Thursday, June 6, 2013

Indoor vs. Outdoor Cats



I am a strong advocate of keeping your cats indoors.  In my honest opinion, they are just safer that way.  I was having a discussion with a friend at work who just adopted a cat a few months ago.  She was telling me that she started letting him outside.  I cringed when I heard this.  The good news though is that she is a responsible pet owner and only lets him outside when her family is out to keep an eye on him.  I have another friend at work who walks her cat on a leash during the summer time.


Photo from www.petfinder.com

There is a great debate on whether your cat should be indoor or outdoor.  Personally, I believe your cats should be indoor, unless you are responsible and supervise them while outside or keep them on a leash.  The American Humane Association has some great advice to help you make an educated decision as to whether you will let your cat go outside or not.

My major concern is for health issues.  It has been proven that indoor cats live longer and are physically healthier.  There are various diseases and parasites that your cat can pick up when they are outside.  Feline Leukemia and Feline AIDS are two of the worst, but there are many others.  Of course most often when pets get fleas, it is from being outside.  Ticks, ear mites, and worms are also concerns.

Photo from catlovingcare.com
 
There is also the risk of being hurt by other animals, getting hit by cars, and being stolen.  We’ve all heard the stories of cats being set on fire, shot, or tortured.  Then there are those cats that chase a bird or get chased up a tree and then can’t get back down.  I just read an article the other day where a person in a high rise apartment let their cat out on the balcony.  The cat would jump up on the balcony railing.  It was the 17th floor.  Here is the photo and a link to the story on how the photographer got the photo.



This debate is not just happening in the US.  As I was researching this topic I came across the Feline Advisory Board in the UK and they also have an active debate going on.  They list a lot of the same pros and cons I have seen.




One thing to remember is that your cat needs to be kept active and entertained, just like your puppy would.  You might think about getting another cat as a companion (or even a dog. J).  Get some interactive toys.  My cat Merlin used to love this round track thing I had that had a jingle bell in it.  He would lay there and swat the thing around the track for hours.  It also had a cardboard scratching post in the center.  He loved it when I would sprinkle some cat nip in it.  We’ve all seen the videos of cats chasing laser lights, but this is a great way to stimulate your cats hunting instinct. 

Create some places for your cat to climb.  We used to have a floor to ceiling carpeted post with shelves at various intervals.  Merlin loved to climb this and would often lay on the top shelf to look out the windows.  Cats love to lay in windows and bask in the sunshine, so make sure you have a window available for your cat.

Photo from freshome.com
 
While the answer is not black and white, I think the proof that you will have a happier, healthier cat is obvious.  Keep your cat indoors unless you are going to be outside with them and can keep them on a leash. 

Be Well & Be Happy,
Pet~Pourri



4 comments:

  1. We will have to agree to disagree.

    If you don't want your pet outside because you're afraid something will happen to it, you probably should never leave your house either. You could get kidnapped, hit by a car, get lost, be abused by strangers, get a disease, etc. When animals (actually everything natural) were first created, they were created to be outside in the elements. At least I don't have an overweight, lazy house cat, that doesn't know how to take care of itself (just like I know how to take care of myself) if absolutely necessary. I have NEVER heard of a cat climbing up a tree and never actually being able to climb back down. We had a cat once line a 500+ ft. tree. After maybe a day (he was really hungry), he got himself out of the tree. No different than kids climbing a tree, they can get themselves down the tree. I don't know how many times I climbed a tree in my childhood, got "stuck," but always managed to get myself out without help. If people really want to be educated about animals, they need to spend some time on a real farm, and what is seen at the ISF in the birthing area isn't even realistic because very rarely is there always a vet or human around while the animal is giving birth. After people truly educate themselves, then they can tell me that my thought process about this debate is wrong. I don't understand how anybody or anything could be perfectly happy being stuck in a house your entire life without ever going out and experiencing nature. But hey... I'm just a "hick" fresh from the farm that doesn't know anything I guess. My pets lead the same kind of life I do, happy and free!

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    1. Yes, we will have to agree to disagree. I didn't say that cats should never go outside. I said they should live indoors and if you do take them outside, it should be under supervision or on a leash. It's safer for them. I do live in the country surrounded by farms. I've seen too many pets running loose shot by farmers because the animals were on their property. My rescue dogs are constantly outside, but when they are, I am out there with them.

      Also, the largest city near me is Des Moines, Iowa. The tallest building in Des Moines is 801 Grand. It is a little over 530 feet tall. I think you are exaggerating the size of the tree your cat climbed. The tallest trees in the world are the Redwoods in California, and they are only 350 feet tall.

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  2. I want some of whatever makes you so free and happy so I can see that 500+ foot tree that you imagined on your farm!!!! LOL :)

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  3. We have neighbors who let their cat outside. It is constantly in our yard / garden / playset where our children play. We have seen it catch a live bird from near our feeder and carry it home. Most recently, it's jumped onto our bluebird house, where there is a nesting bluebird with eggs. It's illegal to disturb a songbird nest, and having your cat disturb it is no different. I love animals, and think cats are great. However, it is irresponsible to let your cats run outside unsupervised. It's not just about you or your cats, it's disrespectful to the people around you.

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