14 Reasons to Keep Your Cat Indoors

Wondering why it’s better to keep your cat indoors, whether you live in the city or the countryside? Here’s a great list of reasons to consider!

1. Protect Wildlife: Birds are the main victims, and their numbers are declining. Young animals are also vulnerable because they can’t defend themselves.
   

2. Greatly Reduce Risk of Contagious Diseases: Such as feline leukemia (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, and others.
   

3. Limit Parasite Transmission: Internal and external parasites—worms, fleas, ticks, etc.—spread easily. While preventive treatments exist, the simplest way is to keep your cat indoors.
   

4. Avoid Accidental Ingestions: Poisonings from plants or toxic substances, and foreign objects. If you don’t know what your cat swallowed, it’s hard to gauge how serious it might be.
   

5. Prevent Tragic Accidents: Mainly falls causing fractures and vehicle accidents that can cause death or injury. Cats outside alone may hide when hurt, making it harder to find them.
   

6. Help Shelters and Trappers: Outdoor pet cats often interfere with trapping and rescuing true feral cats who need help, by entering traps, breeding with feral cats, or eating bait meant for them.
   

7. Protect Your Cat from Fights: Cats don’t always live in harmony. Unneutered males are usually the most involved in territorial disputes.
   

8. Avoid Theft or Relocation: Sometimes people take friendly outdoor cats—collar or no collar—to keep them, relocate them (e.g., if they urinate on their property), or drop them off at animal services.
   

9. Prevent Contact with Harmful People: Unfortunately, some people dislike cats and may harm them by shooting, poisoning, or worse.
   

10. Fight Feline Overpopulation: An indoor cat will never reproduce. Too many litters are born outside unnoticed, and kittens often face health problems. Being born outside is no life at all.
    

11. Reduce the Risk of Disappearance: Cats that go outside are more likely to go missing due to the risks mentioned above. Sick cats tend to hide somewhere quiet to pass away.
    

12. Avoid Attacks by Other Animals: Dogs, coyotes, and others pose serious threats. Cats often don’t return from these attacks, which are often fatal.
    

13. Protect Against Extreme Weather: Heatwaves and severe cold can cause health issues. Keeping your cat indoors provides a safe, temperature-controlled environment.
    

14. Increase Life Expectancy: Outdoor cats live on average 2 to 5 times shorter lives than indoor cats, due to all the accumulated risks. This is serious. Without an emergency medical plan, your cat’s life could end much sooner than expected.

    
    

Convinced that your kitty should stay indoors? Great! Now make sure their environment meets their needs: scratching posts, cat trees, window access to watch outside, various toys, hiding spots, and interactive bowls or toys.

If despite these facts you decide to let your cat outside, make sure they are microchipped, vaccinated, and especially spayed or neutered to reduce risks for them, you, and feral cats. Pet insurance is also HIGHLY recommended, as outdoor cats face many more health problems and accidents.