Cat lovers who want their cats to enjoy fresh air, sunshine, and the ambiance of trees, bushes, and plants, often feel guilt by confining their cats to the indoors. This was the mindset in previous generations: that cats were free and independent creatures and should not be confined. That they cannot be healthy, happy, and active, if not allowed to experience all the glories of the outdoors.
Today, we understand the hazards of allowing cats to roam freely, either by personal experience, hearsay or through the media, including the Internet. Here are just a few of the outdoors dangers, although not an exhaustive list.
- The risk of contracting killer diseases, including FIV, FeLV , and FIP
- You can't observe his litter-box habits and may miss evidence of FLUTD.
- Injury and/or death from attacks by dogs, other cats, or predators
- Injury or death from vehicles
- Cat-napping for profit, or personal gain
- Trapping and disposal by cat-hating neighbors
- Torture and/or killing by psychopaths
- Confiscation by animal control authorities
On the other hand, there are some safe compromises to offer your indoor cat the best of both worlds, without the potential hazards of free-roaming outdoors.
Carrying Your Cat
Gary Loewenthal, former Host for the About Cats forum used to carry his cat Mike around their backyard, allowing him to sniff and explore at will. Mike's nose led Gary on their walk, and each outdoor expedition was a bit different than the last. These explorations are best kept to a very short time—10 or 15 minutes—as most cats will become too eager to jump down and explore on their own. I'd suggest starting with just a minute or two for a timid cat who has never had an outdoor experience. However, carrying your cat is a great way to accustom him to the initially scary world of the outdoors, and a good preface to the next step:
Leash Training
Any cat can be trained to a harness and leash, using a gradual method of training. Many cats will initially feel confined by the additional weight of the harness, and their first attempts at walking on a leash will appear to be more of the slinking or belly-crawling variety. However, given time and patience on the part of the trainer, most cats will enjoy leash walking.
Your cat may prefer to just lie around outdoors on his leash, as does our Jaspurr (pictured above), who is a beginner in leash etiquette. Although Jaspurr is at the belly-walking stage, he eventually will progress to walking with us. It's all a matter of time and patience.
Please note that tying a cat outside on a leash is not a substitute for personal interaction and supervision. Cats should never be left alone outdoors on a leash or a rope extension. There is too much danger of their becoming tangled up, with the possibility of choking.
We recommend a sturdy harness or walking jacket, as opposed to a collar. Collars can be slipped too easily, which will most likely happen at times of danger, as when meeting a strange dog or cat on the street. Also try to buy as lightweight a leash as possible, consistent with safety. The additional drag of a bulky leash will slow your cat's walking progress.
Be sure to test your cat's leash quotient indoors for several days before taking him outside. Slow and easy will result in a cat with a safe and happy indoor-outdoor experience.
A Personal Carrier
If you decide that you want to make your cat a traveling cat, we suggest purchasing a personal vest-style carrier, called Pet Pocket 2, manufactured by Global Pet Products. We bought the basic version, with a black mesh pocket that comfortably held our cat safely with a drawstring adjustment and a metal clip that attaches to his harness.
Wheeled Walker or Stroller
The Kittywalk Stroller provides both a durable nylon netting cage so kitty can enjoy the outdoor experience and a water-resistant canvas shade for protection from the sun. The Wheel Away converts to a backpack, car carrier, and bed.
Outdoor Enclosures
For cats who would prefer to free-roam (within limits), outdoor enclosures are ideal. They can be built from scratch, with your own or purchased plans, or assembled as modular enclosures.
Your experiences may vary with any or all of these means of providing a safe outdoor experience for your cats, but we think you've been given enough alternatives here to get you started.