 |

Click here to return to Main Education Topic List
KEEP
YOUR CAT INDOORS!
IF YOU LOVE WILDLIFE,
KEEP YOUR CAT INDOORS BECAUSE:
- 4-5 million birds are killed by cats each day.
- Collar bells on cats don't work because birds and
other wildlife do not associate bells with being stalked.
- Ground-nesting birds are particularly susceptible to
predation by cats.
- Cats will hunt small wild animals, despite how well
fed they are.
- Almost all young birds leave the nest before they can
fly well and spend a day or two on the ground. As these fledglings are learning to fly,
they are frequently caught by cats.
- Most of the birds caught by cats, but not killed
outright, die of their injuries or infection.
- Cats that kill small rodents can eliminate a critical
food source for owls and hawks.
IF YOU LOVE YOUR
CAT,
KEEP IT INDOORS BECAUSE:
- Cars kill millions of cats each year.
- Outdoor cats are exposed to serious and often fatal
infectious diseases such as feline leukemia and rabies.
- Parasites such as fleas, ticks and intestinal worms
pose a health threat to your cat. Some of these can be transmitted to humans.
- Cats outdoors are often chased by dogs or other cats,
and killed, injured or hopelessly lost.
- Cats are often shot at, poisoned, trapped or tortured
by neighbors annoyed by cats using their gardens as a litterbox or hunting birds and other
small animals.
- Coyotes, great-horned owls and other wild animals are
known to regularly kill and eat house cats.
- Cats that spend time outdoors require more medical
treatment and their lifespan is much shorter.
Click here to
return to Main Education Topic List |