I have had many kitties that I have known and loved over the years, but Miss Fleur is the very first cat that I have kept totally indoors.
We adopted her from Kitten Kapers Rescue, which strongly recommends keeping kitties indoors, and I’ve been converted.
Statistics prove that indoor kitties live much longer than their counterparts who are allowed to roam, and it’s certainly been my experience.
7 Good Reasons to Have an Indoor Kitty
So here are the top 7 reasons why I have an indoor kitty:
- I don’t have to worry about ticks (we lost a kitty to a tick a couple of years ago).
- Fleas aren’t a problem.
- They don’t run away (we had a kitty that disappeared many years ago).
- I don’t have to worry about those little “presents” being brought in – lizards, mice, even a small snake once … ewwww.
- I don’t have to worry that my kitty will get run over (like my last kitty did).
- No muddy footprints in the house when it rains!
- We never have to worry about her getting
into cat fightsbashed up by other cats in the neighbourhood 🙂 .
But mainly, it’s so my heart doesn’t get broken again when a beloved pet is taken too soon 🙁 .
Indoor kitties are a little bit more work, it’s true. Apart from litter tray duties, you need to make sure they still get exercise and have plenty of entertainment.
Fleur loves to gaze out the window and swat at passing moths or butterflies; if a fly comes into the house, she goes crazy until she catches (and eats) it!
When she wants to climb, hubster has made her a “cat castle” shaped like a row boat! Her favourite toys are plastic straws, cotton buds, and her “mouse” on a piece of elastic which we dangle in front of her.
When she wants a semi-outdoor experience, she just heads out to one of our patio areas which has been enclosed with shade cloth, and chews on the potted catgrass which I keep specially for her 😉 .
Somehow I don’t think Miss Fleur is missing out at all …
Is your four-legged fur baby an inside or outside animal?
The neigbour’s cat that has adopted our family is more of an outdoor cat and I’m guessing if we decide to keep him, he will always be an outdoor cat. I was getting up and down to him overnight to let him in and out but I’ve started leaving a window open, so he can just come and go. I think I would much rather an indoor cat, fleas are no fun and I do worry about him being hit by a car.
I’m enjoying the benefits of an indoor cat, but realise it would be hard to change an older cat’s ways. Our last cat used to bolt for outside as soon as the door way open, whereas Miss Fleur, having never been outside, doesn’t even try!
Both of mine are indoor cats because I live in a unit but also for all the reasons you said. And stats do show that indoor cats live longer. I try to keep them as entertained as possible and they are allowed in the balcony with me but I still wonder whether Buttons in particular needs to be outdoors. He gets quite aggressive and attacks Pebbles who as a result, is quite anxious at the moment. We have been contemplating walking Buttons with a leash to get some exercise {he’s the fat one!} and some of that energy out. Will have to wait and see if that works! 🙂
When we were caravanning around Australia we met a couple travelling with their kitty, he was and “indoor” (caravan!) kitty but they used to take him for walks on a leash which was very cute 🙂
Growing up we had indoor cats, so iv kept my cats inside too. I have two indoor cats Jack & Cat aged 17 & 6 🙂
17! Wow! The oldest cat I’ve had was 15, though most have lasted a lot less longer than that 🙁
while we were looking at houses recently we saw one whic had an enclosed cat run all down the side of the house, it was pretty impressive.