In a message dated 4/8/99 6:40:45 AM PST, Bluetooth at csi.com writes:

> He was making some very strongs points
> that keeping cats indoors leads to all kinds of weird and abnormal
> behavior by the cats. I was quite surprised

So am I. If you get a kitten and socialize it, play with it and just
generally treat it like a member of the family they become quite personable
and loving. Keeping them indoors is the same thing..if you never let them out
in the first place, they have no idea what is out there, and they don't miss
what they don't know.

I will admit that the things people do to cats can cause psychotic behavior
in cats. For instance, de-clawing them is akin to cutting off a person's
fingers, and they become nuerotic and biters....whereas if you train them to
use a scratching post from kitten hood, they leave your furniture alone and
you have a well adjusted cat.

Cats that aren't neutered can become neurotic if kept indoors, too. Until
you've lived with a cat in heat, you won't understand why so many people
finally cave in and "for god's sakes, let the cat out."

So the answers to that British guy is: Socialize and love your cat, neuter
them, don't declaw them and train them to leave your furniture alone, and you
won't have to worry about them going nutso by being kept indoors. Simple, I
agree, but for some reason, impossible for most folks...
Michelle