Keeping Cats Inside is Not Just for the Birds
Many people believe that cats must go outdoors to be happy. In fact,
cats can be perfectly content living indoors, and those who do have a life
expectancy three times longer than a cat allowed outside. There are other
compelling reasons to keep your cat safely inside:
Millions of cats are hit by cars each year
Encounters with dogs, other cats, wild animals, and even cruel humans
can result in serious injuries or death
Unsterilized, free-roaming cats are the single greatest cause of cat
overpopulation, which results in the euthanization of untold millions of
cats, as well as suffering and death for countless stray and feral cats
Outdoor cats kill hundreds of millions of birds and small mammals each
year
Outdoor cats are at risk of debilitating parasites such as worms, ticks,
mites and fleas, as well as many dangerous and even deadly diseases
Tips to Keep Your Cat House-Happy
Window shelves and secure enclosures such as a screened porch provide
endless hours of entertainment and let your cat “monitor” the world outside
while remaining safe
Quality time playing with your cat every day, and activities such as
catnip toys, rubber balls and even cardboard boxes will help keep your
cat stimulated when you're not available
Cats love to “graze” on kitty grass planted in indoor pots Cats need
buddies, too. Two or more cats living in a home can be playmates and provide
comfort for each other.
Any cat, even one who “never goes outside,” can easily slip out an
open door or window. It is extremely important to keep proper identification
on your cat at all times. Even cats who initially resist can become used
to a collar and tagand this may be your only hope of finding your pet if
he or she should become lost.
Spring and summer are the main cat breeding seasons. It is during
this time of year that shelters, humane societies, and non-profit organizations
alike find themselves inundated with litters birthed by stray and feral
felines. And to compound the issue many cat guardians who do not spay or
neuter their cats find that they unexpectedly have a litter on the way!
These litters are usually surrendered to shelters and put up for adoption.
It is estimated that in a ten year time period a single unspayed female
cat, between her litters and the litters of her offspring, can extend the
population by over a quarter of a million cats! Thus we have come to the
situation we face today--overpopulation of cats. Due to this overpopulation
over 15 million cats are put to sleep each year in shelters and humane
societies when no one comes to adopt them.Please help save a life,Spay
or Neuter your cats.
|
