Are cats better suited to staying indoors?

We often see cats jumping up to the window and meowing outside the window. Naturally, we think that it yearns for outdoor life. Many owners are also happy to take their cats out for a walk in their free time, or Just leave the cat outside. Cats were wild animals before they were domesticated by humans, so this approach seems logical. However, research shows that today's cats are better kept indoors.

Ecologist Jennifer McDonald and her colleagues conducted a small survey in the UK. They asked cat owners how many dead animals their cats brought into their homes each month on average and observed the cats' daily lives. Most people either overestimate their pets' hunting proclivities or overestimate their hunting skills.

The researchers said this may be related to the "ownership effect", in which humans tend to imagine their belongings in the direction they expect. So owners who want to see their pets hunt will often overestimate their prey numbers, while those who think their pets are docile and harmless will underestimate the number of dead animals on their doorsteps. In fact, cats are predators, very cute predators. Over thousands of years, they have learned to capture and kill small animals. Their entire body is built for hunting. Their nature drives them to hunt, whether they're preparing to pounce on a stuffed mouse or a real mouse. Cats are happier indoors if they can pretend to hunt birds through a window or if they have lots of stuffed animals that simulate prey to attack. Of course, if they're outside, they're in safari mode.

This statement is not an attack on cats. This is a fact. At the end of the day, our pets will be happier, and we will be happier if we can see our pets for who they really are and still love them, allowing them to safely let out their wild side. The environment will also be better for it.

Then each cat kills less than thirty prey per month, which doesn’t sound like much. But consider that if there are 100 cats living in a town, more than 3,000 small animals will die in the town every month, not counting the original predators of these animals. Also realize that cats are not a naturally occurring part of most ecosystems, which means they have no natural predators. A sudden arrival of a group of cats may disrupt the local ecological balance.

So, from this aspect, cats roaming outside may cause ecological damage. It is difficult for biologists to estimate the number of prey animals, so it is difficult for them to show this impact to people. The overall result is that cat owners seem unaware or unwilling to realize how much their cats' hunting habits impact local ecosystems.

Overall, cats that stay at home live longer and healthier lives than those that roam frequently. Hunting is a dangerous business, and cats don't always win, so an out-and-out cat can find itself in very dangerous situations if it finds the wrong prey. They can also pick up deadly diseases and parasites from their prey, which means your cat will mix fleas, ticks, or rabies with those that have been torn apart.Take the mouse home with you.

There are also many man-made dangers in the outside world. Cars are one of the top causes of cat deaths outdoors, and even less busy roads can become downright dangerous if your cat crosses them at the wrong time. For a variety of reasons, the American Veterinary Medical Association strongly recommends keeping cats indoors for their safety and to protect the local ecosystem.

Cats that roam outdoors sometimes do not return home when left unsupervised. This is not to say that they have decided to live elsewhere. Some of them are abducted; others are found dead or injured. Thieves or gangs roam neighborhoods looking for what they call "friendly dogs and cats" and sell them to dog and cat dealers, who then sell them to laboratories. In a world filled with homeless people, psychopaths, mean-spirited neighbors, bored young men with baseball bats, rat poison, and antifreeze spilled on the ground, the number of animals disappearing every year is staggering. Reasonable people would say, "But he wants out." "Our neighborhood is very safe." "It would be cruel to keep her at home." But they would never let a child go out alone on the streets.

Many terrible lessons warn us not to let cats go out alone. In Pompano, Florida, many lost cats and dogs were captured and used as training tools in a huge warehouse. In South Dakota, a fur trader was caught selling cat skins. In Washington, a cat went for a walk and came back covered in burns from cooking oil. In California, a woman searched for her two cats only to find that they had both been shot through with arrows. Before I knew this, my cat was missing for three days, and by the time I found him lying dying on the back doorstep, his lungs and ribs were severely injured. Today's concrete forests are too dangerous for these fragile, trusting little human beings.

So how do you make your cat stay at home safely?

1. Interesting toys

Motorized “mouse” and laser pointer made from aluminum foil pockets, these toys can excite even the laziest cat. An all-day cat favorite toy that will turn your cat into a dancer and cat-changing magician.

2. Sharpen claws

Cats love to scratch things. This will help you polish off broken nails, stretch your muscles, and mark your territory. The best way to save your furniture is to provide them with plenty of your "approved" stuff for them to sharpen their claws on. Cat "trees" and posts, cardboard boxes and a creative "cat track" (a ball in a plastic channel lined with claw pads) are also great options.

3. Provide a room with a view of the outside

The window is the cat’s TV - placing a bird feeder next to the window can entertain the cat for a long time. If your window sill isn’t wide enough, you can make one yourself or buy a cushioned perch to place on the sill. Note: Make sure the window is secure enough so that the cat cannot slide down on it. at the same timeRoll up curtains and other items to prevent cat legs from getting caught.

4. Corridors can also please cats

An enclosed porch or an extension of a window is a great place for cats to safely communicate with nature. If your yard has a fence, another good idea is to put a net over the fence to keep your cat in your yard.