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Why Allowing Cats Outdoors is Hazardous to Cats, Wildlife, and Humans
rain a cat to live indoors
outdoor hazards for cats
cat predation on birds Reprinted from the American Bird Conservancies Cats Indoors! Campaign
www.abcbirds.org click here for a printer friendly version
Outdoor cats, even otherwise well cared-for cats, face an extraordinary array of dangers. According to the Humane Society of the United States, free-roaming cats typically live less than five years, whereas cats kept exclusively indoors often live to 17 or more years of age.
General Hazards to Free-Roaming Cats
Cars: Cars kill millions of cats each year in the United States and maim countless others, either from being hit or from crawling inside the hood of a car to get warm in the winter. Automobile accidents also occur as drivers attempt to avoid a cat in the road.
Poisoning: Cats can find chemicals that are poisonous to them on treated lawns, in rat or mice bait, and on driveways and roads from antifreeze leaked or drained from cars. Antifreeze tastes sweet to a cat but as little as one teaspoon can be fatal.
Other Animals: Outdoor cats can be injured or killed by free-roaming dogs, wildlife, and other cats. Cats can suffer torn ears, scratched eyes, abscesses and other injuries requiring expensive veterinary treatment. Diseases can be transmitted by bites and scratches from infected animals.
Human Abuse: Animal care and control agencies often learn of situations in which cats have been burned, stabbed, or hurt by other means. Free-roaming cats are also susceptible to theft.
Traps: Cats can get caught in traps and those that don’t die immediately may suffer for days before being released or may starve. Cats caught in leg snares and leghold traps may lose limbs from injuries.
Overpopulation: Unaltered outdoor cats are the major source of the cat overpopulation problem, causing millions of unwanted cats to be euthanized at animal shelters each year. Humane societies and animal care and control agencies struggle daily to rescue, treat, feed, and house stray and unwanted cats. Kittens can be safely spayed or neutered as early as eight weeks of age, and there are significant physical and behavioral benefits of this procedure. Without the biological urge to find a mate, spayed or neutered cats live more contentedly indoors.
Disease Risk to Free-Roaming Cats, Wildlife and Humans.
Conclusion: While letting cats outdoors may seem the natural thing to do, the hazards that cats face when they leave home are clearly numerous. The best way to keep cats healthy, and protect wildlife and human health, is to keep cats indoors.
For more information contact: American Bird Conservancy, Cats Indoors! Campaign for Safer Birds and Cats, 1834 Jefferson Place, NW, Washington, DC 20036. Phone: 202/452-1535; Fax 202/452-1534; www.abcbirds.org
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