I've had cats for 40 years now and it's a myth that they need to be outside. There's very little upside to allowing them outside unsupervised between predators (animal and human), traffic, predation on small animals, rabid animals and other infectious diseases (FIV, among others). Just recently we had a local story about a 6 month old kitten that had to be euthanized because of a rabies infection.
My first cat was allowed outside until one of her kittens was hit by a car. He survived, but was never the same. Vet bills were not something I could afford at that time, but you do what you have to. Everyone became indoors only after that, despite some complaints.
I picked up one stray one cold winter. She had been declawed and thrown outside. Once she realized life was OK again, she almost never left the bedroom. She looked out the window if she was interested in what was happening outside.
Sometimes one cat or another will be allowed outside under supervision. Even that's not really safe. One of my cats picked up a grub by her eye poking her head into a chipmunk hole, had a massive reaction to it and almost died. She had to take cortisone for the rest of her life.
It can be difficult, but it is possible to train cats to accept a leash. Cats are supreme narcissists who do not understand negative reinforcement. This little personality quirk makes patience a requirement if you want to train them to do anything. You're not really training them anyway, you just have to make them think they wanted to do whatever in the first place.
Right now I have seven furry monsters (yeah, excessive, I didn't plan on getting there, but long story yada yada) and they are all indoor only. None of them have any real interest in going outdoors (although the boys would probably go after the chipmunks if given half a chance).
Some cats like being solitary, some like company. If you get a cat from a shelter or foster, try to get one to match up with your situation. Provide a stimulating environment with toys, furniture, places to explore and hide and they will be happy. If you get a kitten, prepare for 2 years of unrelenting energy before they settle down. Kittens are cute, but they have tradeoffs. Every time I've gotten a new kitten they have managed to destroy something valuable. E.g artwork I thought was a) out of reach (ha), 2) too large to tip over (haha), 3) too massive to move off the shelf (hahaha). Nothing is safe, they're not malicious, just curious and some like the sound of pottery smashing. Habits may need to change (yours, see note on training). After getting doused we no longer keep open glasses of water on the headboard of our bed at night. Fun way to wake up at 3 AM.
Also, kittens are extremely curious and very good at getting into stuff that they shouldn't. Lock EVERYTHING up and I mean EVERYTHING. I had multiple vet runs with the boys because they got into stuff that I didn't think either they would, or could (like pulling a plastic bag out of the trash and eating the bag, or pulling the bag of squeeze up treat out of the cupboard, opening the bag and eating the treat along with some of the packaging, or opening the cupboard, pulling out the bag of crunchies and ripping it to pieces in the middle of the floor and gorging on the contents). One time they managed to knock the jar of crunchies off the counter and unscrewed the lid. I still don't know how they managed that. Cats do not have opposable thumbs (thank god), but claws can be extremely effective.
My experience is that cats will bond with you quickly if you have rescued them from some kind of trauma. Othewise, it may take 3 to 5 years for them to grow to like you and be demonstrative (and some cats just are not demonstrative at all, even if they do like you). Some cats just love people and will take a shine to you immediately so when you go to save one, remember it's a two way interview. Do not overlook an adult cat.
Having a 7 kilo carnivorous ball of fur, emotion, teeth and claws purring in your lap makes it all worthwhile.
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