Cats deserve a comfortable life at home
You and your Cats deserve may share a cottage or caravan, an apartment, a share-house, duplexes, houses, or farm. You have many options for keeping your cat safe at home, regardless of your budget.
By preventing your cat’s wandering from home, you can help protect them from being hit by cars, parasites, disease, and theft. All your cat needs can be met at home, the good news is! It is possible to provide enriching activities for your cat that will keep them healthy, happy, and active at home.
Although it is best to start at the beginning with a kitten or cat, you can make the transition to an at home lifestyle with patience and planning. You can find out more about this here.
Three main options are
1) Indoors only
2) Indoors with an outside enclosure
3) Indoors, with an outdoor space enclosed by an escape-proof fence
Exclusively indoors
The best and most economical option for your cat is to keep him indoors. A small home can still be interesting and fun for your cat.
All your cat’s basic needs can be met within your home. This includes eating and drinking, sleeping, scratching, hiding and toileting. Furniture, shelving, and scratching boards can be used to create different levels for your cat. You can allow your cat access to the outdoors by opening windows and doors with cat-proof flyscreens.
Please make sure that you have checked all the boxes:
- Food
- Water
- Scratching posts
- Litter trays
Hideouts equipped with soft bedding.
- Opportunities to climb (e.g. on shelves, on tops of furniture, climbing posts or platforms).
- Playtime includes the opportunity to chase, chase and pounce on toys and treats.
- Human-cat interaction (e.g., patting, grooming)
Indoors with an enclosed outdoor space
An outdoor enclosure can be a great way for your cat to feel safe and secure at home. An enclosure (e.g. a catio), can be attached directly to your cat’s indoor space, such as via a window or cat flap. This will allow them to decide where they want to spend their time. This is a great choice if your balcony or veranda can be made escapeproof. If you have the space you can build a freestanding enclosure (e.g., a cat condo).
It is important to create an outdoor enclosure that is attractive and comfortable for your cat. You will need to provide your cat with food, water and scratching posts. Your cat will feel secure and safe if there are places to hide in the enclosure.
Any outdoor enclosure must be safe for your cat and any other animals. It should be escape-proof (to stop your cat from running away) and animalproof (to prevent other animals from entering). It must be safe and away from any other animals such as dogs and cats. It is best to keep your cat away from other animals that could scare them, such as dogs next door. It is recommended that bird feeding stations be kept away from the enclosure. This can make it difficult to observe the birds, but also makes it more frustrating.
Indoor spaces with outdoor space enclosed by an escape-proof fence
There are many methods to escape-proof your backyard. These include fence products and systems, which can be retrofitted on top of an existing backyard or patio.
Modify an existing fence: If your fence is a continuous, solid one around your yard, you can make modifications to the top to prevent your cat’s purchase and climb over it. Rolling cylinders, smooth or plastic sheeting, and inward-inclining wire are all possible methods. You will need these to stop other cats from getting into your garden.
You can also install a new fence with an escape proof top, or use netting for an escape-proof and animals-proof space.
You should still take steps to reduce the risk to your cat’s safety in your backyard. However, escape-proof fencing will allow your cat to enjoy both indoor and outdoors living.
Be aware of the gap. You should inspect the gap regularly for escape routes, such as gaps between fences and gates, or where fences meet with buildings. You can stop cats from climbing trees that are close to your fence by attaching a metal or plastic band to the trunk. This will keep them at bay for at least two meters.
Although a cat kept in a yard can still injure or kill wildlife it may be fatal. By fitting your cat a bell or “scrunchie” collar, you can decrease the risk of your cat causing injury or death to wildlife.
Additional Resource:
https://www.pexels.com/search/cat/
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/cat
https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/pets/cats.html
