“The hazards of the outdoors – automobiles, dogs, rival cats, poisonous plants, infectious diseases, and fleas, to name but a few – are compelling reasons to keep cats exclusively indoors. It is especially important to keep declawed cats indoors, as they are poorly equipped to defend themselves or escape danger by climbing trees. Indoor cats are unquestionably safer and healthier than outdoor cats, and they make better household pets. They don’t endanger birds and other wildlife or bring home fleas or dead animals, nor do they need frequent visits to the veterinarian to treat injuries sustained in scraps with rival cats.

Screened-in porches or specially constructed window enclosures allow indoor-only cats to sniff the fresh air, peruse the goings-on outside, and bask in the sun. By regularly changing the indoor environment, you can help keep your cat challenged; strategically situated empty cardboard boxes or plain brown shopping bags (minus the handles) can provide an old space with new interest.

If you want to allow outdoor excursions, let your cat out only in areas where escape is impossible and other animals cannot intrude. Do not let a cat out in early morning or late afternoon through evening when birds and other small animals are feeding. Midday is safer for your local fauna. Although few cats will accompany their owners in the same way a dog would, with a little patience most young cats can be trained to at least tolerate a harness and go for an occasional stroll. Access to windowsills gives indoor cats the pleasure of observing the world outdoors.

To turn an outdoor cat into an indoor cat: Confine the cat to one room (a bathroom is fine) with no absorbent surfaces except a litter box. Interact and play with her often. When she is using the box regularly, allow the cat some time out of the room under your supervision. When you are sure she will return to the box, give her more space, eventually allowing her to explore unsupervised. Provide access to sunny windowsills, play stalk-and-pounce games before meals, and watch carefully to be sure she doesn’t dive for the door any time it’s opened. Outdoor cats usually adapt to being indoor-only cats within several weeks.”

Bristol University, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Langford House, Langford, Avon BS18 7DU, UK (Excerpted from: Handbook of Feline Medicine, Willis J. Wolf A; Pergamon Press, Oxford OX3 OBW, England)

“The human/cat relationship is based on many, often contrasting factors. Indoors the cat is valued for its cleanliness, affection and playfulness, and admired for its highly evolved play behaviour. Although not a group hunter, the cat retains an enormous capacity to be sociable and accepts the benefits of living in the human family and den without compromising its self-determining and independent behaviour.

The cat views the members of its human family largely as maternal figures. In their company, the adult cat continues much of its kitten behaviour, such as relaxed purring, initiation of playful and affectionate encounters and willingness to respond to vocal and tactile cues.”

Professor of Behavioral Pharmacology and Director of the Behavior Clinic at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine and internationally known specialist in domestic animal behavioral research, states:

“It’s a lot safer to keep cats indoors. The average lifespan of an indoor cat is around twelve to fourteen years, while outdoor cats are lucky to reach double digits. I personally have lost three cats prematurely to trauma over the past fifteen years. Two were struck by vehicles on a fairly quiet road, and the other was killed by a roaming neighborhood dog. Because of experiences like this I have certainly had cause to think long and hard about letting future cats out. At present, our cats remain indoors where they’re safest.”