"TOP TEN REASONS WHY CATS SHOULD STAY INSIDE"

Information provided by:
The Maryland SPCA
300 Falls Church Road
Baltimore, MD 21211

1.) OUTDOOR CATS CAN GET LOST
Many people think their cats can find their way home if they stray. Not always. In fact, thousands of lost cats end up in shelters every year. Some people don't even have the consideration to put an ID tag on their cat's collar -- and once the cat gets lost, they never see them again.

2.) OUTDOOR CATS CAN BE HIT BY CARS
Even in rural areas where traffic is slow, cats can and do run out in front or cars and get hit. Many cats are killed near parked automobiles, when drivers don't see the cat in front of the car when they begin to take off. Cats cat get run over while hiding under cars for shade in hot weather, and many die during cold weather when they climb up into the warm motor of a car.

3.) OUTDOOR CATS CAN BE ATTACKED BY OTHER ANIMALS
Dogs, raccoons, foxes, and large birds of prey have all been known to kill cats. Other outdoor strays can injure, even kill your cat -- not to mention infect it with all kinds of feline diseases, fleas, worms, etc.

4.) OUTSIDE CATS GET EXPOSED TO DISEASES
There are many illnesses and parasites, several of them fatal, that cats can catch when outside. The vaccines currently available are only about 80% effective anyway... even a cat that is up to date on all of its vaccines is still at risk because there are several diseases without a cure; for example, ticks and Lyme Disease.

5.) OUTSIDE CATS CAN BE POISONED
Either deliberately or accidentally, many cats die from poisoning every year. Many common outdoor plants are fatal when ingested, particularly berries. Unsuspecting household products left outside will also kill a cat; for example, a can leaking antifreeze onto the driveway, or lawn chemicals on the grass like fertilizer.

6.) OUTSIDE CATS LESSEN AREA WILDLIFE
Songbirds, squirrels, chipmunks, and rabbits are easy victims for cats. Even if they don't kill them, they will certainly scare them away and make nearby nature less enjoyable. Cats are natural quiet stalkers -- don't think a simple bell on their collar is really going to do the trick.

7.) OUTSIDE CATS CAN FALL VICTIM TO PEOPLE
Unfortunately, this is not a safe world we're living in. Newspapers all too often report accounts of cats being tortured, kidnapped and sold, sacrificed for cults, shot at for fun, or used for bait for fighting dogs. Your cat could "mysteriously" disappear when it walks onto the lawn of your neighbor who doesn't like cats.

8.) OUTSIDE CATS DON'T LIVE AS LONG AS INDOOR CATS
A recent study compared the life span of strictly inside cats compared to those who spent their lives outside. Indoor cats don't have any of the life-threatening hazards which befall outdoor animals, and they can live up to twice as long!

9.) OUTSIDE CATS CONTRIBUTE TO OVERPOPULATION
Nationwide, millions of cats are put to sleep every year because there aren't enough homes for all the kittens who are born. If you truly refuse to keep your cat indoors, at least have the heart to get it fixed!

10.) OUTSIDE CATS ARE BREAKING THE LAW
Many areas now have laws against letting cats run loose. The state of Delaware recently passed a leash law for all domestic pets. IF YOU LIVE IN DELAWARE AND HAVE AN OUTDOOR PET, YOU ARE BREAKING THE LAW!!! PLEASE KEEP YOUR ANIMALS INSIDE!!!