Many people ask themselves why they shouldn’t let their cat outside. For many new cat owners, they see the outside as an opportunity to allow their cat to be a cat and experience the freedom of the outdoors. For some, seeing their pet chase birds and mice, and run freely through the grass is an experience they feel all cats should be able to enjoy. So what does a cat miss by not going outside? Any cat, even if enclosed in a fenced yard, can experience predators, such as large birds, dogs and coyotes. A coyote can climb a fence or even jump it or knock it down, swiftly steal a cat and have it for lunch, right under the owner’s nose. Coyotes are natural predators and since the recent fires, coyotes have moved into more residential neighborhoods looking for food. Many homes have fences in poor repair, which can allow for neighborhood dogs to come into ones property and maul a cat. Owners who think their cat is safe in their own yard can be sadly mistaken. A mauled and injured cat can create veterinary bills that one would need to take out a line of credit to pay, and many pet owners would have to make the choice to euthanize rather than sink into debt to take care of their pet.
For others, the neighborhood can be a haven for feral or stray cats that are positive for Feline Leukemia and/or Feline AIDS. If ones cat comes into contact with a stray that is carrying the virus, the virus can be transmitted several ways. For the Feline AIDS virus, direct cat to cat contact is the usual source of transmission, but for the Feline Leukemia Virus, a cat can contract the deadly disease just by being in the vicinity of a cat that is positive for the virus. Although there are vaccinations against these diseases, those are not always 100% effective, and owners who let their cats outside are inviting the terminal disease to come and infect their kitty.
Outdoor cats can be hit by cars, poisoned by people, shot, contract skin fungus, get into fights, stolen, contract fleas, contract ear mites, get abscesses from bites and a slew of other unsavory disorders. Meanwhile, indoor cats are much safer by far than their outdoor counterparts, being exposed to the above conditions rarely while inside. As responsible pet owners we must ensure that all pet cats remain indoors at all times. Imagine hearing your cat being eaten by a coyote or other predator and being helpless to save your kitty. Consider the dilemma of being told your kitty is now positive for the Feline Leukemia or Feline AIDS virus and knowing you could have prevented the death sentence by keeping your cat inside. Indoor cats can live an average of 10 years longer than an outdoor cat; doesn’t your kitty deserve to have a longer and healthier indoor life?
Article by Barbara Auckland, Shelter Manager, Friends of Cats