An outside/inside cat solution

Yes, our cats have a fenced yard. As you’d expect for a cat, it’s covered on top. It isn’t large but has a fair amount of vertical space with shelves and a board up high for Mr. Lily to cross on.  He spends hours every day out watching the birds at our feeder.

There are a number of reasons for not letting a cat run free. From an ecological viewpoint it protects small wildlife. Statistics on cat predation are startling. Cats kill hundreds of millions of songbirds in the US each year. I’ve seen statistics from the U.K. that show a similar impact on birds.  Many people believe that their sweet little kitty doesn’t kill anything.  She’s well fed.  Look at her, she’s so cute.  She’s harmless.  Baloney.  That’s simply wishful thinking. Cats are hunters by nature.  They will hunt, hungry or not. And, since they’re healthier than native predators, they’re much more effective at killing.

The other reason to keep cats in is to protect kitty. Around here we have a growing coyote population that loves to hunt cats, day or night. I’ve several friends whose cats simply didn’t come home one day. It’s sad, but is the people’s own fault for letting their cats run. Again, wishful thinking won’t keep reality from striking. In urban areas it’s no better. Cars, disease and dogs shorten the average lifespan of cats who roam compared to what indoor cats can expect to live. Sure, there are cats that roam and die of old age. But chances are against them living that long. Those are the cold, hard statistics.