Indoor Cat or Outdoor Cat - Which is Better

Before choosing your new kitten, you need to make the decision as to whether it is to be purely an indoor cat or whether it will be allowed outside - either freely or in a contained area. This photo by SuziJane shows that some cats enjoy watching the world go by.

For some people the choice is easy - they live in an apartment and don't have an outdoor area for the cat anyway. More on the 'apartment cat' later. If you are lucky enough to have an outdoor area, there are some considerations to be taken into account.

~ Do you live on or near a busy street? Is there a chance your precious cat could get hit by a car?

~ Are there large dogs close by? Lots of cats in the area? Are you prepared that your cat could be attacked or pick up viruses from other cats?

~ Do you live near a park or wetland area where there are birds or other small animals? Do you want to run the risk of your cat killing wildlife?

~ Is your cat an expensive breed or a pedigree that some person may decide to steal and sell for profit?

I'm not trying to frighten you with the above questions, I just want to make sure you understand the risks before you make a decision. I've had cats all my life and have lived both in the city and in the country. I have always let my cats roam at will and have never had one run over, 'catnapped', or die from infections. There have been very few fights and only a very occasional bird or lizard brought into the house. There are some who would say one bird is one too many but for me, allowing my cats the freedom to roam at will and to be happy and content is what's important to me. There are ways to protect wildlife by placing a bell around your cat's neck. You do need to check it often as cats are good at getting the bell off. In fact, when my cats are outdoors they need to be aware of the sheep, a donkey and numerous kangaroos on our property.

For others, the priorities are different and I respect that. Many families have built 'cat areas' where the cat is able to go to an outdoor area where they can play, climb, sleep or just watch what is happening without leaving the cat-proof area. This really is the best of both worlds for a cat - it is outdoors but safe, as is the wildlife. These enclosed areas can be expensive though so thought must be given to that when making your decision. A new Australian innovation of having a 'free rolling' top rail on all side fences will stop your cat being able to scale the fence (so long as it can't just jump over it). Be aware of trees near the fence where your cat can just climb the tree and jump over the fence and any gaps in the fence where your cat can just squeeze through.

For those with no outdoor area, the 'apartment cat' owners, you need to have some way of allowing your cat to at least see the outdoors and to get fresh air. If you have a balcony, it may be possible to cat-proof it so your cat can move in and out at will. If you have leash trained your cat from when it was a kitten you could leave it tied so it can be in the fresh air but not able to hurt itself or escape. If this is not possible, leaving a window partially open to allow air movement and interesting smells inside will help. If you can leave a window with a curtain left open with a view of something (a tree, cars or people moving) it will help prevent boredom for your cat. There are many different ways of keeping your indoor domestic cat happy.

Cats have traditionally been allowed to roam free and to use their genetic instincts of chasing and killing their food. Confining them indoors stifles that instinct and they may become mischievous and damage your furniture.

Do indoor cats live longer than outdoor cats? Some research says yes. Are indoor cats happier than outdoor cats? We can never know the answer to that question, unless we learn to understand 'cat'.

In Cat Secrets Revealed, Liz Barton discusses cat and kitten training secrets to solve bad cat behavior quickly and easily. Stop cats from peeing on the carpet, scratching furniture, biting you and your guests, and more. Transform your devil kitty into a lovable pet.

Kingdom of Pets: Complete Cat Training contains many cat obedience training secrets to STOP your cat's behavior problems!

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