Pets inside/outside
 

After reading the thread about how people cope with their pets' deaths, I wondered who here had cats/dogs and who thought of them as inside pets vs. outside pets and why?

I have a dog. He's a Welsh Terrier named Barney. Although obviously I take him for walks and let him outside on the chain to go to the bathroom, he's definitely an indoor dog. He's a member of the family! He is allowed on the furniture and sleeps in my bed and I wouldn't have it any other way.

My ex-boyfriend's family had a hunting dog, some sort of hound, that stayed in a kennel outside ALL THE TIME. Granted, this kennel had a roof but I never saw them play with the dog, pet the dog, bring the dog in the house when it got really cold. I thought that was cruel...I'd never do that to a dog.

My kitties are indoor kitties. They are safer because my street is fairly busy. Rosebud got out once and stayed outside for 2 weeks, but he stayed right around the house. He just wouldn't come back in. He would sit outside on the window sill and meow but when I opened the door he would run. Finally, one morning at 4 a.m. I opened the door and he just walked back in like he had good sense. He is a silly boo.

I've always had inside pets, whether they are cats or dogs.

Now, I am thinking of how my 2 kitties would act if they lived outside. They're so sheltered that I don't think they could handle it.

We have a dog (bulldog - Peaches) and a cat (Lug). Lug is an indoor cat--never goes out. He had a rough life as a kitten, was severly abused and has brain damage (no joke). I wouldn't let Lug out, as he walks funny and I would feel awful if something happened to him. BTW, we adopted him from humane society.

And Peaches, she is primarily an indoor dog. She does go outside and spends the night outside, if it is nice weather--and if she wants. Otherwise she stays inside. However, she does not have free run of the house. If we are gone, she either sleeps in her kennel (in the garage) or in the laundry room.

-wendi

When I was little my cats were indoor cats because they were declawed. Though, the one always got out anyways and after awhile (read 12 years) we ended up just letting him come back when he wanted instead of chasing him.

My cat now is an indoor cat. She has claws, but unless I get a pretty secure backyard, I don't think I could stand to have her outside in an urban setting.

My two dogs I had in the past (they're both gone now) lived outside. They could occasionally come in for visits (and my last dog Savannah would get to stay inside sometimes when I lived alone), but they were outside pets.

I now have a cat (Little Feet) that was a stray at the apartment complex when we moved in. She originally wouldn't even come near us. We started leaving food out for her, then I would sit by the food while she ate, then she got to where we could pet her. She was considered an outside cat until recently when she decided that sleeping on our bed was much neater than staying outside.

I still consider her an outside cat (she's not litter box trained but other than a bladder infection we've had no inside accidents), but she's spending more and more time inside lately.

PsychTau

My 2 cats (who are NOT declawed) are indoor cats. I have
a fear that they would get run over or just disappear. I think it is safer for them to be indoor cats

Pets are for outside, people are for inside.

You don't realize how bad your house smells with indoor pets, unless you don't have them.

The condo my fiance and I just bought was home to a small dog and an old woman. We've been cleaning continuously for two weeks to get all the fur off the baseboards (and everywhere else) and the dog piss out the carpets.

Only with massive amounts of paint and bleach has the place begun to smell like humans live there.

If we ever have pets they will unequivocally be outside pets.

We have two big dogs - both labs. Ayla can come inside as she is house trained - I usually bring her in when it is cold or Mr. AXOMOM3 is out of town. She can stay in the garage too. Revel never figured out the indoor thing, and if he gets into the garage he drags everything out of the recycle bin and spreads it all over the back yard. He also chews anything and everything. Needless to say - he stays outside ALL the time!

Pets are for inside too! I think it is mean to keep your pets outside. Your house smells when you DON'T TAKE CARE of your animal. Most people should take care of their animal - therefore the house doesn't stink! For example - my apartment = 1 cat, never have I had a complaint that the apartment stunk (even from sorority sisters that are allergic to cats or boys that hate cats) Another example - my house in Ashland = 3 cats, at a Mary Kay party my consultant was talking away when she saw Pumpkin stroll through the hall - she said "oh I didn't know you had cats". IF she smelled the cats, she would know.

I will never own an animal that is an outside animal. Unless its a big dog and I have a fenced in back yard with an access to a covered shelter that suits the weather. Read my post on the loss of an animal to see why I wouldn't let cats out. Outdoor cats end up missing, hit by a car, or purposely killed. Outdoor dogs normally get blamed for things like tearing up garbage, bathroom on neighbors lawn and if they break away from their leash mean neighbors, kids, or other will call the pound, poison or be mean to the dog. Trust me, maybe I just live on a mean street or know to many horror stories but it happens all the time!!!!

Personally I think about it this way.
-Do you want to stay out on a cold night, steping in an inch of snow when you go to pee or dealing with cold wind when you are coming home?
-Do you want fight others just b/c you accidently went in their property?
-Do you want to sit in the pouring rain or thunderstorm while the person that gives you food is cozy inside?
-Do you want the possibility of your dog or cat to be poisoned by bastards that live or are around your street?
-On Halloween do you want neighborhood boys to kidnap your cat, bury it to its neck and run over it with a lawnmower?
-Would you like to stay outside all day in the sun when its 98 degrees out?

If your answer is no ......then you need to keep your animals indoor. I have way to many horror stories to tell and I help volunteer at a local animal shelter. I am very passionate about keeping animals safe and in good homes. So please keep your animal inside.

And basically for me that means that if I come home to dog pee then I clean it up. Much better than coming home to find a dead dog.

Good for you for spending yoru energy with a stray! That is really awesome!!!! And how I adopted 3 wonderful cats!
Also good for you alphagam-alum for adopting Lug, even though he had some damage to him. :D

my boy, shadow, is sleeping on a pillow on my bed. he's an indoor cat, with occasional outdoor privileges. i let him out if i am there so he can be protected. he also comes when i call him. pretty good trick for a human society kitty.

:rolleyes:

Sounds like the problem was a dirty old lady, not the dogs. My family (and everybody else I know) has inside pets and there are a) not pee stains in the carpet because the dog got trained on the tile and b) no fur in the baseboards because our dog doesn't shed.

I'm guessing that the old woman who use to live in your condo did not regularly bathe her dog or clean up immediately after the dog peed on the floor.
I have a cat back at my parents' place. You would never know we had one. Her litter box is cleaned out daily.
The only time my boyfriend's apartment has smelled like his dog is when his roommate forgot to take care of him while my boyfriend and me went away for an extended period. :rolleyes: Other than that, you would never know there was a dog in the apartment.
I know very few people who have homes that smell like their pets. Usually, these are the people who are not washing their dog, cleaning up the slober, cleaning out the litter box, or cleaning up after their pet uses the bathroom indoors.

All three of our cats are indoor, but Georgia always tries to escape. She actually escaped 10 mins ago-I had to chase her with no shoes on in my hello kitty jammies with the drywall guy(who speaks no english) staring at me like I was crazy. My cat, Kricket, will get to the door then run back inside-she is a HUGE scaredy-cat. And Elliott doesnt really have any interest whatsoever in going out, but George will take every chance to run off. GuyRoomie would KILL us if his precious george got out!!!

Growing up on a cattle farm, we always had blue heeler dogs. They were strictly outside dogs. Once in a great blue moon, if it were cold enough, Dad would let them in the garage, but otherwise they slept out in the barn, they had plenty of food and water to drink and got all the exercise they needed working with the cattle, though we and all the guys (my dad, my uncles and the hired men) would play with them, too. They were good dogs, and I don't think they hated us because we made them stay outside.

My husband and I adopted a Rat Terrier mix puppy from the shelter in December. Because she is so small and has such a short coat, she is an inside dog. In fact, Mr ISUKappa and I wanted to find a smaller dog so we could have it in our house. She is allowed on the couch, but is gated in the bathroom during the day and kenneled at night.

To me, there is nothing cruel about keeping dogs outside, as long as they are provided for: they have shelter, they have ample food and water and they get enough exercise and family love. Dogs are animals and were originally meant to live outside. They have fur coat for a reason, and many of them grow a thicker undercoat to help them through the cold seasons. Though, obviously, there are some dogs with shorter coats who can't stay outside in places where it gets obscenely cold during the winter.

edited to clarify a point.

I believe pets should be indoor. Working animals are up to the owners. I have indoor pets. I bathe and take care of them. My house does not smell. My dog does shed though, so we vacumm every other day. Our carpet is off white and the only markings on it is from my dads wheelchair.

(My boyfriend and) I have 2 cats and a dog - all males. The cats are 7 yrs old (Tigger) and 9 months old (Nikko) and are both indoor cats mainly because I live in an apartment. My little one probably needs to be an outdoor cat because he's just a hell raiser in the house. My dog (puppy) is 12 weeks old and he's an American Staffordshire Terrior (it's a larger version of a pit bull - most people think he's small when they hear the name but he's going to be a BIG boy!) and is at about 20 pounds now and will get to 70 pounds in the 18 months. He's, of course, an indoor dog but has LOTS of outdoor park time. I fell bad having them in a one bedroom apartment but we take the time to take them all outside - they all have leases. The puppy goes to the park just about every other day for an hour or two to run around.

Dogs are pack animals. They need to be with their pack. Once you adopt a dog YOU and your family become its pack. That means keeping the dog where you are, not ouside tied to a house. If you're planning to keep a dog outside all the time and never let it in the house, don't get a dog. Our shelters here (which are no-kill) will not let you adopt if you plan to keep the dog outside because it is even worse for them than being stuck in the shelter.

The only exception I can see is on a farm if the dog sleeps in the stable and is around other animals.

Cosign. Farms have different dynamtic than an urban setting. All farms family I know have outdoor cats/dogs - but they all have free range of the land, a warm barn and plenty of other animals to socialize with.

My dog would be extremely lonely if he was forced to stay outside all the time. He's an extremely social dog and while he likes his going out in the backyard, he needs to come in to give us all some love.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating for people to get a dog and then leave it outside all the time, neglected. I'm just saying people shouldn't be made to feel guilty if they make the decision to keep their dog outside, especially when they have more than one, they are larger in size, and for all other intents and purposes, they are being well taken care of.

I also think it's "cruel" to have an extremely large, active dog cooped up inside a house or apartment all the time. (ztabchbum that's not directed at you, it sounds like you understand your dog's breed and you're getting him ample exercise) Before anyone decides to get any sort of animal, one should research it first--learn it's feeding, grooming and exercise needs, temperment and habits and then make the decision to buy or adopt. Then still be prepared for anything to happen and when it does, make sure you know how to work with it. We did a lot of research before we got our dog and she still surprises us with some of her personality traits. She has a problem with separation anxiety and biting, so we are taking her to puppy kindergarten to socialize her and teach her how to play better with others along with learning basic commands and training tips for us.

My boyfriend and I have a Persian cat named Cole (Coleman) and a Chihuahua-ShihTzu named Lily.

The cat is an indoor cat, as any cat I will ever have will be. The city I live in borders Akron, Ohio, which has an animal ordinance strictly focused on cats. So I would never let my cat be an outdoor cat because of the ordinance. http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/Temporary_Pages/cats.htm

The dog is an indoor dog. She is to small to be an outdoor dog, but even if I had a larger dog it would never be an outdoor dog because of the winter weather in Ohio. To dangerous to leave a pet outdoors in the cold, sometimes subzero, weather!! I would make sure it gets ample amounts of excercise though!!

I am a strong believer that all animals should be indoor and outdoor depending on situation. We have 3 dogs at our house (1 is mine and 2 are my brothers) and they are all indoor/outdoor dogs. They have a doog door and can come and go as they please. We have a completely fenced yard that is 3+ acres and they love it. They go out and come in when they are ready. We have a cat that does the same.

Growing up we had 7 dogs at one time and they were all out door dogs but only because they were all adopted and they are all outdoor dogs before we took them in. If we tried to let him inside they would just get anxious and not sit still. My parents had a back porch area that was large enough for them all to sleep in the winter but they usually weren't interested. BUT they all had dog houses too!!

Indoor cats don't bother me near as much as indoor dogs. And I don't believe in keeping an animal outside no matter the weather conditions. I'm not stupid. But I do like my house to be clean.

I think its an acquired thing. If you're used to indoor pets, you don't smell it. I'm not, and can always tell when there are indoor pets.

Sometimes, I think its meaner to keep a dog indoors than outdoors. I had a friend growing up who had a TINY house and an ENORMOUS boxer. They had a huge fenced back yard, but the dog stayed in the house where he barely had any room to move around. I never got why they didn't let her out sometimes. Not to mention both parents smoked, so the dog (and all the kids) inhaled smoke all the time!

Our animals are always indoor pets. For dogs we believe they shoudl be walked, exercised, and potty trained outside (on a leash or in a fenced in yard), but primarily should stay indoors. I mean why go through the trouble of having pets and what not if you dont want them inside and around you all the time? They are human companions. If humans stay inside so should the pets. In fact the humane society here will not adopt out cats or dogs if your intentions are to keep them outside.

This is an example of an irresponsible pet owner. Not all dog breeds are for everyone, and people who live in small spaces do not need a large breed of dog for exactly that reason.

Breeds need to be matched with the owner's lifestyle and living arrangements. The trailer park that my aunt lives in this one owner lives in a single wide trailer with two german shepards and one lab. That is cruel. It is also cruel of the owner to let the dogs run loose in the park which is on a very dangerous and busy highway. I hope the owner rots in hell.

all 8 of my cats are indoor cats and have no desire to go outside. we nipped that right in the bud when we got them

Growing up we always had a dag and he stayed outside. he wasn't tied up, but he did have a doghouse and plenty of yard space. The only time I remember him coming inside was during bad weather (storms, heatwaves, snow, etc.) or holidays :D

I have a cat and she is strickly as indoor cat.

We had two dogs that stay inside all the time, and then a few days ago we got a new one so now there's three of them, a chow mix, a Westie, and a pug. They're all inside dogs...the wusses can't stand to be outside for prolonged periods of time. ;)

However, the cats have never been inside...we have five on our back porch, and that's where they kinda hang out except when they're hunting or out courting. I feel kinda bad about them being out there since it's been freezing cold lately, but my stepdad hates cats and won't let us put them in the garage. I guess they're used to it...I still feel kinda guilty, though. By the way, would anyone like a cat? They're free! And cute!

Kitty
 

1 indoor kitty. He is twelve years old.
REALLY SPOILED ROTTEN KITTY!!!!
:) Silver

Uggh. Smoke and dog hair? I bet they stayed sick a lot!

I'm asthmatic and allergic to most pet hair and dander. So, no hairy pets for me. Fish can stay indoors. :)

Reading through the thread, I've noticed that some folks think that dogs are all able to survive outside because at one time they were wild animals that lived outside.

True for some breeds.

However, many domestic dogs do not share the same ability to survive outdoors that many of their ancestors had. Nor were they or their ancestors ever built to sustain some of the cold weather we have here in the US sometimes (especially in northern states).

Don't think you can buy a toy poodle and leave it outside all the time :D

Since I was one of the people who mentioned dogs are animals that historically lived outside, I'll clarify.

In my head, when I was writing that post, I was mentally thinking of the types of dogs one would usually find outside--hearty, working dogs: German Shepherds, Bernese Mountain Dogs, Alaskan Malamutes; dogs that were trained to serve and bred to withstand colder climates. (Of course, since you can't see into my head (thank goodness) you can't possibly know that's what I was thinking).

Proper care includes knowing your breed's heartiness, so I would not hope that people who have toy poodles are leaving it outside when its -20 (and it has that "show cut" where the poor thing is practically bald save a bouffant, leg warmers and butt poufs). When it was -30 with wind chill last week, we only let our dog out for potty breaks because she has a short coat and got cold quickly (and my husband refuses to get her a cute little sweater. Meany.)

I like my pet's insides outside and my pet's outside inside. Keeps the house from smelling.:p

But my spoiled mutts live in the house and tiptoe out only when they "HAVE TO GO RIGHT NOW" and when they go to the dog park.

My dog's definitely an inside dog. She's a toy breed, so like you mentioned, ktsnake, she wouldn't survive outside! She's our little baby and has full run of the house, and it's not uncommon to find her curled up on one of the beds with her head on the pillow when she's sleeping. It's precious.

As for pets smelling...I'm going to echo what others have said about how if you keep your pets clean, you won't smell them. I'm in a no-pet environment for months, away at school, and I can't smell any doggy odor when I come home. Generally bigger dogs smell more than smaller ones, but even those you can keep clean. I recently went to visit my friend who has an indoor golden retriever, and I couldn't smell any doggy smell! They bathe him every week. I can definitely smell it when I walk into a house where people don't keep their pets clean, though.

In the case of cats is a good option to install a cat flap (e.g. at the base of a door) if they are not strictly inside only animals to at least allow them to go as they please and not have to wait to come in until someone is home and hears them?

i have a bichon frise and he stays inside, even has his own pillow and baby blanket. because he's so little and snow white, i couldn't imagine leaving him outside. i always feel bad for dogs and cats that are allowed to stay outside in the cold. but then again, people say i treat my pooch like a prince and i'd have it no other way.

I agree you need to keep your pets indoors.

As a vet I see so many horrible things that happen to pets that are outdoors (both dogs and cats) EVERY time I work. At the 3 clinics I work at there is a bulletin board and it is always full of missing pet notices-it is very sad.

IMO if you get a cat it needs to be indoors or don't get one. A dog needs a fenced in backyard and needs to be kept indoors when it is below 40 degrees.

i got into a fight with a client last week b/c he had a 1 year old non-neutered cat-he "didn't believe in neutering or declawing". Stupid a$$ man-HELLO your frickin cat is impregnating all the stray queens dumbass. I was soooo pissed. I don't like declawing but I don't have anything against people that do it, especially if it is that or euthanasia.

If you get a pet it needs to be spayed/neutered-there is no excuse, none at all.