Do indoor cats and dogs feel like they are in prison?

I hope not. Vanta has gone from being an indoor-outdoor cat to an indoor cat. I know she misses her trees and squirrels, but there is nothing for it at this point.

I think dogs love the human contact and would be cuddled up with their humans at all times if we let them.
I don’t know about cats as I’ve never had one.

I can’t wait to get our whole yard fenced so Cato can get his hyper butt out to RUN!!!!!

Context is everything. The cat that I had rescued as a stray refused to go outside, her daughter (born and raised in a good home) wanted to be out all the time.

Ask each individual cat.

We had a feral cat that adopted us. It chose a life with us as opposed to living out of the cage.
We had dogs as well. Some loved to get out into the neighborhood, some wouldn’t leave regardless of the opportunity.
So my answer is it depends on the cat or dog.

Do animals have the concept of ‘prison’?

Or do they just accept that they are cooped up for ‘n’ hours each day?

^^^ 24/7.

A prison where they are waited on hand and foot, someone cleans up their piss & poop, where they can pretty much do whatever they want any time they please? That prison? Sure, let’s call that a prison.

Being able to climb trees and run free and explore in the woods would be better.

^^^^Again, context. We have coyotes around here, that not only are pretty good at catching and eating cats, but they do a pretty good job on the prey of cats, as well. Being able to “run free” when you are prey, and hungry, may not be quite so much fun.

Probably not.
The nonhuman people in zoos, however, is another story.

It is like escaping the Matrix.
Sure, you are now “free”, but in exchange you are now living in a post apocalyptic trash heap, with the only habitable place being a cave filled with hovels.
Cypher made the right choice in trying to rejoin the simulation.

I think they do, sometimes. Depending on their lifestyle and disposition. Unfortunately, many pets probably don’t get enough exercise or mental input. They’ll put up with sensory deprivation, but they won’t thrive. I don’t think that means they all have to be free-range, though. As predators, cats and dogs naturally sleep and rest a lot. Their bursts of energy are usually intense, but not very long. Animal and human companions, outings, walks, interactive toys, freedom of choice in the house…so many ways to make their life fun.

@Dutchess_III I think Cato wants a flirtpole for Christmas.

What is a flirt pole?
I got him a new, handsome leather collar. He’s eaten two of them! He’ll come high stepping out of the bedroom, the chewed through collar proudly held in his mouth. He is so PLEASED with himself!
It’s been a year and a half since the last one. He’s worn a $2.00 cloth Dollar General collar since then, with no incident. We’ll see!

Nope they get belly rubs and treats while indoors.

For several months we were camped by some woods. Every morning I’d let the dog and cat out. They loved it out there.
Then we’d call Cato back and we’d pack up and go to the house to work. We always came back around 6:00. Vanta would come running to meet us.
Then we moved into the house. We slowly started letting Vanta out. She always came back.
Things were fine for a couple of months. Then Thanksgiving day she was gone! She was gone for 4 days.
She had made her way back to the woods. Former camping neighbors came to tell us. So we got her back. Haven’t let her out since. ><.
I hate litterboxes.

Hold on. I’ll ask them.
(Animals don’t think, they only react.)

Apparently my cat was thinking.

No predatory animal would be able to succeed, if they were incapable of thought.

It depends on how they are treated.

Not if you fit a catflap to your door.

Dogs and cats are incapable of abstract notions such as “like being in prison”. They live in the moment. My brother’s dog is nearing the end of its life. It is blind, does not care for most food and cannot walk very fast. Yet it is highly content. It has no notion of what it was like when it was younger.

Yes. especially because of the orange jump suit they wear.

@flutherother In the States, rescue organizations won’t let you have a cat if you say it will be allowed outside. They also won’t let you declaw a cat.

I think it depends on the animal and the circumstances. I have and have had cats that were strays at one time, and I have cats that I’ve had since they were little kittens. I let all of my cats out but I have a big piece of proerty and the street is not very busy, and they love hanging out in the yard and on the deck. If they want to go out, they cry and jump around and act anxious. If I never let them out again, they’d probably not be happy but they’d have to deal with it. I don’t think they get the concept of prison, they just know what they like. They’re always in the house at night and if it’s too cold or bad weather, they’re in all day.

Most dogs go out at least to go to the bathroom. Only small dogs who live in apartments may stay in 24/7.

@LostInParadise So say you. “Prison” may be a human concept, but being confined isn’t, and nor is not liking where you are, or not being happy with the behavior of their house-mates (humans and/or animals). Cats can and do decide to move out of homes they’re not happy in (when they can get out, and particularly when they see a better alternative).

I’ve seen at least three clear cases where cats have chosen to move out of a house, and in two of those, the cat spent some considerable time feeling out an alternative home, in one case making a series of social moves to insinuate itself into the new home and get accepted there before moving out of the other home.

Also many cases where cats have a wide territory including many homes where they have learned who’s at each house and what may be available where, how to behave which each person, where the other animals are, etc, and go about on a routine, collecting food and homage, etc.

I had a doggie door for all of my dogs. They were free to come and go in the fenced yard as long as I was home. I was afraid someone would steal my dogs if they were out when I wasn’t home.
None of my dogs wanted to stay outdoors very long, even if I was outside.

@Zaku , It can all be explained by conditioning. Dogs and cats know what they like, but abstract classifications are beyond them.

@LostInParadise Yeah? Do you think you know that saying that adds something to my understanding of cats? What?

How many years have you spent living with and paying close attention to cats?

No becauce if all they know is the inside of the home then they grow accustomed to their surroundings. (Conditioned from birth)

^^^^ Which makes my cat’s current position unhappily unique.

You must ask them.

Asked this one

Prison, I guess.