Can Cats go outside? Moving to AZ. (Phoenix: house, live)

[Montana Griz]

Originally Posted by williamfinn

Hi We are moving to AZ from Seattle. (Goodbye rain!) anyway we have 3 indoor/outdoor cats. I have heard horror stories about them getting killed if we let them outside or at night. Is this true? Am I going to be stuck having 3 indoor cats? Thanks !

.......Can't speak for the Surprise area, however I can relate the following:

Rented a furnished private residence (4 months/winter of 2008) in the 12900 block of North Pioneer Way in Oro Valley (Tucson area). Had numerous encounters (mostly early morning and dusk) with coyotes, bobcats, & Javelina when I was out walking my Brittany. And once (gospel truth) I walked out to get my morning paper (about 8 am) and here comes a Bob Cat trotting right down the middle of this residental street (Pioneer Way) with a normal sized Kitty Cat in his/her mouth, I'm sure it (the Bob Cat) was taking the Kitty Cat to it's den to feed it's young 4 to 5 week old babies. I was astounded!

Have had similiar encounters in Sedona area and Casa Grande (both winter rental homes on the edge of town.) The coyotes were always the most bold.

[~PaperMoon~]

My friend had 1 outside cat and one strictly indoor cat and after she moved to her new house in Vail, her outdoor cat never came back home one night and she never saw any sign of him since then 9 months ago. She said there's lots of snakes and javalinas that come out near her yard at night time. I thought of letting my cat out sometimes but there's a big pool near my apartment I'm afraid he might fall in.

[DellNec]

I one word: NO!

115F temps in the summer
Dehydration & Heat Strokes
Getting run over
Coyotes, rattle snakes, black widows, scorpions, etc.
Getting into fights with FIV cats
Drowning in pools
Hawks
Fleas, ticks, Valley Fever

Why even have a cat if you plan to leave it outdoors anyway? Unless you have a farm and a barn, where the "barn cat" will live sheltered to hunt for mice and rats in the barn.

Domesticated cats should NOT be outdoors in AZ. They have Bobcats & Mountain Lions for that.

Originally Posted by williamfinn

. But as they say..survival of the fittest.

A "domesticated cat" is not suited for outdoor survival, hence the term "domesticated". Bobcats, panthers and mountain lions, are designed for outdoor survival. Hence they are NOT considered "domesticated" cats.

As far as "survival of the fittest" goes. Would you go out into the desert and live among the wild animals and survive in the elements? If you can't do it, then don't expect a domesticated cat to do so.

[Grannysroost]

If you put out in your fenced backyard and watch it...otherwise I wouldn't. I had a neighbor about a year ago that would let their cat out to roam, as I working would see the little guy doing his business under my tree in my yard...I followed him home then next time carried him home and said he best stay in. I always had cats before dogs, but never let them run...There are leash laws for dogs which I would not let them run, but to lets cats roam free as some do...they need leash laws too....The key is to be a responsible pet owner!

[Montana Griz]

Originally Posted by Grannysroost

.......... to lets cats roam free as some do...they need leash laws too....The key is to be a responsible pet owner!!

..

Very well said Granny........free roaming cats (not necessarily FERAL cats) take a terrible tole on our wild game bird population (both adult, but mostly young chicks). In this county, 50% of what used to be ranch land and farm land has been subdivided (over the last 30 years) and now has a home on every 5 to 20 acres. Most of these homes have been built (or bought --2nd owner situation) by folks that have moved here from a "city type enviroment" and think that now that they are living in a rural enviroment, they can let their "pets run free". What used to be a nice "gentle house cat" has now become a "killer of chicks of all species". Until about 5 to 7 years ago, our resident number of coyotes did a pretty good job of keeping the cat numbers down......but since we now have far too many wolves in the area(they have reduced our population of coyotes by 80%), the free roaming cat numbers (some of which have truly become FERAL, has risen dramatically. The wolves don't seem to have much interest in "harvesting the cats". But they sure have taken care of our "free roaming dog problems".

(Side Bar note to Granny How were you effected by the "Haboob"?

[Grannysroost]

Originally Posted by Montana Griz

..

Very well said Granny........free roaming cats (not necessarily FERAL cats) take a terrible tole on our wild game bird population (both adult, but mostly young chicks). In this county, 50% of what used to be ranch land and farm land has been subdivided (over the last 30 years) and now has a home on every 5 to 20 acres. Most of these homes have been built (or bought --2nd owner situation) by folks that have moved here from a "city type enviroment" and think that now that they are living in a rural enviroment, they can let their "pets run free". What used to be a nice "gentle house cat" has now become a "killer of chicks of all species". Until about 5 to 7 years ago, our resident number of coyotes did a pretty good job of keeping the cat numbers down......but since we now have far too many wolves in the area(they have reduced our population of coyotes by 80%), the free roaming cat numbers (some of which have truly become FERAL, has risen dramatically. The wolves don't seem to have much interest in "harvesting the cats". But they sure have taken care of our "free roaming dog problems".

(Side Bar note to Granny How were you effected by the "Haboob"?

We just had coyotes outside our gate about 5 am...manguy shot a couple rounds in the air to scare them and the dogs, and they scattered...we have many critters coming in the with the monsoons...sonoran toads...bad for my dogs, but a cat would be toast, and I saw my first wild tarantula..big as they come.....

Haboob...(we had one the day before too July 4) We are now south of CG on Thornton, and 1.5 miles south of I8, that puppy blew in, I ran out to put up car windows with the camera in hand, could no more get around the house and it was coming in fast...dead calm though...we had rain afterward to wash down, but my grow-out pen for the chicks and turkeys got toppled...no losses

[mistygrl092]

Well, I've never had any problem with my cat being outside. I have a super smart cat though. This cat has instincts that are incredible. Plus, my cat knows better than to be in the heat. I open the door and he says "no way." So he basically realizes what we all realize here. It's just too hot to be outside.

Anyway, I've lived here for going on eight years with a pool and there has never been a problem. Dogs on the other hand I would not let near a pool. I know some dogs can swim and find the steps, but not the little ones.

At any rate, now that my cat is a Sr I don't have to worry about this anymore. For some reason he is content to be an indoor cat.

The people across the street have a cat that roams all night long and I don't think this is good at all. There are night owls out there.

Bottom line, I think a lot of it depends on what neighborhood you live in. I lived in San Diego and had a cat we used to let outside until we rec'd an anonymous letter saying that if we wanted to keep our cat alive to not let it outside. It's not only animals that get to cats.

Oh, and one other thought...never have a pool with pets where your pets can slip through the fence. Just do not do it.

[Montana Griz]

Originally Posted by mistygrl092

..........Bottom line, I think a lot of it depends on what neighborhood you live in.

...........Exactly......plus some other factors may come into play as to how long a cat will live if he is allowed to roam free for all or part of the day and certainly he will have a very short life....if he is out at night.

........in town....at the edge of town.....3 miles out of town....near the mountains......near a stream or river.....on the plains.......in a forested area....etc, etc, etc.

Cats and small dogs can be victims of: Snakes, Eagles (particularly Golden Eagles): they can dive from very high altitude, at up to 150MPH and nail a cat or small dog before you even realize what's going on!!. Where I live, cats are also prey for: coyotes; foxes, dogs, wolves; Great Gray and Great Horned Owls; various specie of Hawks; Mountain Lions and BobCats. And never underestimate the Javelina. I have encounters with them (particularly at dusk & after dark,) where they came at my 40 pound Brittany when he approached within 20 feet. Their eyesight is poor but their sense of smell is very keen. I carry a squirt gun filled with Ammonia and as a back up, a .38 loaded with Bird-Shot...backed up with Hollow Points.....just in case!!!

[Nanny Goat]

Originally Posted by williamfinn

. I have heard horror stories about them getting killed if we let them outside or at night. Is this true? Am I going to be stuck having 3 indoor cats? Thanks !

If you've read "horror stories" about cats getting killed outside, why would you want to take a chance?

[amatrine]

It depends where you live. In just my experience, I have had friends who had cats that were indoors their whole lives. Cat gets out, has no experience outside and never seen again. Happened to two of my friends with indoor only cats.

My cats are indoor outdoor. They are now around 13 years old. They no longer go outside to roam at this age, they like to sit on the porch. None of mine have disappeared , or got eaten. I have 5 cats
Now, I also do not live in the foot hills etc where there are coyotes. It depends where you live.

They are good for keeping the abundance of mice down where I live. Lots of field mice when we moved here. Also caught a few desert rats. Now I may see one in the house once a year.