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Comment by fjsolwmv | Hacker News Reader

Your cat wants to go outside but you intentionally lock it in? That's abuse, even beyond the abuse that helicopter parenting entails.

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Every vet or health source I’ve heard suggests keeping cats indoors. They live dramatically better lives indoors than outdoors. It’s also better for the environment as cats are prolific killers. They leave a broad and deep negative impact on local ecosystems. Outdoor cats suffer more and more dangerous diseases than their indoor counterparts- per a conversation I had with a vet. Letting cats outdoors is the abuse.

What’s with the dichotomy here? Why can’t your cat live for the most part inside and you let it outside for a few hours a week on a leash so it can get some fresh air while not killing local wildlife?

You were making sense right up until "Letting cats outdoors is the abuse."

That's such a limited and judgemental way of thinking. I've lived in places of all shapes and sizes and I've had dozens of cats, some of them simply aren't happy without being outside and there's nothing wrong with letting them out if you're in the right area.

Not abuse to the cat, abuse to everything outdoors. They are an invasive species.

I have two cats but I keep them in for their health and the local wildlife, cats are prolific hunters and will kill even when we'll fed.

Decimating the local wildlife isn't a good thing.

Also indoor cats live healthier longer lives so there is that as well :)

Not when you have enough land that your cats have little reason to leave its confines. But even when you don't, I think we have some serious double standards if we compare the crickets and worms and very occasional rodent some of my cats have eaten to the amount of environmental damage and animal population reduction for which humans are responsible.

Between coyotes and racoons it's hard to imagine anywhere that is really safe, at least in Canada/US. Maybe Europe is safer on that front, but there are still diseases and cars to worry about as well as other mishaps.

I don't want to sound like a jerk here, but indoor cats live WAY longer than outdoor cats. You're looking at a 15-20+ year lifespan for an indoor cat

Not sure if keeping real kids safe from coyotes would meet most people's definition of abuse or helicopter parenting.

do you feed a dog every time it wants to eat?

Which is also a good comparison with my cat. I give him food anytime he asks. He was homeless before I moved into this apartment. I consider it a chance to “make up” for lost happy experiences.

I don't think this is a very good comparison. dogs are significantly more likely to overeat than cats. some cats will overeat too of course, but it's less common.

maybe feeding was a bad example, but my point is that animals often want to do things that they don't understand the consequences of. my parents' cat really likes to jump on the stove, but we have to discourage him from doing this so he doesn't jump on a 400° griddle.

I was making a comparison to /my cat/ as an anecdote. Not everything needs to be made a broad generalization.

sometimes I have a hard time telling whether people are posting an anecdote to support an argument or just to share. my bad.

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