Should I Keep My Cat Indoors? 6 Reasons Why You Should Keep Your Kitty Inside

In order to make an informed decision on whether to allow your cat to roam the big wide world, you must take into account certain factors.

Here are some tips on caring for an indoor cat:

1. Your pet is much less likely to come into contact with other animals that carry illnesses. Some illnesses and diseases are airborne, so being outside puts your kitty at greater risk of becoming sick.

2. It is a given that when your cat is free to roam anywhere, they will go where they please. Unfortunately cats don't have much road sense, so often end up getting hit by a moving vehicle. This is something you must think about. What if you found your cat injured in the road? Or got a call to say it had been killed? Our pets are part of our families, so this would be a difficult situation for anyone to deal with.

3. You can control the dangers in your own home, but not outdoors. You can make sure any objects lying around that your furry friend could choke on are cleared away. Any pieces of furniture that are too high for your cat can be made inaccessible to them. The risks in the home are much much less than the risks of your cat being out in the big wide world, and in turn, makes for less vet bills as less accidents happen.

4. You will always know where Tiddles is, rather than worrying that he/she hasn't come home tonight.

5. A cat's natural instinct is to hunt for their own food. This instinct won't be acted upon by an indoor cat, as there is nothing to hunt. Some think it is unfair to stop a pet doing what they should naturally do, but if it is safer to keep them indoors, there are things you can do to mimic these instincts. There are many toys that can be bought from pet stores that satisfy your kitty's need to hunt, and rewarding them with a snack after they have played can help to satisfy this need. This also burns a lot of their energy. You must be willing to play with them and keep them active as they won't be getting this from running free.

6. There are some great cat food brands out there that are tailored to the indoor cat and take into account the fact that they don't get all the nutrients that come naturally to them through hunting. These foods have lots of nutrients in them to make up for that, so you have nothing to worry about!