Indoor or Outdoor Cat?

The pros and cons of the great outdoors

MetPet.com Staff Writer

Safer Inside  There is no doubt about it, indoor cats are safer, live longer and are healthier than their outdoor counterparts.  In the extreme example, stray cats live about 2 years whereas indoor cats can live to over 20.  Outdoor cats face a multitude of dangers depending on where they live:

-Cars which are the number one danger to all wandering pets
-Dogs
-Wild animals such as raccoons, coyotes and owls
-Diseases such as rabies, FELV and FIV
-Poisons such as snail bait, antifreeze, pesticides and rat poison
-Cats who fight

The Great Outdoors   There is no doubt about it, the great outdoors with its insects, rodents and ever-changing activities is enticing to cats.  Every cat lover has to make their own decision between the lure of the outside and the safety of the inside. 

Saving Wildlife  A famous study in the UK involved a village full of pet cats.  Owners kept all the shrews, mice and birds that their pets brought home for the researchers to collect.  When the researchers extrapolated their findings, they were surprised to find that the pets had a significant impact on the wildlife population. 

Compromise You can keep your cat safely inside but still let him have access to the outdoors:

A window seat can be a high table or shelf underneath a screened window so he can watch the world go by.  You can also make or purchase a perch that attaches to the wall for him to sit on or simply move his carpeted cat tree to a room with a view.

Plants that are safe can add interest to the indoors provided you take care that the larger pots are not used as alternative litterboxes.

Go for a walk with a harness and leash.  Even sitting under a tree while you chat with neighbors gives him a taste of the outdoors. 

Play everyday so that he doesn't lose muscle tone and doesn't become listless.

Indoor/Outdoor  In the end, it's a personal decision to let your cat be an indoor/outdoor cat.  If you live in an area that is sparsely populated and circumstances make it impossible to keep all the doors closed, you may have to let your cat wander at will.  Here are some precautions to take:

-Spay or neuter your cat even if you don't think there are other cats in the neighborhood.  A wanderer may leave your male cat bloodied and sick or your female cat with a litter of kittens.
-All shots should be up-to-date
-ID your cat with a safety (elasticized) collar and tags and consider a microchip implant which is inexpensive and permanent.
-Take a photo of your cat and keep it on your fridge just in case he gets lost and you need to make a "Gone Missing" poster quickly.
-All indoor/outdoor cats must have their claws intact.   A declawed cat can never be put outside because it is virtually defenseless.
-Examine your cat daily for fleas and ticks. 
-Make sure that delivery trucks, mail trucks and friends watch out for your cat accidentally taking a ride with them. 
-Put away any household poisons to avoid accidental ingestion.
-Play with your cat everyday so that he remains strongly bonded to you.
-Feed and water your cat inside so he continues to associate the house with "home". 
-Keep a litterbox indoors.  Many cats prefer litterboxes to your neighbor's new cedar mulch which is a good thing for neighborhood harmony.

Urban cats vs suburban cats  Cats living in small apartments in Manhattan may live longer on average than their suburban counterparts.  Urban cats are generally indoor cats because they would get into too much trouble on busy streets.  They're living to 20+ years whereas the suburban cat wandering in and out of the house may live to around 15.   Veterinarians in urban centers are becoming specialists in geriatric cats out of necessity since so many of their clients are living longer.