Indoor Cats

This past autumn, our beautiful 5 year old neutered cat disappeared. "Squid" (so-called because his long whiskers grew in all directions like squid tentacles) was let out one morning and never came home. We notified the Bay of Islands SPCA and the City Pound. In the days that followed, we advertised in the local newspapers and even delivered flyers up and down our street. We got no news from anyone. Eventually, as the weeks went by, we had to accept that he was gone. We assume that he was hit by a car and crawled off to die, or that he had gotten into some poison - anti-freeze or rat poison.

We continue to feel his loss every day.

If, or when, we were to get another cat, it would be an indoor cat. This is something we didn't even consider when we got Squid. We believed that in order for a cat to be happy, it needed to be outside. From my own recent experience, and from some of the reading that I have done on the subject, I now believe the opposite to be true. A cat can be just as happy, and much safer, living indoors.

The average life-span of an indoor cat is 12.5 years, while an outdoor cat can expect to live only 2 to 5 years. Here are some of the risks that contribute to those statistics:

• vehicles
• unfriendly dogs
• other cat defending their territory
• predators such as coyotes
• angry neighbors who don't like having cats on their property (the city of Corner Brook routinely distributes cat traps for anyone    who asks. The setting of these traps is unmonitored)
• fatal illness such as feline leukemia
• poisons (intentionally and unintentionally left out) such as anti-freeze, pesticides and rat poison
• sickness from eating garbage
• harsh weather that can cause frostbite and even death



But is it possible for a cat to be happy and fulfilled indoors? Absolutely! Here are a few suggestions to help out you and your cat:

• have your kitten spayed/neutered within the first six months (this will minimize spraying and other territorial behavior)
• consider getting two cats for companionship
• make you cat's indoor environment stimulating. Provide a variety of safe toys that appeal to your cat's hunting and stalking    instincts. Give them a perch to climb and view the world outside - preferably with access to fresh air. Give them a box of grass to    chew.
• Keep their litter box clean
• Provide sturdy scratching posts. Keep your cat's claws trimmed (but please don't have your cat declawed)
• Build a secure outdoor enclosure for your cat to spend some time outdoors. Some cat owners have been able to train their pet to    walk and explore with a harness (however, never leave you cat tied up unattended



Cats who have never been outdoors adapt very easily to living inside. But it is possible to train an older, outdoor cat as well. Make the transition in the fall - most cats generally prefer to stay inside in the winter anyway. And be consistent. By keeping your cat indoors, you are providing it with a chance at a long, healthy and safe life.

(Thanks to Kathy Rowe's article in "Compassion Quarterly)





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