To my fellow cat people: Why it is time to contain your cats

I was in kindergarten (back in the Dark Ages) when my family acquired the first cat I remember, and I named him Tom Terrific after a cartoon character.

In a matter of months, Tom was killed by a car in front of our suburban house.

My mother took me to the humane society to find another cat: A tiger-striped kitten clung to the front of a cage and howled, and home with us the newly named Duchess went.

Among her mishaps over the years were disappearing for three weeks (returning skinny and dehydrated) and becoming deathly ill from eating a poisoned rodent.

While Duchess was missing, a beautiful—and pregnant—Siamese followed me home after trick-or-treating. The phone number on her collar was disconnected, and after a trip to the vet to prevent even more unwanted kittens in the world, Tashi joined the household.

What do these sad events all have in common?

They were all preventable. Keeping your cats indoors (or contained) is the best way to protect your cat’s health and safety, not to mention the wildlife upon which your cat preys.

For the health and safety of your cats

For many, cats are part of the family, yet humans sometimes don’t realize the many dangers this family member faces outside the home.

Research shows that trauma-related injuries such as being hit by a vehicle and attacked by other animals are the “number one causes of mortality among cats attending veterinary practices” (van Eeden et al., 2021). Other dangers include snakebites, ticks, fleas, as well as being exposed to parasites, pathogens, and disease.

Your outdoor cat can be attacked (or attack) other domestic animals, create more unwanted kittens if not sterilized, and cause problems with your neighbors by pooping in their garden.

Finally, there are sick people out there who hurt cats intentionally. You may remember the heartbreaking story of Clip the cat, shot in the head and trachea with a pellet gun before being tortured (www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/2019/11/23/family-cat-dies-after-being-shot-and-tortured-las-cruces/4271484002/).

For the protection of wildlife

Many cat owners are not aware of the impact their outdoor cats can have on wildlife. As much as I love cats, I love wildlife, too, and the research is solid: Cats kill wildlife and add to the massive pressures that wildlife already faces.

Community cats are a topic for another column, but not only do owned cats contribute substantially to wildlife predation, but “predation rates per area by domestic cats in residential areas are 28–52 times higher than predation rates by feral cats in natural environments” (van Eeden et al., 2021). For an easy-to-read explanation, check out How much do cats actually kill? [Infographic] - The Oatmeal.

But my cat has the right to roam

Actually, no.

Many people do not realize that it’s unlawful according to both City and County ordinances to allow your animal—including cats!—to run at large. An owned animal must be “under humane physical restraint at all times” (§134-6 of the County ordinance and Sec. 7-13 of the City ordinance).

To clarify, humane physical restraint (or containment) might mean your cat is 100% indoors, but also could mean your cat is supervised outdoors while on a leash (I personally have done this), in an enclosure such as a catio (Google this and be amazed at the possibilities), or in your fenced backyard from which Kitty can’t escape (Google fence rollers for cats).

Meeting your cat's needs while keeping them contained

You can meet your cat’s needs for social and physical stimulation while keeping them safe and healthy indoors.

If your cat is a singleton, regular playtime with you provides social stimulation—or adopt some feline siblings and add to the fun! (The ASCMV can help with that!)

Toys, scratching posts, cat trees, and treat puzzles satisfy Kitty’s instincts to jump and hunt, and a sunny window with a cushion (and maybe a bird feeder to watch) will keep Kitty entertained. Your cats can thrive inside when they have the same types of play opportunities indoors as they instinctually have outdoors.

Your cat depends on you

Our cats depend on us to make the right decisions for their safety, health, and well-being. As a child, I never questioned having indoor-outdoor cats.

But those were different times.

As a young adult, I resolved that my cats would live indoors only. I never wanted to worry about them facing loose dogs, coyotes, or other animals, catching a disease, being hit by a car, or suffering at the hands of a mean person. You are responsible for your cat’s well-being, and the ASCMV encourages you to make the choices that give your cat the best chance for a long and healthy life.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Animal news that you can use. Notes from ASCMV