Floof said:I sincerely hope your cat gets better and nothing more happens. I'm one to hate the concept of outdoor cats, but I won't get in to that now--let's just call it personal preference. Good luck. =)
It is a preference in some ways, but it is interesting how our society would never tolerate a bunch of dogs roaming freely through the neighborhood, yet cats are supposed to wander.
My husband and I have had 11 cats over the last 26 years, all of whom were adopted as strays or from shelters (one came from my uncle's farm). Every one of them had to adjust to being 100% indoor cats, and with a couple of exceptions, they have had zero problems making the change. They love their warm basking spots in the sun porch, have wrestling matches, races, and hide-and-seek games, enjoy their regular brushings, use the catbox (with only the last 3 years or so excepted) and are generally contented with their status as glorified couch cushions.
I know some people feel that cats are somehow missing something if they can't go outdoors, but when you think about it, having a decent-sized house (3000 sq. feet plus 1150 in the basement) is a "mansion" to a cat-sized creature. We do let them have the occasional summer picnic, on a leash or closely supervised in the back yard, and of course I bring them long strands of grass to devour (and puke back up later) in the summertime. I don't think they miss being outside cats at all, and when I think of my own childhood cats, who were shot with air rifles, hit by cars, chewed up by dogs or other cats, or buried alive (as one kitten we got had been before a stranger rescued him and brought him to us), I find it hard to understand why anyone would let their beloved pet roam in such risky territory as a suburban neighborhood. I know of at least 5 neighborhood cats, and three small dogs, that were taken by coyotes within the last 3 years. The families would find pieces of their eviscerated pets on their lawns or in the street.
So I may have opened a huge can of worms here, but I really am curious to know why people think it's necessary to let cats roam outside.