i got my cat nixie in 2023. when my family adopted her from her foster family, they didn't mention anything about her going outside, but she really enjoyed it once she settled into our home. eventually, nixie started catching small snakes and lizards (which i'm trying to prevent her from doing) and also exploring other neighbors' yards.
i have a job that keeps me at work until around 8 o'clock (10 at the latest), and i'm in high school, so i'm out of the house most of the day. the rest of my family are either disabled or work long hours, so there's really no one to watch her when she goes out. recently, I saw a tiktok saying that letting your cats outside unsupervised is abuse, and it never occurred to me that what I’ve been doing is considered abuse. i talked to my mom about it, and she said that she always let her cats outside to hunt when she was growing up (where she's from has a high feral cat population), that it was natural, and to not think too hard about it; but i have.
i want my cat to be happy, and that’s what being outside is for her, but i also don't want her or other animals to end up hurt because of my neglect. if anyone has any tips for getting her used to being inside or training her to get used to a harness/leash, that would be super helpful. thank you! (´- `*)
(im also not sure if i tagged this right so please let me know!!)