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Indoor Cat or Outdoor?

Till about five years back, I used to be someone who thought cats NEED to be outdoors, they're not creatures who can or should be restricted indoors. I stand humbly corrected now, after seeing my flatmate's happy and healthy indoor cat, and then having my own indoor cats for the last five years.

Cats can be and are happy enough to be indoors all the time. It's a question of how they are brought up, and how enriching you can make their indoor life. All my rescues now get adopted as indoor cats, and I'm happy to report that they're all thriving. Indoor cats have a much longer life - up to 17 years, as compared to their outdoor counterparts - an average lifespan of 3-6 years! How's that for an endorsement?

The arguments for keeping a cat indoors revolve around two important aspects: safety and health.
  • An outdoor cat faces many dangers. Talking specifically about India, the sheer number of street dogs (who I love, for the record) is the biggest danger. Countless outdoor cats and kittens are killed by dogs every day. Cats also get into fights with other cats, and can get gravely injured. Cats are quite territorial so your cat invading some other cat's territory will not be taken kindly. Cats also get into a lot of violent fights during mating/breeding season.
  • Another big peril an outdoor cat faces is from vehicles. In India, the number of vehicles and the complete disregard for the life of an animal make it a very risky affair for a cat to go outdoors regularly.
  • You cat stands a chance of getting lost. Cats do have a very good sense of direction, but it's quite possible for it to wander off and then not be able to find their way home. You cat is used to a comfortable home, safe from rains and heat and cold, and is not used to hunting or scavenging for food. Survival on the streets for a lost domestic cat is very tough. 
  • A cat that has access to the outdoors always has a possibility of picking up fleas, worms, parasites and some serious diseases, like FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus), FeLV (feline leukemia), feline distemper, etc. Some of these can also be caused by the creatures your cat will hunt outdoors. 
  • Humans are a threat to outdoor cats. Some consider cats to be a nuisance and can go to the extent of getting them caught and displaced or poisoning them. Many cases of gypsies stealing cats have been witnessed in cities like Chennai. These gypsies eat cat meat and are often hired by humans to "get rid" of cats from their neighborhood. And domestic cats are the easiest to catch.
  • You domestic cat still has hunting instincts and is a predator of small wildlife like birds and squirrels. Since you are proving food for your cat, it doesn't need to hunt for survival - and in such cases, it makes sense to spare a thought to the damage being done to wildlife by your cat. 
  • Moving houses or cities with an indoor cat is a simple affair, moving with an outdoor cat is a big challenge. Your new locality may not be as safe as the older one, and that puts your cat and you in a very vulnerable position. 

So, how does one keep a cat happy indoors? There are a lot of things you can do to make sure your cat doesn't get bored indoors.

Regular playtime
Set aside time for two play sessions a day - at least 20 mins each. Get (or make) some cat toys. My cat loves being chased around the house. Leave out some cardboard boxes with some holes in them. If you have more than one cat, they're likely to play with each other too. If you have the time and skill, make a cat condo or buy some cat trees. Put up planks along the wall for them to climb and jump. All this can be done without burning a hole in your pocket too!

Access to outdoor sights, sounds, and smells
Put a table or chair next to a locked or meshed window, so that your cat can sit or lie on it and watch the outdoors, birds and such. It keeps them entertained. You could build a catio, or simply put grills on your balcony and let the cat have full access to it. The cat gets fresh air and sunlight as well!

Diet
Indoor cats get lesser exercise as compared to outdoor ones, so they are more likely to put on weight. Make sure you give your cat a balanced diet, right quantities at the right time.

Scratch pads and posts
Cats regularly need to scratch - to keep their nails sharp and remove the dead outer layer of their claws, to mark their territory by leaving both a visual mark and a scent (they have scent glands on their paws), and to stretch their bodies and flex their feet and claws. Buy or make a scratch pad for your cat, or bring a log of wood inside. My cats love cardboard boxes, that's their favorite scratch pad!

Leash walks
This is a very new concept as far as India is concerned. Cat leashes and harnesses are available in India now (here and here). Some cats take to it easily and some take a long time. But once they get used to it, it's a great way to take your cats safely outside. Please keep in mind that a cat should be taken on a leash with a body harness, not a neck collar.

And then the big question: Can an outdoor cat adapt to a life indoors?

Yes, with a lot of patience. I have a very stubborn, blind cat - Midnight. In yer younger days, she had partial vision, and we lived in a safe gated community with no stray dogs. So she used to come and go as she pleased (albeit with multiple injuries on and off). With time her vision worsened, and we moved to an unsafe neighborhood as well, and the injuries got more serious. But Midnight is one of those cats who wouldn't even use the litter box in the house, she was a total outdoor baby.
It was a very tough decision for us to make to keep her indoors, we had to choose between her freedom and her survival. And she was miserable at first. She hated it and looked for the smallest chance to run away. Lost her appetite for a while, got a slightly destructive streak. But slowly, she came around. We did 3-4 leash walks with her a day, and we built her a nice enclosure for her to hang out in. With time, she got used to it, and now is a happy and safe indoor cat, who comes running to us at the sound of her leash being taken off the hook.

Having known dozens of cats in my life, I can say with confidence that if Midnight can transform into an indoor cat, your cat can, too. Patience, patience, and more patience.

Midnight, now a happy and safe indoor cat - at 12 years of age!



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