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It is breathtaking how misinformed people are even about their own health. A person working on a cattle ranch may have some well developed muscles directed towards things like lifting heavy weights above their own heads or holding things tightly in their own hands, but to say they are "in better shape" than a person who has a comparatively sedentary life is nonsense. The life expectancy of cattle ranch workers is probably a full standard deviation shorter than office workers even removing accidental death from the mortality statistics.
A outdoors domestic cat with wonderful caretakers will live half as long on average as an indoor cat. And, I have never once heard of a cat's premature death on account of inadequate exercise. That is just silly.
Last edited by Wilson513; 06-26-2011 at 05:18 PM..
PS to the previous poster whose name I can't figure out how to write - I absolutely will and have paid for veterinary attention due to those things, including for cats (and dogs) that I do not own but have found or picked up or whatever.
Oh yes, there are those who will spend almost anything to save their pets.... but there are all too many who would tell us to euthanize it. Can you imagine having your cat put to sleep because it had a broken leg? Disgusting!
I think it depends both on the location and on the individual cat. I have owned cats all my life and I must say they are as different in personality as humans!
For example, my two cats--call them A and B--are different as night and day. Until recently both had free rein to the outdoors (more on that later). Cat A, thin, muscular and athletic, spent his day running, jumping, scampering up trees, chasing insects and birds; whenever inside, unless sleeping, he was in the window--ears perked, watching intently to see what was happening outside. Cat B, plumpish but not overweight, takes a brief spin outdoors and then retreats indoors to the warmest most comfortable spot; when awake he seeks affection from humans and has little interest in the windows.
Of course I can't talk to my cats, but I think if I could, Cat A would tell me that he would rather enjoy his freedom, his daily sunshine and live in his way--even if he dies at age 4 or 5. Cat B would say, please keep me safe--I want as many comfortable nights in front of the fire as possible!
My solution was to fence in my yard and add an enclosure (I used Purrfect fence). Cat A and I played a weapon anti-weapon type game for years. The Purrfect fence works fine but there was always a loophole--a place where he could shimmy under the fence, a tree he could climb to jump over it. Everytime he found a way out, I plugged it. Then he found another etc. It was hilarious: he learned to only leave when he thought I wasn't watching. Cat B didn't look for escape routes, but when Cat A found one, he followed him. This continued for a couple years until Cat A died at age 9 of a cancer, completely unrelated to his life as an outdoor cat. Indoor or outdoor he would have died at the same age--and I'm glad he had his time outdoors!
Now that he's gone, Cat B plays happily in the enclosed back yard. Life is good. For me personally, I don't buy the black-and-white argument that cats are always better off indoors. It really depends on where you live exactly and on the temperament of the cat. If you can find a way to let your cat outdoors in a safe way, that's the best of both worlds. Enclosures can be tricky to build and require a *lot* of patience. I'm not really handy so I struggled a lot, but for me it is worth it!
My solution was to fence in my yard and add an enclosure (I used Purrfect fence).
Now that he's gone, Cat B plays happily in the enclosed back yard. Life is good. For me personally, I don't buy the black-and-white argument that cats are always better off indoors. It really depends on where you live exactly and on the temperament of the cat. If you can find a way to let your cat outdoors in a safe way, that's the best of both worlds. Enclosures can be tricky to build and require a *lot* of patience. I'm not really handy so I struggled a lot, but for me it is worth it!
There are cat proof fences out there but they must be set up correctly. Cat's are hard to contain. Our cats were all raised indoors so think they have it made in the shade with their safe outdoor enclosure on the side deck.
Where I live everything from sadists to large hawks and coyotes prey on cats.
I know this is an old thread, but the OP was talking about heart issues and I couldn't resist! Dogs and cats don't have cholesteral issues like people do. We just don't find the artery-clogging plaques in their vessels. They can have other medical issues that raise their cholesteral but lack of exercise doesn't do it. If a cat has heart problems the vast majority of the time it's something they inherited. In fact, a cat with heart problems would probably be better off not being subjected to the stresses of outdoor life.
This may be an old thread but and interesting topic, it is something I thought long and hard about when considering indoor cats.
I have lots of indoor and outdoor activities for the cats to run round on and in, climb up and on, and jump over and across.
I decided on two indoor cats, yes they are company for each other but they also chase each other. I now have three cats and basically they exercise themselves. I read the term couch potato in association with indoor cats, at the moment all my three are running round the house and they sound like baby elephants.
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- I absolutely will and have paid for veterinary attention due to those things, including for cats (and dogs) that I do not own but have found or picked up or whatever.
