I have a male and a female age approx 5months and they are due to be done at the vets at 6 months of age.After that,i am in two minds whether to let them out.I live next to a busy road and am worried.They are both grey burmese so i also fear they will be taken.I have had mixed opinions about this as some people have never let theirs out whilst others say it's not natural to keep them in.Grateful for all opinions.

Moved to pets where you will get more advise.

Thanks(i'm new to this).

If I had pedigree kitties, there is no way I'd let them out. I thought it was cruel to keep kitties indoors but when I've had to keep mine in, they've been fine. When the weather is really bad now I tend to lock the kitty door. I think pure bred kitties are a different sort of cat, I would be so worried that someone would take them.

As long as there is plenty for them to do and places for them to get exercise, interest and love indoors then there's no need to let them out if you're worried about the road and the potential for getting taken.

I had the most beautiful blue burmese boy ever (of course, like all parents I'm biased ;)) and I didn't have a problem letting him outdoors because I live in a quiet little spot with little passing traffic and he was a homebody anyway, but that was my choice and I'm not going to try to force you to decide either way round because if I lived on a busy road I'd probably think long and hard before allowing them out too.

You may find that they get rather a handful as they hit puberty unless you can give them lots of things to climb, stalk and kill, but that's not insurmountable if you put your mind to it.

I have 5 cats - 4 are moggies, and 1 is a maine coon. While my moggies are every bit as precious to me as the MC, they are allowed out, she's not, and never will be. As it happens, she's a real home body and never even attempts to go out. My ginger tom was taken twice by 2 different people when he was a kitten as he was so pretty. Fortunately i found him and played merry hell both times, and got him back, but i know if someone took the MC, she would be gone for good, especially as she is only 5 months old and not spayed. The MC is happy playing with the boys when they're in, but once they go out, she's just as happy curled up in her bed or on the sofa with the family. Hope that helps.

I'm not a huge cat fan so didn't know what a maine coon was, just googled it & oh my god, how gorgeous are they ?????

ha ha yes they're very pretty. Mine is still thin and scraggy at the moment but she's got very long legs, long tail and big ears. I'm hoping she'll fill out and look like her mum, as she was stunning! You can see her at this link, but she's grown a little since then...
http://www.freewebs.com/luptonlops/ourotherpets.htm

Aww looks like you have a lovely brood there.

I have a male and a female age approx 5months and they are due to be done at the vets at 6 months of age.After that,i am in two minds whether to let them out.I live next to a busy road and am worried.They are both grey burmese so i also fear they will be taken.I have had mixed opinions about this as some people have never let theirs out whilst others say it's not natural to keep them in.Grateful for all opinions.

I know lots of people who have 'house cats' for various reasons, my cousin lives on a really busy road / tram route so she keeps her 2 little boys inside all the time, a few people I work with and 3 of my neighbours. Like Medusa said, so long as they have plenty of stimulation it cant hurt. You don't miss what you have never had do you ?

I have afew indoor cats as well as an old boy who comes and goes. The indoors are quite content to stay indoors when you are there. However you will need to play with them a lot more so they don't become bored. I'm lucky that there's always someone here and they are never left for more than a couple of hours. Mine do go out in the garden with me and I've also built a run which attaches to the kitchen window so when it's warm I open the window and they can come and go as they please. Maybe you could make something similer for yours? It would also be a good idea to get them chipped just incase they ever do escape. Mine are quite good where open doors are concerned. They know they aren't allowed out of the front door which leads onto my drive so I can often leave that door open when I'm getting shopping in from the car. The back door which leads into the main garden is another matter and often Oliver will try his luck and sneek through when I'm putting the washing out, He's quite vocal so I always know when he's sneeked out and he loves sitting on my garden swing watching me. Meowing all the time to get my attention the little sw*ne as he hates being ignored. The others aren't too bad but he's a menace and wants to be with you all the time. He's sat half way on arm on the desk as I'm typing making it very difficult for me as he's such a weight. Never keep a kitten you have hand reared from a few days old as they really do think you are their mummy. He's 4 years old now and still thinks I should jump to his every whim. I will stop one of these days, then he'll have a shock!:P

I have a male and a female age approx 5months and they are due to be done at the vets at 6 months of age.After that,i am in two minds whether to let them out.I live next to a busy road and am worried.They are both grey burmese so i also fear they will be taken.I have had mixed opinions about this as some people have never let theirs out whilst others say it's not natural to keep them in.Grateful for all opinions.

If you live near a busy road I really would not risk it- Ive lost cats to the road, Ive had one ripped apart by a dog, had them tortured, shot at, catapulted and stolen. My cats are indoor cats and they are perfectly happy indoors- they have lots of attention, toys, stimulating activities , plenty of space to get away from each other when they need to and I'm hopeful they will long, happy and healthy lives secure from all trhe hazards of the great outdoors. Oh - the fact yours are pedigree too and quite distinct ones at that is another reason not to risk it- plus, the breeder you got them from probably sold them to you on the undertstanding that they wouldremain indoor cats- this is usually a stipulation of sale. Don't risk it- they have each other for companionship

Thank you all for your advise.Once again,a bit mixed on keep them in/let them out.I'm actually 99% sure that i will keep them in now.It's difficult when they try to do a runner every time you open the door though so i don't think they will be "homely kittys".Another question for you all...........i know kittens will scratch,climb walls and chew etc but do they grow out of it?They have plenty to play with and are always entertained.Is it frustration or simply playfulness?I have'nt had cats before so i got brother and sister at same time.Can't imagine just having one as they keep each other company although they do lead each other on a bit!Any advise would be appreciated.:)

I keep my emily inside. Id worry far too much about her if she were at outdoor cat, she could get lost, taken, hurt or worse :(

just as well shes an indoor cat with us moving to canada. cats arent allowed on other peoples property, and the owner of the property has the right to catch them if they do! plus theres all the wild animals, snow etc

very glad I kept my emily as a house kitty

My lot are indoors mainly because they're pedigrees (Maine Coon, 2 Bengals, a Havana Oriental, 3 Norwegian Forest Cats + a moggie who is terrified of the great outdoors). All the pedigrees are distinct and would be an obvious target for theft -plus, they come from a long line of pedigrees which have been indoor cats so they're experience of outside is limited and they would not have a lot of road sense.

How do I keep my lot entertained? Access to all 4 stories of our little terraced house, Huge scratching post (Ancol Fat Boy), climbing activity centres/ ladder, lots of places they can hide high up (on top of wardrobes, in the attic, on the shower cubicle) plenty of litter trays so there;' no fighting over who uses what, a Panic Mouse interactive toy that bats a fluffy spider around in a random way for cats to chase, loads of feathery sticks, light up balls and mice that squeak, cardboard boxes with holes in (free and huge fun for any cat, empty paper bags, empty loo roll tubeswith treats or toys tucked in them for curious cats to find whilst we're out. And lots of fuss - my indoor cats are the most sociable, loving and friendly gang I've ever owned- they love people because they spend so much time with people. And remember, cats generally sleep something linke 14-16 hours a day anyway so when you're out, they are probably cat-napping. Itrim my lot's claws every few weeks -easy to do because ive always handled them and got them used to having it done, so generally no home wrecking -except for what the Maine Coon did to my lovely leather sofa (frilly arms) - none of the others ever did it. We put dried catnip on our scratching posts and that encourages them to strop their claws on that instead of on the furniture - oh, and the daft dobermutt Ailsa keeps them in check too.
have a look at Alfie's Blog - lots of photos of my mad moggies there

Thank you all for your advise.Once again,a bit mixed on keep them in/let them out.I'm actually 99% sure that i will keep them in now.It's difficult when they try to do a runner every time you open the door though so i don't think they will be "homely kittys".Another question for you all...........i know kittens will scratch,climb walls and chew etc but do they grow out of it?They have plenty to play with and are always entertained.Is it frustration or simply playfulness?I have'nt had cats before so i got brother and sister at same time.Can't imagine just having one as they keep each other company although they do lead each other on a bit!Any advise would be appreciated.:)

There's a certain amount of house damage that all cats are likely to do, but by having decent scratching posts (one of mine is bolted to the wall so they can hang off it properly), a couple of sacrificial pieces of furniture (they love cane and lloyd loom furniture for a good strop) and lots of toys it's not really that bad.

It is likely that yours will be worse at it than many (being oriental and all) and they are likely to get worse before they get better (they haven't hit puberty yet) but it's all manageable and as long as they're kept busy the damage shouldn't be too bad.

Best toy our Oriental (Aero) plays with is an old rug that we've rolled up with the hessian underside on the outside- propped up against the corner of the room in the attic, she climbs up it, strops her claws on it and sits on the top- it's about 6 foot high, kept rolled up with gaffer tape. A free toy and one that saves our stair carpet from grief

Brill thanks.Looks like i'm taking a trip up to pets r us for some toys and stuff.I think it's probably me being a bit too sensitive about them ...i mean i dare'nt even leave them for longer than a few hours cos i think they're lonely and bored.I treat them like babies(i'm sure there are a few of you out there who do the same).One final question(sorry),can anyone recommend what i should do if i were to go away for the weekend?I do have a friend next door who would feed them but not to stay with them.Should i use some kind of cattery or just not go away?

If your friend is happy to feed, spend a bit of time with, clean the litter tray and generally keep an eye on them and is reliable, I'd go with that- much less stressful than dragging them to the cattery and back. I babysit my neighbour's indoor cats and she looks after my daft dobermutt every Friday, plus, I often have my friend's 4 cats round to stay if she has to work out of Sheffield. In return, she babysits my gang when we go away for a week (we take the dobermutt with us).

I'm a believer in someone you can trust coming to visit your little ones in their home too. I have a hand reared feral cat and I just know that she couldn't cope with being moved somewhere while I was away- I would rapidly run out of catteries that were prepared to take her (having seen what she does to a crate if you shut her in it).

It's not ideal that they will be alone, but at least she's much happier in the space that she knows well. In a cattery they're in a strange place around strange people- I know that some people have no choice but to put their cat in a cattery, but I'd prefer to avoid it if I can.

thanks for that.i understand,especially about being in own surroundings.some good advice from you all.thanks

Our cat is an indoor cat, I've posted about this on threads before, but we kept her in after her brother was killed on the road outside where we used to live. It was heartbreaking, he was only 18 months old and just starting to explore the great outdoors.

My Dorrie was only 18 months old as well - she was my first cat, she'd been going outside for around 10 months. I loved her to bits, it is soul crushing when that happens.

I'm getting another cat next weekend, and I'm going to be too concerned to let her go outside. I can't lose another cat like that :(

Yes even here in the country it's not safe, We lost our almost 2 year old rescued Ginger cat Simba to the road when we lived in Grindleford. :(

My Tiffy's sister Sienna was hit by a car and killed a couple of months after moving from busy Walkley to a place in the country which has maybe a dozen cars a day passing. It can happen anywhere unfortunately and you can only take the risks as determined by your situation.

Our cat is an indoor cat, I've posted about this on threads before, but we kept her in after her brother was killed on the road outside where we used to live. It was heartbreaking, he was only 18 months old and just starting to explore the great outdoors.

Sorry this was me, posting from my hubby's username at home, I'd not quite finished, when the battery ran out on the laptop!:hihi:

What I was going to go on and say was that despite my better judgment (I wanted to keep both my cats indoors) I listened to the "it's not fair to have a cat and keep in indoors" brigade and decided to tell myself to stop being paranoid and everything would be OK, and I let them out. Three months later Peanut was dead. It was horrible and I beat myself up about it for ages and ages afterwards. If only I'd stuck to my guns he'd still be here.

So what I wanted to say to the OP was, no, don't feel guilty. As others have said if you keep them well amused with plenty of toys and make sure you have time to play with them loads they'll be fine. The fact you've got 2 is probably better as they've got each other for company and playtime.

If you have a cat, and let it out, then you will always live with the fact that something might happen to it. It's not just the road either, people can be cruel, there's been cases of cats getting stolen for their fur, and some just killed by thugs for 'fun'.

Be well prepared for the adolescent stage though - that's always fun! They'll have boundless energy, probably will drive you up the wall, but stick with it, they do calm down eventually!!

Good luck, you're doing the right thing;)

My lot are utterly bonkers and I wouldnt have it any other way. Of course, lately they're showing a tad too much interest in the sole surviving gerbil and our old cockatiel and I don't have a decent houseplant but I an so glad I kept them as indoor cats - a happy, healthy and often hilarious gang.