HOW TO MAKE YOUR OUTDOOR CAT A HAPPY CAT:
As obtained from the Wildlife Care Center Sacramento, and adapted from “All Cats Should Be Indoor Cats”, By Rhonda Lucas Donald.
Additions by: Jill K. Widmann
“Although it takes patience, an outdoor cat can be turned into a perfectly content indoor pet. The key is to make the conversion gradually and provide lots of attention and stimulation while the cat is indoors.
Cats are creatures of habit, so you must be careful to slowly replace your cat’s old routine of going outside with the new routine of staying in. If your cat is outdoors most of the time, bring your cat inside for increasingly longer stays. Gradually shorten the length of time the car is outside until you no longer let him or her out at all”, says The Wildlife Care Center of Sacramento.
In fact, most cat adoption agencies will not allow people to adopt a cat unless they plan to keep the cat indoors. On the average, an indoor cat lives nearly 3 times longer than and outdoor cat. Considering all of the factors that can lead a cat to peril in the outdoors, the indoor cat is much safer. Cars, animals, people, dehydration, toxic dangers, and many other factors can cause harm or even kill an outdoor cat. Plus, the songbird population is declining rapidly due to the many outdoor cats.
Cats are much safer as indoor kitties…and the birds outside also agree with cats staying inside! Since birds don’t have choice but to be outside, it is logical and smart to keep all your kitties safe and in your home.