The (Not So) Great Outdoors For Cats

The great outdoors may sound like fun for a cat — but there are many dangers lurking outside for our feline friends.

Just as we can no longer let our dogs roam loose for their sake as well as our neighbor’s sake, we must now protect our cats from a growing number of outdoor hazards. The MSPCA strongly advises that all cats be kept indoors only or allowed outside only under supervision.

Some of the things that can easily happen to your feline companion that is allowed outside are:

Cars
Your cat can get hit by a car.

• Cats often climb under car hoods to get warm and then get caught in the radiator fan when the engine is started.
• Cats like the sweet taste of anti-freeze, which is poisonous.
• Cats jump into vehicles and when they jump out they are in unknown territory and lost.

Rabies
If nothing else convinces you to keep your cat indoors only, the increased presence of rabies in New England should! Once contracted, it is fatal and presents a serious risk to your family, as well. It is much more likely that people will contract rabies from a family pet that tangles with a wild animal, rather than the wild animal itself. When your cat goes out by itself, you have no idea where it has been or what animals it has come into contact with. Vaccinating your cats and dogs is the LAW.

Dogs or Other Animals
Dogs or other animals can attack, severely injure or kill your cat. This is not something that could happen — it happens all the time.

Parasites
Cats are hunters by nature. Many cats eat small wild animals and become infested with parasites such as tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, or coccidia, and ear mites. The best way to prevent fleas? Keep the cat in a flea-free environment — inside your home! A flea collar does not work if the cat keeps going outside.

Wildlife
While outside, your cat could become injured, or killed by a wild animal, or attack and cause problems for area wildlife. In fact, it is no surprise that domestic cats bear a big responsibility for the decline of many local songbird populations, as well as many small mammals.

Neighbors
Be a responsible cat owner and be considerate of your neighbors. They may not want your cat trespassing onto their property and killing the songbirds they love to watch and feed; using their garden or sandbox as a litter-box; or upsetting their own pets. And yes, there are some people who just do not like cats and they should not have to have them in their yard.

Getting Lost or Trapped 
Your cat might never come home again. It might lose its bearings and wander too far from home. Just take a look at our lost cat book at the shelter... Elderly cats quickly become disoriented outside. Your cat could also get accidentally locked in a neighbor’s basement or shed or be severely maimed or killed in a trap.

Diseases and Catfights  
Cat fights can and do result in serious injuries or abscesses and pass deadly feline diseases like Feline Leukemia (FeLV) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). Upper respiratory infections (URI) and Distemper are also serious threats to cats that go outdoors — especially if they are not vaccinated. Even if your own cat is vaccinated, the risk of coming into contact with infected cats is far greater when your cat is going outside. Remember no vaccines afford 100 percent protection.

Breeding and Pregnancy 
We all know there are too many homeless kittens in the world today. The overpopulation tragedy is why responsible pet owners spay their females and neuter their males. But remember, even if you plan on spaying or neutering your cat, he can breed before the surgery is done.

Poisons 
Anti-freeze, weed-killer, and other chemicals used in gardening or lawn care could kill your cat.

Pet Theft, Abuse or Torture 
People who hate cats often hurt them. Your cat could be stolen and sold for laboratory research, or your cat could be abused in some sort of cult ritual.

Cats will live longer, healthier lives when kept indoors only. The average life span for a cat that goes outside is 16 months; for a cat that stays inside it is 16 years.

Make the “great indoors” fun and entertaining for your cat — grow cat greens, have lots of fun toys, and find a sturdy, good quality scratching post.

If after reading this information, you are wondering if there is any way you could allow your cat to exercise outdoors but still keep it safe, we suggest the following:

1. Teach your cat to walk on a cat harness and leash. It can take some time for your cat to get use to this, but it works!

2. Take advantage of a screened porch or build an enclosed run or kennel in your yard or outside a window (you can them leave the window open and the cat can go in and out at will).

And remember, please keep a breakaway collar and an identification tag and rabies tag on your cat at all times. Include your name and phone number on the ID tag, not the cat’s name. Another helpful hint is to include “If I’m outside, I’m lost” or “Indoor cat” on the tag. This will immediately inform any person who finds your cat that this is not an outdoor cat and you want him back! If a visitor drops by or the children are in and out, your cat may slip out the door — an I.D. tag could help save your feline companion’s life!

YOU ARE GAMBLING WITH YOUR CATS LIFE BY ALLOWING IT OUTSIDE! Every time you open the door you take a 50-50 chance with your cat’s life! Do not take a chance! Fill your home with love and keep your cat (safe) inside!