Should you let your cat run outdoors? By all means! Let him outdoors, but only if you want him to -]get hit by a car. Then you and your
children can wonder why he hasn't come home. When you find his body, if you do, you can wonder whether he died outright or whether he lay there suffering for hours before he died. get stolen, perhaps by an animal dealer who will sell your pet to a research lab. get caught and mangled in the fanbelt of a neighbor's car in cold weather. get poisoned, either accidentally by pesticides or poisonous plants or intentionally by cat-haters. get chased by dogs or other animals and killed or hopelessly lost. get shot by hunters or children with BB guns. Your cat might only be wounded and die much later of starvation or exposure. get caught in a trap to die a slow, painful death. get parasites such as fleas, ticks, or worms, all of which threaten his health. be exposed to serious diseases such as infectious feline leukemia or rabies. cause problems with your neighbors when he uses their lawn for a litter pan or hunts small animals and birds. get "taken for a ride" by a disgruntled neighbor. Many people simply open their doors and let their cats run loose outdoors without considering the long list of hazards which await their pets. But, you ask, doesn't a cat need fresh air and exercise? No! Cats do not need much exercise to keep in shape. Experts believe that the key to
their fitness lies in the isometric-like stretching which they do several times a day. You can encourage your cat to exercise - and provide a ton of fun for you and your cat alike - by providing him with a scratching post, or, better still, a climbing tree. Be a good neighbor and responsible pet owner. Keep your cat indoors where he's safe. by Jean B. Townsen |
