There has been a lot of chatter recently about keeping your cat indoors, because if left to roam freely outdoors, they can kill our native wildlife. So if you are not sure what to do for your kitty, here are 7 solid reasons why an indoor cat is a happy cat:
1. Indoor cats live longer
Research indicates that cats who live the vast majority of their lives indoors easily live for 20 years or more. Outdoor cats however, have a much shorter life span for a variety of reasons you will see below.
2. Traffic is hazards to cats
It is not unusual to see a poor cat dead on the road, because they have been hit by a car or a truck. This can happen just as easily in the suburbs as it can in the city traffic. Vets see many cats injured from collisions with traffic and these injuries can be unfortunately, fatal.
3. Outdoor cats can contract many infectious diseases
If you cat has been vaccinated, then this may not be such of an issue for you, but unvaccinated cats are at the mercy of many highly infectious cat diseases. These include feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) which is actually cat AIDS or even Feline Leukemia Virus, which is deadly. All of these will be very expensive to treat and unvaccinated cats can easily catch either of these diseases when they come into contact with infected animals.
4. Abscesses and other injuries
We all know that cats fight with each other and one or both of them always comes off worse for wear. Untreated injuries can fester and turn into abscesses, which are very painful for the cat and require extensive treatment. Eyes are also another area that are easily injured during a fight and no-one wants their poor cat to lose their sight in a fight.
5. Cats can be easily poisoned
There are a host of chemicals that can easily cause your cat a lot of pain and harm, even death if they are consumed. Poisons, such as pesticides, antifreeze, bleach, detergents, fertilizers or even ant baits if eaten, can cause serious injury or even death in cats.
6. Ringworm and the paralysis tick
Cats that roam freely outdoors can pick up parasites, such as ringworm or the paralysis tick, which can be difficult to treat, painful and expensive. Ringworm can also be spread to humans and once you have it, completely eradicating it from your family can be difficult because more often than not, you don’t know that your cat has ringworm. Paralysis ticks are becoming a bigger problem every year with more and more pets dying as a result. While there is a treatment for pets that have been bitten if you do not find the tick for some time then it can often be too late to be effective.
7. Cats can be prey
In Australia your cat can be killed by spiders, because some spider bites are toxic to cats, as well as the Redback and the Black Widow spiders. Cats love investigating dark areas underneath houses, under bushes or anywhere where spiders like to live in wait for their prey. Cats can also be attacked and bitten by dogs, possums or even snakes.
So if you have been on the fence about keeping your cat indoors, you can see that indoor cats are happier and healthier than outdoor cats. You can setup enclosed outdoor runs for your cat so they get some fresh air whilst still being safe.
For information on our cat sitting services in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney, call Tracey on 0413 097 821 or complete our online enquiry form.