Keep Your Cats Indoors!


CONTENT WARNING: this page mentions animal death and abuse. Proceed with caution!

"Even though a cat may enjoy the freedom of running around outside, she fights a daily battle for survival against exposure to the elements, accidents, disease, poison, abuse and fights with other animals. This is not freedom." - Ottawa Humane Society

From a poll in 2021, 28% of Canadians admit to allowing their cats uncontrolled access to the outdoors. In the UK, 70% of cat owners admit to letting their cats outside. However, is this actually good for them? Experts say no. It's becoming increasingly popular to keep cats indoors, but why should you?

It should be noted this page is only talking about free-roam, unsupervised indoor-outdoor cats and cats that are fully outdoors and unsupervised. This is not about stray cats or farm cats that remain on their property. This also does not apply to people in developing countries that don't have the resources to keep cats indoors. I will use the terms "indoor-outdoor cats" and "indoor cats" interchangeably.

The first reason to keep cats indoors is to protect your cat. Indoor-outdoor cats have much shorter lifespans than purely indoor cats, by a drastic amount. The average lifespan of an indoor-outdoor cat is about 2-5 years according to the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, while the average lifespan of an indoor cat is 10-15 years. That's two to five times greater. The low lifespans of outdoor cats can be attributed to multiple things, among them being:

  • Busy streets, traffic, and cars (while a common misconception, cats do not actually instinctively know to avoid streets and cars!), traffic is the leading cause of death of indoor-outdoor cats

  • Exposure to contagious diseases like rabies, distemper, feline leukemia, feline aids, and feline immunodeficiency virus

  • Parasites like ticks, fleas, ringworms, and roundworms; indoor-outdoor felines are three times more prone to parasitic infection, to the point some researchers believe free-roaming cats should be considered a zoonotic threat

  • Fungal infections

  • Being eaten or killed by other wildlife like coyotes, eagles, bears, cougars, etc (this is not uncommon, cats cannot beat these animals in combat and can be caught off-guard, despite what people may say)

  • Other pets in the neighbourhood, such as other cats or dogs, causing injury

  • Exposure to extreme weather, like extreme cold (anything below 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) can cause deadly frostbite and hypothermia) or extreme heat (anything above 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit)

  • Poisoning from things like rat poison and antifreeze (which have a pleasant taste)

  • Theft by other humans

  • While rare, abuse and cruelty by other humans is possible (especially children and teenagers)

  • Become trapped in trees (yes, this does actually happen), where they will dehydrate or become so weak they may fall and suffer severe or fatal injuries

  • Unwanted pregnancies, that can be dangerous for the cat and potentially fatal. Cats frequently flood shelters where they will most often be euthanized, especially neonatal kittens

Indoor-outdoor cats also require far more maintenance and strictly routine vet visits and treatments to remain healthy; even then the risk of being hit by a car or injured by another animal is very high. In addition, there isn't much evidence of any benefits of even being outside in the first place. There is no evidence that outdoor cats get more stimulation outside than indoor cats with proper toys and outlets for play. There is no evidence they're any happier than an indoor cat, and no evidence that indoor cats get sad because they cannot go outside. It is not cruel to keep a cat inside, in fact, it is far more humane than letting them outside.

Think of it this way: you might have a toddler who loves playing on highways. Maybe there's a slim chance that allowing them to play on the highway will fulfill all of their needs. But you wouldn't let your toddler play on the highway anyway, because you have to keep them safe. Maybe someone else's toddler plays on the highway all the time and only got hit by a car at 15 years old, but you still shouldn't let your toddler play on the highway. Unfortunately, cats are not mystical animals with the instincts to survive all situations, they are animals, and it is up to you to protect and care for them.

The second is to protect your native environment. Indoor-outdoor cats do not only hunt invasive rodents or 'pests', they will also hunt large amounts of native birds, reptiles, small mammals, and amphibians. These small animals are extremely important to the environment as they help to disperse seeds, keep insect populations under control, and act as food for native animals. The prey drive of a domestic cat is so strong that they will excess kill, meaning they will kill animals for pleasure even when well-fed. This makes domestic cats a huge danger to native small animal species, making them a large concern for conservation. Domestic cats have largely contributed to the extinction of 63 species of birds, mammals, and reptiles, and continue to affect these animals. Domestic cats are the #1 threat to wild birds. In Canada, outdoor cats are responsible for more than 165 million bird deaths per year. By excess killing this prey, they also outcompete and kill natural predators in these ecosystems.

Cats also carry a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. This is a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, and living in the guts of felines is a vital part of its life cycle. While the parasite doesn't usually harm cats, it can harm other animals. The parasite spreads through cat feces, so when a cat is outside, the parasite eggs can leech into waterways and soil, causing other animals to ingest it and become infected. Humans can also become infected by toxoplasmosis through accidental ingestion, such as through undercooked meat or unwashed produce. This is especially harmful to marine wildlife, such as the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, for which it is almost always deadly.

Indoor-outdoor cats become a problem for your neighbours, too. They dig up gardens and spray on houses, cars and other items. They hunt animals and leave kills in yards or at front doors. They kill the native birds at bird feeders or baths. They trespass onto property where they are unwanted and defecate on them. I for one know this personally. I love birds, and going into my backyard to watch the birds is one of my greatest joys. However, I constantly have indoor-outdoor cats coming through, which need to be chased off and only cause both of us stress. I've befriended some of the neighbourhood steller's jays, and have witnessed one be killed before my own eyes by a neighbour's indoor-outdoor cat.

This last section will cover some misconceptions about indoor-outdoor cats:

"I have a cat that's outdoors, but cannot integrate it indoors, so I have to keep it outdoors"
It's not true that a cat that has been outdoors can never be reintegrated inside. Every cat can become an indoor cat, it just takes effort and care, as well as a gradual transition. I suggest researching how to transition your cat to an indoor life, it's possible!

"Indoor cats are depressed, and naturally want to be outside"
It is true that indoor cats appear to be more prone to depression than outdoor cats. The issue here is the lack of stimulation. This can be addressed by simply giving the cat more access to stimulation. This includes toys, more climbing spaces, more play, and a space for themselves. There is also zero evidence that indoor cats naturally want to be outside. While an outdoor cat may show a desire to be outside, this can be addressed through a proper transition.

"Keeping a cat indoors is not allowing a cat to be a cat"
Again, this can be addressed via giving the cat indoor stimulation. Cats do not have to hunt real, living animals to feel happy, and can be just as happy with indoor play. In fact, playing with your cat helps to bond with them much more than allowing them to decimate native birds.

"Cats are natural, hunting the wildlife is natural, and we should not interfere with nature"
Cats are in fact not natural. While there are wild cats, these are very much genetically distinct from the domestic cats we keep at home! Our cats are also not native residents of these environments. By introducing them to wild environments, we are directly interfering with the natural order.

"Well, we interfere with nature so much anyway, just look at climate change! Having a cat outdoors is nothing in comparison. Humans are invasive species too"
Sure, but wouldn't you like to prevent this as much as possible? Cats are disastrous for the environment. Think of it like littering. You probably don't litter, because it'll cause harm to the local environment. While littering is "nothing" compared to corporations dumping hundreds of gallons of oil and garbage into waterways, you still wouldn't litter. Cats are much more harmful to native animals than littering.

"Cats have always been an outdoors animal, it is only a recent development that cats are indoors"
Yeah, that might be true. But things being around for a long time doesn't make them right, and never has. We used lead paint for 70 years!

Okay, so you read all that and still want to have an indoor-outdoor cat. Cool! You can do this too, you just need to take a few extra steps. To keep a cat outdoors safely, you must have a balance of indoor and outdoor time. The cat needs supervision while outside. This does not mean being outside at the same time and letting the cat do whatever while you don't watch, you need to actively watch the cat. You should also preferably restrict the areas the cat is allowed in. Even better, you can build or purchase an outdoor enclosure for your cat. Things like catios are getting more and more popular, and are an excellent way to introduce your cat to the outside without putting them in grave danger. You can also harness-train your cat! While a lot of people have a degree of resistance to this idea, cats are fully harness-trainable. This way, you can take your cats for walks, and they can see a lot more!


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Page last updated 03/04/2025