i'm not really sure it's even us vs uk, because i've seen a pretty healthy mix of attitudes across the us. i'm in canada. i live in a pretty urban area with apts and in the middle of a city, so people in this area generally keep their cats inside, but on the outskirts of it, people who live in houses or duplexes or have access to ground floors let their cats roam free. it's always been that way, or at least it has where i've lived along the west coast. it's dogs that people vary more vocally on out here. i've seen us residents keep their dogs outside and leashed up 24/7 and i hate that. people out here will call animal services on dogs left unattended. but inside a fenced yard is considered 'okay', so some people keep their dogs in those all day, 24/7. there's way more variety on dog ownership than there is on cat. you either keep your cats indoors or you let them go in and out as they please.