Overcoming Preconceptions
about Indoor Cats

The question for pet parents over whether to allow their cats outdoors or to keep them indoors is one which elicits a barrage of responses from proponents on both sides of the debate.

The HSUS and most members of the animal welfare community are unequivocally in favor of keeping cats indoors, in addition two out of three veterinarians recommend keeping cats indoors* . Despite this, the idea of keeping a cat indoors is one that remains difficult to sell to many pet parents.
*Veterinarian study conducted by Jacobs Jenner & Kent in June 2001 for The HSUS.

There is strong evidence to support the view that indoor cats will live longer, safer lives. Indoor cats are estimated to live 12-14 years on average compared to a lifespan of less than 5 years for outdoor cats as outdoor cats are exposed to many dangers including:-

• Death or injury from vehicles;
• Accidental or intentional poisoning (including many lawn care and garden maintenance products);
• Death or injury while hunting wildlife (not to mention the death or injury that the cat itself causes);
• Disease transmission from other cats and wildlife;
• Exposure to and infection with parasites;
• Death or injury from dogs or other cats;
• Wandering away from home (the chances of a cat getting back to its original pet parents are not good, particularly as many cat parents do not microchip their cats, thus leaving the cats unidentifiable)

Despite these real and quantifiable risks, many pet parents remain swayed by their preconceived conceptions of the emotional needs of cats.

The following is a list of some of the arguments forwarded by proponents of allowing cats to go outside, together with some suggested responses:-

It would be cruel to keep a cat inside

The outdoor experiences that cats have been through prior to finding sanctuary in the care of the animal welfare community are, in general, unknown. However by the time a cat is ready for adoption it has become used to the security of an indoor environment and It would be cruel to put it back outside to revisit its past fears and experiences.

Cats are free willed animals and should not be kept indoors

The independent nature of cats is one of the characteristics that cat parents often find very attractive, however pet cats are domesticated creatures and rely upon their human caretakers to provide them with food, security and health care. Cats can (and will) demonstrate their free-willed nature inside quite happily, it is not necessary to expose them to the danger of the outside world to do so.

Cats will not scratch the furniture if they are allowed outdoors

This is not true. Scratching their claws is a fundamental requirement for a healthy cat, all cat owners should invest in an indoors cat tree/post to allow them to do so.

Outdoor cats do not need a litterbox

Again untrue, all cats should be provided with a litterbox inside the house to ensure that they maintain proper elimination habits – even outdoor cats will need to have annual trips to the veterinarian and may need to go to a cattery while their family is away.

Cats are lazy and will get fat if they stay indoors

As long as an indoor cat is given the correct amount of food, toys and other stimuli it will not get fat. In the wild cats are nocturnal hunters so will naturally sleep more during the daytime, their domesticated cousins have retained this trait.

Cats like to go outside

Cats like to be indoors sleeping safely in a warm and comfortable spot away from the noise and dangers of the outside! That having been said - an indoor cat’s enjoyment of the outside world does not have to be eliminated – just managed. Indoor cats generally love to sit and watch the outside world – window hammocks, cat trees with a view out of the window and screened in areas and windows all offer indoor cats a safe way to enjoy the outside world. Those who feel that their cat must actually go outside can investigate the various outdoor options such as leash walking and carrying baskets.

Feral cats in the news:  http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351571,00.html

Column: Lament for a soul too soon lost

By RENE KNAPP

Pet Talk

She drags her thin, tired body through another dark back yard. Her coat is 

damp from the cold rain, but hunger drives her on. Will there be food by 

this garbage can? Will there be a mouse in the grass? Will the back porch 

light go on and a kind person see her and offer some food and shelter?

These are the questions she asks herself day after day, and too often the 

answer is, "Not tonight, little one." 

Last year she was the free kitten in the newspaper, 

adopted by a young woman and her boyfriend who just moved into 

an apartment together. They fell in love with her cute fluffy coat 

and playfulness. She had toys, food and a clean litter box. They thought she 

was the best pet ever, but they kept forgetting to take her to the vet for 

her shots and to get her spayed.

At first her home saw harmony between her humans, but then the boyfriend 

started staying out late and not bringing home his paycheck. They 

started fighting and the poor kitten was frightened. They began to neglect 

her, forgetting to give her water or food and letting her litter box 

overflow. Finally, the man moved out and the girl could not afford the rent. 

Her parents said she could come home, but not with a cat.

The girl opened the door to the apartment and put the cat outside. She did 

not bother to call friends or family to try to find her pet a new home.

She did not advertise online or in the paper, nor did she go to 

rescue organizations. She just told herself the kitty was so beautiful,

someone would take her in.

Well, that didn't happen. It was winter and so very cold to a young cat that 

had never been outside before. Somehow she scrounged food and found

places to sleep, and she survived. But in the spring, a tomcat sought her out.

Soon, she had five kittens in her womb. Her hunger increased, and she 

became thinner, but struggled on. In April, she found an old shed, 

crawled inside and brought five tiny babies into the world.

 The world is cruel, and kittens are not immune to its cruelty. The 

teenage mother cat does not have enough milk, and the two smallest

babies die within a couple of days. She is full of fleas, which find

themselves on her babies. Two more die of flea anemia, leaving one pretty little

calico kitten left. Only the strong survive, and unfortunately, the pattern 

continues on -- now there are two females having kittens until they

die, usually at the age of 2 or 3.

A sad story? Yes, and it happens every spring in every neighborhood.

Good people turn their heads and do not allow themselves to see the

suffering of the abandoned cats in their neighborhood.

Whether it is in a bus station, the back of a McDonald's, or the woods 

behind your house, they are there, with their big scared eyes and their

thin bodies. Will you help?

Small organizations will probably not be able to take the cat -- by the

time it finds its way to your yard, it will be pretty feral and not allow

humans to touch it.

But if you are willing to feed the cat and provide a little house for 

safety (which is all the poor creature really wants), most groups will

lend a trap and even provide a voucher to take the cat to a vet to be

altered and receive its shots. There is nowhere to put these forgotten felines,

so you must be willing to become caretaker.

Yes, we know it is not your cat -- but it is your problem, as well as 

your neighbors, as well as mine. It won't take a lot of your time, it

won't take a lot of your money, but without the kindness of strangers, these 

little animals will suffer and die. Can you live with that? I know I can't. 

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/