If you own cats and you let them out unsupervised, a lot of bad things can happen to them.
“But Fly,” you say, “don’t they need to get out and feel the sunshine and breathe in the fresh air and frolic in the grass?”
“Sure,” I’ll tell you. “Just go with them.”
“I don’t have time for that,” you protest. “I just let them out. They’ll be fine.”
They might be, but the list of unfortunate unpleasantnesses is daunting to me. Let’s look at a few.
They kill birds and In some areas, they can eliminate entire species. Some local towns have even passed laws requiring folks to keep their pets indoors if not supervised.
They tear up the neighbors landscaping. Cats like to roam and mulchy areas are very attractive litterboxes, as are the sandboxes at the school and the park. This can lead to disagreeable confrontations with your neighbors.
They get lost. Let’s face it: Cats are stupid. They go out exploring and forget to leave a trail of breadcrumbs and end up lost. Or, someone finds them, invites them in, and they forget about you and your dry-ass Meow Mix because HERE they get Fancy Feast!
They get run over. Do you let your black Fuzzy Butt out at night? Even during the day, how many dead kitties do you see in the road? Plus, you might even know that one asshole who brags about running over cats.
They get attacked by other cats, dogs, or wildlife. This can lead to injuries that could require an expensive trip to the vet or even death. Coyotes, skunks, raccoons, squirrels, snakes, and some birds can be a real problem. Your cat may think they’re a badass, but face it, a coyote wouldn’t be impressed, except maybe by their taste.
They get diseases: Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), Feline Leukemia Virus (FelV), Ringworm, Rabies, just to name a few. And while vaccinations are very effective, they’re not 100%..
Get your cats examined and vaccinated regularly, and neutered. Make a place inside that they can play in; it needn’t be large. I have a cat tree that mine have not gotten tired of in 7 years.
Don’t want to clean a litterbox? Maybe don’t get a cat.
They won’t live forever, so make their time here as safe as possible.