Can you let cats outside in Flagstaff? (house, neighborhoods)

[aelise]

I will be moving to Flagstaff to attend NAU for grad school and have 2 cats. I grew up near San Francisco where indoor/outdoor cats are very common. I currently live in Los Angeles where letting cats outdoors is difficult because of all the coyotes.

What can I generally expect in Flagstaff? Is it pretty safe other than your basic car/raccoon threat?

[Kimballette]

Originally Posted by aelise

I will be moving to Flagstaff to attend NAU for grad school and have 2 cats. I grew up near San Francisco where indoor/outdoor cats are very common. I currently live in Los Angeles where letting cats outdoors is difficult because of all the coyotes.

What can I generally expect in Flagstaff? Is it pretty safe other than your basic car/raccoon threat?

It is never safe to allow cats to go outside unless in a cattery/catio or on a leash. In addition to coyotes, there are owls, hawks, other predators, in addition to cars, unhappy neighbors, monstrous humans who use cats for target practice, and people who deliberately poison or torture cats.

No. It is not safe.

[aelise]

Originally Posted by Kimballette

It is never safe to allow cats to go outside unless in a cattery/catio or on a leash. In addition to coyotes, there are owls, hawks, other predators, in addition to cars, unhappy neighbors, monstrous humans who use cats for target practice, and people who deliberately poison or torture cats.

No. It is not safe.

Let me rephrase my question: do other people let cats outside in Flagstaff? Currently, I live in a neighborhood in Los Angeles that is coyote-infested. There are literally 0 cats outside because they get eaten so fast, so nobody lets their cats out here, and there aren't any strays hanging around either.

Where I grew up near SF, letting a cat outside came with risks, but it did not guarantee death. I am not interested in a moral debate.The question was, is it POSSIBLE to have an indoor/outdoor cat in Flagstaff? Is it something that people do and can get away with?

[Kimballette]

Originally Posted by aelise

I will be moving to Flagstaff to attend NAU for grad school and have 2 cats. I grew up near San Francisco where indoor/outdoor cats are very common. I currently live in Los Angeles where letting cats outdoors is difficult because of all the coyotes.

What can I generally expect in Flagstaff? Is it pretty safe other than your basic car/raccoon threat?

Originally Posted by aelise

The question was, is it POSSIBLE to have an indoor/outdoor cat in Flagstaff? Is it something that people do and can get away with?

Actually, your post did not simply ask if it was possible to have an indoor/outdoor cat in Flagstaff. Yes. It is possible to have an indoor/outdoor cat. The only question is the cat's longevity and quality of life.

[azdr0710]

Flagstaff ain't San Francisco....nothing moral about it....take care of your cats!.....

[CodyW]

Can you? Yes. Are there people who do? Yes. Should you? No.

Flagstaff has more roaming wildlife than most places. Something having to do with the city being heavily forested.

Let your cat out if you wish, but please pay attention to the elements. The weather here can change fast. It's always sad to see an animal left out in the rain or the snow.

[aelise]

Originally Posted by CodyW

Can you? Yes. Are there people who do? Yes. Should you? No.

Flagstaff has more roaming wildlife than most places. Something having to do with the city being heavily forested.

Let your cat out if you wish, but please pay attention to the elements. The weather here can change fast. It's always sad to see an animal left out in the rain or the snow.

Thank you, Cody, for the most helpful answer so far. My goal would be to live in a more populated neighborhood that isn't in the middle of a forest. If possible. I will keep them inside for a while to get a good feel for what the wildlife is like outside, and talk to my neighbors. If I see cats outside already that will be more encouraging.

I've had indoor/outdoor cats all my life and have never had a single problem. I always let them out in the morning, they usually come back in the afternoon because they get hungry, and they stay inside the rest of the day. I don't let my cats out at night, ever. However, I do realize that not every city is like the suburbs of San Francisco, which is why I asked. I also lived in New Orleans which was a very, very outdoor cat-friendly city (few predators, lots of food). I just wanted to know what I was in for so it made my housing search easier. I figured Flagstaff might be tricky because of how forested it is but I wanted to make sure.

Thanks!

[CodyW]

Originally Posted by aelise

Thank you, Cody, for the most helpful answer so far. My goal would be to live in a more populated neighborhood that isn't in the middle of a forest. If possible. I will keep them inside for a while to get a good feel for what the wildlife is like outside, and talk to my neighbors. If I see cats outside already that will be more encouraging.

I've had indoor/outdoor cats all my life and have never had a single problem. I always let them out in the morning, they usually come back in the afternoon because they get hungry, and they stay inside the rest of the day. I don't let my cats out at night, ever. However, I do realize that not every city is like the suburbs of San Francisco, which is why I asked. I also lived in New Orleans which was a very, very outdoor cat-friendly city (few predators, lots of food). I just wanted to know what I was in for so it made my housing search easier. I figured Flagstaff might be tricky because of how forested it is but I wanted to make sure.

Thanks!

That's the thing about Flagstaff, and why most people like it - Unless you're in the downtown area, every single neighborhood, no matter how 'populated' the neighborhood is, it's pretty well forested. Flagstaff has a law controlling the number of trees you can remove, so most lots, in old neighborhoods and new, are covered with trees. You can find deer and elk wandering around almost any neighborhood except downtown, if you pay close enough attention.

Also, from one NAU student to another - Welcome. Forgot to mention that.

[JB49]

Some cats run free, but in addition to what others have said, there are also issues with rabies, the plague, and other nasty diseases that are common here. We have an "indoor" cat who at this point if let out sits by the door or roams the yard for a few minutes then comes back in. This works out perfectly... entertaining and safe for him.

[ReconJohn]

We are both animal lovers, but have contrary views from others in this thread.
We currently live in Wisconsin and plan on retiring to AZ this year. Our city, like most I've heard of, have ordinances re uncontrolled/un-leashed pets.
We have both free-roaming house cats as well as some apparant feral cats in our neighborhood.
They both have one thing in common...they all seem to use our flower beds and gardens as their personal "sand boxes"! Very annoying for those of us who prefer to choose more appropriate fertilizer and to not have to re-locate their deposits! Cats prefer the tilled vs un-tilled dirt.
As a result, I'll catch those that I can and deliver them to the police dept where they will await their owners call--hopefully--as none have had ID or collars. If they are unclaimed, ie: feral, they will go to the shelter.
Our police dept. will fine violators and will advise them of increased penalties for future violations.
We have both a dog and a cat and will not let either roam freely. It's neither safe or responsible to allow pets to roam in a city.
We've also had roaming dogs threaten our leashed dog in our own back yard....not good. Bad enough we also have the occasional roaming coyote to be concerned with!