Indoor Cats - Why? ● Contact Us ● Links

I have had the occasion where someone has questioned me because I have a picture of a Maine Coon kitten, Tasha, that is outdoors on my business card and on my website.

Our cats do not go outside except when we are with them.  And when we do take them out they on always on a lead.  At the time that Tasha’s picture was taken she had never been outdoors before.  She did not like the feel of the grass on her paws and therefore would not leave the rock.  We chose to take advantage of a great photo opportunity.

This is what your cat misses by staying indoors:

Getting hit by a car
Feline AIDS
Attacks by coyotes, raccoons, cougars
Pesticides and herbicides
Fleas
Abscesses (wounds that get infected)
Getting stolen
Human cruelty
Frostbite
Starvation
Getting picked up by animal control or trapped in a cat trap
Feline leukemia
Attacks by dogs or other domesticated predators
Poisoned food
Cat fights
Worms
Getting lost
Steel-jaw traps
Gunshot wounds
Cold, rainy weather

You will miss the heartache of not knowing where your beloved cat is when it disappears (possibly never to return) and the veterinary bills should your cat come home injured or ill.

Cats can be allowed outside but only in an enclosed, secured area and only when you are home and able to keep an eye on them. Here is an example of an outside run that could be a very beautiful addition to your yard. Another alternative to an outdoor run is adapting your backyard so that your cat can’t leave its safety and others can’t get in. See One Cat’s Paradise below.

This is the outdoor run was designed by Abbey and Guy Jones of WyndAbbey Maine Coons.  The photo is used with their permission. 

One Cat’s Pardise