It’s easy to look at an outdoor or feral cat and think it’s enjoying life in their natural environment. Cats are unique creatures as while they have been domesticated, they have still retained many of their natural instincts.
A cat born in the wild will be happy to live its life in the wild. But can a cat that was born indoors live happily without access to the outside world? That’s what we check out here, helping you to decide what’s best for your cat.
Do Cats Need to Go Outside?
The bottom line is no, cats don’t need to spend time outside. Your feline friend can spend their entire lifetime happy and healthy indoors. You just have to be mindful of keeping them in an enriched environment to stimulate their mind.
This includes giving them climbing spaces, toys, and interaction. There are benefits to spending time outdoors, but these can be matched indoors with the right care. Read on as we look at this question in greater detail and weigh the pros and cons of letting your cat outside.
Benefits of Outdoor Time for Cats
Cats do have benefits of spending time outdoors, with one of them being physical exercise. The outdoors gives cats a limitless place to run, climb, and jump as much as they desire. This will give them better physical fitness and muscle tone, avoiding the risk of obesity.
Cats also need plenty of mental stimulation. It can be hard to match the outdoor sights, sounds, and smells they’ll experience when left indoors. It provides a unique sensory experience and will help to prevent boredom while stimulating their brain.
It will also allow them to satisfy their prey drive as they’ll spend time stalking, pouncing, and chasing. Although, this can lead to some unwanted “gifts”. Finally, outdoor time can help with behavioral issues such as excessive scratching or aggression. If you are letting them outside, make sure you know what to expect.
The Risks of Letting Cats Outside
Before sending your cat outside, it’s important to understand the risks involved. One of the most obvious is that cats don’t instinctively avoid busy streets. Due to this, cats can be particularly vulnerable to getting run over, especially at night or in high-traffic areas.
There is also the chance of them being injured by other animals. They can become prey to the likes of coyotes and dogs, and even fight with other cats. This can often lead to death, injury, or disease.
Disease can also come from other sources and cause the likes of feline leukemia and FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus), along with infections from parasites such as fleas, ticks, and worms. Finally, there is a greater risk of your cat becoming lost or stolen.
Making an Enriched Indoor Environment
Don’t want your cat to go outside but want it to be as happy as possible? If so, it’s easy enough to create an enriched environment for them. The first step is adding some interactive games and puzzles. Food puzzles can satisfy their curiosity, and the likes of feather wands can satisfy their hunting instincts.
You’ll also want to give them plenty of areas to climb. This could be as simple as climbing towers which don’t take up a lot of space, and window purchases for them to survey their territory. If you’re feeling generous, you can even install shelves just for them or build a little playground.
Another fun idea is placing a bird feeder on your window. This will allow your cat to observe birds safely from indoors. This will help with their curiosity while also preventing them from being bored.
Supervised Outdoor Time
One option available to you is supervised outdoor time. This is where you take your cat out for a limited period and keep an eye on them while they play and explore. There are a few ways to do this, with one of the most popular being leash training.
Here you’ll place a leash on them, which goes around their front legs and just below their neck. Some cats will adapt well to this harness and will let you guide them around your yard, or even local parks. However, some cats won’t like it and can be overly anxious about being in an unfamiliar environment.
Another option is letting them roam free in the backyard. Here you’ll ideally want to have full fencing around the perimeter and make sure your cats are microchipped. This can give them a safe space, but it can be difficult to keep a constant eye on them. If you do let your cat outdoors, it’s even more important to keep up to date with vaccinations and parasite prevention.
Compromise with a Catio
If you fear your cat won’t like being outside, or that it’d be too dangerous, another option is building them a catio. This is a term for a cat patio, which is a secure outdoor enclosure that is similar in outer construction to a chicken coop.
These can be simple window boxes or more elaborate backyard structures. This gives cats a place to enjoy fresh air, sunshine, and outdoor stimulation. They are able to enjoy this without the risk of them getting injured or lost.
Inside the catio you can put a wide range of stimuli such as perches are various heights, logs to scratch, and toys to play with. Outside the catio, they will be stimulated by the likes of birds, leaves rustling, or people walking by. It satisfies their curiosity while keeping them secure.
Consider Your Cat’s Personality
It’s important to understand that every cat is different. Some may thrive with a little outside access, whereas other cats would be more than happy to spend their whole life indoors. It’s a good idea to at least try a little outside time to see how they react to it.
While this is not a set rule, active and curious cats usually benefit from outdoor access. If your cat is timid or less active, the outdoors may stress them out. Also consider health conditions, as it may be safer to keep them indoors.
There is also age to consider. Younger cats are more adaptable and have more energy to explore. Older cats, especially those who have spent a lifetime indoors, will be more content to stay in the house all day.
