Unless you’ve fitted your kitty with a good pet tracker, letting them roam free greatly increases the risk that your feline friend will wander too far and be unable to find their way home. There’s also the issue of your kitty ingesting something that they shouldn’t, such as antifreeze in the winter or commonly used garden pesticides in the summer - not to mention the range of plants and flowers that are toxic for cats. Lower life expectancyĪccording to the Animal Humane Society, letting your cat spend time outdoors could shorten their lifespan by as much as 10-12 years! Road traffic accidents in particular are a huge concern for cats with unlimited outdoor access with a study published in Animals (Basel) showing that 45% of cats crossed the road while being monitored.Īlongside the potential risk of being hit by a car, predators, particularly dogs and coyotes, can pose a big threat to your cat’s safety and wellbeing. It’s clear that there are plenty of perks to outdoor life, but there are also some serious drawbacks that need to be carefully considered before you decide to grant your cat unlimited access to the world beyond the safety of home. Not only does hunting prey (whether it be a mouse or a moving flower) provide your cat with a great full-body workout, it also helps keep their mind sharp and engaged. Taps into their natural instinctsĬats are natural predators and the great outdoors offers so many opportunities for them to tap into all those instincts that are hardwired into them, such as stalking, chasing, and pouncing. Nature provides a wonderfully stimulating and enriching environment for cats that is exactly what their ancestors would have experienced. Is your cat bored? Even with the coolest cat toys at their disposal, indoor cats are prone to periods of boredom and this can often result in unwanted protest behaviors, such as scratching the furniture or urinating outside of the litter box. Whether it’s pouncing on grass that’s blowing about in the wind, chasing their fellow outdoor feline friends, jumping up on things or climbing trees, being outdoors provides your kitty with all the physical stimulation they need to ward off obesity and keep their body in tip-top condition. Outdoor cats have a lot more opportunity for exercise than indoor cats, with nature serving as one massive playground for them to enjoy.
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