My 6 year old DSH, Mittens, spends most of her day napping in her favorite spots, eating whenever she likes, playing with her toys and watching the b
irds outside in her cat tree.
But every once in awhile her day takes an unexpected twist and she begins running around the house from window to window, meowing. Why?
We have several cats in our neighborhood that have owners that allow them to roam around outside and each and everyone one of them it seems, likes to take some time out of their busy schedules to essentially “mock” Mittens of the fact that she is a mere “house-cat” and can’t come outside to play.
Unfortunately for Mittens (and her pride) she will remain a house cat whether she likes it or not. What is my reason for subjecting her to such humiliation?
Allowing your cat to be outdoors puts them at risk of:
- Getting run over by a car
- Being eaten by Coyotes (even in urban neighborhoods)
- Accidentally being trapped in a shed or basement and starving to death
- Getting killed while hiding under a car hood to keep warm
- Antifreeze poisoning
- Fights with other cats or wild animals
- Picking up diseases
- Intentionally being poisoned by intolerant neighbors (yes, unfortunately, this does happen)
- Being stolen and sold for animal testing
- Being attacked by neighborhood dogs
- Broken bones and lacerations
The average life expectancy for an outdoor cat is 4 times lower than the life expectancy for an indoor cat. Though I am sure she thinks it would be fine to go out and roam the property, to keep her safe and healthy she will be staying indoors and I will make every effort to keep her indoor life exciting and stimulating for her to keep her happy and other cat parents should do the same.
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