I don't understand why somebody would just let their beloved bengal cat out...they can get run over by cars, stolen or get killed by another animal....why do you not take your cat out on a leash....i see post here about cats who have ran away or something....i paid a lot of money for my cat and i love her dearly...in the states cats will be picked up like dog by animal control...i just don't understand why you would let your cat outside without a leash and then complain that my cat is gone...i just don't understand??? do people in the uk let their dogs run loose??? it should be the same rule for cats....

Because their cats love it.


I'm in-between I don't use a leash except a few occasions. I'm always out with him and he has a homing tag so he can't get lost. I couldn't just open the door and let him run out, not because of the obvious and definitely not money. But because of his impact on local wildlife and respect for my neighbors. Many places including my area its illegal to let any pet out without a leash. You'd be surprised at how many places have that law but its not enforced. The chief of animal control lives in my neighborhood and sets traps. If your cat is chipped you get a $300 fine. If not it goes to a shelter and if its not claimed its destroyed.

My parents are bird watchers and I love snakes, critters and a clean car. We all hated cats and their irresponsible owners. I refuse to be like those irresponsible people but I don't want to deprive my boy from fun experiences or being able to see me working outside and not be near me. I'm glad to say I got my cake and I'm happily eating it too.

i just love my cat sooo much...i just don't want anything to happen to her..but i do live in downtown tampa...if i lived on a farm it might be different about letting her out...i have been reading the post and it seems so weird "from the states" that they won't even let you adopt a cat over there if you don't have a cat flap or access to the outside...here in the states they really want the cats kept inside...i am not knocking the way things are done in the uk...i guess its just different....oh well i do love talking to people that live so far away and love the way that we have the differences....but i soooo love my cat and just hate to see it when somebody looses one...

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The little monsters 3

Ya I doubt he'll have much fun in downtown Tampa anyways. I live in the suburbs of Pittsburgh not a farm but he loves to chase the neighborhood kids on their bikes or watch me cut the grass or work on the car. I planted catnip around my house and the kids in the neighborhood pick it to give it to him. They'll ask for Da Bird to play with him. Everyone knows him and that I'm out too, so they can holler for me if there's a problem and keeps anyone from being mean to him.

I didn't know UK was any different than the US on this issue.

"And "Because their cats love it" is a bad reason imho" the OP asked why. It seemed like the best answer didn't say it was a good reason. I think cigarettes are a bad example because its a certain bad outcome. My parents let me ride a dirt bike by myself for hours when I was a kid. Nothing bad happened but I wouldn't let my kids do it but I'd go riding with them....if I had any.

My neighbors had a nasty cat. When it was given to them it was sweat indoor only cat. They promised the original owner they'd keep it indoors. They didn't it turned into the neighborhood bully and was so mean it started biting her kids so they put it to sleep. Did they learn... nope. Same thing again and same promise but to her daughter. Its not mean but its always beaten up. My cat wants to play and her cat screams. She's threatened to kill my "wild cat" but the loved the fact their old cat was killing everyone else's. Total Hippocrates some people don't deserve pets or kids. Her kids are treated like the cat no one cares or plays with them just leaves food and water out. Mommy just watches TV and smokes all day.

I get that some people will choose to let their cats go out, and that's their prerogative, but I find it VERY odd to hear that some rescues in the UK will not even allow someone to adopt a cat if they don't promise to let it out. That just boggles my mind. I just keep telling myself that the environment must be SO different there. Here, pretty much all shelters/rescues will not only encourage you to keep your cat inside or on a leash, but some will even decline an adoption if you say it will be an outdoor cat. And of course that's just because there are sooo many dangers. There are also way more stray/feral cats here than there should be (though I've heard it's worse in my area, probably because we don't have winters). Cats that roam around outside here are VERY likely to be hit by a car. It happens all the time and it's so, so sad because it's so easily preventable... They are also likely to be attacked or killed by dogs, racoons, alligators, other cats, snakes, etc. Mean people are also a huge danger to outdoor cats. They can be poisoned, shot at, or even worse (I won't go into detail on what I've seen/heard). Then there is the less likely, but still possible risk of them being stolen, but that really only applies to pedigree cats. Knowing how common all of these things are here, it just makes me wonder if maybe the environment is just very different in the UK. Because with all these risks I just don't understand why a rescue center would require outdoor access... Interesting how different things are depending on where you're located, huh.

I think you have a good thing going, viperkeeper. You're able to let your cat experience being outside in a relatively safe way. It's nice to hear how diligent you are about keeping an eye on Pouncey, while still letting him have a bit of freedom at the same time. Of course it's not a fool-proof solution, but it's a lot safer and a lot more responsible than just opening the door and saying "see ya later!". I think being outside with your cat or walking it on a leash/harness are great ideas. Unfortunately none of my cats would stand for that, but they do sometimes enjoy lounging around outside on the screened-in back patio. You can tell my cats are "indoor cats" though, because when I come in the house most of them follow. They aren't comfortable with being out there without me. Even my outdoor-to-indoor convert Eevee doesn't beg to go out, she knows she has a great thing going now and is happy staying safely inside. I know not all cats are like that though.

Like I said, I know some people (regardless of location) choose to let their cats out and that's just their choice. It makes me sad, because I hate seeing any cat get run over/lost, but it's not my cat so it's not my say! I just know that personally, I would never take that risk with my babies. I'm one of those over-protective mommies, I guess.

i bought mine a pet stroller...on ebay...http://www.ebay.com/itm/280502659030?va ... 2649...and i take her outside in it...we go to the coffee shop every morning and she loves to sit and watch the people...we also have a park downtown and i take her in her little stroller and then take her out in her walking jacket and let her play and climb trees as far as the leash allows...people stop and take pictures of my cat and ask all about her...so she does get to go out but i am always watching for dogs but they to are on a leash so it hasn't been any problem...

"I think you have a good thing going, viperkeeper. You're able to let your cat experience being outside in a relatively safe way. It's nice to hear how diligent you are about keeping an eye on Pouncey, while still letting him have a bit of freedom at the same time. Of course it's not a fool-proof solution"

Its like the dirt bike analogy I gave its a compromise. Another thing to point out is its good for me to. No matter how cold it got this winter and it ain't Florida that's for sure. We would walk for a minimum of an hour he loves the snow but I hate it. I wouldn't go out unless I had too but he begs to go out. He changed my life no doubt. If I have free time we spend it outside I watch almost 0 TV (except movies) and I started watching/understanding his diet. Now I watch mine I had fast food once last year.

If your curious about our relationship here's pics http://db.tt/JkrsiOXp for someone who hates cats I think I'm doing alright.

I don't know what to say about the stroller. I can see the benefits but.....well I'd shot myself first

I would have said the same thing a couple of years ago on costumes for pets. But I'm a Hippocrate obviously.

the stroller is leopard skin very cute..i am sure u would love it but u really should see my husband walking her in her little pink walking jacket and her blingy bedazzled leash!!

haha sooo cute..loved ur pics...i can't believe he sits on the motorcycle!!

Well is not a motorcycle its an ATV(4 wheels). Its how we get to all those cool places deep in the woods. So he knows were going somewhere fun. He didn't like getting back on it to get back to camp. So now I have to hit a few special spots before heading back. Then he doesn't know when we're heading back.

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The little monsters 3

The saddest thing I've ever witnessed first-hand regarding cats and cars was when we were driving to work one morning... Right in the middle of the 3-lane road, there was a black cat that had clearly just gotten hit by a car. It was hard to tell at first what it was because it was still dark out, but as we got closer we both realized it was a cat and of course started slowing down. It was propping itself up by it's two front legs, but couldn't even stand up all the way. As we got closer, at the last minute it frantically tried to drag itself across the road and made it to the bushes, but it was so incredibly sad to watch. The poor thing couldn't walk and was severely injured. We pulled over and ran to where we saw it go into the bushes, but after about 10 minutes of searching around (in the dark, mind you) we were unable to find it. I felt so bad that day, because I knew that poor thing was going to suffer. Any time I hear about cats that are allowed to just freely roam around outside, I always think of that poor cat...