Indoor or Outdoor Cat?
The pros and cons of the great
outdoors
MetPet.com Staff Writer
 Safer Inside There
is no doubt about it, indoor cats are safer, live longer and are healthier than their
outdoor counterparts. In the extreme example, stray cats live about 2 years whereas
indoor cats can live to over 20. Outdoor cats face a multitude of dangers depending
on where they live:
-Cars which are the
number one danger to all wandering pets
-Dogs
-Wild animals such as raccoons, coyotes and owls
-Diseases such as rabies,
FELV and FIV
-Poisons such as snail bait, antifreeze, pesticides and rat poison
-Cats who fight
The Great Outdoors
There is no doubt about it, the great outdoors with its insects, rodents and ever-changing
activities is enticing to cats. Every cat lover has to make their own decision
between the lure of the outside and the safety of the inside.
Saving Wildlife A famous study in
the UK involved a village full of pet cats. Owners kept all the shrews,
mice and birds that their pets brought home for the researchers to collect.
When the researchers extrapolated their findings, they were surprised to find
that the pets had a significant impact on the wildlife population.
Compromise
You can keep
your cat safely inside but still let him have access to the outdoors:
A window seat can
be a high table or shelf underneath a screened window so he can watch the world
go by. You can also make or purchase a perch that attaches to the wall for
him to sit on or simply move his carpeted cat tree to a room with a view.
Plants that are safe
can add interest to the indoors provided you take care that the larger pots are
not used as alternative litterboxes.
Go for a walk with a harness and leash. Even sitting under
a tree while you chat with neighbors gives him a taste of
the outdoors.
Play everyday so that he doesn't lose muscle tone and doesn't
become listless.
Indoor/Outdoor In the end, it's a
personal decision to let your cat be an indoor/outdoor cat. If you live in an area
that is sparsely populated and circumstances make it impossible to keep all the doors closed,
you may have to let your cat wander at will. Here are some precautions to take:
-Spay or
neuter your cat even if you don't think there are other cats in the neighborhood. A wanderer may leave your male cat
bloodied and sick or your female cat with a litter of kittens.
-All shots should be up-to-date
-ID your cat with a safety (elasticized) collar and tags and consider a microchip
implant which is inexpensive and permanent.
-Take a photo of your cat and keep it on your fridge just in case he gets lost
and you need to make a "Gone Missing" poster quickly.
-All indoor/outdoor cats must have their claws intact.
A declawed cat can never be put outside because it is virtually defenseless.
-Examine your cat daily for fleas and ticks.
-Make sure that delivery trucks, mail trucks and friends
watch out for your cat accidentally taking a ride with them.
-Put away any household poisons to avoid accidental
ingestion.
-Play with your cat everyday so that he remains strongly
bonded to you.
-Feed and water your cat inside so he continues to associate the house with
"home".
-Keep a litterbox indoors. Many cats prefer litterboxes to your neighbor's
new cedar mulch which is a good thing for neighborhood harmony.
Urban cats vs suburban cats Cats living in small apartments in Manhattan may
live longer on average than their suburban counterparts. Urban cats are generally
indoor cats because they would get into too much trouble on busy streets. They're
living to 20+ years whereas the suburban cat wandering in and out of the house may live to
around 15. Veterinarians in urban centers are becoming specialists in geriatric
cats out of necessity since so many of their clients are living longer.
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