Kitty Q&A

Q: Can a cat really be happy living completely inside?

A: Good, knowledgeable, well-intentioned people on both sides of this issue have strong opinions, that's for sure. Perhaps the best answer is this: Some cats can be happy living inside and some can't.

Anyone who has watched a cat track a grasshopper across the lawn or sleep in the sun on a warm patio would not be telling the truth if they didn't admit cats love exploring the outdoors. And many people believe that denying an animal access to the natural world is unnatural, even cruel.

On the other hand, cats who are free to roam annoy neighbours, kill furry little critters and birds, and generally don't live as long as indoor cats. They're hit by cars, crushed in automatic garage doors, killed by coyotes or loose dogs, poisoned either accidentally or sometimes intentionally, and come in contact with many more infectious diseases courtesy of neighbour kitties, unvaccinated feral cats, and wild animals. More often than not, outdoor cats just disappear, leaving their owners to wonder forever about their fate. The truth is most of these cats don't end up in another home or lost; they end up dead.

When they're kept inside from kittenhood and provided with attention and lots of what zookeepers call "environment enrichment" (translation: toys, perches, scratching posts and climbing trees, food puzzles, and things to do), many cats live long and happy lives inside. This is especially true of cats who live in urban areas, where outside is simply not an option, and suburban cats whose environs are just too dangerous (and whose neighbours really don't want kitty pooping in their yard).

Converting a cat who has had free access to the outside to a total homebody can be very difficult, however, and many people give in to their cat's demands and open the door. (You can get tips on keeping kitty in and making her life happy at the website of the Indoor Cat Initiative of the Veterinary College at the Ohio State University.)

The trend toward keeping cats indoors has been growing to the point now where many shelters, rescue groups and reputable breeders absolutely refuse to place a cat with anyone who won't promise to keep the animal inside.

As with any hot topic, compromises are possible. Cat fencing -- tall, nearly invisible nylon mesh mounted on a traditional wooden fence -- is widely available from a handful of manufacturers to keep your cat safe in your yard. Most people would never dream of simply letting their dog wander around the neighbourhood at will; they keep Fido in a fenced yard. Why not do the same for Fluffy?

Another option is to build a small, simple screened porch for your cat. (Again, there are some commercial products available that make it easy.)

If nothing else works for you and your cat, you can at least minimize the risk by keeping your pet in at night. It won't keep the peace with your neighbours, but it will minimize to a small extent some of the other risks to which your outdoor cat is exposed. To get him reliably coming inside before dark, feed him his yummiest meal at that time -- in the kitchen.

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Excerpted from Do Cats Always Land on Their Feet? by Marty Becker, DVM, and Gina Spadafori. Copyright 2006 by Marty Becker and Gina Spadafori. Excerpted by permission of Health Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.