Indoor or Outdoor Cats?

We all know that cats enjoy going outside. Why not, it allows them to explore, go on adventures, catch their own food and eat grass. Throughout history outdoor cats had a purpose; it was their job to keep rodents at bay and to keep rodents away from barns and crops. However, this does not apply to most of us anymore. Therefore, most people have brought their cats indoors and keep them as pets rather than rodent catchers. How do you satisfy your cat’s instinctual needs if you keep your cat indoors?

Indoor cats can be just as happy as an outdoor cat by providing for some of your cats basic needs.

Exercise - which can be done with toys and play time.

Mental stimulations - provide kitty TV (a window with a view) or a fish tank (with a secure, sturdy lid). Play time also provides mental stimulation. You can also play games with treats by hiding treats and letting your cat hunt for it.

Something to scratch - cats love to scratch, so provide a surface that your cat can scratch on without it being something that you don’t want to get ruined like your drapes or furniture.

A place of their own - all cats need a place where they feel safe and secure and can get away from daily disruptions to their day, like the vacuum cleaner or guests coming to visit.

Something to climb – cats have a need to perch up high. You can purchase a cat tree or allow your cat to pick his own high places in your home. The china hutch and kitchen cabinets work great as long as they have easy access for your cat.

Clean litter - cats are very clean and like their litter to be clean too.

Fresh grass or catnip - this replaces eating grass for outdoor cats and is good to help with digestion.

The Humane Societies are over run with cats that are caught roaming around or lost and they strongly recommend having all cats be kept as indoor cats. The average life span of an indoor cat is 12 – 15 years. Whereas an outdoor cat may only live as few as 3 years due to the dangers they are exposed to. If you want to protect your cats, please consider keeping your cats indoors.