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Jul
There are the indooroutdoor cats who get veterinary care and have a good home but are allowed to go outside. And then there are the good ol barn cats the strays who pretty much fend for themselves.
Aside from doing your part to control the stray cat population spaying or neutering you cat when its young can help quell the urge to go outside.
Can indoor cats go outside. Indoor cats tend to live much longer lives than outdoor catsabout 10 to 15 years instead of just two to five years according to UC Davis Veterinary Medicine. Thats because there are a lot of outdoor hazards that cats can be exposed to ranging from parasites and disease to cars toxins and other animals. Most indoor felines can adapt to the harsh conditions of the outside.
Stray cats are less equipped for life on the streets than their feral counterparts though. Overall we would say that indoor cats can survive indoors. Surviving is not the same as thriving though.
The indoor cat to outdoor cat transition can be a lot easier if your cat has a safe spot he can go to outside. This can work especially well if your cat is trained in using a cat door or cat flap which then can connect to an enclosed area outside. Outdoor enclosures or leash walking for cats that are comfortable with it can keep them stimulated and safe while protecting humans wildlife and the environment.
Indoor cats tend to live longer. And today the road is one of the biggest killers of outdoor kitties. Also cats no longer exclusively reside on farms in the countryside.
More people living in apartments and condos in big cities. In most cases indoor cats are certainly healthier than outdoor cats simply due to their relatively limited exposure to diseases parasites and outdoor-specific dangers like predatory animals and zooming cars. For cats happiness and fulfillment isnt so much about where they are but rather what they get to do.
Even indoor cats can use a little extra looking after in the bitter nights of winter. According to Pressley you should always make sure they have a. Many years ago almost everybodys cats lived outside.
But these days more and more people are keeping their cats inside which means theyre safe from cars predators and disease. According to Patricia Curtis author of The Indoor Cat You can give your cat an indoor life that is rich and happy as well as comfortable and safe. There are the indooroutdoor cats who get veterinary care and have a good home but are allowed to go outside.
And then there are the good ol barn cats the strays who pretty much fend for themselves. Here are the top 5 health problems of outdoor cats that this veterinarian sees. Happily there are ways to minimize the risks.
While vaccinations are important to indoor cats they are essential to the health of cats allowed outside. The soil of a garden or yard can harbor diseases spread by stray unvaccinated cats for many months. Indoor or outdoor cat.
Most cats love having space outside to explore. However some cats will prefer to stay indoors and others will need to remain indoor-only cats because of health conditions such as FIV. You can find out more about how to determine if your cat is an indoor or outdoor cat in our guide.
While most veterinarians acknowledge that cats are much safer without going outside where they risk exposure to disease or trauma there are some cats who may resist being indoors only. AHS encourages leash-training kitties who incessantly beg to be outdoors. Its easier than you think.
Indoor Cats Can be Exposed Unfortunately indoor only cats are not completely protected from exposure to other rabid animals as indoor cats are almost never completely kept inside. It is not uncommon for an indoor cat to dash out an open door to climb out a window or even to fall through a screened window on purpose or inadvertently. Most people keep their cat indoors all year round but for those that let their cat outside to explore youre going to want to keep an eye on the temperature during the winter to make sure its.
Aside from doing your part to control the stray cat population spaying or neutering you cat when its young can help quell the urge to go outside. Cats in heat can create a lot of other cats.