We
have good reason to keep our cats indoors. Or at least, not
free roaming. They have a 'cat house'
attached to the back of our house, so they can go bird-watching,
chase leaves, lie in the sun, drink puddles, lick frost, run
in the snow or sit under cover watching the rain. Not permanently
indoors but not doing any of the unsociable things cats do
- The best of both worlds!
Our cats grazing on catmint (catnip)
in their 'cat house'.
They look quite contented to me.
Of course, indoor cats do miss out on some things, such as...
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Road death - the single biggest killer of cats in the UK.
You should see the state the driver is often in, having "caused" the death of a cat. They are the forgotten victim of a 'free' cat running in the road. Vivien can testify, having worked for 15 years in a veterinary practice, that some drivers are hysterical at "what they have done." If you are a cat lover, just take a minute to think how YOU would feel if you killed a cat?
Often the cat is not identifiable. The owners had to have the damaged cat taken from the vet's freezer to be identified by the owner, often with their children present. -
Fighting, which might affect their temperament, or trigger defensive, territorial urine spraying in your home.
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Injury from fighting, fleeing, or chasing.
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Disease from fighting with diseased cats, or from the environment.
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Unwanted pregnancy.
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Theft - regardless of cost, we don't want to lose our cats because they are part of the family.
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Disappearance - just going missing without trace and you not knowing what has happened. "Not knowing" causes so much distress for such a long agonising period.
Roaming cats can become frightened by traffic or sudden weather changes and hide, perhaps being locked in an infrequently used building and starve to death.
How many tales have you read of cats inadvertently hitching a ride in a car - often causing serious injury. Typically, the stories we read are the heart-warming ones of those who survive. What about those who fall out on the motorway, or escape at the destination, far from home... -
Messing in your garden, turning the pleasant chore of gardening into a disgusting nuisance for you, or worse, your neighbours.
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Alienating your neighbours by their digging and messing in their gardens, spraying urine on their vegetables, tearing open their rubbish bags, walking muddy paw prints over their car - you might think it looks cute but the owners probably do not.
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Mis-treatment - apart from being "re-homed" intentionally or otherwise, to an inappropriate household, you might be amazed at how many cats are shot with air guns. Some live, some have amputations, some die.
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Fleas - fleas are unpleasant and cost money to control.
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Tapeworm - there are continuous costs for regular worming.
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Ticks - oh, they are so disgusting, apart from being carriers of disease.
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Killing small mammals and birds - yes we know it's natural but how can you love animals and not try to minimize these deaths? Neighbours may put out food for the enjoyment of watching birds visit their gardens - you and your cat won't be popular if it stalks and kills them.
Author Cleveland Amory wrote in his book "The Cat Who Came for Christmas" that "...no cat owner has the right to jeopardize the right of his neighbour who may enjoy his birds just as the cat owner enjoys his cat."
We don't subscribe to the theory that cats are the major cause of the reduction in songbirds but they obviously are part of the problem. Some cats even kill young rabbits. Of course, some of you will say this is a good thing. -
Indirect poisoning by eating rodents or birds that have ingested poison.
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Direct poisoning, from poison put out to kill vermin or, in some cases, to kill cats that invade and damage others' gardens. Car engine antifreeze tastes sweet to cats - if they lick it up from drips on a driveway, they will be poisoned.
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Drowning by falling into all manner of watery places - fish ponds, water butts, cesspits.
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Dirty coat, which is unpleasant for you and your furnishings, and unhealthy for your cat.
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Being killed by machinery on farms or industrial sites.
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Being killed by electricity - pylons, power lines, railway lines.
Are you sure you don't want your cat to miss those opportunities?
Having a cat solely indoors, or with a 'run' may not seem appropriate for a rescued cat who has already been accustomed to a free roaming life. But with care and thought about the cat's requirements - scratching posts, toys, space, chasing and playing among cats or with you - yes, YOU have to get involved too - the great majority of cats can become happy indoor cats. Of course, there will be exceptions.