by jamieimada

Cat jail?

Is keeping your cat locked up indoors equivalent to being kept imprisoned in jail? Some people think it is! They are animals, their natural place is in the wild after all…. This is the equivalent to saying we should allow them to have all sorts of internal parasites.

Suffice to say I prefer my cats indoors. Here are some of my arguments for my stance:

  • Outdoor cats are more susceptible to both internal and external parasites. Cats who hunt are even more susceptible to internal parasites. These parasites can sometimes even infect humans if the cats have contact with them.
  • Outdoor cats are obviously at an incredibly higher risk of other harm: vehicles (whether it being hit by car or sleeping underneath a car), predators (coyotes seem to really like them outside too), or poisonings (rodenticides, antifreeze).
  • Cats are at higher risk of getting into fights with other cats, getting bitten, scratched, and infected with bacterial and viral diseases. Some of these viral diseases can be unforgiving and deadly (FELV, FIV, and others).
  • Cats are (for the most part) great hunters, putting a cat collar with a bell on it isn’t going to stop them killing. They can kill many birds and chipmunks (think of the chipmunks!)
  • When cats are outside, we don’t see habits that can help us assess their health, like how much they are eating or if they are vomiting or having diarrhea (also have you had a cat poop in your garden? it’s gross)

This isn’t to say the reason I think people like their cats to be outside is wrong. Cats SHOULD be allowed to flex their ‘natural cat instincts’ but, and this is the best part, because you are a wise human you can actually be creative on how to do this indoors!

  • keep them active! play with them regularly!
  • make meal time exciting/challenging, check out my blog post on the new rules for feeding your cat!
  • get them both vertical and horizontal scratching posts.
  • cat trees or something they can climb up and perch on.
  • Here are some links to other tips and useful information: American Humane Society, OSPCA