I'm all for keeping 'em indoors. They're less prone to get sick, less prone to get into a freak accident, they'll live a longer and healthier life and contrary to popular belief, cats don't go crazy living indoors only. I was living in Europe before this and the cats there are all indoor only cats. I have a maine coon cat and he's super large, weighing in at 6.5 kgs and only one years old but he's happy living indoors only. What makes 'em go crazy is..catnip and.. when it's meal time

Got any pictures ???

Sure, I haven't gotten the pics resized, I tried to load it up on the board here but it's too large. Email me and I'll send you some photos Do you like Maine Coons too? They're really fab. What sort of cat(s) do you have?

Cheers~!

I think if u bring up a kitten indoors, then there shouldn't be any problems with the cat wanting to go out all the time...

But i agree that breeds such as persians tend to be more domesticated.. Actually My cat Issy, was totally terrified of stepping out of the house, when we first introduced her to the concept of outdoors, as she has been brought up as an indoor cat...

And i believe that cats r happy staying indoors as long as u give them some "private space" of their own... Only negative side that i can think of by putting them indoors is that they tend to scratch your couches and sofas.. so watch out if u've got an expensive leather couch!!!

Bringing up cat indoors i think its wise coz thats loads of crazy drivers out there. And as for the amount of money and love we've invested in them, memang patut stay indoors, rite??... ...As for my 8 year old persian, she stays outdoor when she wants to do her business or just laze around in the garden. She'll never even cross out of the gate or laze around the porch. When its meal and bedtime and when i'm back from work, she'll just meow by the front door and i'll bring her inside the house. But, my male 4 months kitten is different case. He just cant resist me opening the front door. He'll be on standby mode, and when i open the door, he'll pounce wanting to be let out. Curious to know whats outside. He's not satisfied when he has to sit by the grill to look out. Pity him. So i have to have loads of toys for him to play with and make my female sit indoors as often as possible. The problem is, my female doenst quite fancy sitting together with him coz my male kitten very very naughty. Likes to disturb her....hehe... ..they are bonding slowly and hopefully be good buddies fast....

Cats live happily in many different kinds of homes. Whether it's a mansion or an efficiency apartment, a houseboat or a camper, cats accommodate well.

The strongly conditioned comforts of home include warmth and shelter, food, at least one reliably cleaned litter box, soft places in which to sleep and groom, and a kind, social atmosphere with both human and animal family members. Throw in some good petting and scratching, and perhaps some toys to bat around, and you have the formula for feline contentment. But what about the fun of the outdoors? Do cats need to go outside, perhaps to hunt? What about exercise and sunshine? In fact, cats can have all their needs met while safely indoors.

Safety is the most important issue, and for this reason many veterinarians recommend keeping cats exclusively indoors. It's just simple math: The average lifespan of an indoor cat is 12 to 16 years, while the average lifespan of an outdoor cat is three to five years. Why the big difference? First, cats are among the most frequently killed animals on the road, and this is especially true in rural areas where cars travel particularly fast. Cats may fall prey to neighborhood predators, including dogs, birds of prey and coyotes. The social life of an outdoor cat also includes other cats, and injuries resulting from cat fights are not uncommon. The outside world also harbors many hidden toxins. Although feline taste buds are much more fastidious than those of dogs or small children, cats do fall victim to such poisons as automotive anti-freeze, rodent bait, or metaldehyde, a slug poison. There are also health issues to consider -- susceptible cats can fall victim to feline leukemia virus, feline immunodeficiency virus, rabies virus, parasites and other diseases.

In addition to the risks to safety and health, behavior problems may develop as a result of going outdoors. Cats no longer need to hunt in order to be happy, any more than they need to breed. As territorial creatures, cats are very sensitive to the presence, even the smells or sounds, of other cats in the neighborhood. Once back indoors, they are then more likely to spray urine or pick a fight with other cats in their own home.

Given all these cautions, then, how do we convince cats that it is best to just watch the world from the window ledge? The easiest way is to decide before bringing them home, and to raise them indoors. Cats accustomed to the indoors usually make no attempt to escape because of their innate caution about the unknown. But for cats who have experienced the outdoors, the transition from indoor-and-outdoor to indoor-only takes some planning and a few precautions.

Although some cats appear to accept this change with little protest, for others the transition may be a little more difficult. Owners can help by making the outdoor-to-indoor transition gradual (for example, by letting the cat out later each morning and calling her in earlier each evening). Whether the changeover is gradual or abrupt, some protest is to be expected. Be prepared for escape attempts -- these can be minimized if family members come and go through a different door for awhile. Cats can also be distracted by a dish of delicious food just before owners leave the house.

Cats are creatures of habit who live habitual lives, but habits can be changed. Learning to live indoors is ultimately the safest choice.

wow missa, you wrote that yourself?

Nope, got it off the net I found it saved in my cat folder in my PC. I only write articles on hamsters - genes, colors, basic care, etc.

really? wow.. you really love hamsters.. i dont have much patience in them though.. hamsters are just cute and amusing to look at.. and i would refer to it as a mobile pets.. you can almost bring them anywhere.. and i think the best part about keeping them is breeding them.. other than that, all they do is run on the wheel, eat and sleep.. btw, how do you keep your dwarfs? i have to separate the 2 of them, mum and daughter.. they're fighting all the time.. i cant keep them together anymore.. i read about hamsters being solitary animals, but i tot some dwarfs can tolerate each other...

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I truly subscribe to keeping and raising cats indoors no matter what breed they are. missa's article simply answers all the concerns I can think of.

I am even more compelled to continue doing this as a friend of mine just lost her cat, a feral one whom already behaved like a domesticated cat. She gave him total freedom to go in and out of the house but one day, he never came back. It has already been a month since he was gone. She said he would always come back and didn't see any reason why he didn't the day she noticed him missing. No changes in anything within or outside of the house, not even the food so she can't really explain the situation.

wooz....