Anyone keep non-free range cats?

[ribbons]

Letting cats roam is a pet hate of mine. I am firmly of the opinion that if cats have enough stimulation, ideally provided by another cat, plus an owner who will interact with them, cats are fine living indoors. We don't let our dogs roam do we?, however much fun they might have being out to explore on their own, so why are cats any different?
I used to breed and show Birmans as a hobby, one queen who had 1 litter every 18 months so I was responsible. I gave up after three years because two people who had bought a kitten rang me to ask if I had another as they had lost their cat to the road. I advertised my kittens to indoor only homes as most responsible breeders do, obviously this was ignored and it upset me greatly that the kittens I had seen born and I had cared for for 14 weeks had been needlessly lost. It wasn't that the cats were 'valuable' in monetary terms, because they were pedigree, it was that they had value as living creatures. I will say that I also fostered for the CPL and had rescued moggies of my own, so I certainly did not view cats as a commodity!
Three cat-specialist vets with an great interest in feline behaviour also told me that cats are brilliant at adapting, and will be happy, given company of their own kind and owners who take time to interact with them, being indoor only, even if they are an ex street moggy.

I have always kept my cats, pedigrees and rescued moggies, indoors. They are all 'worth' exactly the same to me. At my last house I bought a small garden shed and built an aviary type run to it with logs and shelves for the cats to go in when I was at work when the weather was not terrible! I'm in a rented house now so that's a no-go, so my cats go in the garden to explore in a 'walking jacket' which they all soon got used to.

I'm sure you will find a way to have happy indoor and restricted outdoor catties, its not all that long ago that 'putting the cat out for the night' was considered the norm, its old outdated views that still persist that cats have to have the freedom to roam, and its sad that some owners will consider the fact that their free roaming cat may some day be killed or worse, badly injured and undiscovered, but still let their cats out. Maybe because when accidents like this happen, the owner is not likely to be there to witness the pain and suffering. If you love your cats, keep them safe, IMO its your duty as a responisble owner. Don't be swayed by anyone saying that keeping cats indoors is cruel, letting any creature with little or no road sense out is cruel.

Your Catio idea is the way forward, I'm sure that your cats will have the life of Riley!

Oh dear, my pet hate is cat owners like this.
Anyone who thinks cats are no different to dogs is a worry.
One of the saddest things to see is a cat on a lead.
I can only imagine the mental torture to a cat being deprived of the ability to come and go as they please, they are their own master.
Its not a case of able to go outside and get fresh air, its having adventures and hunting.

OP, the set up you plan is certainly better than totally indoors, and I'm sure the cats will be physically healthy and accept the situation, but just maybe, it might be worth waiting to fulfill your need (to have a cat or two) until your in a better position to fulfill theirs.

I know I'm probably in the minority, but I just think that giving ourselves the pleasure of having a cat without risk by subjecting such an animal to a long life of being captive is actually really wrong.
I realise many don't see that though, and, as in most things, each to their own.

Just to add, hackneylass says providing plenty of stimulation, ideally by another cat, makes it ok.
Surely anyone who really understands a cats preferred lifestyle, realises cats are actually quite solitary a lot of the time. They may cuddle up together on your sofa for a while, but mostly they're off on their own.
To be permanently enclosed together, unable to get away from each other must be awful.

 

[Montyforever]

Having a cat, who literally could walk out of this house and never return should the mood take her, who has never gone further than the garden gate in 15 years. I think the idea of a catio is ideal!
We have two yard cats, one we lost and he turned up months later living wild two miles down the road. He was bought back, stayed a week and we haven't seen him since - he had acres, a warm bed, plenty to hunt and food. Yet he gets bored and wanders!
His brother on the otherhand is a total lap cat and has stayed put!