The debate over whether cats should be kept indoors or allowed outdoor access involves genuine welfare trade-offs between safety, environmental enrichment and expression of natural behaviour.
The indoor-outdoor decision requires weighing different welfare domains. Safety risks outdoors are significant and empirically demonstrated, but indoor confinement without adequate enrichment results in frustration, obesity and stress-related behaviours. Neither blanket indoor confinement nor unrestricted outdoor access is optimal for all cats in all contexts.