Vet finally settles whether it’s cruel to keep cats indoors

When it comes to caring for cats, many owners choose to keep them indoors at all times, whilst others allow their feline friends unlimited freedom to roam. But is there a right or wrong approach?

A vet has settled the debate, taking to social media to compare the lifestyles and happiness of both indoor and outdoor cats. Dr Ben Simpson-Vernon began a video by admitting that felines have a “bum deal” because so many people “really don’t understand” them and their behaviour.

The vet went on to elaborate that he has been told by so many cat owners in the past that it is “irresponsible or selfish” to let them outside. “However, it’s only in the last few decades that indoor cats have become a thing,” Dr Simpson-Vernon continued. “People decided it’s too dangerous for them outside as there’s too many cars on the road and too many other cats that might harm them, or they might kill a lot of wildlife.”

That might not be the best thing for your pet, according to the vet though as he pointed out that remaining inside is not natural for them. “You have to remember that cats are not small dogs,” Dr Simpson-Vernon advised. “They essentially domesticated themselves over thousands of years coming gradually closer to human settlements – and humans tolerated them because they caught pests – we wanted them to hunt.”

As a consequence, cats have adapted and developed natural patterns of behaviour that suit living outside and having relatively large territories to roam over, the vet noted. “But now, that territory might be a one-bed flat they share with two other cats and the only creature they will be hunting is the odd fly that gets in through the window,” he said.

Dr Simpson-Verson concluded his clip by confessing that an outdoor life “isn’t without it’s problems” and of course, cats can still be happy inside at all time. “I see lots of cats whose owners put in a lot of time and effort to make sure they are kept mentally stimulated and as active as possible,” he said.

The vet closed: “I also see a lot of outdoor cats with cat-bite abscesses from fighting with a neighbour’s cat – but I also see a lot of male indoor cats develop a blocked bladder because they are overweight and stressed. So I guess what I am getting at is this dogma that the ‘only way to keep a cat nowadays is indoors’ is just not correct.”

If Dr Simpson-Vernon’s thoughts have given you cause for concern, however, animal specialists, Nexus-Pets has moved to allay any fears. “Keeping a cat indoors isn’t inherently cruel,” they state online. “In fact, many cats live long, stable, and genuinely happy lives inside the home when their basic needs are properly met.”

Nexus-Pets continues: “The key factor isn’t whether they go outside, but whether their indoor environment still allows them to behave like a cat-climb, scratch, explore, play, and stay mentally engaged rather than bored or frustrated.

“That said, adjustment can be more difficult for cats that are used to outdoor access. These cats may initially struggle with the loss of freedom to roam and hunt, and they often need extra time and environmental enrichment to feel fully comfortable indoors.”

They added: “So the real question isn’t simply whether keeping cats indoors is cruel, but how well their indoor life is designed to support their natural instincts – and what vets and research actually say about their wellbeing in a properly enriched home.”