this post was submitted on 24 May 2025
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"Outdoor cats" are an invasive species that kill billions of animals every year, are a significant contributor to dozens of species' extinction, and live shorter lives than cats properly cared for (i.e. kept indoors) including nearly 3x the risk for infections.
It's a plague. We can't keep normalizing this.
While I understand the sentiment, its a hard line. I waffle with it being sometimes impossible to avoid.
With that said, my parents have an outdoor cat still going from my middle school days; he's currently 23 y/o, and still able to hold his own. I'm always impressed visiting because I expect to hear he passed when in fact he's yelling about wet food not being available when he's makes his appearance. Most of his days are spent laying on their back porch, and I'm insanely jealous of how full and long of a life he's experienced.
There is no situation where it is impossible to avoid. I'm glad your cat has had a good life, but in general, outdoor cats are still far more likely to die young to diseases, accidents, and wildlife.