Are we bad cat owners?

I've just seen a lovely black and white cat, dead beside the road.  It made my heart leap a little, even though I know my two are safe inside their fenced-in yard.  I feel a little like an ex-smoker or one of those annoying food bigots when it comes to cat keeping these days.  I want to spread the word about keeping cats safe, but don't want to lecture.  I allowed my first cat Nikki to come and go as she pleased.  My next cats were always in at night, and closely supervised during the day.  I thought I was a responsible cat owner.  It wasn't until my beautiful Milla, was hit by a car and killed that I really understood just how quickly accidents can happen.  Was I a bad cat owner before?

After Milla was killed, I kept Noomi inside and began to fence the yard.  I had no real idea how, and it seemed like an almost impossible task.  I even had misgivings about how Noomi would deal with being restricted to the yard; was it humane to stop a cat from freely roaming?  She certainly gave me some grief about this change of circumstance in the beginning. But as I finished my first attempt at cat-proof fencing, I found I could not stand the anxiety if Noomi found a way out. I simply couldn't tolerate the thought of another loss, and felt keenly the responsibility if anything did happen to Noomi.

By the time I finished, and could confidently leave the cats in their newly escape proof yard I began to have that change of heart.  It hadn't really been that hard, and the peace of mind it gave me was immense.

At first, Noomi would still ask to go out into the front yard.  Her persistence did make me compromise at first; I allowed her to go out in the mornings, knowing she would be back for breakfast.  But after one instance of her disappearing for almost the entire day, that compromise was abandoned.  The more I built things for the cats to play on in the yard, the less I was 'asked' for release.

So now I am a true convert to cat containment. I have to hold my tongue when I see other people posting messages about their cat was missing, or that they were worried about what the cat was doing when it did the rounds of neighbouring properties (potentially eating poisoned vermin).   I really am less tolerant now.  If you've never had a problem, and many never do, I can do understand the 'ignorance is bliss' thinking.  I did it myself.  But after a warning event, why not do something? Why allow something bad to happen?

Is it just that we see cats as free roaming spirits? 

Do we care less for cats? Is it just that we see cats as free roaming spirits?  Or is it purely a mindset, something we are not used to doing yet?

After all, dogs naturally roam and I see little in conversations that we don't accept that dogs must be contained?  If anything, I think people sometimes accept this too readily without thinking about the social and emotional consequences for dogs.  Horses, too.  If given the choice horses would roam the grasslands, but we fence them in, and even put them in stables (much to their social, physical and emotional detriment).

So why can't we get our heads around keeping our cats in a home range? Whether that home range is entirely indoors (which I personally still think is extreme, but any cat that has only known an indoor environment probably isn't too concerned), or within the bounds of our property.

 

I'd be interested in your comments.  Are you currently keeping your cats in, or at least in some sort of containment?  Do you allow your cats to roam, but have considered containment?  What holds you back?

Please keep comments friendly, and constructive.  I hope a discussion might be enlightening, and any tips or thoughts on your DIY (or purchased) cat fencing or containment are welcome.