they please, inthe winter I open and close the door when they wish to go out or come in.

This way they are safe, have freash air and best of both worlds, I can sit in the garden with them. I used netting that is put over ponds on the top and you dont notice it.

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Adorable Ragdoll Cats

Great feedback and good comments.

Our garden is surrounded by a 6 foot high fence, but I am sure a cat would have little difficulty climbing over.

Next door's Staffie that has already killed one cat in the neighbourhood, so I am extremely worried about them venturing out. However, please correct me if I am wrong here, but if we were to erect an overhang around our garden, so that it sloped inwards, I would imagine it would be extremely difficult for a cat to gain purchase to the other side.

I have quite a few clients that have built outdoor runs with tunnels from their house, but to be honest, our garden is not huge and I do not feel that would be an option.

We are also hoping to have our puppy by the Spring, so that is another consideration. What to do, what to do?

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Would you still say that if it was a child??
Of course the driver is to blame, I have had many a cat/fox/squirel run out in front of me but being a good driver I managed to avoid an accident.

Many of these "hit and run" drivers are people not paying attention on the road, speeding and cant control their vehicle. Its the same with a child, children are always running across the road, if you want to drive a car you ought to be prepared for unforseen "accidents".

Do you have any cats yourself? or lost a cat to a road accident??

no its not always the drivers fault. I had one shot straight out of a ditch and under my car, not in front of me, i felt the bang, the cat ran out the other side into a car coming the other way???????? that driver got it straight on but didnt stop, i did, but it was dead but i found the owners, i was crying and it took my ages to get over it.

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Adorable Ragdoll Cats

Know what you mean about smallish gardensOurs wasn't huge and it's that much smaller now What are the chances of your cats liking inquisitive walkies on a harness?? yeah probably not great eh)

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Dogs have owners, Cats have slaves

Burnthwaites Siamese

All mine obviously indoor cats. My old kind moggy was an outdoor - and as Denise say - never again! Twice He came back with holes in his had; many time limping; almost every morning he was entering a house smeared in lipstik and smelling of someones parfumes! one never know what was happening to him during his rounds!

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"Do not meddle in the affairs of cats, for they are subtle and will pee on your computer." --Bruce Graham
There are no rules, rules are only for people who fit inside a box, if you want to think out of the box there is no hope... Life has no Box. (Tony Howells)

Apart from road accidents people like to steal them

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Adorable Ragdoll Cats

Yes, cats are extremely wiley, and many to find another home to feed and care for them. Hence they wonder from place to place.

I would also like to contribute to the driving debate. I live in the country, where squirrel and rabbits running into the path of cars are common place. We also have deer signs everywhere, so yet another hazard to avoid.

We had only lived in the village for a few months when I ran over a squirrel. It was one of the most upsetting things I have ever experienced, and since that time, I was behind a motorist that ran over a rabbit.

I class myself as a really experienced driver and have never been involved in an accident. I drive extremely carefully, but in no way could I have avoided that squirrel. It was too quick and despite my applying the brakes, it was killed outright.

I honestly cannot imagine my feelings had it been a cat or dog, so whilst I totally agree that some people drive at ridiculous speeds in built up areas, generally, people do adhere to the speed limit, and really cannot be responsible for killing wildlife, or a domestic pet. This does not however, help the poor owners whose pets die as a result of traffic accidents, hence my poll.

My expertise are with dogs, and having my two rescue cats has just reinforced my opinion that cats are a real enigma! After only 7 days however, they have made themselves right at home, and we wouldn't be without them.

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