Cats are naturally curious and agile . They love to test their ability to climb and hunt. They are stealthy and intelligent . For all these qualities, they have earned a reputation for being able to survive on the street.
We cannot forget that they are domestic animals and, although there are cats that live in feline colonies on the street, they are not prepared to face the many risks that exist outside their comfortable and safe home.
A stray cat has a life expectancy of between 4 to 8 years, compared to 12 to 18 years for felines that have a home. The statistics do not differentiate between ” indoor ” cats, which never leave the house, and ” outdoor ” cats, which are allowed to go out. But assuming that a stray cat lives up to 3 times fewer years, we can elucidate that by allowing our feline to go outside, we are exposing it to a series of risks that can shorten its life.
Â
- Lost or stolen animal
Our domestic feline companion is used to living in a safe environment: his home. With noises and people that are familiar to him.
The street is an unpredictable environment: vehicles, pedestrians, other animals… A honk, the din of a store closing, an unexpected firecracker, the threatening bark of a dog… Noises and situations that can cause the feline to flee in terror and can’t find a way to get back home.
If, in addition, the cat is not sterilized, it can travel several kilometers to satisfy its reproductive desire during the mating season.
All this triggers the loss of the animal, with the consequent suffering of the cat and its family.
On the other hand, a cat that lives in a home will appear more trusting with people. For someone to take a fancy to him, it will be easy for him to take him away.
Â
- accidents
The outdoor cat faces a hostile environment any domestic feline: traffic, dogs… Any carelessness can trigger a fatal situation for them: run over, attack or fights with other animals, falls from height…
Let’s not forget the “evil” of some people and the hatred towards cats of a certain part of the population. If our reckless cat gets close to any of these people, it could end up getting kicked or hit.
- poisoning
Another consequence of letting our cat out on the street is intoxication. And we are not only referring to the poisoning caused by the ingestion of a substance placed by someone “that cats bother him”, they can also accidentally become poisoned by eating spoiled food, hunting sick or poisoned prey, nibbling on a toxic plant, washing after being impregnated with some chemical substance…
An intoxication can be fatal for a living being, even more so when we cannot identify what the source is or when it occurred, as would be the case of a cat that has been intoxicated outside, in order to give it the optimal treatment.
- Diseases
Although we have our cats correctly vaccinated and dewormed, it does not guarantee 100% effectiveness. In addition, there are countless viruses, bacteria and parasites “out there” against which they are also not protected and which, moreover, they can carry into our home.
Eating prey in poor condition, being injured in a fight, drinking from stagnant water, getting used to other stray felines… are some examples of the entry of possible diseases for our cat.
- Possible nuisance to neighbors
Cats are capable of making society feel completely opposite feelings: a large part of the population loves them (they are the kings of the internet for a reason), another part does not like them and a minority simply hates them.
The misunderstood felines that live in feline colonies and their caregivers already have to deal with a lot so that they are respected, so that we let our cats roam around the neighborhood.
It is understandable that a person who does not like cats may become uncomfortable when they get into their garden or sleep on their terrace furniture. But, in addition, even the most lover of cats does not have to put up with a feline visitor spoiling their plants, scratching their nails with the clothes on the clothesline or disturbing the tranquility of their pets.
Let’s be respectful and think that we can’t turn our cat into a pet shared by the whole neighborhood.
