That goes against any knowledge and experiences available, I've never seen or heard of a single adoption centre who'd allow it either; if the cat is an outdoor cat they'll never let you take it unless you can let it out as well, and cats who're accustomed to a secured balcony or a Catio also require it to be adopted. That's why it's important to raise a cat as indoor cat in the first place. Do you have any sort of proof of the opposite?

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I'd love to see this cat adoption center that advocates that any cats should be allowed to roam. Sounds pretty sus. Got a link?

[–] Natanox@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 month ago

Not any cats, but those who're already accustomed to the outdoors. I've been to multiple animal shelters in Germany over the years, all of them had information about if a cat required access to the outdoors to be happy. And that was a requirement for adoption of those cats. You can see it here for example at the Hamburg shelter Süderstraße, the biggest one in the city. Every cat or group of cats has the "Haltungsanforderung" (adoption requirements) mentioned, most of them "Freigang" ("Freeroam") since they often receive strays and there're less people in the city who can provide that.

I've no clue where the hell you all live or how big your houses usually are, but despite the known heavoc freeroaming cats can cause: if they are freeroamers then, according to the professionals at the shelters I spoke with, suddenly keeping them in an average apartment (i.e. ~60m²) would be almost abuse and they will not let you adopt a cat if the cats individual requirements aren't met.

And to be clear once more, the shelters don't advocate for everyone to let their cats out. They advocate and educate so people won't do it in the first place, BUT if a cat already knows the outside and would go mad inside they respect the animals' requirements.

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