We touched on this topic before with a licensed article called The Flightless Wren and the Lighthouse that was originally written by Søren Bay Kruse Thomsen. If you would like to delve into this topic further, or from a slightly different perspective from another author, feel free to check out that article.
A new study by University of Maryland researchers has found that keeping cats indoors can significantly reduce the risks of transmitting diseases and hunting wildlife, which can have a negative impact on native animal populations and biodiversity. Yes, it took a study to tell us something so blatantly obvious that if it were a snake it would have bitten us (ironically, one of the many risks your cat faces when allowed to roam outdoors).
You may think it silly, that anyone would need to be told that plummeting native biodiversity due to domestic cats overhunting and risks of disease to their cat are bad things, even if you are among those who has an outdoor or indoor/outdoor feline. And while I agree that it is rather silly, it's important to note that this information is necessary, and in overwhelming amounts, due to the brick wall that it faces; the persistent lack of care about these issues from cat owners - nothing seems to make that wall budge. Not a single brick.
I'll be honest, I feel in my heart of hearts that this may be a colossal waste of my time, and possibly a waste of yours if you are in the "outdoor cats are fine" crowd. But maybe - just maybe - we can get somewhere on this issue if I throw enough information your way. Fingers crossed!
The aforementioned study were based on data from a survey that used 60 motion-activated wildlife cameras placed across 1,500 sampling locations. The researchers, unsurprisingly to anyone at all, emphasized that humans bear a primary responsibility in reducing these risks by keeping cats indoors after the completion of the study.
The cameras recorded what cats preyed on and demonstrated how they overlapped with native wildlife, which helped researchers understand why cats and other wildlife are present in some areas, but absent from others.
They discovered that the average domestic cat in D.C. has a 61% probability of being found in the same space as raccoons. In case you didn't know this already, raccoons are America’s most prolific rabies vector (carrier). They also had a 61% spatial overlap with red foxes, and 56% overlap with Virginia opossums, both of which can also spread diseases. It didn't take Daniel Herrera, the lead author of the study and Ph.D. student in UMD’s Department of Environmental Science and Technology, to conclude, “by letting our cats outside we are significantly jeopardizing their health.”
In addition to the risk of being exposed to diseases that they can then bring indoors to the humans in their families (such as rabies, toxoplasmosis, and external parasites such as fleas and mange), there is historical president for the concern of outdoor domestic cats hunting native species toward extinction and the general heavy predation on small mammals necessary for native predators to survive. The D.C. survey demonstrated that cats that are allowed to roam outside also share the same spaces with and hunt small native mammals, including squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, groundhogs, and white-footed mice. By hunting these animals, cats reduce biodiversity and degrade ecosystem health. For certain mammals this presents a problem, as their biodiversity lowers and their gene pool shrinks, inbreeding becomes inevitable. Extensive inbreeding is harmful for most mammal populations. [Pertinent book recommendation; Cat Wars: The Devastating Consequences of a Cuddly Killer by Chris Santella and Peter P. Marra]
“Many people falsely think that cats are hunting non-native populations like rats, when in fact they prefer hunting small native species,” explained Herrera. “Cats are keeping rats out of sight due to fear, but there really isn’t any evidence that they are controlling the non-native rodent population. The real concern is that they are decimating native populations that provide benefits to our ecosystem.”
In general, the presence of wildlife is associated with tree cover and access to open water. On the other hand, the presence of cats decreased with those natural features but increased with human population density. He says that these associations run counter to arguments that free-roaming cats are simply stepping into a natural role in the ecosystem by hunting wildlife. “These habitat relationships suggest that the distribution of cats is largely driven by humans, rather than natural factors,” explained Travis Gallo, assistant professor and advisor to Herrera. “Since humans largely influence where cats are on the landscape, humans also dictate the degree of risk these cats encounter and the amount of harm they cause to local wildlife.”
Herrera encourages pet owners to keep their cats indoors to avoid potential encounters between their pets and native wildlife, not all of which are diminutive. Cats can themselves fall victim to a variety of native species, such as foxes, coyotes, wolves, bobcats, copperhead snakes, owls, hawks, etc.
His research notes that feral cats are equally at risk of both contracting diseases and causing native wildlife declines, and they should not be allowed to roam freely where the risk of overlap with wildlife is high – echoing previous calls for geographic restrictions on where sanctioned cat colonies can be established or cared for.
But what if you don't really care all that much about the 2.4 billion native birds being killed by cats in the US each year? Are there reasons other than the preservation of our native species and the interruption of disease spread for keeping your cat confined? Of course! To start with; cars. In the United States, 5.4 million cats are hit by cars every year, 97% of which die from their injuries. For a cat lover, these should be deeply troubling numbers.
Outdoor cats also have a shorter average life expectancy. While a cat outdoors may live a long and normal life expectancy, it is far more common for them to survive an average of 2-5 years. When compared to the average 12-15 years for indoor-only cats, this hardly seems fair to the ones permitted to be outdoors.
To expand on the mention of parasites earlier, almost every cat with access to the outdoors carries within it a certain amount of parasites. Intestinal parasites can lead to a slow and painful death. When untreated, they can leading to progressive organ failure and in some cases anemia and even starvation. Parasites such as hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms are the most common. Toxoplasmosis is also a common parasitic infection, and this is transferable to other animals including humans.
Parasites don't just reside internally, infestations of external parasites can be just as threatening. Fleas and ticks are the most common external parasites, but mites that cause mange are also prevalent. And they can all spread disease and cause various illnesses. External parasites can be extremely difficult to rid your home of once they get inside, so having an indoor-only car that never goes outdoors can a vital step in avoiding such an infestation to begin with! Fleas alone can overrun a home very quickly. It can also be pricey, with professional exterminators often being required and it costing up to (and sometimes over) $400. Even cats who are strictly outside can cause an outbreak of fleas in the home. This happens in two main ways; they introduce the fleas into your home by going under the home and the fleas venturing up through the floors, and by hosting fleas until they jump onto your clothing while you pass by before you enter the home.
But is indoor-only good for cats? We highly recommend ongoing enrichment to stimulate your cat's mind and body, such as toys, access to a window (to stare out of), cat trees, or puzzle feeders. If you have a patio or a balcony, screened outdoor cat enclosures allow your cat to enjoy the fresh air without being able to come into direct contact with birds or other prey, and can keep them far from the hazardous streets where they could get hit by a car. These days "catios" are becoming very popular, with most of them incorporation a passage similar to that of a doggie door in a window that leads to a fully enclosed and safe place outside. Another solution is to train your cat to walk on a leash and harness. Just like dogs on walks are prevented from attacking squirrels, birds are protected by leashed cats.
If you are uncomfortable with your cat staying inside all of the time, there are some solutions besides walking your cat with a harness, or outdoor enclosures. If you’d prefer your cat to roam freely, but not kill so much, there are small neoprene bibs (called CatBibs) that interfere with pounce timing, preventing successful hunting. However, CatBibs do not protect cats from larger animals who are predators, such as coyotes, wolves, owls, and bobcats.
I would be remiss if I neglected to touch on the utility of outdoor cats in some situations. They are often employed as ratters and mousers on rural properties and farms. Many owners swear by them, even going as far as to claim their particular farm felines do not go after birds or other beneficial wildlife, only attacking pests. While this is certainly a service to a rural owner or farmer, it is important to note that despite the fact that one may not witness their farm cat killing non-rodent animals, it is statistically likely that they are in fact making up a majority of their prey. Birds are the most prolific prey item for these cats, statistically, and are prone to happening in the brush where the owner is likely to miss it. This can be inhibited somewhat by feeding prepared cat foods, but much of their killing behavior has been proven to be for sport and not out of hunger.
A potentially more fitting possibility for the rural or farm family in need of a ratter to keep their barns and property rat free, as well as ridding pastures of moles that can create dangerous holes for some livestock, is a ratting dog. Particularly dogs such as the Standard Dachshund, the Miniature Pinscher, and the Jack Russel Terrier, which are accomplished ratters and mole hunters if you acquire them from lines with decent drive. They will exclusively hunt rodents, and will avoid birds and other native wildlife. They are also easier to keep vaccinated than a barn cat, easier to train than a cat, generally more obedient than a cat, and unlikely to spread bacterial infections the way cats do. These lovely little canine make terrific family pets, usually do very well with children and other pets, and offer the added benefit of being more than willing to spend quality time indoors at night with the family.
Utilizing cats for ratting is statistically ineffective at best, as proven by many research studies including this one highlighted by Smithsonian Magazine. Unfortunately, data such as this gets heavily pushed back against by advocates of outdoor/barn cats, claiming their cat is an exception - which even if that were the case, wouldn't be a case for supporting cats being kept outdoors or being utilized for ratters. In the best of circumstances, their anecdotes - if true - would still constitute an exception. Much of this mindset is cemented by tradition, which often makes it a persistently immoveable concept.
Going Indoors
If you are an outdoor or indoor/outdoor cat owner and you are interested in transitioning your cat to living indoors, I've got good news for you. It is possible!
Advocates for outdoor cats frequently sight two things that they feel substantiate their endorsement of unfettered feline freedom;
it lets cats do what they would do instinctually
they enjoy being outside
Domestic cats are not wild cats. They did not evolve naturally in our environment, along with other native flora and fauna, to perpetuate a relative balance with the environment around them. On the contrary, they are extra-environmental in all natural environments worldwide. They do not naturally exist in the wild. Because of this - not fitting within a natural environment without upending it - the remnants of any instincts that may remain within them since they split from their ancient ancestor, the Felis silvestris lybica (African Wildcat), is irrelevant.
As far as their enjoyment, this is subjective from cat to cat. None of my cats want to go outdoors, although they do like to watch the birds and people from the safety of the interior side of the window. But some cats really do love being outside. Unfortunately, as is outlined in many different ways above, them being outdoors is neither what is statistically best for them or the environment around them. Finding ways to enrich them indoors is the responsibility of any cat owner, and it is especially true for the cats who want to venture outside.
Copious amounts of toys, playtime with you and the rest of the family, training (yes, this can be TONS of fun for cats, especially if it involves treats), treat puzzles, catnip toys, climbing trees, window seats, even cat exercise wheels are all incredible options for indoor cats to remain fulfilled and entertained. Incorporating as many as possible is a recipe for success. For any "behavioral problems" that may pop up, which normally consists of scratching furniture, the use of nail caps can be incredibly helpful.
Remember, cats fitting into your home is less about them adjusting to fit your expectations and more about you adjusting to meet their needs.
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