In the United States virtually all animal re-homing centres insist that potential new owners must keep their newly acquired cat indoors. The reasons given are as valid in Northern Ireland as they are in America.

   1.A high percentage of cats will get killed on the road.     

   2.Outdoor cats are susceptible to catching illnesses such as FIV and Feline Leukaemia from other cats.

   3.Outdoor cats can get injuries from being attacked by other cats and dogs.

   4. Cats that that are outdoors a lot can get skin cancer on their nose and ears from over exposure to sunlight. 

   5.Humans will steal and injure outdoor cats.

The facts are simple and straightforward. An indoor cat will live between 3 and 5 times longer than a cat that goes out doors. On average, an outdoor cat will only live between 2 and 5 years whilst a house cat will live between 10 and 14 years, maybe even longer. Despite these statistics it is still an uphill struggle to convince the cat owning public to keep their feline friends indoors.

The two reasons quoted by so many people who are reluctant to keep their cats indoors are -

  1.It is natural for cats to be outdoors.

  2.It is cruel to keep a cat indoors.

However, on examination, neither of these reasons stand up to scrutiny.

It may have been natural for cats to be roaming outside many years ago prior to the building of sprawling road networks and the vast increase in the use of the car as a means of transport. Ambling about a meadow, or strolling leisurely through woodland is a lot different than negotiating a road with traffic roaring up and down it every minute of the day. And, contrary to popular belief, living in a cul-de-sac does not afford your cat any more protection from the dangers of traffic.

In a recent survey we carried out, most cats that got killed by cars died in cul-de-sac. They were run over whilst lying in drive ways or underneath cars when the motorist drove off or were hit when cars turned corners and the cats were standing on the road or walking out from behind parked cars. Putting it simply, if you live in an urban area and your cat is outdoors it is always in danger of being killed by traffic.

In addition to this, there is the ever present problem of humans who think nothing of stealing or killing cats or using them for dog fighting. Unfortunately this is a sickness in our society that doesn’t look like it is going to be cured anytime soon.

Then there is the possibility that your cat will get infected with F.I.V. or leukaemia by other cats roaming about the neighbourhood or will get injured in a fight. There is the additional problem of your cat being potentially poisoned by ingesting chemicals. As cats will eat grass on a regular basis, this a constant threat if the grass has been treated with pesticide.