To Roam or Stay Home? Understanding “Pet Parenting” Types in Relation to the Indoor/Outdoor Cat Debate

Abstract

ABSTRACT Historically, domestic cats (Felis catus) were kept primarily to control rodent populations, retaining a relatively independent status as a companion animal (pet) who roams outside at their leisure. However, the Anthropocene presents concerns regarding the impact of predation by cats on wildlife, and the increasingly common “indoor-only cat” is also a response to the various risks encountered by roaming cats in modern societies. Contemporary cat–human relationships are explored here by analyzing discourses surrounding the indoor/outdoor cat debate from the perspectives of cat guardians (owners). A qualitative analysis was performed on 961 online user comments responding to media related to predation by cats or discussing the merits of keeping companion cats indoors. A thematic discourse analysis provides insight into how the practices and beliefs surrounding cat guardianship are influenced by media reporting, preconceived notions of cats, and personal experiences of living with cats. Whether cat guardians believe they are morally obligated to protect their feline companions or must respect their freedom to roam appears to depend upon how cats are perceived on a spectrum from child-like dependents to independent or wild-like animals who are not fully domesticated. Using a framework of “pet parenting styles,” this paper examines how roles and responsibilities of cat guardians are constructed differently in relation to the indoor/outdoor cat debate and how feline “pet parenting” norms might be changing in contemporary risk societies that increasingly promote practices that restrict the roaming of companion cats.