Posted on 11/22/2013 5:45:02 PM PST by Perdogg
It's a question all cat owners must ask themselves; "Should I let my cats outside?" The opinions and feelings of cat lovers are varied. Lets take a closer look.
I have been on both sides of this topic. I grew up in a small city, and our cats always went outside.
They were careful about crossing the street, and mostly stayed in the yard. They all lived full lives as well.
Now, as the owner of two great Maine Coon cats, we keep them indoors. Our breeder specified it, and I agreed. You may wonder why I see things in a different light.
Most veterinarians and experts agree that cats do not need to go outside. In fact, the benefits of keeping them in far outweigh the risks of letting them out.
If your cat or kitten came from a breeder, you probably were required to agree to a few terms. Spaying or neutering of your cat, no declawing, and keeping your new pet as an indoor cat.
Did you wonder why that is? Nowadays, as pet owners are becoming more conscious and aware, more and more people are doing their best to make responsible choices for their pets.
The old belief is that we need to let our cats outside in order for them to be healthy, happy and fulfilled. After all, they really want to go out! But just like children, animals don't necessarily know what's best for themselves.
Life Span:
The life expectancy for outdoor cats is roughly 4-5 years. For indoor cats, 12-15 years is average with many healthy cats living to be about 20 years old!
Simply by keeping your cat inside the house, you protect him from a variety of dangers. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that these things probably won't happen.
But this is exactly why the life span of an outdoor cat is so short. Here are some risks involved in letting cats outside: Being hit by a car Death or injury by dog attacks Being attacked by wild animals Parasites: fleas, ticks, worms etc. (Lyme disease in cats is a real danger. Tapeworms come from fleas. And heartworms are transmitted by mosquitoes.) Getting lost or picked up by Animal Control Being stolen and used for sadistic purposes Being stolen and used as laboratory animals Being poisoned either accidentally or intentionally Roaming into neighbors yards, causing irritation Death or injury caused by cat fights Picking up infectious diseases from other cats, such as: Feline Distemper, which is highly contagious and deadly Upper Respiratory Infections (URI) There are multiple varieties FELV: Feline Leukemia, the most common killer of pet cats. An infected cat will spread it before any symptoms are shown FIV, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus FIP, Feline Infectious Peritonitis, which is always fatal. Cats who contract it are usually euthanized
Although we all know there are lots of risks for letting cats outside, seeing it listed out like this puts it in a pretty strong light.
If you find that your cat is obsessed with escaping (it's a bit like living in a house with children in the center of an amusement park) there is one popular solution. Outdoor cat enclosures are gaining popularity among indoor cat owners. They provide cats with the outdoor time they crave, in a safe way.
Of course, the choice is completely up to each owner. But new cat owners of any breed, may be wondering, "Should cats go outdoors?" or "Do I need to let my cats outside for their overall health or happiness?" The short answer is no. Experts agree that indoor cats can live happy, fulfilling lives, right in the house.
This is not even a question. It’s like asking “Should I let my 12 to 16 year old kids drink?
Sure they will enjoy it. And, they want to drink.
But, uh, No.
Is Moonie a chatty cat? ;)
I’m pretty sure our cat enjoys seeing/smelling the parade of fauna that transits our back yard at night: possums, skunks, coons, etc.
Do you trim the nails yourself? I like big cats with attitudes.
Pwned by bebeh kittehs!
When I was growing up in the country our cats were always outdoor. Dad didn’t regard them as pets; he wanted them around to keep the rodent population in check.
Today I live in the city and we have three cats, all of whom are indoor/outdoor. Apple usually will stay outside until she gets hungry. Patch, on the other hand, was a stray living in our yard until one day she decided to move in with us, and she will stay outside most of the day if she sees fit. She doesn’t range much further than the yards of our neighbors, at least not since we had her spayed.
And then there’s Monkey. She’ll go into the back yard, but never for more than an hour, and she spooks very easily.
Survival of the fittest, nature isn’t a kind thing. I always had let my cats out. I had to shoot them though, they were attacking my son for the third and last time. I tried humane society and advertised to give way free, but no takers. Now I just stick with the blue tick and black and tan coonhounds.
Maine Coons. Someone tried to give me one, once. I asked why they were giving it away. Apparently it had killed their neighbor’s dog.
One of them - the girl - loves to lie in the sun.
Neither show any inclination to wander away.
They are both 11 years old.
What did it do - lick the dog to death? ;)
Rescuing feral or abandoned cats is a serious business, mostly thankless, but I thank you for it. Quite different, though, from our cats who come and go when they please and always know where their next good meal will come from.
Domesticated cats kill 500 million birds a year in the US...some say the total is double that amount.
No idea. But I wasn’t up to introducing it to my animals.
Me,too. Our cat climbs the walls when she can’t go outside. It’s too cold here this morning; and she’s been cutting a fit to get outside. - She’s a hunter, a rip snorting little tree climber. She will answer to no name but “Brutus”. This is our reality.
Of course that last one’s a cat ... “polecat”.
Yep, but it wasn’t one of mine! Must belong to the neighbor down the road. ;)
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