Advice for Indoor Only Cats?

Question:  Hi, I am a sweet little kitten, sometimes I look outside and see other cats playing and cannot wait to get out there myself, when will my new owner will let me go outside to play?
From Anxious Kitten

Dear Anxious Kitten
Do not be surprised if your new owner decides to keep you indoors a little longer, or if they decide to keep you indoors for the rest of your life.  Many new cat owners ask "When can my kitten go outside?"  and learn that their new kitten should not go outside until it is fully vaccinated and spayed or neutered.  Kittens who are not spayed have many risks, cat sexually transmitted diseases are common and pregnancy in a kitten (if you are female you might go into heat as early as 5 months of age) is very dangerous - cats in heat should never go outside.  You should have also been kept indoors for at least a month so you are familiar with your home. 

New kitten owners are usually told not to let their kitten outside, there are lots of risks to kittens who go outside, including bigger cats, eagles, foxes, traffic, and neighbors who hate cats.  I know the outside looks fun, but it can be a dangerous place for a little kitten.

Question:  I am a big cat, big because I am getting fatter everyday. I like being indoors but have nothing to do except eat.  What can I do to keep thin and trim as an indoor only cat?
From Fat Kitty

Dear Fat Kitty
Do be aware that your size might not be related to being indoors, some outside cats are fat too, in fact obesity is a common problem in cats and is often related to being fed a poor quality food (one with very little meat and lots of filler and fat to add flavor). You might need to be put on a kitty diet.

Of course your weight could be due to lack of exercise as you said you do not really do much other than eat.  This is your owner's fault.  They should try to give you more cat toys and spend more time playing with you to keep you active.  Cats like toys they have not seen for a while so your owner should have a lot of toys but should keep some hidden from you and switch them around regularly.  Your owner can even move your cat furniture around too and should try to engage you in playing more often.

There are many ways to keep an indoor only cat happy and healthy.

Question:  Hello, cats are suppose to be outdoors right, so why does my stupid owner keep me inside all the time?
From Frustrated Cat

Dear Frustrated Cat
Cats were domesticated thousands of years ago, nobody wrote any rules up saying they had to be outside.  In most areas domestic cats are healthier, and safer, if kept indoors only.  Some people hate cats and have found ways to hurt them if the cat comes into their yard.  There are risks of diseases from other cats (even if you are vaccinated) as well as fights.  Plus many cats who go outside become lost, or are stolen.  Many cities actually have laws saying that cats must be kept on their owners property, but problems occur because cats do not follow rules too well.  Sadly when they stray some cats end up in shelters and if not adopted they are euthanized.  Cats are often hit and killed by cars, even if they have gone outside and crossed the road safely hundreds of times before.

Maybe your owner is not so stupid after all, maybe they are keeping you indoors because they love you.

If you can manage to convince your owner to let you outside they would be best to build you a catio or cat enclosure first so that you can remain safely enclosed.  Or they can train you to walk on a leash and as such can take you out safely.

Advice for Cats that Want to Go Outside

Dear Animal's Advice:

My owner is a prison warden holding me prisoner. I am a male cat and it is spring, I would really like to be outside now. There is so much to do outside. Why is my owner so cruel to keep me indoors, how can I escape?

Signed Jailcat

Dear Jailcat

It may seem to you that your owner is being mean by keeping you indoors, but your owner is actually doing you a favor, and is being a responsible cat owner. It is recommended by nearly every animal welfare group, including the SPCA, and humane society, that cats be kept indoors only and not allowed to roam freely even if laws allow it.

Cats who go outside face many risks. Being hit by a car is probably the most common risk, but cats who are outdoors are also at risk of being poisoned by neighbors (either intentionally, or accidentally). Cats who go outside are often taken and dumped in other parts of town because other people don't like them being out (pooping in the yard, spraying, meowing, digging). You are at risk for diseases from other cats, cat fights, and even other animals – depending where you live.

Cats who go outdoors are said to have much shorter lifespans, on average, than cats who are indoors only. On farms the average outdoor only cat only lives to one year of age (although certainly many live longer, most die while young). In most cities the average lifespan for a cat that goes outdoors is two years, cats who are kept indoors only often live well into their teens.

If you are not neutered this could also be a reason your owner has you confined indoors only. Male cats who are not neutered tend to roam further, and can get lost, as they look for female cats. They also tend to get into more fights and will “spray” to mark territory – which lots of people do not like. Cats who are not fixed (spayed or neutered) should not go outside at all.

As well a cat who is not vaccinated should not go outside.  Cats who are declawed should not go outside either!   It is just too risky, what if you are attacked?  You cannot climb a tree.  Some declawed cats try to look tough by fighting back but that is a bad idea too as you have no weapons. 

What I am saying is that your owner is not being cruel, they are being responsible.

An other idea is a “catio” or cat enclosure. This would be an area that is built so you can go outside without leaving your owners property. Some people go so far as to put up a cat fence around their yard to contain their feline, or have it leash trained. Leash training a cat takes time and you should not be tied up outdoors or you could be at risk from cat thieves, wandering dogs, and so forth.

Advice for Dogs who have House Training Problems

Question:  Woof, I am a cute 4 month old Shih Tzu pup who cannot be housebroken. My owner lets me out several times a day, and always gives me treats when they bring me in, why am I not house trained yet? Please help me I do not want to be a bad dog.

Signed, Frustrated Pup

Dear Frustrated Pup

Your owner is to blame, they are not house training you correctly, and some puppies, such as Shih Tzus need extra training. Your owner needs to go out with you every time they put you outside to pee and poo. Your owner needs to reward you immediately after you do your thing outside. By waiting until you come in they have only trained you to come inside, not to do your business outside.  Crate training might be a good idea for your owner to consider.

Question:  Hello, I am a Yorkshire Terrier dog and I am so confused at what I am suppose to be doing. My owner has pads in the house for me to pee and poop on, and sometimes take me outside to use the yard, but sometimes they get mad at me for peeing and pooping inside on other things, why is this?

Signed, Confused

Dear Confused

Your owner's house training method is sending mixed messages. The pee pads are generally a bad idea since they tell dogs that it's okay to pee and poop on carpets, towels, and other things, but the owners expect you to only use the pads, or go outside.  Some dogs simply play with the pads and tear them to shreds!  The pads are okay to use if you are in an apartment up high, and cannot get out to a yard. 

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Question:  Hi there, I am a very attentive Border Collie puppy, I am very smart, and really want to please my owner, but feel hurt by my owner who hits me every time I mess in the house, what can I do to stop this?

Signed Hurt

Dear Hurt

Border Collies are smart for sure, and quick to learn. Your owner may not realize it but they are rewarding you for messing in the house. Dogs love attention, especially smart dogs. Hitting, yelling, and so forth are, in an odd way, a reward to the dog, plus when it happens after the fact the dog may not even associate it with messing in the house. This is another house training owner error because you should always be watched when indoors - dogs who are supervised, and taken out immediately when they start giving signs (sniffing, circling) do not mess in the house!

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Question:  Hello, I am a handsome one year old Pit Bull terrier mix, and for some reason I pee on everything. My owner is not at all happy about this, I was fully house trained until recently, but not I cannot seem to stop the need to urinate on everything, inside, and out.

Signed, Messy

Dear Messy

If you are a male dog, and are not neutered, this is probably because of your hormones. This is common as male dogs mature and can start feeling the urge to leave their scent everywhere they go. Another concern might be a health issue. This would be if you are female, or are a neutered male dog, or even an intact male dog. If you have a bladder infection, or other urinary tract problem, you would feel the need to urinate quite often.  Your owner should take a urine sample to the veterinarian to check for urinary tract infections or problems.

©Brenda Nelson

Further Reading for Dog Owners

How to House Train a Puppy

Why Pee Pee Pads may be a Bad Idea

What is a Pit Bull Terrier Dog?

Coprophagia - Dogs who Eat Poop