Cats: Indoor vs Outdoor

Over the past 36 years I have had various experiences with cats being indoor or outdoor. None of my cats were officially outdoor cats but that doesn't mean they didn't go out. But I have never ever allowed my cats to be out after dark. I would scrounge the neighborhood for hours if need be, my cats would always be in before we locked up for the night.

Rex was purebred Cornish Rex that I was terrified of losing to a car or a thief so I was fairly paranoid about him getting out. We used to tie a rope to his collar but found out years later that the damage he did to his throat whenever he chased a bird and came to the end of the rope would contribute greatly to his death. And I nearly died the day Rex got out and we couldn't find him for a long time. Finally he was found safe but he was 4 blocks over. The thought of a car hitting him nearly made me faint.

Stella was a tabby who I mistakenly had declawed and so was never able to let her out. Later after Jazz came along and we had no choice with her, she was going out whether we liked it or not, I became easier about Stella being out but never without me knowing where she was all the time. In North Vancouver we lived in apartment complex that was very cat friendly and there were a lot of cats. She may have been declawed but Stella made up her defenses by her sheer bulk and a very loud offense. She intimidated every cat she encountered and soon none would challenge her authority.

Jazz would actually jump off the 2nd floor balcony so there was no keeping her in. She was so tiny that she squeezed right through the slats on the balcony and jumped down to the lawn below us. Up over their fence and off she went. When we moved to a house with a big fenced yard, she was regularly outside. There were fences around all the yards and she would walk along them getting farther away and closer to busy streets. I would call her back. After a few months and a couple of real heart to heart talks, she never left the perimeter of the yard. Never. If I couldn't see her it was usually because she was sleeping on the fence under tree branches. And she learned to always come or let me see her when I called her.

Now that we're in a complex again on the 2nd floor we have a huge deck and another balcony off the back. The cats go out there all the time and sleep all day on the deck furniture or in the flower pots. Their initial curiosity when we first moved here took them onto the roof of the building we live in but there's no place to really go from there except other people's decks and everybody else in this complex has dogs. Jazz HATES dogs so keeping her home is easy. And Chico is just too fat and lazy to try to go past the nearest deck chair.

So far all my cats have lived to be 15 years or older with the exception of Sam who was 12 when he sadly died of liver cancer. The main reason I attribute their longevity is that we don't allow them outside at night or in situations where I am not supervising them all the time.

Every place we've lived in Vancouver is known for coyotes and raccoons and these are a cat's worst enemies besides idiots who like to poison or torture cats. It doesn't harm a cat to be outside and I believe it actually enhances their life but I would strongly recommend you don't allow your cat outside either after dusk or unsupervised.

• Indoor cats are not in danger of becoming hit by cars.
   


• Indoor cats are not in danger of becoming dinner
  for dangerous predators.
   


• Indoor cats are not in danger of becoming the
  victim of sick and twisted humans.
   


• Indoor cats are not in danger of becoming injured
  and sick from other cats, either through communicable diseases or cat
  fights.
   


• Indoor cats are not in danger of becoming injured
  and sick from dog attacks.
   


• Indoor cats are not in danger of causing problems
  with neighbours.
   


• Indoor cats are not in danger of becoming killers
  of birds, squirrels or rabbits.
   


• Indoor cats are not in danger of becoming lost or
  stolen.


• Indoor cats are not in danger of ingesting a
  deadly poison like antifreeze or a pesticide.

   

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"I have a six-foot fence."

Unless you have special fencing that's designed to prevent a cat from climbing out, your cat will be able to scale your fence and escape the confines of your yard. Even if you do have special fencing,
you need to make sure that it can keep other cats or animals from getting into your yard to get to your cat.

"My last cat went outdoors and he loved it."

Your cat may enjoy being outdoors, but by allowing him to go outside, unsupervised, you're putting him at risk and shortening his life span. Most cats that are allowed to roam outdoors usually don't live for more than a few years. Cats who live strictly indoors can live up to 18 - 20 years of age.

"My cat's litter box smells."

Scoop your cat's litter box on a daily basis. How often you change the litter depends on the number of cats in your home, the number of litter boxes, and the type of litter you use. Twice a week is a general guideline for clay litter, but depending on the circumstances, you may need to change it every other day or once a week. Wash the litter box with soap and water every time you change
the litter. Don't use strong smelling chemicals or cleaning products when washing the litter box, as it may cause your cat to avoid it.

"My cat likes to sun herself."

Your cat can sun herself by any window indoors. If you're really set on letting your cat sun herself outdoors, put her on a harness and leash and stay with her while she's taking in the rays.

"I can't keep him in."

Keep your windows closed or put in screens. Remember to always keep your doors closed and teach your children the importance of keeping the doors closed, too. It may take a few days or a few weeks, but if there are enough interesting things for your cat to play with indoors, he'll come to enjoy being indoors.

"We've always let her out."

You can change your cat's behavior. It will take time and patience, but it might save her life. When you implement your "closed door" policy, give her a lot of extra attention and entertainment. At first she may cry, but don't give in. Soon she'll be happy to stay indoors with you.

"My cat knows to avoid cars."

Even if this were true, all it would take is another car, a dog or a shiny object to lure your cat into the street and into the path of traffic. Also keep in mind that some people may not swerve to miss a cat in the road.

"My cat needs exercise and likes to play with other cats."

Stray cats are likely to spread viruses like feline leukemia and other fatal diseases. If your cat needs a friend, adopt another cat that's healthy and disease-free.

"My cat yowls and acts likes he really needs to go outside."

Your cat may be feeling the physiological need to mate. If this is the case, make sure your cat is neutered (males) or spayed (females). Sterilized cats don't have the natural need to breed, and therefore, won't be anxious to go out to find a mate.

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My cats are happy. They are loved beyond limit and enjoy a very peaceful and safe environment. As you can surmise from the above, I am not necessarily a hard line "cats must be indoors all the time" person but I do believe in making sure that a cat who does go out only does it at times when they are fully supervised. All my cats have been neutered or spade so there is no issue of the reproductive needs being met. They have a lots of toys, several different cat posts to hang out on, both inside and out on the decks, they get catnip regularly and are played with and pampered several times daily. If they don't want to go outside there are also several places in the house where they can lay near a window and watch the goings on outside and a lot of times, they choose that over being out on the deck.

You can have a happy cat that is confined to the home yet gets her share of outside fun as well.

Keeping Indoor Cats Happy

Enclosures - A Happy Compromise

Keeping Your Cat Happy Indoors

 

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