I live in a studio apartment.
My neighbor lives in an apartment below mine. We live right across the street from a park the size of a golf course.
When my neighbor leaves for work, he just lets his cat outside. Cat chills and plays, and socializes with other cats. Hangs out all day.
When he comes home, the cat is eager to see him, and runs inside with him.
Thoughts on this /an/? He has a collar on his cat, but seems pretty nonchalant about just leaving it to it's own devices outside all day.
I was going to adopt a cat and do the same. Is a studio apartment enough room for a cat? How long do you think I should keep it inside before letting it go out exploring and hope it comes back?
letting cats outdoors is basically taking away around 80% of their lifespan on average.
*gets popcorn*
>>1989274
Is a studio enough space for a indoor cat though? A cat living it's whole life inside a room basically, seems pretty cruel.
>>1989276
as long as it gets enough excercise and stimulation it should be fine.
that's because you anthropomorphise cats.
>>1989274
all of my cats have been outdoor cats, and they have all lived more than 15-16 years, 20 years in one case
are you saying an average cat lifespan is 75 years?
>>1989276
Don't listen to the other faggots. Having an outdoor cat is just fine. Just make sure it gets along with the other outdoor cats before you leave it out unsupervised.
>>1989278
someone doesn't understand what 'average' means.
your anecdotes are worthless.
>>1989279
it's about as fine as letting your child play on the freeway.
>>1989273
>>1989276
Myth: Outdoors is a cat's natural environment.
When cats became domesticated thousands of years ago, they were removed from their natural environment. They have evolved to the point where they depend on humans for food and shelter; therefore, their natural environment is now indoors.
Myth: It is cruel to deprive my cat of the pleasures of being outside.
While it is true that cats do like to go outdoors, they can be perfectly content indoors. Many indoor cats actually find the outdoors very frightening. With consideration and planning on your part, you can provide toys and activities to keep your cat healthy and happy indoors. And with patience, your cat can even be leash-trained to make the occasional trip outdoors at your side.
Myth: Cats can take care of themselves.
Outdoor cats face higher risks of injury and illness; their life spans are dramatically lower. Millions of taxpayers dollars are spent every year to rescue, treat, feed and house cats that are allowed to roam-free.
>>1989282
I'm not letting it play on the freeway. I'm letting it play outdoors. If my ct is stupid enough to go running into the road with a car coming then I sure as hell hope it get its little kitty head crushed.
But it's not doing that.
>>1989283
>While it is true that cats do like to go outdoors
it isn't.
they're after the stimulation, not the concept of being outdoors.
stimulation they should be getting from interaction if you aren't a shitty owner.
don't forget to mention all of the songbirds and marine mammals going extinct due to cats.
>>1989273
It really depends on the environment, most places humans live aren't safe for cats
Up to you to make this determination, if you see other people/cats hanging around outside, and they seem ok, well it'll probably be fine
Then, some cats are just smarter than others, some cats won't run into the street, or do stupid shit, they're a lot smarter than toddlers, and can remember how to get home from a mile or two away
If you let your cat out though, there's always a chance some sicko will abduct it, a dog will attack it, the pound will think it's stray and neuter/spay/abduct it, could get hit by a car, a number of shit could happen
>>1989284
seeing you live in a 'studio apartment' I'll go ahead and figure you live in a larger city.
so yes, it's literally letting your child play on the freeway.
>If my ct is stupid enough to go running into the road with a car coming
cats aren't very intelligent, you can't blame them for being retarded.
>>1989279
That's one fluffy cat. :3c
>>1989283
Occasionally, he'll appreciate having a whiff of the outdoors. Many cats love to stretch out in front of an open window and sun themselves or watch the world go by. Just make sure the window screens are secure first. If your cat is an avid window-watcher, consider installing a special shelf to make the windowsill wider. These shelves, some of which are padded for extra comfort, are available for purchase. Remember that just because your cat likes to watch out the window, it doesn't mean he's longing to go outside. To an indoor cat, the great outdoors is just an entertainment that flashes by, like images across the television screen.
>>1989286
myth: It really depends on the environment
it doesn't
there's 3 types of environments.
1) wildlife.
2) human activity.
3) both.
we don't live in the chronicles of Narnia.
>>1989285
>don't forget to mention all of the songbirds and marine mammals going extinct due to cats.
I cackled at how fucking ridiculous this is, like a dozen cats are going to make birds go extinct
Disgusting rodents perhaps, not fucking birds
>>1989289
if he wants it to go outdoors so badly he can just walk it on a leash.
>>1989285
The thing is. It makes ME happy know my cat is getting stimulation 24/7.
>>1989292
>like a dozen cats are going to make birds go extinct
try a few million.
and literally every owner of those cats will say that 'one cat won't make a difference'
it does collectively.
>Disgusting rodents perhaps
most mammals are rodents.
>>1989290
By environment, I mean, do you live in a decent neighborhood, or do you live right next to a freeway with cars speeding by every second?
Do you live in a shitty ghetto? Or in a rural area?
Do you live in a freezing environment? A environment full of predators? Or a fairly tame, neutral weather environment?
You have a pretty simple mind. Added to filter.
>>1989297
>I mean, do you live in a decent neighborhood
>next to a freeway with cars
doesn't matter, there are cars either way.
it's not going to make much of a difference as you already stated
>speeding by every second?
which chases animals away, keeping them from running over it, while that isn't the case in a 'decent neighborhood' so if anything it's worse.
>A environment full of predators
every environment is full of predators.
>>1989287
OP here, here's what I see when I step outside.
I live on the nicer side of town, next to a retirement home. It's pretty quiet, pretty comfy.
Not a lot of traffic, not even really dogs desu. I usually can leave my car unlocked and nothing happens.
Will my cat be okay?
>>1989299
>cars
no it's going to be roadkill.
>Not a lot of traffic, not even really dogs
or fox dinner.
>>1989299
comfy
>>1989299
Your cat will be fine, OP.
>>1989301
>foxes
we have coyotes but they're big pussies
>>1989299
From a protect the environment view...it bothers me that you would have an outdoor cat, but your cat will be okay.
If anything, talk to your downstairs neighbour that you're getting a cat. They may not get along and then you're going to have a territory issue.
Having said that. Cats do completely fine indoors. They don't get bored like dogs do. They'll happily just chill all day staring out windows and sleep. It's up to you, but don't feel like you have to have it outside because it will get depressed or anything.
Cat owners are literally the only fucking people that get this butthurt and defensive when someone suggests that they supervise their pets. Jesus Christ.
Holy fuck I never knew that cat owners were this dillusional and selfishly paranoid.
You're going to force your cat to stay in the prison that is your four walls because you're afraid that your cat might get hurt living its life in a way that stimulates and makes it happy?
Your fucking cat doesn't want to sit inside all day staring at the wall so you could come home and pretend you're the center of its world. It stares out the window longingly because that's where its rather be. Cats are animals, not toys. They don't exist solely to satisfy your desire for something cute so have a little respect. So what if it might die, better than being stuck in prison with no chance of a cats life at all.
Selfish, thoughtless cunts.
>>1990327
The only angry people in this thread are screaming at people for letting their cats go outside.
You know, I think it depends on the cat.
My 10 years old Manx cat has been with me since his birth and he's mostly outdoors to the point where he absolutely won't stand for being left inside unless he's coming in to sleep or eat and chill with me. I always thought it had something to do with his being a Manx and all. He's bigger than every other house cat and I sometimes get asked if he's a bobcat mix or some shit. He's also ridiculously smart. When we first found out he was patrollin the neighborhood, it was because we saw him on our security cam, looking both ways before he crossed the street to the house across from us. We went apeshit ayyyylmao. Apparently he also uses the brick walls between every home as a sort of layout for his routes and he's hanging out with bigass dogs. I dont know what's up with him. He hunts like a motherfucker too. Mostly rats and mice.
The thing is, I sure as hell didnt teach him this shit. He just kind of came out this way. If I had any other cat, I wouldnt even let it out without me accompanying it like a toddler. It's his species aint it? Speaking of his species, i think it's funny how adept he is at survival because he's completely no-tail so he actually wouldnt make it if he were truly left to be wild because he needs me to give him his medicine to prevent constipation. My poor kitty
>>1991948
Shit. Forgot to add one important detail.
He's damn shy and he doesnt approach strangers/other animals nor does he let them near. He'll only warm up to other neighborhood pets as long as thwyre friendly, as well as people I interact with more than twice at least. I think that's a big factor here.
>>1991948
it depends on the owner.
how shitty and lazy the owner is to be specific.
>>1991996
You can't seem to hold a discussion without resorting to instant assumptions. So here's one for you: You're a gigantic cuca faggot bitch owner with an eastreaching dick that won't listen to your ahhh who am I kidding. Arguing with a confrontational thick-skulled brat on 4chan. Now that's bullshit.
>>1989273
Anon, I'd say keep it inside. Whatever cat you're getting is likely a common indoors type. You can let it out as long you tag along and keep an eye on it.
>>1992021
Ack hold on, gotta be clearer: keep it inside for the most part but don't be afraid to let it out either. Tagging along would be best because, well, you never know. Even if tagging along just means watching it while you sit outside and practice origami or whatever
>>1989273
OP, depends on the cat. If you adopt a cat that's been in a cage most of its life at the rescue, it probably would be scared and confused when you leave it outside for 10 hrs. If you adopt a former street cat, it might work as they would have the skills to survive.
I have two cats, one I've had since she was a kitten and one I tamed from the wild when he was a couple years old. The former gets lost 5 ft from the house and is not allowed out unsupervised. The other has street smarts and is wary of everything and everyone but me. He insisted on living outside despite -20 degree winters for the first year or so that I took care of him. He would hang from his nails on the window frame and scream for hours starting at 3 am. He only stopped doing this when we moved and he didn't know how to get outside anymore. I don't let him outside now because I think he might run back to our old house if I did. I know he could survive though, I've seen him deal with asshole tom cats and he knows how to hide from coyotes. He also stayed out of the road.
Cats raised by other cats seem to survive ok in the wild. They aren't good for wild birds though.
