Some are “indoor cats”, others are not. Manny is not, and Tigger wasn’t either. Manny spends most of his 24 hours inside, but during the day if it’s sunny he’s out in the open.
PROS (outdoor cats)
-Don’t have to clean the litter box as often
-Claw trees, not furniture
-Don’t bother you when you’re working
-Don’t bother you when you’re eating lunch (“My milk, Manny!”)
-Run outside, so less manic when indoors
-Have to hide when you’re vacuuming
CONS (outdoor cats)
-Don’t always come home when you call for them
-Injure/kill stuff and leave dead bodies in the yard*
-Get into fights with other cats (like the cat from #16 who scratched Manny’s blokey bits and made them bleed – Man was running away, otherwise he would’ve been scratched in the face)
-Come home covered in blood (bird’s blood – only been the one major time, though I found a speck of red in his facial fur the other day)
-Chance they’ll run away or be catnapped, never to return (like my sister’s previous cat, Empire)
-A couple of years ago in the western suburbs, cats were being tortured/killed (good thing we don’t live in St Albans)
*Reminds me of a song by Lano & Woodley: “But you bought me a present, a reconciliation / A chewed-up headless bird still twitching with nerve sensation / Oh, you’ve got a funny way of showing that you love me…”
PROS (indoor cats)
-Always know where they are, at least in a vague sense (in the house)
-Only injure/kill things inside the home
-Only fight people/other pets
-Stay clean, unless they roll in the dust
CONS (indoor cats)
-Litter box needs cleaning daily (not weekly, or even fortnightly in Manny’s case – he always goes outside if he can)
-Claw furniture, people
-Bother you constantly for food, attention, warm things to sleep on
-Have their bouts of mania indoors
-Nowhere to hide when you’re vacuuming
-Cat fur on everything!
-Jump on you when you’re napping on the couch, thus waking you
So is your cat an indoor cat, or do they get to go outside sometimes? What do you think are the pros and cons of indoor and outdoor cats? Is your cat happy with their lifestyle arrangement?
And, of course, please post a photo (or link to a photo) of your feline friends 🙂
On the back patio, looking uncharacteristically elegant.
One of the very first photos I took of him. He’s sitting on a rug folded atop a Feet Seat. One day he fell off it, and has never sat on it since. Still cuddles with the rug, though. 
Because Anton said he needed more promotion.
Tez Says 
