Green Pet Tip: Keep Cats Inside

While there is nothing more fun than to pet a cat while taking a walk around or sitting in the yard with your fuzzy buddy on your lap, there are reasons to keep your cat inside. Aside from parasites, drinking stale water and becoming ill, or the dangers of cars and mean people, cats that live inside help keep the planet a little greener.

Cat that live inside are at lower risk from getting illnesses and diseases like FIP, FIV, and Feline Distemper. They are also safer from predators and dogs that may attack them. They also won’t go around digging or napping your neighbors’ yards and possibly creating annoyances. Indoor cats also are not in danger of being hurt by a person who does not like animals and might be abusive.

But, did you know that indoor cats also do not harm the eco-system that is in your area?

A cat that lives inside and never goes out or goes out with supervision in a “catio” or on a leash cannot chase, kill, and eat birds. Cats don’t know which birds are rare or endangered. There are about 60 million cats that are in homes and of that number about 35% are kept indoors. It’s estimated that the number of outside cats, stray cats, and indoor/outdoor cats kill over 39 million birds a year that were reported in Wisconsin alone. I could not find a statistic that covered the whole U.S. but that number is shocking.

If you’re wondering if your cat will get fat, lazy, or be bored if s/he’s kept inside, think again. There are plenty of ways to keep your cat happy and healthy. You can buy a scratching post that has several levels and shelves, buy different types of toys, get a catnip plant for your cat to nibble on, and make or buy a cat shelf that can be placed on the windowsill.

Of course, the best thing you can do is spend some time with your cat and interact. Grooming, petting, playing with a few of the toys with your cat, and hanging out will keep your cat purring and loving. An indoor cat tends to be healthier, less stressed, and live longer. It doesn’t take much effort and you’ll never have to worry about losing your cat to the big bad world.