I don't think so ... so far it's a discussion. I hope that doesn't change.

It's not the only reason though.

I'm not saying peoples views are outdated, but that the reasons for cats being allowed to go outside perhaps are not in time with the modern world. So our cats are in danger ... more than they have ever been. There has to come a point where it's just not safe for any cat to be out surely?

To be fair you can teach your kids to follow the green cross code and have some road sense. You can't teach your cats the same. This goes for every comparable danger.

Plus I don't think anyone lets their kids go out at will like they did in the 60's and 70's anymore. So in that respect it is completely different.

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Cats can and do suffer frequently as a consequence of being allowed to roam, many get injured and killed on the roads ... I'll NEVER forget the cat I picked up that had had the skin ripped off it's tail from car accident. It was HORRIFIC just flesh and tail bones, she had to be pts due to shock from bleeding.

They also seem to be game for many people with airguns in many areas, one of my rescue boys came to us with pellets in him

The truth is cats are JUST as vulnerable as dogs and unfortunately things are or seem to be getting worse in many areas. In my opinion. I do think more thought maybe has to go into the decision of house cat outdoor cat than previously.

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Fairy smiling, smokes cheroot ...
Simply doesn't give a hoot.

So wild packs of dogs don't hunt for themselves?

I do think when comparing cats to dogs in this instance you really can only compare wild dogs to cats. This is because our dogs have kept up with modern times (or the rules of keeping dogs anyway).

IMO the only cats who would hate being kept indoors are those that have already experienced the outdoors, or those who are not provided with enough entertainment indoors. But even then they do not know what's outside so they can't possibly know that they would prefer to be outside.

If I thought for a moment that I could let my girls out and they would know never to cross the road when a car is coming, or not to eat vermin because they might be poisoned, or not to touch that puddle of sweet smelling stuff (de -icer), or not to approach that scary looking man, or run the opposite way when you see a fox ... and to teach them to come in every single night on curfew no matter what (because they would not learn from being grounded ) .... Then yes I would let my girls out.

I think of my girls as my children, I will protect them in the same way

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That's a lovely and special way to put things

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Fairy smiling, smokes cheroot ...
Simply doesn't give a hoot.

I personally think it's due to tradition. And to some extent, when i was a kid many, many years ago, it wasn't that uncommon to see mongrel dogs trotting around the streets taking their daily constitutional; nobody really thought much of it though you'd never see a pedigree dog out walkies on its own.

I must confess it's always baffled me a bit that nowadays virtually nobody would let the dog out to wander but a number of people are prepared to do so with their cats. But unless someone specifically and pointedly asked me for my opinion on whether or not they should do so, I'd never pass comment because I know that some folk are equally as passionate about allowing their cats outdoors as I am about keeping mine in (or rather with the restricted, supervised access they have to my enclosed garden). Everyone must make their own choice but with it comes the acceptance of responsibility should the worst happen.

I once had someone say to me far better that her cat had 6 happy, carefree years, going outside doing what comes naturally to a cat, than 16 years of being cooped up in a house. A sentiment I can't agree with but nothing I could ever have said would change her mind.

I think you need to base it on what the cats wants.

Some cats don't venture far. Some only go as far as the garden and back and others like to be out all the time. Some prefer to lay on the bed all day.

The world is a dangerous place but do you to make your life sterile in the hope that nothing bad happens?

Where do you draw the line? never let your kids out unless with you?

and what about wild animals?? they are under the same threats as our cats how would you protect those? or are they not as worthy because they are deemed wild whilst your pet cat is "domesticated" ?

Though unfortunately while many cats would love to freely wander, they have no understanding of the dangers of doing ... so perhaps by allowing their "wants" you neglect their needs (to be kept safe)? Just a thought

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Fairy smiling, smokes cheroot ...
Simply doesn't give a hoot.

I'm talking about cats ... not lions

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Fairy smiling, smokes cheroot ...
Simply doesn't give a hoot.

cats are classed as an invasive species by conservationists because they have an impact on the populations of indiginous species they prey upon and not only those but also the native predator species as they compete for food.

so i personally think its unacceptable to allow them to roam for the reasons above and for their own safety aswell.

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"If the wolf is to survive, the wolf haters must be outnumbered. They must be outshouted, out financed, and out voted. Their narrow and biased attitude must be outweighed by an attitude based on an understanding of natural processes."
L David Mech

We have doomed the Wolf not for what it is, but for what we have deliberately and mistakenly perceived it to be..the mythologized epitome of a savage, ruthless killer..which is, in reality no more than a reflexed images of ourself." -Farley Mowat

I'm a bit baffled by some of that We chose to domestic cats, therefore we have responsibilities and duties to them. I hate seeing any wildlife killed, accidentally or otherwise, but for most part there's precious little I can do about it.

As far as kids are concerned... well, to state the obvious, kids aren't cats. Kids grow and learn and hopefully the parents tailor the level of freedom the child has to what they feel the child is capable of safely undertaking on its own. Cats, you can never achieve that with.