Indoor Cats Vs Outdoor Cats

When choosing your cat, you need to make the decision as to whether it is to be purely kept indoors or allowed to roam the outside world. The major factors to take into account are the breed of your cat and where you live. It is unfortunate but in today's society, people will take pedigree cats and dogs either for breeding purposes or to sell for profit. I have a friend whose pedigree male dog is taken frequently for breeding and then dumped when they find he has been sterilized. A few days later the dog finds its way home again, hungry and bedraggled.

Cat Enclosures Steelchief Melbourne Sydney Adelaide

Today, the majority of cat owners live in urban or suburban environments full of all manner of dangers. If you live in an apartment or on a major road, then chances are you'll have to keep your cat indoors as fast moving trucks and a larger population of other domestic and feral cats pose a threat to the life of your cat. It is unfortunate but we often see dead cats on the side of the road and if there is no identification and if the driver bothers to stop, the poor owner is left wondering why his cat didn't come home.

If you are lucky enough to live where there's a back yard or in a rural setting, then you have more options. I'm one of the lucky ones and my cats are allowed to roam at will. They still seem to spend much of the day indoors in their favorite place while keeping an eye on what I'm doing every so often. They both go out after dusk hunting mice and bring in one or two most nights. It is very rare that they will attack birds or other native wildlife.

Cat Enclosures Steelchief Melbourne Sydney Adelaide

However, in an urban or suburban setting, outdoor cats can be at risk of many serious diseases that are spread between cats. These diseases can include feline panleukopenia, feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline calicivirus, feline leukemia, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) and a host of other diseases. Most of these diseases can be prevented by annual vaccinations. Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) cannot be treated.

Your outdoor cat also has a greater risk of being injured in a fight or becoming pregnant. Do you want to find homes for a litter of kittens? If your cat, male or female, is allowed to roam at will, you have a responsibility to make sure it is spayed or neutered so as to not add to the burden of unwanted kittens.

I have had to take into account that my cats may get into fights or catch an illness from other cats (though on 130 acres, there aren't too many other cats around) which could shorten their life span. Not everyone is as lucky as me so this is a factor you need to be aware of. I make sure my cats' vaccinations are up to date and this is something I would strongly suggest you do as well. I also made sure both cats had been spayed although it took a few litters and emergency surgery before Tikki was spayed.

Cat Cubby S Cat Enclosures Posts Facebook

Cats that are allowed to spend much of their time outdoors can be less sociable towards people and other animals, especially other cats. This is because they have to learn to fend for themselves and are much more cautious around other animals, including us.

If your cat does need to be confined indoors all day, you must find ways of keeping it entertained. If you have small children, they will no doubt be happy to play with it for a while. Toys, climbing and scratching posts will also keep it occupied for short bursts of time. Providing stimulation through toys, especially those infused with some catnip, will keep them happy and active for a surprisingly long period of time. This time might come in short bursts but that is not a problem.

Why not place a climbing post or the back of some furniture (chair, couch) near an open window. This will not only give your cat much needed fresh air, the movement and smells will catch its interest. If you can afford it and have the space, an enclosed outdoor area with toys, branches, soil and grass etc will offer the best of both worlds. There are a growing number of pet stores that sell prefabricated cat runs that only take minutes to assemble and install.

Indoor cats generally do live much longer than their outdoor counterparts. They are healthier as they are not exposed to many diseases, they are less likely to sustain serious injuries and they can live long and happy lives, especially if they have lived this way since they were kittens.A�