Outdoor Pets.

What's the point of having a pet if you never let it inside? I suppose if you live in a place where the weather is conducive to spending a lot of time outside, or if you tend to go on outdoor adventures with your pet frequently, I could understand why you might want an outdoor pet. Also, if the "pet" is one that lends itself to being harbored outside (cows, horses, pigs, sheep, elephants... for example), then I could also understand the point of an outdoor pet. Although I tend to consider those listed as farm or circus animals rather than a "pet." However, I don't consider a dog or a cat a farm or circus animal. I would like to know what the appeal to an outdoor cat is. Dogs... okay. I can see why some dogs might be better kept outside. Maybe it's big. Maybe it's too energetic to be confined inside. Maybe the yard is huge and the dog is allowed to roam free and have fun. Maybe it's too dirty or slobbery to be kept inside. But cats? What's the point? Even an indoor cat escapes explanation to me. Maybe I've never met the "right" cat for me, but I have yet to discover the purpose of an animal who sits around looking down it's nose at me all day. Companionship for a lonely human soul? Maybe. But to keep it outside? Why? My neighbor has an outdoor cat. They leave their garage door open about 12 inches so the cat can come and go as it pleases. They leave food and the litter box in the garage so the cat has somewhere to call "home" and come get refreshment. But the cat just kind of hangs around, eats, sleeps, eliminates (not always in the litter box, I might add - I tend to find piles in my yard that were not made by my dog...), and wanders through the neighborhood. So, I pose this question: What is the point?