Do cats really need to go outdoors?

[kittylover23]

Oh geez - that Cat-Bib is nuts...wouldn't put that on my cat!

I keep my cats indoors because overall, it is safer. Outdoors, they could catch diseases like FIV and FeLV, get injured by other cats, or be hit by cars. There isn't a chance of these things happening to indoor cats. But I do take my cats outside on a harness, occasionally. Candy loved visiting outside, especially the morning before she passed away...I slipped her harness on and brought her out on the patio. She "tried" to catch the butterflies (they were flying too high for her) and it was adorable!

If you have your cats on a harness or in an enclosure, great idea. I think its great for cats to enjoy the outdoors, because it can be a lot of fun for humans and the animal. But letting your cat roam free is not a good idea. There is a cat that occasionally comes to eat in my feral colony, named BamBam (according to his tag) who is one of the sweetest kitties. He follows me around all day, and I feel so bad for him because it's like he's lonely.

And I do understand that some cats are used to being outside, and would be miserable without. A close friend of mine has a cat named Marshmellow, and poor Marshmellow loved the outdoors. She let him outside, but he was injured when he was hit by a car (broken leg) and after his accident, she refused to let him out. He didn't eat, drink and he urinated all over the house. It broke my friend's heart to see her cat like this! But what she did was purchase a large enclosure for her backyard, and Marshmellow loved it. He was unable to come in contact with cars and diseases, and he got to enjoy the outdoors! This, in my opinion, was the best solution.

And about the cat predation issue - feral cats do eat birds, mice, squirrels and voles. It's the way the food chain works. It breaks my heart when I see my ferals hunting (I try to stop them if I witness it, because they get fed well and don't need to hunt). But I am a huge supporter of TNR, and I practice it regularly. I have had dozens of cats TNR'd in the past, and have currently spayed/neutered four out of the ten in my colony (will get the rest done this summer).

Lucky (my feral/occasionally comes inside boy) enjoys his feral cat life. He sleeps outside, plays outside, and stays as far away from the road as possible. He never crosses the street and doesn't hunt. I think it's mostly due to his being a senior cat, but I very much like that he stays near the house. I would make him an indoor cat only for sure, but I don't have the space for three cats at the moment.

So my opinion, keep your cats indoors only. If you want to bring them outside, use a harness or enclosure. It's the only way to ensure their safety.

 

[snugglessehgal]

i just adopted a stray itten about 2 months old, and im confused if i shold take her outdoors or not? she loves being in d garden.. but im told dat dey run away if left unattended.. 

ive tried takin her in a basket but she hates it.. 

any suggestions ? would a body leash be a gud idea?? please help !

 

[kittylover23]

Try a harness or an outdoor enclosure. :nod:

 

[catsallaround]

If she is happy inside no reason to push it further just start now to distract her.  Kittens are alot easier to distract then adult cats. 
 

 

[ldg]

Emily, I hope you don't mind the off-topic insertion of discussion from time-to-time here. :cross: .

One quick question while I'm in the midst though - Mr. Wolf writes:  "Maybe readers don’t expect Higgins to know (or care, even) how many free-roaming cats there are in the U.S."

Does he and/or the TNR community have a figure they point to?

Quick answer - no.

Long answer - there is no consensus. The most common number bandied about is 60 - 100 million. And it's not based in any kind of science.

Alley Cat Allies was the first organization to have a widely-distributed guesstimate. They simply assumed that the number of ferals was the same as the pet cat population. At the time, that was approximately 60 million. That's the approach taken in the (fairly recently published) Best Friend's cost analysis of trap-and-kill vs TNR. ( http://www.guerrillaeconomics.biz/communitycats/methodology.pdf )

The pro-bird community likes to cite David Jessup http://www.avma.org/avmacollections/feral_cats/javma_225_9_1377.pdf because it's in JAVMA, which makes it look so "official." (He uses the 60-100 million number). But you'll note this is an opinion piece in a special Animal Welfare section published by JAVMA at the time, not a normal peer-review type piece, and he provides no citation for the number.

(This is the JAVMA collection - http://www.avma.org/avmacollections/feral_cats/default.asp)

Julie Levy, Maddie’s Professor of Shelter Medicine in the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and probably the U.S.'s foremost expert on free-roaming cats, published "the number of feral cats in the United States is unknown but is suspected to approach that of pet cats” (Levy, J. K., & Crawford, P. C. 2004. Humane strategies for controlling feral cat populations. JAVMA 225(9), 1354–1360. (Also part of that JAVMA special feature on ferals: http://www.avma.org/avmacollections/feral_cats/javma_225_9_1354.pdf ).

Among the world's foremost experts on cat predation are Mike Fitzgerald and David Turner. In their book, The Domestic Cat: The biology of its behavior (2000 P.P.G. Bateson, Editors. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, U.K.; New York. pp. 208-226) is a chapter "Feline Welfare Issues." In it, the author of the chapter cites an HSUS (Humane Society of the U.S.) estimate of 32.7 million; it was based on a phone survey of people feeding feral cats back in the early 90s.

IMO, the closest thing to a "scientific" estimate was published by Merritt Clifton, the editor of ANIMAL PEOPLE. He makes a compelling argument that the population of unowned cats in the U.S. is much smaller than is often reported, and may very well be on the decline ( http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/03/6/wherecatsBelong6.03.html ). Basically, his estimates were projected from information about the typical numbers of cats found in common habitat types, gleaned from a national survey of cat rescuers sponsored by Carter Luke of the Massachusetts SPCA, were cross-compared with animal shelter intake data, and adjusted for the impact of TNR - and "confirmed" by road kill data. His most recent estimate: the winter feral cat population may now be as low as 13 million and the summer peak is probably no more than 24 million. ( http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/03/11/roadkills1103.html )

His numbers are rarely cited, because ANIMAL PEOPLE is not a peer review piece.

Summary answer: no one knows how many feral cats there are. But it's probably less than most people think. Most assume the number to be similar to the pet cat population. There is no reason to believe this to be the case.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Me, too, on all counts.  And I'm a great admirer of Vox Felina, supporter of Alley Cat Allies and TNR.  But there have always been cats outdoors (whether referred to as "feral", "alley", "free-roaming", "homeless", "abandoned", or by any other term) and it's only been recently that I've been seeing so much blatantly hateful press against them, a lot of it generated by what I call cat-hating bird fanatics including some members of some very large, visible and pro-hunting groups not limited to the Audubon folks, who of course want the birds for their own self-interests.  No matter how they or anyone else spins the truth, the facts are that human overpopulation and decimation of the environment and natural resources we all need (such as air, water, and undeveloped land), hunting, and dogs, among numerous others, kill far more birds than cats could ever dream of doing.  So if people want to hate and go after someone for bird predation, they should start with their own species.  Then they can go after dogs.  

 

[Willowy]

I know about one bird a week flies into my parents' plate glass window. Even if they put decals on or keep the curtains shut. Sonja likes it, as she's too old to hunt, and she gets to eat the dead birds (she preferred mice and gophers in her hunting days but scroungers can't be picky!). There once was an article in National Geographic showing all the birds picked up around one skyscraper during a certain time period, and it was a LOT. And pesticides and cars. . .

 

[barbb]

I follow Nathan Winograd in the area of cat predation. He is very logical and factual. No question that he is in favor of the cats. But he would not make a flawed argument, just because of who he is. If he could not back up his information with facts, he would not try to make the point. 

http://www.pgferals.org/info/display?PageID=35

 

[ldg]

Well, that's just the point. None of the "cat predation" studies actually indicate IMPACT of predation on the population (other than in isolated or fragmented habitats).

 

[ldg]

And bird collisions with windows are one of the largest (outside of habitat loss) causes of bird deaths. The leading expert on the subject (Dr. Daniel Klem) estimates that upwards of one BILLION birds per year die from window collisions in the U.S. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5076012. He's spent over 30 years studying and addressing the topic.

Even MORE interesting than that, however, is a study by Arnold & Zink (Arnold TW, Zink RM 2011. Collision Mortality Has No Discernible Effect on Population Trends of North American Birds. PLoS ONE 6(9): e24708 ). The title says it all. Even though millions (or over a billion?) North American birds are killed annually by collisions with man-made structures, this source of mortality has no discernible effect on populations.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0024708

So if window collisions, that kill more birds than cat predation, has "no discernable" impact on populations... do we really believe feral cats do?

Of course - keep your kitties, safe and inside or contained on your property or in an enclosure. For their safety and to minimize their environmental impact.

 

[orientalslave]

I live in the UK, and have a cat-proof back garden.  It has grass, shrubs and at present lots and lots of lupins.  The walls are either unclimbable for a cat and too high to jump, or they have overhangs.

I cat-proofed it because last year my old cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroid and had to be pilled twice a day, every day.  He would have been grossly unhappy inside - the only time during the 12 years I had him I saw him use the litter tray was when there was so much snow outside he could have sunk to his back.  My two previously indoor-only cats have really taken to going out.  They sleep under bushes, sunbathe, play and hunt.  Their coats are better, they are more muscular, they are less inclined to madly run around inside the house.

So far as I am concerned it's an ideal way to be able to keep cats.  The idea of an almost bare yard / enclosure I find deeply depressing.  One of the games mine play is hide & seek and you need places to hide to do that one.

In the UK cats are not the problem for wildlife they are in Oz - we have had cats here for 2,000 years or more, and we have our very own species of cat as well, though it's endangered by unneutered domestics as they can breed and produce fertile hybrids.

The birds that are endangered are almost all field and wetland species and a few are birds of prey which humans persist in killing, though some garden birds are in serious decline most likely due to lose of nest sites.  I'm thinking of Sparrows especially.  Barn owls have a similar problem plus are at the limit of their range here.  Changes in agricultural practise have reduced populations of a lot of field species, and mono-culture doesn't help.

 

[emilymaywilcha]

I would have no problem with gardens in the cat-proof yard if I was not worried about the possibility of missing illness symptoms when the cat is not supposed to use a litterbox. Because cats bury urine and poop, the only way I would ever know about any changes in waste elimination is to have no garden soil for the cat to use. This is not a problem for dogs because they lack the burying instinct and use grass. How can you make sure a cat will never poop in a garden and bury turds between flowers? The only way I know is make sure there are no gardens to poop in.

 

[jcat]

It's a misconception that all cats bury their excrement outside. Feces are quite often deposited in a prominent spot outdoors to mark territory, even by cats that bury their feces in a litterbox indoors. Urine is also used for the same purpose, even by neutered cats. Cats that do like to bury their excretions outdoors can also be provided with a sandbox or pit for that purpose, and that can be monitored.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Well, for one thing, we'd better get some advocacy groups right away and lobby for legislation to kill all the glass-windowed buildings on earth.  

 

[barbb]

I think it is interesting that there is so much concern over what cats might do to birds when there is so much more that humans are already doing to birds and to the rest of this planet. It makes me teary-eyed that we humans are championing one species over another, arguing for one at the expense of another, when we do more as a race to exterminate and should mind our own business :-(.

Here is a section from Nathan Winograd. 

Roger Tabor found that cats have low success as bird hunters and that the bulk of their diet is garbage, plants, insects, and other scavenger material. In short, cats are not impacting bird populations on continents. Fitzgerald & Karl found that "cats suppress populations of more dangerous predators such as rats and thus allow denser populations of birds than would exist without them." Robert Berg found that cats were not impacting quail population in San Francisco even though quail nest on the ground. Mead found no evidence that cats are impacting overall bird populations. Colemand & Brunner concluded that "The common belief that feral cats are serious predators of birds is apparently without basis."

A Worldwatch Institute 1994 Study found that birds are in decline due to drought, habitat loss, overtrapping, and water pollution. Cats are noticeably absent as factors. A 1988 study by the University of Georgia blamed forest fragmentation across Southern U.S. for decimating songbirds. A Colorado Wildlife Dept. study in 1994 blamed drought. National Geographic lined declines to poisons in environment, particularly lawn care products.

 

[otto]

I would have no problem with gardens in the cat-proof yard if I was not worried about the possibility of missing illness symptoms when the cat is not supposed to use a litterbox. Because cats bury urine and poop, the only way I would ever know about any changes in waste elimination is to have no garden soil for the cat to use. This is not a problem for dogs because they lack the burying instinct and use grass. How can you make sure a cat will never poop in a garden and bury turds between flowers? The only way I know is make sure there are no gardens to poop in.

My cats never toilet when I am outside in the yard with them. They wait until we go in or they ask me to open the door and let them in, so they can use the litter box, harness, trailing string and all, then come back outside.

 

[orientalslave]

I would have no problem with gardens in the cat-proof yard if I was not worried about the possibility of missing illness symptoms when the cat is not supposed to use a litterbox. Because cats bury urine and poop, the only way I would ever know about any changes in waste elimination is to have no garden soil for the cat to use. This is not a problem for dogs because they lack the burying instinct and use grass. How can you make sure a cat will never poop in a garden and bury turds between flowers? The only way I know is make sure there are no gardens to poop in.

Are you sure you always see every visit to the litter tray?  It's not hard to keep an eye on what a cat gets up to in an enclosed garden.  I have a friend with a cat who blocked several times and ended up with a PUS surgery.  He didn't go far, she noticed the change in his behaviour each time he was getting blocked and got him straight to her vet.  Since his surgery he's a happy lump that pees easily.  He didn't reach the point of kidney damage as she was like a hawk with him.

 

[emilymaywilcha]

Are you sure you always see every visit to the litter tray?  It's not hard to keep an eye on what a cat gets up to in an enclosed garden.  I have a friend with a cat who blocked several times and ended up with a PUS surgery.  He didn't go far, she noticed the change in his behaviour each time he was getting blocked and got him straight to her vet.  Since his surgery he's a happy lump that pees easily.  He didn't reach the point of kidney damage as she was like a hawk with him.

I am talking about cats having a pet door to freely go in and out unsupervised. If you are not out there with them how do you know if poop and urine are hiding under the dirt?

 

[Willowy]

Can you really see what's in a litterbox, either? I can't. . .all I see is clumps in the clay :dk:. IME, a cat with a urinary issues WILL squat in front of you, will squat every 5 seconds, whether he/she is allowed out or not. Unless the cat is always outside and nobody spends time with him, usually it's pretty noticable.

 

[otto]

Can you really see what's in a litterbox, either? I can't. . .all I see is clumps in the clay :dk:. IME, a cat with a urinary issues WILL squat in front of you, will squat every 5 seconds, whether he/she is allowed out or not. Unless the cat is always outside and nobody spends time with him, usually it's pretty noticable.

I have three cats. I can tell by looking who peed and who pooped.

A cat may take a very long time to let the human know he or she is sick. Cats HIDE illness. Knowing your cat's litter box habits can often be a way to detect an illness early, earlier than it would be if you have to wait for the cat to finally, finally, ask for help.

How many threads have you seen in just this one forum, about people coming in and complaining that their cat is not using the litter box? People, even with litter boxes, do not know when their cats are sick.

Knowing your cat's litter box habits is very important.

As for anyone who believes it is "worth the risk" because they think their cat "needs be be free" or it is "cruel to keep them inside"..

I saw three dead cats on the road today. Three. This morning on my way to work I saw one on the shoulder of the road. I stopped to make sure..sometimes you know if it just happened, maybe the cat has a chance. Not this one.

Later, on the same road, going the other way, in a different spot, also on the shoulder, I saw another. This cat was not there when I passed earlier so again I stopped. Too late, again.

And finally, late this afternoon, on my way home, a beautiful red boy dead in the middle of the road.

My cats will stay inside. They are not bored or overweight. They are happy, healthy, energetic and fit, and they are safe from cars and all the other horrors I promised to keep away from them, when I took them into my heart and home to be part of my family. :heart3: