Indoor? Or outdoor?

Now that you’ve chosen a cat to be your new pet, you need to decide, before you bring him/her home, whether he/she will be an indoor cat or an outdoor cat. There is much debate in the pet world over this issue. So you should educate yourself on the different fields of thought and the positive and negative sidesbefore you decide.

Many cat owners (as well as animal activists) strongly believe that all housecats should be kept indoors. The major reason behind this belief is that a cat that is kept indoors is safer than a cat kept outdoors. Studies have shown that outdoor cats have shorter life spans than indoor cats because of all the additional dangers they face. Another reason given to support keeping cats indoors is to help control the over-population of cats.

Other cat owners believe that cats belong outdoors with the freedom to run, play, and sleep outside. They feel that all felines should be allowed to wonder around freely, stopping home to get food now and then, but able to come and go as they please.

If you’re torn, another option is to keep your cat indoors most of the time but also provide him/her a safe place to play outdoors. By purchasing a cat carrier, you will give your cat the opportunity to experience fresh air and sunshine for short periods of time without the dangers of frostbite, heatstroke, encounters with other animals, or other threats of the outdoors. In the end, only you can decide whether you will have an indoor or an outdoor cat.