• SokathHisEyesOpen@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    It depends on where you live. If you live in a city without predators, then letting your cat go outside in the backyard gives them a very exciting experience. If you live somewhere with coyotes, then your cat is going to die.

    • jerkface@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      The leading cause of death of all birds and mammals in North America is the domestic cat. That’s not okay.

    • Outdoor cats have a shorter average life span in cities, too. One big cause is cars. Also, it’s worth noting that house cats are essentially an invasive species and do a lot of damage to bird populations.

      It’s pretty widely recommended to keep cats indoors.

      • InputZero@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        Dogs have to be put on a leash when their outside, outdoor city cats should be too. Stops them from running away, and killing birds.

            • SokathHisEyesOpen@lemmy.ml
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              1 year ago

              It probably does happen occasionally on accident, like hunting dogs that pick up an interesting scent and then get lost, but I’ve never met a good pet owner who’s pet ran away. It’s always the guy who locked his dog in the backyard 16 hours a day and never thought of them as family, or the cat owner who put the car on a starvation diet hoping it would catch mice.