Helping you become a better cat owner.
Pets Rely on YOUR Better Judgement
All cats should be kept indoors only! "But it's cruel to keep cats indoors, they like to wander" is the old argument I always hear. In a perfect world cats should be able to wander freely and safely, but this is NOT a perfect world. There are too many dangers outdoors like cars, humans, dogs and other predators that will kill or maim your cat. Cats are very adaptable animals, and keeping them safe and happy indoors is easy.
10 Top Reasons to Keep Your Cat Indoors Only
1. Cars kill and maim millions of outdoor cats per year.
2. Humans kill and torture cats for fun.
3. Dogs, coyotes and other predators kill and maim cats that are outdoors.
4. Outdoor cats are more vulnerable to feline leukemia, HIV and Feline Infectious Peritonitis and they get into fights with other cats causing infectious wounds and disease.
5. Outdoor cats pick up fleas, ticks and parasites.
6. Some states shoot cats that are outdoors without a collar.
7. Extreme temperatures like heat or cold can kill your cat.
8. Outdoor cats roll in dust and dirt and bring it indoors.
9. Traps and snares set outdoors can maim and kill your cat.
10. Toxins and poisons can kill your cat.
Cats that are kept indoors only live at least 50% longer than cats that are allowed outdoors! Your vet bills will be much lower as your cat is less likely to be injured or attacked in a safe indoor environment.
Why All Cats Should be Indoors Only
Your cat relies on you to make responsible decisions in their best interest. Left to themselves your cat may want to go outdoors but that is a habit that can be changed through retraining. Even feral cats that are rehomed can in most cases be re-aclimated to indoor living.
It should be noted that all cats should be spayed and neutered, this will not only prevent them from adding to the over population problems, but will tame their nature, eliminate spraying and aggressive behavior and make it easier for them to adjust to being an indoor cat.
Cats are curious by nature and even domesticated cats will have an innate desire to roam. Part of being a responsible cat owner is saying NO, even when its hard. Just like a parent must use tough love to protect their children from bad decisions, your decision will have so many long term benefits and in a short amount of time your cat will acclimate to their new indoor world.
All pets deserve love and to live in a safe enviorment, and cats make ideal indoor pets and can be kept indoors where they will live a long and happy life, provided you are willing to make their environment a happy place that contains quality food, daily play and companionship, a cat tree to allow them to nautually want to be high up, hide and sleep, and regular visits to the vet for dental and health checkups.
EXCUSES
Its cruel to keep them locked up inside:
Not if they have good quality food, water and a stable temperature. Cats are highly adaptable and will soon get used to being indoors just make sure
you provide them with sufficient stimulation toys and play and ideally another pet because an only cat is a lonley cat.
I have a small apartment ...
Get a cat tree for them to climb on and exercise, and provide a window ledge so they can look outside.
The former owner let them go outside ...
The former owner was mistaken. Cats should be kept indoors only so they live safer, healthier lives and you never have the stress of lost, maimed or killed cat.
They only like the outdoors...
Cats like being outdoors but adjust very well to living indoors only.
My friends keeps his cat outdoors and its just fine ...
My uncle smoked till he was 90 and lived. Just because of the occasional exception that the outdoor cat in question was lucky enough not be be killed, doesn't mitigate the fact that statistically outdoor cats don't live as long and get sick more often and have significatly higher vet bills. Don't use an outlier to make an argument, use common sense.
If You Don't Keep Your Cat Indoors
This entire site is designed to educate. If you truly love your cat and want them to live a long & happy life, reduce your veterinary bills and avoid the heartache that comes from poor decisions read on....
PANIC: Fluffy didn't show up for 3 days, you go door to door and ask your neighbors, your children are crying your family is distraught, you post an advert on your local craigslist but no hope, dig up pictures and put together a lost poster and spend hours taping them around your neighborohood. You call around to your local vets and shelters but without luck and you sense in the pit of your stomach that you will never see your beloved cat again. Don't wait until it's too late. Avoid all of this by keeping your cat indoors.
DEATH: There is nothing that will make you feel worse than your neighbor letting you know they found your family cat's mutilated carcass in the road or back yard and horror you will feel knowing that this innocent animal you claimed to have loved so much died a horrible death. With every step on the shovel as you dig their grave you will feel the sickness and guilt that an innocent cat died as a result of your irresponsiblity, and your crying children will have this tragic memory with them forever. Avoid it by keeping your cat indoors.
FIGHTING: Cats, Dogs, Racoons, Skunks, Foxes, Opossums, Weasels, Coyotes, Bobcats, Hawks, Eagles, Owls are all predators that can and will maim or kill outdoor cats and kittens. This can lead to the most horrific pain and suffering as your precious pet is torn to pieces by local predators. If they even make it home in most cases your cat will be missing an eye, broken bones or torn up so badly that the only humane option is euthanasia to put them out of their misery. Avoid the pain to your pet and your family and keep your cat indoors.
CARS: The modern wold is full of danger 5.4 million cats are hit by cars each year in the United States. Even if you live in a rural area on acres of property a cat can easily traverse many miles and there are roads everywhere....in short keep your cat indoors and you'll never worry that your precious cat will be roadkill.
CRUELTY: Tragically there are many parents who don't teach their children to respect other life forms and that all of God's creatures feel pain and suffering . Psychopathic teens or adults often hurt cats for sick, twisted fun. https://web.archive.org/web/20210609173302/kptv.com/news/deputies-investigate-cat-mutilations-near-hazel-dell-covington/article_f774cf94-cf6a-11e9-99ec-3785242a0494.html
SICKNESS: On average outdoor cats live 50% as long and have veterinary bills that are 1000% higher than indoor only cats. Outdoor cats are more likely to pick up mange, round or tape worms, disease, fleas, ticks, ear mites, heartworm, toxoplasmosis, wound infections, Feline immunodeficiency virus...not to mention ingestion of poisions put out for rodents or pesticides.
THEFT or SHELTER: Outdoor cats wander and often get lost and they may be taken by a new family or picked up by animal control and taken to a kill-shelter that will euthanize them. This is why its important to always chip your cat even if it's indoor only, so if it ever did escape it can be identified and returned.
BOTTOM LINE: It's a cruel world full of dangers to a small cat and whether you live in a rural area or inner city, the risk of death or major injury , shorter lifespan, ongoing sickness and increased veterinary bills far outweigh any benefits you think you're doing by allowing them outside.
Don't have your beloved pet go missing, or make it home so badly injured that you to have to have it put down at a cost of hundreds of dollars and a lifetime of loss for your family. Bottom line: keep your cat indoors.
Good Cat Keeping
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
mahatma gandhi
They feel love, they feel pain, and they smile when they are happy. We love our pets and cats can be an ideal companion to sit at your feet or greet you in bed or just fun to pet and play with. But being a responsible pet owner takes more than just throwing out some food. We are all living busy lives but your innocent pet has no voice and you must be their caregiver and protector based on 3 main foundations:
1. Safety: Without a safe environment all the maintenance of feeding or care will go out the door along with your cat, so its number one on our list. Providing a safe enviornment is more than just four walls. Protect your cat from children or teens that have not been properly trained to be respectful and gentle with them and educate the child/teen on how to correctly and compassionately care for an animal. When introducing new pets to your home, ensure that they are properly adjusted to reduce conflict, and that you "catproof" your home so they can't slip out the door or window. You will need to training your family to ensure the cat is not near the door when entering or exiting so they can't escape.
2. Feeding: The long term health and wellbeing of your cat is greatly dependent on the type of food you give them. STOP DRY FOOD and feed them wet/canned food. Cats are desert animals and don't drink enough water. In the wild they can absorb moisture from the prey they kill, which helps keep them hydrated. Dry food is very harmful to their health and can cause painful bladder issues due to urethral blockages. If your cat is urinating inappropriately it is most likely they have a UTI and need to go to the vet asap. Especially males as it can prove fatal. Always feed your cat CANNED FOOD or wet food.
3. Care: Your indoor only cat will need a big bowl of fresh water daily, fresh food daily, a litterbox cleaned at least once a day, as well as a "safe space" for them, like a cat bed, cat tree etc.
No Bells or Collars
Cats have hearing that at the low end is as low as humans but are much more sensitive at higher frequencies up to 64 kHz over 3x higher than humans and even higher than dogs.
Cats are also small animals and by nature and design highly reactive to avert predators. For this reason adding a bell to your Cat will drive them absolutly crazy, it can cause behavoral issues and is cruel when considering how sensitive they are to sound especially the higher freqencies that these small bells emit they not only hear the bell noise you hear but the harmonics that you can't so keep your cat happy and relaxed and avoid putting a bell on them.
Regarding Collars if your cat is kept indoors there is no need for a constrictive collar and the only time one might put something around the cats neck would be a walking harness for those bold enough to take their feline out for excersise.
Quality Food
All Felines are efficient predators and Obligate Carnivores. Their teeth are designed for teaaring and their digestive track is short and has very strong digestive acids and enzymes designed to break down meat so biology requires they have a high protein diet to survive.
Modern dry diets are convenient for owners but long term are not good for Cats because even if they have sufficient protein (which few do) they lack suffcient Moisture.
Cats are not big drinkers and In nature felines would get the majority of their moisture from their kill but there is insufficient moisture in dry food and long term this dehydration will cause health issues that will present as they get older.
The most common problems associated with longterm dry food for cats are FLUTD feline urinary tract disease, which effects both male and females and results from the urine being concentrated due to long term dehydration which causes build up of Struvite or Calcium Oxilate crystals that eventually cause blockage in the cats urinary tract and is fatal if not treated in time. High levels of Ash and Magnesium can also be contributing factors along with deydration so make sure you use a good quality high protein catfood.
Dry food should be considred a treat not as a daily feed.
Cats don't like a lot of change so If you have been feeding your cat(s) dry food you should gradually transition them to moist food. Begin by adding a few drops of water to their dry food and gradually increasing it over a week or two then start introducing a small teaspoon of room temperature canned cat food and gradually increase the moist food while decreasing the dry until they are 100% on moist food.
If you go away for long periods you can Freeze the moist food and put it next to their existing food so as it thaws they will have fresh supply of moist food.
For more information on FLUTD see our Veteranary Care and Emergency Sections.
Clean Fresh Water
Fresh water that is changed often and is separated from their food bowl is important to prevent cross contamination of food or buildup of parasites or bacteria in the water.
Cats tend to get the majority of their moisture from their wet food but also will dehydrate during heat or activity so its important that they always have access to fresh water. Its also a good idea to have at least 2 water sources so if you are away and the cat knocks one over the other remains.
Plastic bowls can accumulate bacteria that cause feline acne so use Glass, Porcelin or Stainless bows with a wide stable base. Make sure you fill the water 3/4 of the way to the top so your cat won't have to stoop and will be more comfortable. Clean and disinfect the water (and food) bowls regularly or put them in the dishwasher so so they don't accumulate parasits bacteria.
If you are leaving your cats for more than a day you may also want to get a water dispensing bowl with reservor that will keep the bowl topped up and dispense fresh water as required but be ware even these will get dirty over time so they still require regular cleaning.
ON a related note, Remember to keep your toilet lids CLOSED, toilets are rife with germs and bacteria that can cause your cat to get sick.
Cat Litter Tips
We suggest any low dust clumping litter. You should ideally have 2 litter boxes as cats will naturally do number 1 in one box and number 2 in another. Its important to keep your litter box clean because cats will stop using a box that they feel is not clean causing them to make elsewhere in the house. If you have the time and ability you can build a dedicated cat bathroom by installing a cat door in a wall that borders your garage and then build out a litter room so they can do their business and you won't ever have to worry about indoor smell.
Never Decalaw
Declawing is cruel and can cause your cat severe mental stress.
A well manored and manicured cat will love you and never have a reason to scratch you and we've handled hudreds of cats over 40 years and never had an issue with cat scratches once the cats are in a stable loving environment.
Scratching Posts are important,
Proper nail trimming , fronts always sharper than rears, wrap in towel or have veteranarian do for you.
Interaction & Play
Cats are small and generally cautious and nervious but once they gain your trust and relax hey will be loving and loyal companions who love to show their playful side.
Play is not just fun its crucial for indoor cats its their main form of excersise and its just as theraputic to the owner to let your inner child out and have some fun with your furry friend.
Cats are natural predators they love to jump, stalk, chase , sharpen their claws.
Cat Tree with interactive toys
Scratching Post
Scratching Pad
String
Leash & walk
Feather
massage
fetch the bally
Baloons
Cat Wheel
chase the mousey
Look A Lazer
Catnip Party
Veterinary Care
Spay, neuter and microchip.
Vaccinate.
Dental care is vital as gingivitis can lead to bacteria building up in the blood which can affect the heart and kidneys. Yearly dental check ups are important.
Bloodwork. All cats should have yearly bloodwork and a routine wellness exam to get a baseline of what their overall health is like. Cats over age 6 should have bloodwork and urinalysis every 6 months to catch kidney issues right in the beginning.
CHANGES TO BE AWARE OF:
- Stool and urine: blood, color, diarreah, straining on the litter box or urinating/defecating outside of the box.
- Bad Breath: probably time for a dental cleaning at the vet.
- Vomiting: the odd hairball is normal, but peristent vomiting must be reported to your vet.
- Scratching: could be fleas or allergies/eczema. get your vet to check it out if the cat is still scratching after being given flea treatment.
- Panting or Lethargy: time for a check up at the vet.
Cat Links
Feline Nutrition https://feline-nutrition.org/
Pictures of cats https://pictures-of-cats.org/health-history/cat-health-facts-for-kids.html
bla