Having an outdoor cat is up to the individual and the cat themselves. I have three cats myself all of which have been outdoor before I got them. But after seeing (witnessing it in action) a cat be hit and also coming up hit dead cats, as well as hearing stories of people causeing injury, I decided it wasnt safe for my cats to go outside. Im at least 100 feet from a highway used by cars,trucks and transports. I wouldnt be able to forgive myself if they ventured onto it. (its the same highway I found tidbit on and no one was stopping they just kept driving while she was running about the road terrified)

People have told me my cats will get fat or bored. But my cats are all in healthy shape and very active.

On the other hand my boyfriends parents have three outdoor cats of their own. Two are very old (about ten yrs or more) and one is very young. They come and go as they please. But Ive seen thier cats kill baby rabbits and other wildlife (not fun heaing a rabbit screech trying to get away), two of the cats are extremly fat, one of them is sooo fat she can barly get thro the cat flap and in doing so she scrapes the back fur off her back so she is bald.

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Cats-Decker, Horris, Soda
Dog-Sophie
10 Gallon tank - 1 fantail goldfish.
Rest in Peace Kira (cat)2011

Hi Totto
why can't your cat have the best of both worlds my garden is cat proofed my o/h put angled wire on the top of my fences so my cats cannot get out and other cats cannot get in that way your cat can go out and he is safe
it could be worth a try

viv xx

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I would consider this another reason to keep him in or only take him out in harness (supervised, never tether a cat or leave him unsupervised in harness and leash)

Who knows what diseases those other cats, especially the ferals, carry. He could be coming back with serious injuries or worse, from fighting with other cats.

Totos owner has started a new post.

Toto passed away. So upset. Got into our car bonnet

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Thank you to all of those who have helped me through Ambers pregnancy, birth and right through with her kittens.

www.watsonfamilycats.webs.com

As gutted as we are, and i know if he was locked inside it wouldn't have happened. I still dont know if i have changed my mind on whether a cat should go out. If i could turn back the time and seen this happening of course he wouldnt have gone out, but i suppose if time was turned back i still wouldnt know what was about to happen.

If he had been hit by a car from him straying into the road, i would probably start preaching to not let your cats out. But because of the circumstances, it must be very unusual for a cat to actually climb inside the engine bay, and stay there whilst the car is moving. Its also in my mind that if he got this into his head that its ok to climb into cars, then he was never going to survive even a few days. Just wish he couldve managed to stay inside another 5 minutes until my girlfriend stopped driving and maybe he couldve called her, but its all ifs buts and maybes.

Right now the house feels very empty, and its going to kill me but we still need to move all his toys. I want another cat, but my girlfriends not so sure, saying she could never go through this again. I would never see it as replacing toto though, because each cat is unique to us and there will never be another toto.

So young but so brave toto xxxx Will miss you
Mike and liz

It's actually quite common for cats to climb into an engine block. I am very sorry for your loss.