Make a resolution this year to keep your pet indoors.
According to the
Friends of Animal Care & Control, the average lifespan for an indoor cat is 13 to 17 years.
Outdoor cats live an average of two years, according this in part due to the dangers that lurk outside (cars, predators, etc).
Here are seven helpful tips from the
Humane Society to keep your felines safely indoors:
1. Start young. Kittens who are kept indoors usually show no desire to venture outside when they grow up.
2. Install a perch near a sunny window; padded perches can be purchased at many pet supply stores or through catalog retailers.
Another option is an enclosure that sits in a window frame (much like an air conditioning unit) and provides a secure space in which your kitty can "hang out."
Larger options are available that attach to the side of a house or ground-floor apartment patio.
It's best to allow your cat access to these when someone is home to supervise.
3. Buy a ready-made cat tree (often called a "kitty condo"), or make your own. A cat tree may stretch from floor-to-ceiling or be shorter.
It provides great climbing opportunities and, in multi-cat households, creates more play and rest areas by taking advantage of vertical space.
4. Play with your cat each day. Try different types of toys that recreate "fishing," "chasing," and "flying" prey.
And leave "toys" such as paper bags and cardboard boxes out when you are not home.
5. Give your cat a feline friend --they can provide one another with companionship and entertainment.
6. Plant cat grass (available from pet supply stores) in indoor pots so your feline can graze.
7. Clean the litter box regularly.
According to FACC, even cats who are protected from roaming free should still be outfitted with a collar and visible identification.
The occasional open window (make sure your windows have secure screens) or door offers a tempting opportunity for your cat to explore the outdoors.
And your cat may become frightened and make her way outside if strangers come to work on your house or if there is a fire or similar disaster.
The collar and visible ID could help someone get your pet back to you.
