Many cat lovers of today believe it is safest to keep their cats indoors, while others believe that cats should have the freedom to roam in the great outdoors.

However, some of you may have no idea about what is really best for your cats’ safety and wellbeing.
You may be asking yourself the following question.

Am I being too protective by not letting my cat outside, or are there real dangers to my cats’ wellbeing if I let them roam freely?

We may need to be reminded that it is our duty to take responsibility for our cats’ health, safety and welfare as we were the ones that domesticated them. 

The healthiest and safest option for your cat is to keep them indoors.

For those of you allowing your cats to roam free around the neighbourhood, consider the following reasons as to why you should keep your cat indoors.

Reasons to Keep Cats Indoors

Urinary Tract/Bowel Health

If your cat occasionally or frequently does their business outside, you are unable to monitor problems that may occur with their urinary tract or bowel.

It is important that you keep an eye on your cats toilet behaviours as problems such as urinary tract blockages, constipation, bowel blockages or mega-colon may be present.

Diseases

Cats that are allowed to roam free outside will always come in contact with other cats. Parasites and more serious diseases can be transmitted from any form of contact with another cat. 

Serious disease that can be transmitted include:

• FeLV (Feline Leukemia)
• FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis)
• Panleukopenia (Feline Distemper)
• FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus)
• Zoonotic Diseases

Cats are also prone to skin cancer if they are over exposed to the sun, especially white or light-coloured cats.
Other dangerous diseases can also be transmitted from mice your cat may play with or eat.

Motor Vehicles

According to sources, it has been said that more cars are killed by getting hit by a car than being euthanized in U.S animal shelters annually. 

Even the most cautious and careful drivers cannot avoid hitting a cat that may run across the road. Unfortunately, you will never be able to train your cat to be road savvy and therefore cats roaming the streets are in great danger of being hit by a car.

Wildlife Dangers

Cats can be in serious danger of wildlife predators depending on the area they are living in. Wild dogs and even domesticated large dog breeds are a huge threat to cats. Wildlife such as foxes, owls, and dingoes will also prey on cats.

Although cats have some great defensive mechanisms including their sharp claws and teeth, a dog double the size of a cat is much stronger and could easily take a cat’s life.

Neighbour Problems

Keep in mind not everyone is a cat person. Cats that are let out are most likely to roam into your neighbour’s yards and possibly even use these areas as their litter box. 

Therefore, issues can arise amongst you and your neighbours if your cat is wandering into unwanted places. In extreme cases, some neighbours may even call animal services if they think a cat is stray or the same cat continues to annoy them.

Cat Fights

Cats are very territorial creatures and if challenged by another cat will defend their territory until death. Generally, a cats’ territory will encompass the house they live in including the perimeter of the garden. In wild cats, it can be up to a 2-kilometre radius. 

Therefore, if another cat comes within this territorial radius of another cat, their instinct is to fight them. These territorial battles can often result in abscessed wounds, which if not treated in time can be deadly. If bitten, cats can also contract FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus).

Human Abuse

Unfortunately, there are some not so nice people out there who do not care about animals and are not afraid to hurt them. 

There is a possibility that these types of people will come in contact with your cat if they are roaming freely which can lead to very upsetting outcomes. This person could even be one of your neighbours.

Danger to Wildlife

Although cats are in danger of larger wildlife when they go outside, they are also predators and will in danger small wildlife such as birds, mice and lizards. 

Most of you probably do not like seeing your cat harm or kill other wildlife, therefore keeping them inside is best for you and will help protect wildlife to some degree.

Lost/Stolen

Outdoor cats will often widen their outdoor territories and can be away from their home for long enough to be taken in by people who fear they are lost/stray, rescue groups or the animal control. 

According to studies, it is said that only 3% of cats turned into shelters after being lost are returned to their owners. In serious cases cats can also be stolen to be used as “bait” for people training dogs to fight.

Weather Conditions

Weather conditions can change in the blink of an eye and can get bad quickly. If extreme weather is approaching, you don’t want to be worrying about your cats’ whereabouts and whether or not they will come back in time. 

During the colder months, it is especially important to keep your cat indoors as if they are left out overnight or for a long period of time they could quickly die from hypothermia.

Alternatives for Outdoor Cats

If you are now thinking about keeping your cat indoors, here are just a few things to keep in mind and try out if your cat is used to the outdoors or if you have a kitten you would like to grow up to be an indoor cat.

Exercise Indoors

Cats can get a healthy amount of exercise whether they are indoors or outdoors. However, because being indoors is a safer option there are a few things your cat can do to keep well exercised. 

Interactive toys, climbing towers and scratching posts will all help with getting your cat the exercise they need.

Cat Leash

Any cat can be trained to a harness and leash.
At first, they will probably feel a bit confined by the harness and will naturally choose to lie on their belly. 

However, with time and patience you can get your cat to eventually enjoy a small walk on a leash. Be sure to start by trying your cat on the leash indoors at first and eventually move to outside. A little bit of leash walking a day should have your cat happy walking in no time. Never use a collar as they can easily slip off and never leave your cat tied up unattended.

Outdoor Enclosures

If you want to give your cat a little more freedom to roam, outdoor enclosures are ideal. You can create and build these from scratch or buy enclosures specifically made for cats that you have to assemble. 

A good enclosure will allow your cat to have the freedom to explore an outside area whilst being safe and protected from harm. 

At some point in time you may have heard from somewhere or someone that if your dog or cat has a dry and warm nose they are sick.

So, if their nose is dry are they sick?

In most cases no. 

The dry and warm nose theory is a myth.

So, what does it mean if you dog or cat has a dry nose? 

Here are the reasons behind your pet’s dry nose and what symptoms to look out for if you pet is actually sick.

A Dry Nose

You may notice that your dog or cats nose is sometimes wet and cool and other times it is warm and dry. Your pets’ nose will naturally change from one texture to another throughout a day. There may be a few additional reasons as to why your pets nose becomes dry.

Additional Reasons why your pets nose is dry:

• They have been sleeping
  Whilst your dog or cat is asleep they will stop licking their nose therefore stopping the constant flow of moisture to the nasal area.
  
  
• They have been in the sun
  Your pet may have been outside in the sun or sun-baking resulting in a warm and dry nose due to the heat.
  
  
• They have been near hot air
  During the colder months, your pet may snuggle up near a heater to keep warm which will result in a dry and warm nose due to the heat.

Nose Symptoms of a Sick Pet

If you notice changes in texture such as the nose becoming crusty and flaky or changes in colour, you should seek your vet.

A prolonged dry, cracked and loss of pigmentation nose with scabs should be checked by your vet asap.

If your pet is sick they will usually have a warm, dry nose with additional symptoms, such as vomiting, loss of appetite, diarrhea or becoming very lethargic. 

Potential Nose Conditions to Be Aware of

If you’d like more vet approved pet health advice, sign up to our monthly newsletter here, or visit www.vetshopaustralia.com.au/Pet-Health.

Trying to understand your cat’s behaviours can be quite difficult. 

Are they anxious, happy, angry, sad? Do they want attention?

You can never quite figure it out because feline actions are usually dictated by stress and fear.

So, what does it mean when you cat rubs against you, places or objects?

When a Cat Rubs on You

A cat’s behaviour of rubbing its head and body against someone, other animals, places or objects is called bunting.

Cats have scent glands located in their cheeks, chin, lips, forehead and tail. This means when they rub on anything, they are able to leave their scent behind. They do this in order to identify family members and safe objects with familiar odour. 

It is a nice compliment when a cat rubs up against you as your cat is marking you as part of their family and favourite part of their territory. They also sometimes just want a little more attention.
Studies have discovered that specific pheromones produced by cheek glands have a calming influence on cats. These specific pheromones have been artificially reproduced in the product Feliway in order to identify territory as safe. It is also said that another pheromone that is produced by a cat’s cheek glands can identify other cats as friends.

Cats will also perform bunting as a form of greeting. When a cat meets someone for the first time, they will rub up against them to greet them and to find out information about this new person. From this they can discover where someone comes from and if they have animals of their own. 

However, if a cat you’ve never met rubs up against you, it does not necessarily mean they want affection from you. So, be sure when greeting cats to give them their space if needed.

When a Cat Rubs on Something

A cat will claim objects by rubbing up against them with their feline scents. Similar to spraying, they can mark their territory.

However, their scent does not last forever, therefore they will frequently go back to the same spots and refresh their marking. 

Cats will also rub on objects or places to inform other cats of their presence in the neighbourhood. They will also bunt to pick up scents. From this they are able to determine how long ago another cat marked a certain spot. If the scent is relatively fresh, they will know to leave that area soon in order to avoid conflict.

Cats may also bunt if they are feeling anxious as spreading their scent around is a way of coping and can make them feel more comfortable in an unfamiliar environment.




If you’d like more vet approved pet health advice, sign up to our monthly newsletter here, or visit www.vetshopaustralia.com.au/Pet-Health.

A Dog’s Sense of Smell

1. They enjoy it!
   Things smell good! It is fun for them to smell things. Smelling is stimulating and feels good.
   
   
2. To gather information
   Smelling/sniffing helps them figure out or learn about something or someone.
   

Why Dogs Sniff Butts

Should I Let My Dog Sniff Other Dog?

If you’d like more vet approved pet health advice, sign up to our monthly newsletter here, or visit www.vetshopaustralia.com.au/Pet-Health.

With the end of the year quickly approaching you may already be thinking about travel plans and who is going to be taking care of your beloved pet. 

However, some of you may have already planned that you will be bringing your pet along with you, or maybe you haven’t even thought about the possibility because it’s just too much to think about. 

Well do we have some news for you. 

Travelling with your pet isn’t as hard as you think.

Follow our travelling with your pet tips and make your dog or cat your newest travel buddy!

Put Together a Pet Travel Kit

A couple of days before you set off on your travel adventure, pack a bag containing all of the essentials your pet will need for the trip. Items in your pet travel kit may include:

• Food
• Toys
• A bed
• A blanket
• Bowls
• Treats
• Medication (if necessary)
• Carriers (optional)
• Poop bags
• A leash
• A harness or collar
• Seatbelt
• Jumpers
• Travel towels

If your pet has other owners and they are not joining you on your trip, consider bringing along an item of theirs (such as a t-shirt) to help ease possible separation anxiety.

Stocktake Your Pet Supplies

Keep in mind that pet supplies don’t last forever. You may be ignoring your pets slowly unstitching harness in everyday life, however ensuring your pets items are safe and intact before travelling is crucial. 

A few weeks before setting off on your trip, take the time to check that all of your pets’ belongings are in good condition and replace the appropriate items if they are not. Items such as crates, harnesses/collars, leashes, food expiry date, ID tags, weather appropriate accessories (jackets and booties) and bowls should be inspected before you go.

Contact Your Vet

It is very important that you have updated medical records for your pet before your trip. This usually consists of a document provided by your vet that records that your pets appropriate vaccinations and flea/worming etc. is up to date. 

Most pet-friendly hotels/areas will require that you have these records, and therefore it is best to have a copy whilst you travel.

It may also be a good idea for your pet to have a quick check-up at the vet before you go to ensure they are of good health for the trip. You should also consult your vet for advice if it is your first time travelling with your pet in case they have any anxiety or problems with new situations.

Add ‘Time with Your Pet’ to the Itinerary 

Travelling can be very overwhelming and with your pet as your travel buddy it can be even more chaotic. You might be on a tight schedule when travelling, however it is very important that you plan to have dedicated time with your pet every day. 

Taking your dog for a long walk or giving your cat a good snuggle and pat can be crucial to your pet whilst travelling. Try to keep your pet on a regular routine throughout your travels especially if they are used to a specific routine at home.

Prepare an Emergency Plan

Although it’s not something you want to think about, it is essential for you to be prepared for a pet emergency. It’s important to have an emergency plan while travelling in case your dog eats something odd, your cat hurts their paw or something even more serious happens. 

Before you leave, be sure to look up vets located close to where you will be staying. You should also look for nearby 24-hour emergency vets. Although your trip is most likely to go smoothly, it is best to be prepared for an emergency to give you a peace of mind.

Additional Travel Tips

• If you are travelling by car
  Ensure you take regular breaks to allow your pet to stretch their legs, go to the toilet and eat. Keep them secure in the car by using either a dog seatbelt or a carrier/crate. Consider preparing your pet prior to your trip with small car rides to get them used to travelling in the car.
• If you are travelling by planeIt is suggested by experts that you should only travel with pets by plane if it is essential. If you do have to travel by plane, ensure your pet is in the cabin with you unless they are over the airlines restricted weight/size amount. It is crucial to see your vet before flying as some cat and dog breeds are not able to withstand this type of travel.
• If you will be staying at a friend or family members houseBe sure to ask the owner of the household if your pet is allowed to stay and where they are allowed to be within the house. You may have to arrange gates or a crate for your pet before staying over.
• If you will be staying in a hotelIt can be difficult to find hotels that allow pets. Bringfido.com is a great website to use for finding pet-friendly hotels. When staying in the hotel, ensure you pet has been to the toilet and is relaxed, secure and quiet before leaving the room to ensure they do not disturb their neighbours.