r/outdoorcats

This summer we started introducing our one year old cat to the outdoors since we recently moved to an area where that can be possible. At first she was terrified and didn’t seem a fan of the freedom at all. But recently a switch flipped and she has been loving outdoors!! We have a tracker on her and let her roam around unless we are leaving or come nighttime. However with the heatwave as of recent I have opted to only let her out in the morning and at dusk when temps aren’t horrible. Today the temps are a bit lower so I was going to plan on letting her roam until she came in to eat and was panting like crazy. I trapped her inside so she would cool and calm down but she’s at the window panting and meowing wanting to go back outside. I feel cruel but I don’t want her to overheat and I don’t think she knows when to give it a rest (she’s only a little over a year old). Am I doing the right thing? Or should I trust that she can manage her temperature and know when to rest?

My neighbour's cat in heat escaped 18 days back and I am helping them find her as I was bonded with the cat as well. She was a former outdoor cat turned indoor cst, who have escaped twice previously and had Airtag collar so was traceable in 250m radius. Now while making escape her collar came off.

Now we live in an enclosed township with 1.6 km (1 mile) in radius. And we are sure that she will be inside the township unless she got displaced (chances are less as she ran away to find mate). We don't have any predators here -no stray dogs, no coyotes (i live in India), no hawks nothing.

As she has not returned on her own, we believe she has got displaced while searching for mate, though she was former outdoor cat with her territory 250m radius and was indoor for past 4 months.

My question is as we live in area with lots of bushes and garden around there many places cats can hide and go unnoticed. What are the best ways to cover the entire 1.6km radius area by placing trial cam (currently i have only one trail cam). We want to cover the entire area as the posters are not helping at all.

I mean, preferably take them inside, but for those who have community cats or strays in your neighborhood, the heat wave is going to be one of the worst in years.

So basically I have a lovely 4 year old tuxedo cat, iv had him since I was 17, and he’s genuinely my son. 3 years ago when he was around 1, my father died, I got in a life threatening car accident and I didn’t have a stable living situation. due to these circumstances, I wasn’t in the right headspace or position to look after him and give him the life that he deserved. My grandfather who lives on a farm in North Queensland offered to look after him for however long until I was ready to take care of him. It took me 2 years to secure a stable living situation and to get my life in order, and now I’m living well, I’m happy and my grandfather has said that it is probably time to bring him back with me to the city. However for the past 2 years my cat has been an outdoor cat, he roames around the property, chasing lizards and rolling in the grass, with absolute freedom.
I live in a big house in Brisbane, with some roommates who have 2 other cats who are strictly indoor cats.
The plan is to slowly introduce them over the next couple of weeks but I’m incredibly worried about my cats mental heath, and how this sudden transition from freedom to being an indoor cat with 2 other cats will effect him and if I’m being cruel. Iv done some research and Iv researched some things I can do to keep him happy but I just need some advice.
Am I doing the right thing?
Am I being cruel to my cat?

Even if I decided it was cruel and that he is better off living on a farm, my grandfather is getting old and is planning to move into a retirement home soon and won’t have any place for a cat. I dont know what to do.

If you’ve been in a similar situation or just have any advice for me, please feel free to comment and let me know.

To start, I live in the UK in a quiet and safe area and my boy is free to roam. If this doesn’t align with your beliefs on cats’ access to the outdoors please don‘t feel the need to comment.

My boy is coming up to 1yo and has always loved going outside. He used to come back tired and cuddly, and ready for his tea. the past couple of months he’s desperate to be out all the time. Sometimes he doesn’t even bother coming home for his dinner and stays out all night. If he does come in and go to sleep in the house he’s howling to go out again at 2:50am and damaging the windows trying to get them to open. Catflap is not an option because when I had one he would be bringing in multiple catches a day and rip them to pieces around the house, then straight back out again to catch another one.

He was not a feral kitten, and has been with me since 12 weeks old. He is neutered. I’ve always had very strict routines so there’s no change in the house that would trigger anything. He has the best of everything; food, toys, blankets, beds etc. He’s not interested in any of it, only going outside.

He is collared. He’s not being fed elsewhere as he will only eat off his feeding mat, and when he does eventually come in he’s ravenous anyway.

I’ve had cats before but he is some sort of wild beast I swear. I got another cat because I live alone and wanted the company, but I’m really struggling with how difficult this situation is. He used to be cuddly and want to spend time with me. Ignoring him howling doesn’t work, he continues to yowl for hours. Telling him off doesn’t work either. Has anyone else had a similar situation? Is there anything I can try? Will this get better?

Hey all, I have an indoor/outdoor cat (former stray) and might be going back to school in the fall. The issue is there might be a day or two in the week where I'm gone for about fifteen hours straight between school and work. I'm afraid he's going to be really stressed out being stuck inside for that long. Has anyone ever had to deal with their indoor/outdoor cat while being gone for so long? I'm even contemplating not going to school because of it.

I’ve seen a lot of negative comments whenever outdoor cats come up, especially in r/cats, so I wanted to clear up our situation.

I have five cats: Pippy, Waffles, Mittens, Boju, and Kevin.

We live in a rural area where they are outside cats, but they are not neglected. They have shelter, regular food, water, and a safe place to come back to. They’re monitored and cared for every day, and they are not just “left out” to survive on their own.

I keep seeing people act like all outdoor cats are automatically unsafe or mistreated, and I honestly don’t understand why that gets treated like a universal rule. In our case, they are healthy, active, and well taken care of.

So my question is: why is there so much hate toward outdoor cats, even when they are properly cared for and living in rural areas where it’s normal?

I’m not trying to start drama, just trying to understand where the strong reactions are coming from.

Okay, so i have two brother cats (both 5yo males), who have been indoor and outdoor their whole life. In the UK we're experiencing some crazy heat at the moment, and i live bang in the middle of the midlands so it hasn't been easy for us at all, especially with a husky dog!! The cats have never been a problem in the heat and have just continued as they are. All year round they spend loads of time outside, often not being home for a few days at a time - so this isn't abnormal. Basically, my point is that I haven't seen one of my cats since yesterday (tuesday) morning. Usually I wouldn't even bat an eyelid, but i'm just terrified that something has happened to him in the heat (he's very road smart and we live in a very quiet area.. he's not the type to let strangers or other animals approach him, and our 55 pound dog is terrified of him) but i don't know how susceptible cats are too heatstroke?? he's white, so not really absorbing loads of heat like a black cat would.

Just stressing, and I could do with nobody criticising how my family chooses to keep our animals because they've always been happiest out, and so were our boys before them.

UPDATE - my dad saw him last night and had him in for a bit but I think he’s gone for another adventure already 😂

Please read before yelling at me!

My cat is about 2 years old and for her whole time with us (1 + 3/4) of a year I have been fighting my mother wanting to let her out. I live at home so I don’t have much of a say on the matter despite how much I’ve fought it.

There are a lot of outdoor cats who live locally. I am afraid of what her interactions will be like, will she get into fights or run away? This cat is my baby and it’s really devastating I can’t do anything about it. She is neutered and I tried leash training but she really didn’t respond. My mother claims now that it is summer the windows and doors must be open (we live in a country with no AC)
So the time for her letting my cat out is very soon.

I had to take my community cat to the vet today and she was absolutely terrified on the drive over. It broke my heart. She got the treatment she needed (she has asthma and a puncture wound) but I can’t get her terrified face out of my brain. I’ve never seen an animal look that scared before and it is tearing me up inside. She kept panting and meowing and it seemed like she couldn’t breathe and she also pooped out of panic. Any words of encouragement or advice on how to get her to trust my house again would be greatly appreciated♥️ she seems to still trust me because she came up to me and let me pet her, but she won’t come near my house anymore

I have an indoor guy that wants to be a wilderness explorer, so we’re going to try fitting him with a collar and see if he goes for it. I ordered an AirTag for him and see there’s lots of collar options. Wanted to see which ones you all like the best for your explorer cats.