Have you recently decided to keep your cat indoors? If so, you’ve made a great choice! While Fluffy may really enjoy fun outdoor activities like chasing moths, climbing your screen door, and refusing to come when you call her, she’s really much better off staying inside. In this article, an Oconomowoc, WI veterinarian offers advice on keeping your kitty indoors.
If you tell Fluffy that she’ll be both safer and healthier indoors, your feline pal will likely only yawn or blink in response. This information probably won’t stop her from meowing at the door, either. Don’t let your furball change your mind! As soon as your kitty sets her cute little paws outdoors, she is exposed to serious danger from cars, predators, weather, chemicals, parasites, and other hazards. Cats that go outdoors are also much more likely to get lost, hurt, or killed than indoor kitties.
To keep Fluffy purring and happy, make your home as cat-friendly as possible. This basically entails getting plenty of cat toys, and offering your furry buddy lots of soft napping spots to snuggle up in. We recommend getting some kitty furniture, such as a cat tower or pet tent. Cats love birdwatching, so give your furball a comfy window seat, so she can relax and spy on the neighborhood wildlife. It’s also important to play with your kitty regularly. A fun play session will burn off Fluffy’s excess energy, and satisfy her need to hunt. You can also set some pet-safe plants out at floor level, to give your feline friend a little taste of nature. Check the ASPCA site for a list of non-toxic plants.
If your furball is used to coming and going as she pleases, it may take time for her to accept living indoors. When your kitty sniffs or meows at the door, squirt her with water from a spray bottle, or make a loud noise. Your furry pal won’t be hurt, but she will be startled, and may head for one of her hiding spots to reconsider the benefits of getting too close to the door. Never punish your adventurous feline for trying to go outside, however: you may just reinforce Fluffy’s desire to get outdoors!
Please contact us, your Oconomowoc, WI animal clinic, for all your cat’s veterinary care needs. We are here to help!