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KEEPING CATS INDOORS

Each year, millions of cats are run over by cars, mauled by dogs, poisoned and lost. Hundreds of millions of birds and small mammals are killed annually by free-roaming cats. The suffering of both cats and birds is all the more tragic because it is so unnecessary.

Today's cat owners face an important decision: "Should I keep my cat indoors?" For your cat's sake, and that of the birds and other wildlife in your neighborhood, the answer to that question must be "yes!"

The average life expectancy of an outdoor cat is just two to five years, while an indoor cat may survive for 17 or more years. Cats who roam are constantly in danger….

Cars - Millions of cats are run over by cars each year. Seeking warmth, outdoor cats crawl into car engines and are killed or maimed when the car is restarted. Motorists risk accidents in attempting to avoid hitting free-roaming cats.

Animal Attacks - Torn ears, scratched eyes, abscesses, internal injuries, diseases, and sometimes death result from encounters with dogs, other cats, and wild animals like raccoons, coyotes, and foxes.

Animal Attacks - Each year, animal shelters and veterinarians treat cats that have been shot, stabbed, or set on fire. Unsupervised cats may also be captured and sold to research laboratories or used as "bait" to train fighting dogs.

Overpopulation - Unaltered free-roaming cats are the single most important cause of cat over-population. As a result, millions of cats for which there are no homes must be euthanized each year.

Disease - Cats allowed outdoors risk exposure to fatal diseases, including rabies, feline leukemia, distemper, and feline immunodeficincy virus (FIV). Vaccines are not 100 percent effective; there is no vaccine at this time for FIV.

Parasites - Cats allowed outdoors are more likely to contract debilitating parasites such as worms, ticks, mites, and fleas.

Poisons and Traps - Exposure to pesticides, rodenticides and antifreeze poisons and kills thousands of outdoor cats each year. Cats are maimed and killed in traps set for furbearing animals.

TIPS FOR HAPPY INDOOR CATS

Kittens who are kept indoors usually show no desire to venture outside as cats. With knowledge, patience, and time, we can change most cats that roam outdoors into happy indoor pets. These tips will help.

• Provide a safe, outside enclosure, such as a screened porch.

• Provide window shelves to permit cats to monitor the outdoors from the safety of the indoors.

• Play with your cat each day. Paper bags and cardboard boxes are sources of unending delight when you are away.

• Plant kitty grass (available from pet supply stores) in indoor pots so your cat can graze.

• Clean litter boxes regularly.

Because indoor cats may slip out an open door, it's important to keep in mind the other essentials of responsible pet ownership:

• Spay or neuter your kitten as early as four months of age.

• Provide routine veterinary care, including annual check-ups and vaccinations.

• Put an identification tag on your cat's collar - it's her ticket home if she slips out.

• Get a chip implanted.

• Where such programs exist, license your cat.

FOR THE SAKE OF ALL CATS . . . . . . . . . .

Support local cat control and protection plans.

Support legislation requiring cat owners to register their cats and prevent them from roaming.

Do not feed unowned or free-ranging cats without making a commitment to giving or finding them a permanent indoor home.

Take cats you cannot care for to your local animal shelter to give them the best possible chance of adoption into loving, lifelong homes.