| Paw Colors | Points |
|---|---|
| Grey | 0-49 |
| Red | 50-149 |
| Orange | 150-299 |
| Green | 300-599 |
| Magenta | 600-1499 |
| Purple | 1500-4999 |
| Blue | 5000-9999 |
| Brown | 10000-24999 |
| Black | 25000+ |
FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES ABOUT CATS GOING OUTSIDE
A Dangerous Tradeoff…from the HSUS…
When cats are left outside unsupervised, their freedom to roam comes at a cost because they have a vastly increased chance of being injured, becoming ill, or even dying. The estimated average life span of a free-roaming cat is less than three years—compared to 15–18 years for the average indoor-only cat. Even the cat who only occasionally ventures outdoors unsupervised can fall victim to automobiles, predators, disease, and other hazards. In fact, two out of three veterinarians recommend keeping cats indoors, most often citing dangers from vehicles and disease.*
Even cats in “safe” suburban neighborhoods can meet untimely fates and never return home. Fewer than 5% of “found” cats taken in by animal shelters are reunited with their families. That’s why many shelters now require potential adopters to commit to keeping their cats safely confined and strongly recommend that cats be implanted with an identifying microchip. Some communities are adopting ordinances aimed at encouraging owners to confine their cats—just as they do their dogs.
Keywords: OUTSIDE CATS
Answers to this question
11 Answers
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Thanks for posting this catsofmany. I could have sworn I posted a link to this last week. I know I looked it up… but maybe I got distracted and forgot to post it. :o) So thanks!
I didn’t know I was being given a hard time. lol. Did I miss it?
Kat looks left… looks right… and runs from the angry outdoor cat supporting mob?!?!?!?!?!?!
***hehehehe***
Meow!
Kat
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It was concerning the life span of outside cats.
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That is a good one! The outdoor supporting mob! :) People like that have their minds set and can not be changed. It will take a disaster with their cat before they realize how dangerous it is. Sad....
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Yes, sadly so many are misinformed and it costs thier cat thier life. :o( Education is the key!
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So if you leave your cat un supervised it could get ill?
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Yes Katie. If you allow your cat to go outside unsupervided it's dangerous and lots and lots of bad things can happen. Never allow your cat outside unsupervised. Think of your cat as a 2 year old child that can not make it's own decisions or choices to be safe. You have to do that for your cat. Never allow your cat outdoors unsupervised. Meow! Kat
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HAHA about that outdoor supporting mob. My cat is strictly indoors.
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Thanks for posting this catsofmany!! WHY DO SO MANY PEOPLE ON THIS SITE HAVE OUTDOOR ONLY CATS!!??
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Great info!
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While I of course agree that inside and fat is better than outside and flat... I do belive that cats were created to enjoy the outdoors. And I firmly believe that if possible SAFE outdoor life time should be provided to stimulate the cats natural life systems. I first did this with leash training. But so many cats did not allow for me to do everycat outside everyday. I resolved this internal delimmah of keeping them inside and safe yet letting them enjoy outside by building a 2,200 sq foot. cat enclosure off our home. The cats love being allowed to enjoy outside life if they wish, and I love that they are 100% safe from any outdoor harm at all times. The enclosure is secure but lets them still be cats. :o)
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HAHA about that better inside and fat than outside and flat.. But I have an outdoor cat inclosure so my cat can enjoy the outdoors free from harm!
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It is a myth that cats are “street wise” about cars.
Diseases.
Rabies and other diseases that can be transmitted to humans are a serious public health concern. And free-roaming cats are far more likely to come in contact with other animals who commonly carry rabies, like raccoons. In fact, cats are more than twice as likely to become infected with rabies as dogs.*
There are other serious diseases that affect only cats. According to the American Association of Feline Practitioners, as many as 15% of sick cats are infected with feline leukemia or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)—and many cats have both. These viruses are fatal and transmitted through contact with other cats. Disease is one reason that two out of three veterinarians recommend keeping cats indoors.
Diseases for which we currently do not have vaccines for (Feline Aids), or vaccines that are not reliably effective (Feline Leukemia, Feline Infectious Peritonitis).
Heartworm. Yes, it is true that a cat can get heartworm, through mosquito bites. Shorthairs are at higher risk than longhairs.
Skin cancer. Light colored kitties (especially white) are at risk for skin cancer of the ears due to exposure to direct sunlight.
Toxoplasmosis. A single celled organism that cats can ingest while eating prey that has been exposed. Not only can it kill a cat, it is contagious to people and can result in severe birth defects to human babies whose mothers are exposed during pregnancy. Wearing rubber gloves while handling litter pan duties and gardening is highly recommended for pregnant women. Finding another home for your cherished pet is NOT necessary.
Outdoor cats can suffer torn ears, cut eyes, abscesses, and other injuries requiring expensive veterinary treatment. (an untreated abscess can kill a cat)
It is estimated that over 100,000 cats are caught in traps each year. Those who aren’t killed may suffer for days before being released and often lose limbs fro the injuries.
As if that is not enough food for thought, consider our wildlife. Cats kill many songbirds each year, plus rabbits, squirrels, mice, chipmunks, reptiles, etc. Most areas are not overrun with these creatures, and cats are not performing a necessary service by killing them.
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I really don't know why people think cats are "street wise" about cars. Outdoor cats live much shorter than indoor cats. That is why I have a cat inclosure.
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Well Done Catsofmany!!!!! I gave you a plus,i wish i can give you more pluses but i can’t.people on cats.com will learn from this.i know i did.thanks
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Thanks Kat and Daisy. It breaks my heart when people refuse to keep their cats safely inside. Dealing with shelters and Animal Control Officers - we have seen many broken and flat cats. I like your saying - Better inside and fat than outside and flat!
What I forgot was how many cats end up under the hood of cars in the winter - trying to get warm. Our vet just operated on a poor little thing that was mangled when they started the engine. Years ago my sister started her car and the neighbor’s kitten was under the hood. The fan belt nearly cut his leg off.
We rushed him to the vet but they refused to pay the bill so we paid his bill and found him a home. Sadly the new home - LET him OUT…..A neighbor’s visitor brought their dog - and he killed the kitten. This is why I am so passionate about keeping cats inside. There are more stories but this one has haunted me for years. I will never stop trying to convince people how dangerous it is.
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In the winter time before we start our vehicles, we hit the hood of the vehicle several times in case there is a cat sleeping in there.
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While I of course agree that inside and fat is better than outside and flat... I do belive that cats were created to enjoy the outdoors. And I firmly believe that if possible SAFE outdoor life time should be provided to stimulate the cats natural life systems. I first did this with leash training. But so many cats did not allow for me to do everycat outside everyday. I resolved this internal delimmah of keeping them inside and safe yet letting them enjoy outside by building a 2,200 sq foot. cat enclosure off our home. The cats love being allowed to enjoy outside life if they wish, and I love that they are 100% safe from any outdoor harm at all times. The enclosure is secure but lets them still be cats. :o)
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But unfortunately most people can't afford such a luxury for their cats. Open windows with safe screens provide hours of basking in the sun and enjoying the out door breezes. Or a screened in porch. Our cats, though all inside, are not fat. We do have one over weight due to medical problems. Our ferals aren't even interested in the out doors. We open a door, they bolt the other way. Yet happily follow me into other rooms in the house. The out doors to them represents freezing, starvation, illness, and parasites invading their bodies. Many people are going to conclude that cats need the "fresh" air and will let them out because they can't afford an enclosure. My vet and many of the vets I deal with do NOT believe cats need to go out to be happy or healthy.
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I don't consider the enclosure a "luxury". It was a *necessity* for the enrichment of our cats lives. As a Feline Wellness Advocate I firmly believe in improving and bettering cat’s lives in all ways... not just rescuing them for the sake of giving them a warm place to sleep. Even our local Humane Society has an outdoor cat enclosure to relive the stress of overcrowding and to enhance the lives of the cats that stay there. Supervised and or safe outdoor time is encouraged by both the ASPCA and the HSUS.
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This is a story about Truman from the Humane Society of the US.
Truman didn’t exactly make a good first impression. The tiny, black-and-white kitten, not even 12 weeks old, walked with a pronounced limp and could barely keep his eyes open. John met Truman early one morning on the street outside his workplace in McAllen, Texas, before the traffic and the pedestrians presented any dangers to the injured cat. Meowing desperately, Truman plopped himself in front of John.
John’s first call was to the local Humane Society. Given the kitten’s apparent broken leg, the society wasn’t certain it could find a new home for the cat. Euthanasia was a distinct possibility.
So for the first time in his adult life, John was a pet owner. He took the kitten to a veterinarian, who said that other than a broken leg and a patch of missing fur, the animal was healthy. John named his new companion Truman, mostly because he liked the sound of it.
Sharing his space was an adjustment for John, particularly since Truman followed him wherever he went in the apartment, including the shower where the cat would perch on the tub’s ledge. “From the beginning, he was a very affectionate cat. He wanted to be right where I was,” John recalls.
Truman and John shared an apartment in a complex at the end of a circle. The complex had a courtyard, and nearby was a vast field. The only traffic in the area were the cars that ventured down the sleepy circle. John felt comfortable enough to let Truman roam the neighborhood. Their lifestyle patterns had clearly been established more than two years later when John and Truman moved to Houston, where John had taken a job at a newspaper. Their new living space and neighborhood were different, though: They lived in a four-plex in the mid-town section of Houston, near shops and restaurants and retail stores that attracted people and their cars.
John allowed Truman to roam outside from the beginning, but he would usually accompany him. He thought the cat might need a guide. After a while, after John and Truman became comfortable with their new neighborhood, John allowed the cat to roam while he was at work. “I figured he was alone in the apartment a lot, and he was getting heavier,” John remembers. “He wanted to go out, so I figured it was good for him. It would enhance his life.”
That’s when the complications began for Truman. First it was an infection, then difficulties urinating. Once the vet solved these problems, another more troubling one arose: Truman was peeing outside the litter box—on clothes, on magazines, anything on the floor. Another trip to the vet seemed to remedy the problem—until John went away for the weekend. When he returned, he discovered Truman had peed just about everywhere: on chairs, the bed, practically every available surface. John was at a loss. He asked the vet if he should keep Truman outside most of the time, and unfortunately the vet agreed.
Underneath a covered area near his back door, John created an outdoor living space for Truman. He put a bed, blankets, food and water there. When John was home, the two would still spend their evenings together, usually with Truman curled up on John’s lap. But at night when John went to bed, Truman went back outside. And so it went for five months.
Until the day John came home from work and saw what looked like a black-and-white cat lying in the street near his apartment. “The first thing I thought was ‘Why is this cat lying in the road?’” John says. The cat was Truman, lying in a puddle of his own blood. John picked him up; he was still warm. More blood poured from the cat’s mouth. Truman was dead.
“It was a big loss, a loss of a good, constant companion, a sweet cat,” John says. “You kind of get into that rhythm with that creature, and that creature is gone….”
John’s thoughts trail off.
John’s story is unfortunately not that unusual. One 1997 survey* indicated that only 35% of America’s 66 million domesticated cats live indoors full time. That means more than 40 million felines roam the country, and that estimate doesn’t include stray and feral cats. Given that massive roaming population, combined with Americans’ busy lifestyle, there are literally tens of millions of chances daily for more accidents like the one that befell Truman. But that’s not the only complication. Free-roaming cats can pick up diseases, suffer attacks from humans and other animals, and sometimes starve. They are also predators, killing millions of small mammals annually.
That’s where The HSUS’s Safe Cats Campaign can help. The campaign is designed to help you keep your cat safe and healthy by creating an indoor environment that’s both interesting and comfortable to your feline.
Education is the key here. According to that same 1997 survey, while a majority of Americans let their cats roam, more than 40% of those people say they would keep their felines indoors if it would be healthier and safer for the cat. And 49% say they would keep their cats indoors if it were beneficial to wildlife.
The Safe Cats Campaign hopes to make quick converts of those open-minded cat owners. And maybe the campaign can even prevent a few owners from suffering a loss like John’s.
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Again, my concern is - people who can’t afford this are going to let their cats out because of what you’re saying. I deal with many shelters, Feline Friends, Animal Allies, HSUS, Animal Control Officers and have dealt with just about every vet in our area. They ALL do not believe cats NEED to go outside to enrich their lives, Kat. They can sun bathe on window sills and enjoy the breezes through a screen. For the “outdoor mob” you’re giving them what they need for their arguments. If one can supply this for their cat, it’s great. But it is not a necessity for them to be healthy physically or mentally. One of our vets built an outdoor shelter for his cats but later tore it down. He felt it was unhealthy for them to be dosed once a month with chemicals to treat and prevent flea and ticks just so that they could spend some time outside. And the fact that the cats got ring worm and passed it on to his wife and children.
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It would be helpful if you would tack your comments to the post you are replying to instead of putting them as a new answer.
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I understand your position and respect it, but think you are reading what I’m saying wrong or just reading to much into it for the sake of the argument so I’ll just leave it at that.
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Ditto....
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I posted this because many of you have been giving Johnisgood and Kat a hard time about their information. This is from the Humane Society. Feel free to play russian roulette with your cat’s life. But know that they are correct in their information. Our local shelter will not adopt to you if you’re going to let the cat out or declaw him/her. And if you get caught, as they have people who check up on their cats that have been placed in homes, and the cat is outside - they will take it back.
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if they stay inside they r usally chubby and lazy.
thats wat my dad said, he wont let me keep cats inside, but i disagree and agree wth him. because my dad wont lets us keep cats inside(he thinks it’s unhumane) we lost 4 cats within 3 years. i told my cat that if our cat never comes back this time, which i hate thinkin about but my dad yells at me every time i bring it up, i want a inside cat. but not declawed.
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Cats do not become fat and lazy inside, warriorcat11, if they have trees to keep them busy and lots of toys. We have 30 cats and only one is over weight because she has some medical problems. The rest are are perfect sizes and our vet is very pleased.