Article about Indoor Cats and Outdoor Cats

When you bring a new kitten into your home, there are many decisions that you will have to make. One of those is whether you want to raise an indoor cat or an outdoor cat. Of course, the choice is a personal one. However, in this day and age, there are many valid reasons why having an indoor cat may be better than having an outdoor cat.

First, there are many risks that outdoor cats face. In fact, the list seems to go on forever. Just consider the following risks: vehicles, unfriendly dogs, predators such as coyotes and raccoons, other cats defending their territory, angry neighbors who dislike cats digging and defecating in their garden, diseases such as feline leukemia or immunodeficiency viruses, parasites like fleas and ticks, poisons from substances such as antifreeze or pesticides, sickness from eating garbage or other contaminated foods, harsh weather that can cause frostbite in winter or dehydration in summer, and getting lost.

Indoor cats tend to be healthier and longer lived, as well as less expensive for cat owners. In 1992, the Humane Society of the United States estimated the average life expectancy of free roaming pets to be between 3 and 5 years, while indoor cats can commonly reach ages of 17 years or more.

Below are some important benefits of keeping cats indoors:

• Indoor cats do not get hit by cars.
• Indoor cats don't get injured in fights with other neighborhood cats or wildlife.
• Diseases such as feline leukemia, rabies, upper respiratory disease and feline immunodeficiency virus can be serious and life-threatening. Common parasites picked up by outdoor cats include fleas, ticks and worms.
• Indoor cats can save you money. There is less need to seek emergency attention for cats that have been in fights or hit by a car. There is also less need to treat diseases and parasites which are contracted from other cats and wildlife.
• Newly available medicines which help keep fleas under control have to be administered on a continual basis if the cat goes outside. It may be possible to subdue fleas if the cat stays inside.
• In most places it is legal for property owners to trap domestic animals that wander on to their properties. Wandering cats may end up at the pound or, worse, suffer injury from angry neighbors trying to drive them off.
• Indoor cats are safe from predation by wild animals. In rural areas especially, cats can become prey themselves to predators such as coyotes.
• Outdoor cats do have a considerably shorter average life span than indoor cats, and cats that are allowed outside are far more prone to infestation of fleas and other parasites.

Of course, there are no doubt those who would argue the case of the outdoor cat. Some feel that indoor cats don't get the exercise they need and end up lazy and fat. In the end, only you can decide whether the cats in your life should be kept indoors or let outside. If, however, you do decide to let your cat be an outdoor cat, be sure to consider the following:

• Outdoor cats should be neutered and spayed. Un-neutered tomcats fight frequently, and are at great risk from infected wounds. Neutered male cat tend not to stray as far and are less inclined to fight. And, of course, unspayed female cats are at risk of unwanted pregnancies.
• Make sure that your cat gets vaccinated against all infectious diseases. This will lessen the risk of bites and other wounds that outdoor cats are prone to get. Also, outside cats will go hunting and should be wormed regularly.
• Make sure that your cat has an identification tag with your name and phone number so that, should your cat be injured or lost, anyone finding her can let you know. Also, outside cats should be fitted with a collar that has a safety catch or an elasticized collar so that, if your cat gets caught, she'll be able to escape.

If, on the other hand, you've opted to keep your cat indoors, there are some considerations to keep in mind as well:

• Cats eat grassy vegetation to help them regurgitate hair balls. Outdoor cats usually have no problem finding a supply. If you are keeping your cat indoors, provide her with an indoor grass box.
• Cats have natural instincts to use their claws for scratching. While outdoor cat may use trees or fence posts, indoor cats may be inclined to use your furniture. If you're keeping your cat indoors, get a good quality scratching post and save your household furnishings.
• Cats that are kept permanently inside, or cats that are mostly indoors, do not have the same opportunity for exercise that outdoor cats have. Owners can at the least partially compensate for this by playing with their cats and providing them with cat toys. Most pet stores have a range of toys designed to keep your cat amused, though you can also try crumpled paper, paper bags (not plastic bags) and cardboard boxes.

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