Information from ASPCA
Cats kept exclusively indoors live longer, healthier lives than outdoor cats. If you allow your cat to go outside, it might
come into contact with wild animals who carry parasites and disease, as well as other outdoor cats who may fight with it
greatly increasing his risk of getting feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Your cat
might encounter predators, like dogs, foxes and coyotes, who could seriously harm or even kill him. (In fact, we know of
2 cats killed by coyotes in Bloomington in the past year. They are a serious threat). Cats also risk being hit by a motor
vehicle or getting into poisonous substances like lawn chemicals, antifreeze and rat bait.
Because of these and other dangers awaiting the outdoor cat, it’s
estimated that a cat allowed outdoors in the United States lives an
average of one quarter as long as a cat living exclusively indoors.
Keeping your cat indoors is the best way to prolong his life. Of course,
cats don’t understand that they’re safer staying indoors, and some
cats will do everything in their power to escape. This is especially true
of indoor cats with a history of going outside.
Your cat can learn to be happy indoors if you provide him with an
enriched environment and give him opportunities to be by himself.
However, if you have a cat who keeps trying to escape, it’s vital to
make sure he isn’t successful! Cat-proofing your exits and deterring
the cat from hanging around the doors are essential management
steps for you to take.
To keep your cat happy indoors it is important that you provide environmental enrichment that lets it engage in natural
behaviors. Here are suggestions that can fulfill your cat’s need to engage in predatory behavior:
Social Concerns
Another need a cat has that can affect his welfare as an indoor cat—and
affect whether it attempts to escape outside—is alone time. We recognize
this need in ourselves but don’t always consider it when thinking of our pets.
But cats actually have a greater need for personal space and alone time
than people do—it’s their nature. Under natural (feral) conditions, they
avoid each other for the most part. Cats’ territories are large, and although
they often overlap with other cats’ territory, cats have sophisticated chemical
social signals, called pheromones. They leave these as information for the
other cats so that the cats can “time-share” certain areas—meaning they can
use the same area, but at different times so that they don’t run into each
other. These signals help inform other cats about where and when the cat
was in the area. Over time the signals can even tell cats when a cat will likely
be back so that others can be sure to be gone by that time.
To meet an indoor cat’s social needs, you’ll want to provide him enough space to be comfortable and enough perching
and hiding places to be alone. If you have more than one cat, you should also have multiple feeding areas, and at least
one more litter box than the total number of cats you have. (In other words, if you have three cats, you should have at
minimum of four litter boxes). The boxes should be in different areas rather than lined up next to each other. Your cats
should also have enough high perches so that one is always available to everyone. Perches can be purchased as
indoor cat “trees,” but they can also easily be created by emptying spaces on book shelves and window shelves.
Outdoor Excursions
Besides indoor enrichment, another approach to meeting your cat’s needs while keeping it from running loose outdoors
is to take it on safe outings. One option is to train your cat to walk on a leash with you. Do this by first teaching your cat
to accept a harness (collars, even break-away collars, generally can create problems for cats and are less secure than
cat harnesses). When teaching your cat to accept a harness, work with it once a day, or once every other day,
following these general guidelines:
Note: If your cat doesn’t like treats, is afraid of the collar strap or reacts to any part of the training with fear or attempts
to leave, it’s best to avoid training it to walk on a leash. On-leash outdoor excursions are not as valuable in increasing
your cat’s welfare as is avoidance of stress.
Creating a Secure Outdoor Enclosure
A secure outdoor enclosure allows your cat access to the exciting sights,
sounds and smells outdoors, enlarging its home territory. Enclosures for
cats should be completely enclosed, such as a screened-in porch, or
constructed so the cat can’t climb up the walls and jump out. Walls
should be at least seven feet high and should not be accessible to
trees or climbing vines. In addition, the top of the wall should be capped
with a fence ledge that angles toward the interior at least one foot, as an
added deterrent for jumping and climbing cats.
Cat Proofing Your Exits
Even if you do a great job providing enrichment for your cat, if your cat
has been allowed loose outdoors in the past it will likely try to get
outdoors again.
that the doors close quickly. Be sure your window and door screens are not tattered. Tattered screens invite cats to
attempt escape.
that children are easily distracted by friends and activities and may not be able to always keep the cat from escaping. It
is helpful to practice with children and show them how to leave the house without allowing the cat out with them. Teach
them to watch for the cat, to open the door slowly, and to turn back toward the house as they close the door behind
them—with your cat inside!
enjoy life inside your home. But before it adjusts to this lifestyle change, it can be helpful to set up humane deterrents
to discourage it from trying to get out. (Keep in mind that using noise-making deterrents can be stressful for your cat.)
Here are some suggestions:
Cats kept exclusively indoors live longer, healthier lives than outdoor cats. If you allow your cat to go outside, it might
come into contact with wild animals who carry parasites and disease, as well as other outdoor cats who may fight with it
greatly increasing his risk of getting feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Your cat
might encounter predators, like dogs, foxes and coyotes, who could seriously harm or even kill him. (In fact, we know of
2 cats killed by coyotes in Bloomington in the past year. They are a serious threat). Cats also risk being hit by a motor
vehicle or getting into poisonous substances like lawn chemicals, antifreeze and rat bait.
Because of these and other dangers awaiting the outdoor cat, it’s
estimated that a cat allowed outdoors in the United States lives an
average of one quarter as long as a cat living exclusively indoors.
Keeping your cat indoors is the best way to prolong his life. Of course,
cats don’t understand that they’re safer staying indoors, and some
cats will do everything in their power to escape. This is especially true
of indoor cats with a history of going outside.
Your cat can learn to be happy indoors if you provide him with an
enriched environment and give him opportunities to be by himself.
However, if you have a cat who keeps trying to escape, it’s vital to
make sure he isn’t successful! Cat-proofing your exits and deterring
the cat from hanging around the doors are essential management
steps for you to take.
To keep your cat happy indoors it is important that you provide environmental enrichment that lets it engage in natural
behaviors. Here are suggestions that can fulfill your cat’s need to engage in predatory behavior:
- Provide toys that your cat can throw around himself and toys that require your participation, such as those you
wiggle and dangle from a wand or stick. Move the toys in such a way that they mimic the movements of a rodent
or bird. - Provide your cat commercially available “cat videos.” The most popular ones show close-ups of birds and small
rodents. - Position bird and squirrel feeders outside windows where your cat can observe animals coming and going during
the day.
Social Concerns
Another need a cat has that can affect his welfare as an indoor cat—and
affect whether it attempts to escape outside—is alone time. We recognize
this need in ourselves but don’t always consider it when thinking of our pets.
But cats actually have a greater need for personal space and alone time
than people do—it’s their nature. Under natural (feral) conditions, they
avoid each other for the most part. Cats’ territories are large, and although
they often overlap with other cats’ territory, cats have sophisticated chemical
social signals, called pheromones. They leave these as information for the
other cats so that the cats can “time-share” certain areas—meaning they can
use the same area, but at different times so that they don’t run into each
other. These signals help inform other cats about where and when the cat
was in the area. Over time the signals can even tell cats when a cat will likely
be back so that others can be sure to be gone by that time.
To meet an indoor cat’s social needs, you’ll want to provide him enough space to be comfortable and enough perching
and hiding places to be alone. If you have more than one cat, you should also have multiple feeding areas, and at least
one more litter box than the total number of cats you have. (In other words, if you have three cats, you should have at
minimum of four litter boxes). The boxes should be in different areas rather than lined up next to each other. Your cats
should also have enough high perches so that one is always available to everyone. Perches can be purchased as
indoor cat “trees,” but they can also easily be created by emptying spaces on book shelves and window shelves.
Outdoor Excursions
Besides indoor enrichment, another approach to meeting your cat’s needs while keeping it from running loose outdoors
is to take it on safe outings. One option is to train your cat to walk on a leash with you. Do this by first teaching your cat
to accept a harness (collars, even break-away collars, generally can create problems for cats and are less secure than
cat harnesses). When teaching your cat to accept a harness, work with it once a day, or once every other day,
following these general guidelines:
- Buy a harness and an oversized collar for your cat. The collar should be large enough to fit over your cat’s
shoulders and around the chest. (The collar is just for these exercises. Your cat won’t actually wear it. It’s just
much less scary to a cat than a harness can be.) Prepare some extra special treats, like tuna, chicken bits or
salmon. (Vacuum sealed salmon can be purchased in small bags in the grocery store near tuna). Don’t give the
treats to your cat unless you are working on teaching it to accept the harness and leash. - Bring the harness, the collar and the special treats over to your cat.
- Let the cat sniff the collar and harness. Offer treats as it does this.
- Lay the collar against your cat’s neck, offer a treat and, as it is sniffing the treat, remove the collar and let your
cat eat the treat. Repeat this until you can snap the collar very loosely on your cat for just a moment while it is
sniffing or eating the treat. - Next drape the collar over your cat’s shoulder, across the chest and down between the front legs, diagonally like
a seatbelt. Always introduce the new feel of the straps while the cat is sniffing or eating a treat, and always
remove the collar immediately. Work until you can snap the collar on diagonally over the shoulder, draping down
between the front legs. - Once your cat accepts the collar, discard the collar and teach it to accept the harness using the same gradual
process, always accompanied by delicious treats. - Once your cat accepts the harness, allow it to wear the harness—under your supervision—until he or she can
wear it for five minutes at a time. Be sure to give periodic treats during this time. Once it can tolerate five minutes
happily, teach the cat about being on a leash. - Take your feline friend to somewhere familiar inside where it feels comfortable. Put the harness on and then
hook on the leash. If your cat moves away from you, wait until it gets to the end of the lead and then quickly—
before it panics—call the cat to you and give a treat. Continue training for a few days until 1) the cat doesn’t
worry when on the leash, and 2) it has begun following you.
Note: If your cat doesn’t like treats, is afraid of the collar strap or reacts to any part of the training with fear or attempts
to leave, it’s best to avoid training it to walk on a leash. On-leash outdoor excursions are not as valuable in increasing
your cat’s welfare as is avoidance of stress.
Creating a Secure Outdoor Enclosure
A secure outdoor enclosure allows your cat access to the exciting sights,
sounds and smells outdoors, enlarging its home territory. Enclosures for
cats should be completely enclosed, such as a screened-in porch, or
constructed so the cat can’t climb up the walls and jump out. Walls
should be at least seven feet high and should not be accessible to
trees or climbing vines. In addition, the top of the wall should be capped
with a fence ledge that angles toward the interior at least one foot, as an
added deterrent for jumping and climbing cats.
Cat Proofing Your Exits
Even if you do a great job providing enrichment for your cat, if your cat
has been allowed loose outdoors in the past it will likely try to get
outdoors again.
- First Things First: Check Windows and Doors
that the doors close quickly. Be sure your window and door screens are not tattered. Tattered screens invite cats to
attempt escape.
- Encourage the Family to Watch for Escape Attempts
that children are easily distracted by friends and activities and may not be able to always keep the cat from escaping. It
is helpful to practice with children and show them how to leave the house without allowing the cat out with them. Teach
them to watch for the cat, to open the door slowly, and to turn back toward the house as they close the door behind
them—with your cat inside!
- Deterrents at Doorways
enjoy life inside your home. But before it adjusts to this lifestyle change, it can be helpful to set up humane deterrents
to discourage it from trying to get out. (Keep in mind that using noise-making deterrents can be stressful for your cat.)
Here are some suggestions:
- Noise maker. Keep a can, half full of pennies and properly sealed, in a convenient spot next to the doorway.
Encourage family members to lift the can and shake it each time they leave the house regardless of where the
cat may be. Your cat will learn to associate the unpleasant sound with people leaving, and so he’ll stay away from
the door. - Water spray bottle. Keep a spray bottle in a convenient spot next to the door. Have everyone pick it up before
they open the door. When the door is open, if your cat approaches, squirt or mist him, whichever seems more
unpleasant to him. - A motion-activated sound alarm. Radio Shack sells a variety of motion-activated alarms. The downside of
using one of these is that it will go off whenever anyone goes near the door, unless they make an effort to step
over the infrared beam. - SpraySentry™ Cat Deterrent System. This is a device that detects movement within several feet and delivers
a short burst of compressed air to deter the cat. This, too, has the pitfall of activating whenever anyone goes
near the door. - ScatMat® A ScatMat delivers a startling but mild electric shock when touched. The mat can be set in front of the
door as a deterrent. Many cats who have been allowed outdoors will learn to jump over the mat, so your vigilance
is still necessary even when the mat is present. Placing two mats side-by-side may be more effective.
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Indoor cats are healthier, safer than outdoor felines