Get rid of the bird feeder, put a lid on the sandbox and keep tight fitting lids on the garbage cans. Feral cats are only expected to live an average of 3 years. Message and data rates may apply. If you cannot physically tend to your cat, ask a friend or neighbor to help out. Outdoor cats eat or drink from these sources and find themselves infested. It also keeps local wildlife safe! A senior cat may not detect a vehicle approaching until it is too late. Your cat is unlikely to return home until she has mated. This does not mean that felines always make the best decisions, though. Be sure to keep your house full of exciting gifts for them, and spend as much time as you can keeping them company. Introduce new sensations and scents to capture the imagination. Some cats will just get sneakier and make mischief when you are not home, but some will dev… You could also work to satisfy your cat’s wild instincts in the yard. Privacy Policy and Our Cats Indoors program educates the public and policy makers about the many benefits to birds, cats, and people when cats are maintained indoors or under an owner's direct control. This is typically related to indoor cats, though. Even indoor cats should still be outfitted with a collar and visible identification. If you let your cat roam, stand by this unless medically inadvisable. It causes felines no end of distress. I don't know if she will ever stop meowing at the door. If you do lose your cat, contact your local animal shelter immediately to file a report. Cats that live indoors need to be cared for appropriately. If the cat has somewhere it can cool off without being disturbed, it will remain happy. When it's cold outside, help your kitty discover the great indoors, Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity. I'm Richard, the lead writer for Senior Cat Wellness. You’ll still need to use preventative treatments. Keeping Cats Entertained Indoors Cats need mental and physical stimulation, quite a lot of it. Reply STOP to opt out. If your cat has always lived indoors, it will likely accept this lifestyle eventually. It is undeniable that there are pros and cons to both sides of the argument. Alternatively, it could be a stray or feral cat. It also prevents local birds or rodents from being hunted. This can be heart-breaking for owners and cats alike. Prevention – or, in this case, protection – is always better than cure. This can include aggression and destructive behavior. It will keep cat away from plants and digging the soil out of boredom, and will also be a great distraction from the unwanted behavior as cats react better to praise rather than punishment. We also need to consider that cats can be aggressive and combative by nature. Whether a cat should remain indoors depends on a range of factors. Kittens who are kept indoors are usually happy to stay there as they grow up. Estrus is a challenging time for both feline and owner. Sign up to receive our exclusive e-book full of training techniques, problem-solving and important information about caring for your pet. In her article, Should You Let Your Cat Go Outdoors? Outdoors cats, meanwhile, need to live by their wits. However, whether or not your cat is willing and able to put up with this is very much down to their individual personalities! It will become an issue if you ever decide to adopt a second pet, though. Provide a screened porch for your cat to experience the outdoors safely. If your cat is willing to accept living this way, it remains advisable. The Journal of Veterinary Behavior confirms that prolonged playtimes reduce the likelihood of unwanted behaviors. Do not handle animal feces or urine with bare hands, and wash hands immediately after incidental contact. Forget what you may have heard – it is not, “cruel” to keep a cat inside. Top 20 Reasons to Keep Cats Indoors To Protect Wildlife and Humans. Unless you’re prepared for a litter of kittens, keep your cat indoors. Keep her on a leash or secured in a cage or other confined space where she can’t get out (and other cats can’t get in). All felines have different levels of predatory drive. In addition to hunting, cats are instinctively driven to climb, dig and claim territory. Keeping your cat as a house cat will help keep them away from busy roads, but some indoor environments can become predictable and boring, leading to stress, inactivity and obesity. If you live in a peaceful neighborhood in which you can walk without encountering loose dogs, consider buying a harness and training your cat to walk on a leash. The life expectancy of most domesticated felines is between 15 and 20 years. As a result of this, I had many many cats come and go as a child. The use of repellents is also known to be effective in keeping stray cats away. As you will see, there are certainly many advantages to keeping a cat inside. Play with your cat each day. If you can, locate the cat tree next to a window so your cat can watch the action outdoors. This is one of the easiest ways to keep a cat … How Do Cats Show Dominance To Other Cats. Most of these repellents have strong odors disliked by feral cats. You will need to combat this within the home. A feline with no experience of other animals will be especially cantankerous. 8. Try to eliminate the factors that are attracting cats in the first place. The cat is watching birds and considering how it would stalk and capture them. Cars kill more cats per year than the number of cats that are killed … They also require more maintenance and must have hunting instincts satisfied. Make sure an adult supervises your kitty’s outdoor time to ensure strays cannot come into contact with her. A Cat Enclosure to Keep an Indoor Cat From Escaping Cat enclosures can be a godsend to indoor cats. The only exception to this rule is when your cat is dozing. It may have lost its bearings and found itself stray. Depending on the reason for which your cat needs to be kept inside, you may still be able to give them some supervised access to the outside world. You should also ensure your cat is not alone for too long. Indoor Cats Do Not Get Hit by Cars. My husband, an engineer, once built one for our gang out of scrap wood and chicken wire. To decide whether to keep your cat indoors, think about the pros and cons of this lifestyle. Please enable Javascript and refresh the page to continue Outdoor domestic cats are a recognized threat to global biodiversity. Do not let your cat push its luck too far, though. There are many circumstances in which keeping a cat indoors may be safer for the cat and therefore, arguably, better for the cat. Keeping a cat indoors at all times removes this risk. When you've tired out your cat, store toys that could harm them (such as toys with strings attached) out of reach. Have a spray bottle of water handy, and give your cat a spritz when they get near your plants. If you do not wish to do so, make your cat as comfortable as possible. An indoor-only lifestyle for a cat is often chosen by an owner, mainly due to fear for their own cat’s welfare and concern for wildlife populations. Your cat will pick up on this. That includes access to multiple rooms, toys and puzzles, and exercise apparatus such as climbing trees. Indoor cats can still develop parasites, especially fleas. Create the ideal environment for your cat. Consider your neighbors in this too, though. Here are our top seven reasons to keep your cat indoors. This can lead to health and behavioral problems. This can leave a cat frustrated and cantankerous. Feline herpesvirus or calicivirus, for example, spread like wildfire among cats. A lack of stimulation can lead to behavioral issues. Applied Animal Behavior Science confirms this claim. These cats are protected from traffic, disease and aggressive animals. Try different types of toys that allow your cat to stalk, chase, pounce and kick. Consider building or purchasing a "catio" or similar enclosure to allow your cat to get a taste of the outside without the risks. You just need to help the cat understand that you are in charge. This can make the cat particularly territorial within the home. Cats that do not embrace their natural instincts grow distressed and bored. Many are struck by vehicles while crossing the road. Of greater concern are conditions like ringworm and even rabies. And your cat may become frightened and make their way outside if strangers come to work on your house or if there is a fire or similar disaster. This means that cats attempt to dominate each other. Your cat wants to make sure you are not visiting other felines. The outside world is where a cat can embrace its natural instincts. The Journal of Zoology explains how cats reduced the sparrow population of an English village by 30%. A cat will be fertile for her entire natural life and continue to enter estrus cycles. All being well, you will meet these needs in the home for an indoor cat. With this in mind, spaying a cat that you have no intent to breed is advisable. If your cat stays inside, it will soil its litter multiple times per day. The occasional open window (make sure your windows have secure screens) or door offers a tempting opportunity for your cat. There are four primary explanations for this shift in priorities. What’s more, you’ll need to be vigilant. Also read our tips for finding a lost pet. With indoor cats, a common spray target is either at the window where the outdoor cat was seen or on the wall opposite the window. 1. Cats can be master hiders and disguise themselves in the home. Once a cat is in heat, instinct takes over. Keeping an indoor vs. outdoor cat is a debate that has raged for years among owners. You can find low-cost spray bottles online(link to Amazon) or at a local hardware store. In addition, leave curtains or drapes open. Contributions to the HSUS are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Many owners also sleep better at night knowing their cat is home. This suggests that older cats understand the danger of traffic and moderate their behavior accordingly. If your cat does go outside while in heat, there will only be one outcome. Equally, do not let your cat grow actively hostile to visitors or family members. It can be particularly hard for cats to cope with living indoors if they have lots of energy, love to explore and have previously been allowed time outdoors. Cats can carry any number of infectious diseases. Cats are actually safer indoors because they aren't running into other animals or diseases. 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