Hibou Cats

Indoor Cats Only

Many well meaning people tell us that they feel that we are doing a terrible thing keeping our cats indoors all the time or only letting them out on a leash. They quote phrases like "free spirit" and "against the nature of the cat".

Then I remind them about treed cats, trapped cats and the ads on TV about all of the strays that are destroyed each year. I ask them to remember all of the unrecognizable furry lumps at the side of the road; did these cats have a better life than those kept indoors? Certainly not a longer one!

I think I'll stay "cruel" and keep our cats safe and indoors. Aside from the dangers of automobiles, dogs, other cats and wild animals, there are the sick people who abuse animals. As a child I watched a family cat die, in great pain and distress, from poisoning and I have vowed never to go through that again.

If you live way out of the city, on an island, have a 14 foot fence or a six foot moat, then yes, it may be safe to allow your cats to run.

We have several one piece, figure-8 style, nylon harness/leash sets and use them to take our cats out for a supervised "outings". I have not seen this exact design for several years but you can get various kinds of figure-8 harnesses at pet supply shops. Cats can get out of puppy harnesses in seconds and collars haven't proven of use either. I do not recommend tying out cats as they can get into trouble very quickly and should be supervised.

Another major concern for cats going out is fleas! Flea collars keep the fleas off the head and there are medications that make the animal toxic to the flea (if they bite) but there is nothing that you can do to prevent kitty from bringing in visitors if she goes out. Keeping your home and the cat sprayed will help control the problem , but be prepared to deal with the situation from the moment we stop having frosts at night in the spring to the first frost of fall.

Practically speaking, you are investing a considerable sum of money when you purchase a purebred cat - the shots, the spaying/neutering and the good quality food, not to mention a good sized chunk of your heart. You will benefit from these investments much longer if you keep your cat indoors.

Marg Baird
Hibou Cats