Serious Thoughts: The Case Against Outdoor Cats
So, I have a series on this blog called "Serious Thoughts," which I use to write about serious problems that I feel strongly about. I haven't written one of these posts in a while, but there's a topic that's been making me angry recently, so you're going to hear about it.
Every time I see an outdoor cat, my blood starts to BOIL.
Now, I'm not talking about stray cats or feral cats that have no homes to go to. I'm talking about cats that belong to an individual person or family that are allowed to wander around outside freely.
It makes me SO ANGRY. Allowing your cat to roam around freely is a pretty irresponsible thing to do. It's bad for the cat, for other animals, and for the planet in general.
Now, I know that in many communities around the world, having pets/animals indoors is a foreign concept. I don't expect them to change over night. However, there are a lot of people living in my neck of the woods (Pennsylvania) who ought to know better. While I'm sure that these people have the best of intentions toward their "outdoor cats," we live in an age when information about every topic is widely available, so I think we—as a society—need to start holding pet owners to a higher standard.
Setting aside issues of culture, there is absolutely no reason in this day and age to allow your cat to go outside unsupervised.
The first thing I want people to understand is that domestic cats are not wild animals; "nature" is not their natural habitat. The cats we have today are descendants of wild felines, but contact with humans has caused domestic cats to evolve into a separate species. This species has developed to be dependent (to some degree) on humans; they belong with us!
Anyway, my point is letting your cat live outside is essentially introducing an invasive species into your environment. Domestic cats aren't part of the natural ecosystem; as a consequence, they've driven many species of birds, rodents, and lizards to extinction or endangered status. In most locations, these animals haven't evolved to compete in an environment that includes domestic cats, so they have no natural defenses.
I don't think anyone would dream of letting their pet dog or pet boa constrictor wander around outside on their own; the same should be true of cats.
Aside from this, it's very dangerous for your cat. Outdoor cats have significantly shorter lifespans than their indoor brothers and sisters. Your outdoor cat could be hit by a car, injured by another cat, or be killed by another animal. Coyotes are probably the biggest concern in my neck of the woods, but there are also foxes and bears around, and I wouldn't want them anywhere near my furry companion. You also can't discount the fact that there are psycho people out there who might kill or poison your cat for "fun."
On the theme of danger to your cat, having an outdoor cat definitely contributes to the spread of disease. As you can imagine, outdoor cats go to the bathroom outside. Cats can contract disease or parasites from coming into contact with the waste of another cat. Furthermore, when cat waste leaches into drinking water, humans and other animals can end up with parasites too.
So, what's the solution? I believe all cats should be indoors. There are a lot of stray cats and feral cats in the world, and finding safe and loving homes for all of them will require humanity as a whole to reevaluate their relationship with animals, but I think that's what we have to do. Obviously, some feral cats will never be able to live inside with humans, but those cats should be neutered and re-released to prevent the spread of the problem.
In the meantime, people who own cats should not contribute to the problems we're facing by letting their cats go outside willy nilly. That doesn't mean your cat can never go outside. You just have to supervise them. My cat loves to go outside, roll in the dirt, and eat grass, but she's only allowed to do it when she's in her harness. Think it's weird to walk a cat? You're wrong; it's ADORABLE.
If your cat can't tolerate being on a leash, you can let them go outside, but you have to keep an eye on them. My roommate does this with her cat. Lily (the cat) is allowed to walk around the yard and eat grass, but she'll be carried back to the house if she starts to stray.
Anyway, I'm glad I got that off my chest. Please, please, PLEASE keep your cats inside.
Just sayin'
Every time I see an outdoor cat, my blood starts to BOIL.
Now, I'm not talking about stray cats or feral cats that have no homes to go to. I'm talking about cats that belong to an individual person or family that are allowed to wander around outside freely.
It makes me SO ANGRY. Allowing your cat to roam around freely is a pretty irresponsible thing to do. It's bad for the cat, for other animals, and for the planet in general.
Now, I know that in many communities around the world, having pets/animals indoors is a foreign concept. I don't expect them to change over night. However, there are a lot of people living in my neck of the woods (Pennsylvania) who ought to know better. While I'm sure that these people have the best of intentions toward their "outdoor cats," we live in an age when information about every topic is widely available, so I think we—as a society—need to start holding pet owners to a higher standard.
Setting aside issues of culture, there is absolutely no reason in this day and age to allow your cat to go outside unsupervised.
The first thing I want people to understand is that domestic cats are not wild animals; "nature" is not their natural habitat. The cats we have today are descendants of wild felines, but contact with humans has caused domestic cats to evolve into a separate species. This species has developed to be dependent (to some degree) on humans; they belong with us!
Anyway, my point is letting your cat live outside is essentially introducing an invasive species into your environment. Domestic cats aren't part of the natural ecosystem; as a consequence, they've driven many species of birds, rodents, and lizards to extinction or endangered status. In most locations, these animals haven't evolved to compete in an environment that includes domestic cats, so they have no natural defenses.
I don't think anyone would dream of letting their pet dog or pet boa constrictor wander around outside on their own; the same should be true of cats.
Aside from this, it's very dangerous for your cat. Outdoor cats have significantly shorter lifespans than their indoor brothers and sisters. Your outdoor cat could be hit by a car, injured by another cat, or be killed by another animal. Coyotes are probably the biggest concern in my neck of the woods, but there are also foxes and bears around, and I wouldn't want them anywhere near my furry companion. You also can't discount the fact that there are psycho people out there who might kill or poison your cat for "fun."
On the theme of danger to your cat, having an outdoor cat definitely contributes to the spread of disease. As you can imagine, outdoor cats go to the bathroom outside. Cats can contract disease or parasites from coming into contact with the waste of another cat. Furthermore, when cat waste leaches into drinking water, humans and other animals can end up with parasites too.
So, what's the solution? I believe all cats should be indoors. There are a lot of stray cats and feral cats in the world, and finding safe and loving homes for all of them will require humanity as a whole to reevaluate their relationship with animals, but I think that's what we have to do. Obviously, some feral cats will never be able to live inside with humans, but those cats should be neutered and re-released to prevent the spread of the problem.
In the meantime, people who own cats should not contribute to the problems we're facing by letting their cats go outside willy nilly. That doesn't mean your cat can never go outside. You just have to supervise them. My cat loves to go outside, roll in the dirt, and eat grass, but she's only allowed to do it when she's in her harness. Think it's weird to walk a cat? You're wrong; it's ADORABLE.
If your cat can't tolerate being on a leash, you can let them go outside, but you have to keep an eye on them. My roommate does this with her cat. Lily (the cat) is allowed to walk around the yard and eat grass, but she'll be carried back to the house if she starts to stray.
Anyway, I'm glad I got that off my chest. Please, please, PLEASE keep your cats inside.
Just sayin'
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