Should I Let My Cat Outdoors?
This can be a hot button topic. On one side, having access to the outdoors can be an enriching activity for some cats. On the other side, many shelters have seen that giving a new, untrained cat access to the outdoors often leads to them going missing and never being found or coming back in really rough shape.
For shelters who just put months of money and effort into getting a cat ready to be adopted (spay/neuter, microchip, vaccines, flea treatment, dewormer, pathogen testing, treatment for injuries, etc) it is heart breaking and frustrating to see one of their cats immediately put into the same danger they were just rescued from.
We’re not here to tell you what the right answer is, but if you’re watching a social media influencer take their adventure cat through the mountains, you should know that is NOT how the vast majority of cats will react on a harness in the outdoors.
More often than not, people do not realize all of the effort that goes into first deciding if a cat has the right personality for walking on a harness, and then the extensive training that must be done indoors, before ever attempting to take a cat outdoors. Here are several points to consider:
Do you understand all of the risks associated with taking a cat outdoors and the added vet expenses?
Especially if the cat escapes, there is a chance they might never be found again. If they are found, they may be injured by a stray cat, dog, racoon, other wild animal, car, etc. They may get fleas, ticks, coccidia, giardia, campy, a variety of worms.
Literally EVERY SINGLE cat the rescues take in who have been living outdoors for any amount of time have one or several of these things. An owner of a cat going outdoors regularly, even if they don’t escape, will need to stay on top of flea, tick and worm preventative as well as more frequent fecal tests and treatment when something is contracted. All of this will be more expensive than with a cat who is indoors only.
Is the cat interested in going outdoors?
Most cats can live indoors only and be completely happy. Owners should get to know their cat for SEVERAL MONTHS first to learn if the cat is interested and has the right temperament to potentially be harness trained. In many instances, it’s the owner that wants to bring the cat outdoors more than the cat wants to go outdoors.
Is the cat able to walk calmly on a harness while indoors?
Often owners skip this step. All of the training should be done 100% indoors first until the cat is completely comfortable wearing the harness and walking calmly next to the owner in it. This can take many weeks to many months to train.
Has the cat been trained to have a reliable recall?
This is more training that needs to be done 100% indoors before a cat is ever brought outside. Getting a cat to come when called is very difficult, and they need to do it reliably, even with ample distractions present.
Do you realize ANY cat can get out of ANY harness no matter how well trained?
A cat-proof harness quite literally DOES NOT EXIST. Properly fit harnesses make it more difficult for a cat to escape, but cats are liquid and if they are spooked, they can and will get out of a harness in seconds. This is why it is so important they are trained both to walk comfortably in a harness and trained to have a reliable recall before ever going outdoors.
Are you bringing a cat backpack with you every single time the cat goes outdoors?
Even with perfect training, owners cannot control other people’s dogs, wild animals, enticing birds, etc. Should the cat come across anything scary or too distracting during a walk, the owner should have a backpack available so the cat can be scooped up and placed in the backpack for safety until the distraction has passed.
Are you prepared to deal with a cat wanting to go outside daily, often multiple times a day?
Once a cat is properly harness trained, they often will become more aggressive about trying to get outside, so they will need to be taken out daily, sometimes multiple times a day, much like a dog would. The owner will need to be prepared to have to take the cat out when it’s raining, snowing, etc.
Make the best decision for YOUR CAT
We all want what’s best for our furry family members, but sometimes assuming your cat is the same as every adventure cat you see online can put them in harms way. Take your time. Get to know your new cat. Don’t rush the process and don’t force them to be something they’re not. Love them for whatever kooky personality they have, even if that means they’re a homebody. We all love a homebody. ❤️
