The Indoor Cat

If you want your cat to live a long and healthy life, keep her inside. If you allow your cat to wander around on her own, without your supervision, she is susceptible to any of the following tragedies:

- being hit by a car
- ingesting a deadly poison like antifreeze or a pesticide
- becoming trapped by an unhappy neighbour
- being attacked by a roaming dog, another cat or wild animal
- contracting a disease from another animal
- becoming lost and unable to find her way home
- being stolen
- encountering an adult or child with cruel intentions

The following are some of the reasons people have provided for allowing their cat to be outdoors without their supervision, along with comments and suggestions.

“My last cat went outdoors and he loved it.”
Your cat may enjoy being outdoors, but by allowing him to go outside, unsupervised, you are putting him at risk and shortening his life span. Most cats that are allowed to roam outdoors usually do not live for more than a few years. Cats who live strictly indoors can live up to 20 years of age!

“My cat’s litter box smells.”
Scoop your cat’s litter box on a daily basis. How often you change the litter will depend on the number of cats in your home, the number of litter boxes, and the type of litter you use. Twice a week is a general guideline for clay litter, but depending on the circumstances, you may need to change it every other day or once a week. Wash the litter box with soap and water every time you change the litter. Avoid using strong smelling chemicals or cleaning products when washing the litter box, as it may cause your cat to avoid it.

“I can’t keep him inside.”
Keep your windows closed or put in screens. Always keep your doors closed and teach everyone in your family the importance of doing so. It may take some time, but if there are enough interesting things for your cat to play with, he will enjoy being indoors. Be sure to provide him with a scratching post and safe toys to bat or carry around.

“We’ve always let her out.”
You can change your cat’s behaviour. It will take time and patience, but it might save her life. When you implement your “closed door” policy, give her a lot of extra attention and entertainment. At first she may cry, but be persistent! Soon she’ll be happy to stay indoors with you.

“My cat knows to avoid cars.”
Even if this were true, all it would take is another cat, a dog or a shiny object to lure your cat into the street and into the path of traffic. Also keep in mind that some people may not swerve to miss a cat in the road.

“My cat needs exercise and likes to play with other cats.”
Stray cats are likely to spread viruses like feline leukemia and other fatal diseases. If your cat needs a friend, and you are ready to add another feline to your family, adopt another cat that is healthy and disease-free.

“My cat yowls and acts like he really needs to go outside.”
Your cat may be feeling the physiological need to mate. If this is the case, make sure your cat is neutered or spayed. Sterilized cats do not have the natural need to breed, and therefore, will not be anxious to go out to find a mate.

“My cat likes to sun herself.”
Your cat can sun herself by any window indoors. If you are really set on letting your cat sun herself outdoors, put her on a harness and leash and stay with her while she’s taking in the rays.

“I have a six-foot fence.”
Unless you have special fencing that is designed to prevent a cat from climbing out, your cat will be able to scale your fence and escape the confines of your yard. Even if you do have special fencing, you need to make sure that it can keep other cats and animals from getting into your yard to get to your cat.

Each year, free-roaming domestic cats kill hundreds of millions of birds and small mammals, some of which are rare species in danger of extinction. As you can see, there really is NO reason why your cat has to go outside unsupervised. If you truly love your feline friend, then keep her inside where she will be comfortable and safe.

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