Keeping cats indoors versus outdoors involves genuine welfare tradeoffs between safety and the ability to express natural hunting and territorial behaviors. Evidence supports indoor-only living with enrichment for most urban cats.
The indoor-outdoor debate involves real welfare tradeoffs. Outdoor cats express hunting and territorial behaviors but face severe mortality risks and cause substantial wildlife harm. Indoor cats are safer but require significant enrichment to meet their behavioral needs. Enriched indoor environments with vertical space, puzzle feeders, play sessions, and safe outdoor access options can meet feline welfare needs while eliminating the risks of unsupervised outdoor access.