For many years all the cats I'd ever known had been outdoor cats. What I mean by that is cats that live indoors but have access to the outside. It never occurred to me that cats wouldn't go outside, that they might live permanently indoors. I must admit, when I realised, I was a little shocked. It seemed very strange, rather unnatural really. Took me a while to get my head around it.
My own cats are outdoor cats. I couldn't have kept Bella indoors and had a happy cat. She'd not lived with me for very long before she was clearly desperate to be allowed to go out. Only a few days. The plan had been to follow all the guidance available and keep her in for a few weeks, so that she would have a keen sense of her home, and wouldn't wander off. Even this guidance has changed over the years - I remember many years ago the recommendation was just one week. Well, I think that's all I managed to be honest. It was a warm August day and I wanted to sit outside. It felt extremely mean to be outside while she had to stay in and look out at me, when she very clearly wanted to come out too.
So, for the first week I'd bring her out with me, and she could sit on my lap, and if she wriggled, we'd go inside again. Then I got a harness and lead so that she had a little more freedom, but I could still be sure where she was. Off she trotted, with me in tow, smelling everything she could, loving it! How could I have been so mean to deny her this? Next second, she'd raced to the top of the fence, ready to go into next door's garden. Still attached to a lead, this wasn't going to happen, but she was obviously eager to explore.
A few days later I got brave and thought it was probably about time. I had read that if you stay in a garden with them, they'll probably stay with you, so that's what I did. She quickly jumped over the fence one way, and I watched with my heart in my mouth, thinking would she come back? Would she find her way? A few seconds later she was back, heartrate back to normal for me. Then straight over the fence on the other side!! But came back again quite quickly. This is ok, I thought, she knows where she lives, she just likes to explore. And I was happy with that, because for me, that's how cats are. I'm sure all new carers feel like this the first time. I live in a quiet cul de sac, so I wasn't concerned about traffic.
Backwards and forwards a few times, then I realised she'd been gone a little longer, and as I looked over fences into other gardens, I couldn't see her any more. Not to worry, she knows where she lives I thought, she'll be back. But she wasn't. Starting to doubt I'd done the right thing. Only 7 months old. You can imagine, I'm sure..........
My friend was with me, and we thought we should leave it a little while as she was probably having fun and would be back. Still with my heart in my mouth though. Couldn't settle to anything. It must have been about 3 hours later, and we decided we should do something, so he went looking for her, while I stayed in the garden in case she returned on her own. No joy. So I went off the other way, calling all the while. As I was on my way back, feeling awful, I walked past a bush, and as I did so, heard this very familiar miaow, and out she jumped behind me. She'd managed to get 3 rows of houses away, probably travelling through gardens, and then got herself lost. So picked her up and brought her back home. That was it for that evening, and the next day she was off again, but never ever got lost again.
She never goes far, she likes to be outside, to wander around, smell stuff, feel the air, see the birds and other cats (from a distance). Sometimes she'll just sit under the car, but the important thing is that she's in charge of herself.
Dylan also goes out and loves it too. But he's never been able to get over a fence. Watched him once trying to climb slowly up one, but it was so difficult. He's watched other cats, Bella included, but never quite worked out how to do it for himself. So he stays in the garden. Fine by me as I know where he is all the time - yet he can still be outside, being a little hunter (he thinks, he never catches anything - not nimble enough!), running around, in and out of bushes, chasing Louis (friend from 2 doors down), chasing flies, bees, butterflies, sitting under the tree for hours watching the birds, stropping claws on tree bark and fences.
They're both happy because they go outside. They are engaging all their cat senses, they are having a cat experience. They might be domestic animals, living with a human in a house, but they can still be wild animals when they want to be. I know there are risks, but life is always about risks, and there are still plenty of risks inside the house. I send them out with trust and faith and a blessing to be safe, happy and well. And to enjoy themselves. It makes my heart happy, and theirs too.
So then, you might think that I'd fall firmly in the "cats are supposed to go outside" camp. And I do feel that for many cats, this is right. I couldn't possibly keep Bella indoors and although Dylan's not as bothered as she is, when I see him having such a great time out there, why would I want to stop him doing that?
But, since becoming a pet sitter, I've taken care of many cats who do live in houses, and many who live in flats. There's no doubt that some of them would prefer to be outside, and if I'm being honest, I do have some concerns about them. Yet there are many I take care of who are clearly very happy being indoor cats. Some have access to outdoor space, like a large balcony which has been made safe - so a sort of halfway house. Others though haven't known anything else, so nothing to compare it to. They don't know what it's like (although not so sure on this). And some cats I visit could go out if they wanted, but they choose not to. So it's not always so straightforward. Add to that the disabled cats for whom a life outside might not be so safe, and those with FIV who need to be kept separate from other cats. And those who live on busy roads might have carers who are quite understandably worried by the traffic dangers.
I often see comments and letters in some of the cat magazines and on line forums I read - and this is an argument that goes on and on. I can see it both ways. But show me a cat who is able to trot around outside, and that's a cat that's living fully as a cat.
Oh, and the picture is Bella being very happy in her little cat chalet, watching the birds, keeping dry if it rains.
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