Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
. . . Would you say that outdoor cats are more athletic and therefore have better immunity to disease and infections than indoor cats? If the outdoor felines have their shots and aren't hit by cars or get into fights with other animals, you'd think that they also have better circulation and health than a sedentary couch potato indoor cat.
What are your thoughts on this?
In general; certain breeds, cats who live with other active pets, and younger cats tend to be more active than other breeds, solitary cats, or older cats regadless of where they live.
No, I would not say that an outdoor cat is ALWAYS going to be more active, more immune to disease and infection, or have better circulation than an indoor cat. Not all indoor cats are couch potatoes. The only assumptions that I would make based on a cat living indoors vs. outdoors would be safety (injury, infection, disease, and accidental death) and diet issues.
ATHLETIC/ACTIVE: Being indoors versus being outdoors is NOT the sole criteria for activity in cats. I have seen some fat & lazy outdoor cats AND some fat & lazy indoor cats. Many indoor cats get plenty of exercise and can run VERY fast. The comparison is like assuming that a swimmer who practices in an indoor pool can't be as fast as one who practices in an outdoor pool.
Healthy cats who have other companions are OFTEN very active and play and chase each other daily. Certain breeds have very muscular (athletic) builds, speed, and endurance--regardless of where they live.
Similarly, ALL cats take frequent cat naps throughout the day. Some curl up in a sunny window and others under a shady tree or parked car. It doesn't matter where they live: they are nappers.
IMMUNITY & INFECTION: Outdoor cats are MORE prone to getting diseases and infections. This has little to do with athleticism and more to do with coming in contact with aggressive and diseased animals. Ask any vet.
CIRCULATION: Circulation cannot be judged by athleticism alone, but is generally correlated with a good diet and exercise. Most indoor cats have a very controlled diet; whereas, most outdoor cats do not. Many outdoor cats become ill or die after eating sick or poisoned mice, birds, etc.
Circulation is generally improved with physical activity, but it is not affected by the location of activity ( indoors vs. outdoors). Think about running on an indoor track vs. an outdoor track. You get the same exercise.
I think that the only thing that one can certainly ascertain is that cats that go outdoors have more experience doing certain things (and vice-versa for indoor cats). An indoor cat may have more experience opening cabinets or scaling countertops and/or closets while an outdoor cat will have more experience climbing trees, stalking live prey or, like my cat, jumping from the third floor (according to my neighbors, my cat does this quite frequently). Both cats have different skill sets rather than different levels of "athleticism."
My little athlete H2 would vehemently disagree that an outdoor cat is more athletic than he is. He is positively aerodynamic, he amazes me every day with his physical ability...he practically runs sideways along the walls! Of course, he has 2 cats and 4 dogs to play with and chase all the time, but I'll say this...no bug on this planet could get away from H2, and if he was outside I'd bet he could jump to catch a bird better and faster than most cats...he's just that good at catching what he wants to catch and just that fast at doing what he sets his mind to doing. He's been indoors his entire life, but he's certainly no couch potato! And I love birds far too much to let him out to test this theory...plus he's clean, flea-free, and always smells good...and no cars, poison, sadists, or evil children will ever hurt him!
OP: Of course!
An outside ANYTHING is going to be more athletic than an inside ANYTHING.
That includes cats.
This is absolutely not true. I know two cats who go outside whenever they want. They are both obese and can barely walk across the yard without puffing. One is 14 and the other is 4.
They go outside and walk to a tree and lie in the shade. Then they go inside and eat their crappy whatever is on sale at the grocery store kibble and plop down. The only exercise they get is going downstairs to the basement where their filthy litter boxes are kept. Then they come back upstairs and plop down again. The people have to leave the doors open for them because they are too fat anymore to fit through the cat doors.
I'd put my money on my indoor cats in an obstacle race with those two cats any day.
I have a neighbor who spends most of her day sitting outside in her yard, smoking cigarettes and yelling at her dog. Sure, she's outside all day long, but I'd bet my last dollar she's not more athletic than my youngest sister who never steps a foot outside except to get into her car to drive somewhere.
My sister smokes too, but she rarely sits down, since she has three children she waits on hand and foot.
There are just too many variables to make such a black and white comparison.
There are lots of cats in my neighborhood and seeing them roaming the alleys is a daily occurrence. Sometimes I see the cats trot along, other times they run after eat other, scale fences, winding stairs, etc. Would you say that outdoor cats are more athletic and therefore have better immunity to disease and infections than indoor cats? If the outdoor felines have their shots and aren't hit by cars or get into fights with other animals, you'd think that they also have better circulation and health than a sedentary couch potato indoor cat.
What are your thoughts on this?
And if they're not killed by dogs, hawks, owls, coyotes, sadistic youngsters or tortured and killed by the local cat hating neighborhood sociopath. They can pick up and eat anything outdoors including poisoned food or poisoned rodents.
I don't believe they're healthier than indoor cats simply because they get more exercise. They're exposed to every disease and parasite out there.
The healthiest place for them outdoors is a screened in area with predator and cat-proof fencing. Lots of shelves and cat furniture to clamber up and on. Places to scratch and claw and other enrichment's.
This is an AU site but will give you an idea of the safest outdoor places for cats.
OP: Of course!
An outside ANYTHING is going to be more athletic than an inside ANYTHING.
That includes cats.
Of course? What do you have to back up this claim?
Also, everyone should keep in mind, active does not fully equal athletic, and neither would equal healthy for a cat that STAYS outside with no access to inside, since that was the new bar set here.
Moderator cut: not allowed
Last edited by SouthernBelleInUtah; 06-20-2011 at 09:49 AM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Location alone does not cause activity or health
Not all indoor cats are couch potatoes. 
The only assumptions that I would make based on a cat living indoors vs. outdoors would be safety (injury, infection, disease, and accidental death) and diet issues. 
Many indoor cats get plenty of exercise and can run VERY fast. The comparison is like assuming that a swimmer who practices in an indoor pool can't be as fast as one who practices in an outdoor pool. 
Certain breeds have very muscular (athletic) builds, speed, and endurance--regardless of where they live. 
Ask any vet. 
Most indoor cats have a very controlled diet; whereas, most outdoor cats do not. 
