Statistics show that indoor cats live much longer than outdoor kitties, but that shouldn’t stop you from letting your cat go outside. As cat parents we just have to be smart about it.
Why should I let my cat outside?
Cats are created to enjoy nature. Heck – we all are! Most indoor kitties are bored because they don’t get to exercise their instinctive nature. The smells, sounds, sights and feel of the outdoors helps our cats be less stressed – and therefore healthier. Just like us, our cats deserve to breathe in fresh air (not just through a dirty window screen) and touch the earth. They exercise their instincts and their body outside, which is great for their health
Have you gone outside and sat in the grass lately? If not, you should stop reading this and go do that right meow (unless you still have snow!). It’s amazing how good and refreshing it feels. Why deprive our cats of that feeling?
How can I safely let my cat go outside?
It’s important that we don’t just open the door and let our cats run free – especially if this is a first time outing. We do not encourage unsupervised outside playtime for kitties, as there are too many risks. We just spoke with someone this week who lost his cat to a coyote. Totally heartbreaking. Depending on where you live, the risks may vary – but we still recommend knowing where your kitties are at all times.
That being said, there are many ways that we can still give our cats the luxury of being outside without risking their well-being. Here are 3 of the most common ways you can safely let your cat go outside.
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Leash train your cats.
Believe it or not, cats can be leash trained just like dogs. We let our kitties out to explore the backyard on a leash. We currently go outside once per day for 30-45 minutes. They love it. Maybe one day they’ll want to go for a walk around the neighborhood, but for now they’re super stimulated by all the sights and sounds just in our small yard.
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Put a cat fence around your yard.
Now this only works if you don’t have trees – or if you want to just fence a small area – but they make these cat fences (that they call Purrfect Fence) which allows your cats to hang out in your yard without being able to escape.
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Build a catio.
This is one of the most popular ways to give cats outdoor time. With a small initial investment (depending on how fancy you want to make it), you can build an extension onto your house with an enclosed patio where your kitties can visit as often as they wish. We hope to do this one day soon, as we’d like all of our cats to be able to enjoy the outdoors without needing us to have the availability to watch them.
Comment below and let us know how your kitties get outdoor playtime! We love ideas!
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