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Pet World: Healthy little dog wants to relieve herself frequently

Cathy M. Rosenthal, Tribune Content Agency on

I recently read your answer to Bill from East Meadow, New York (re: feral cats brought into the house). Your advice was fantastic until one of the options you gave him was to release the cats back outside. I have read other columns where you have not been hard enough on people that allow their cats to go outside. It has been proven that indoor cats have a life expectancy that greatly exceeds the life of a feral or indoor/outdoor cat. It would be helpful if you included a column concerning the dangers that are involved with letting your cats outside (going missing, getting hit by a car, freezing in the winter, getting poisoned, diseases, injuries from other animals, etc.). I hope to see something regarding this topic in the near future to help educate pet owners on why it is so important to have an "indoor only" pet.

–Linda, East Rockaway, New York

Dear Linda,

I am an advocate of “indoor only” pets and would never suggest someone let their pets run loose or live outside. Bill was dealing with feral cats, however, and they don’t always do well when brought inside. If feral cats are friendly, they may adapt to inside living. But if they are older or been homeless for a long time, then they are terrified of people, making it extremely stressful for them to be brought inside. I recommend leaving feral cats outside, but making sure they are fixed, fed daily, and afforded proper outdoor shelter for extreme weather.

“Indoor only” is the best and safest way for cats to live their lives. Cats living inside aren’t exposed to the dangers you noted above and can live twice as long as outdoor felines. If, as a cat owner, you want your feline to have outdoor time, build a catio on your house or teach your cat to go outside on a harness.

 

As for not being hard enough on people, if someone is writing to me, it’s generally because they care deeply about animals and want to do what’s best for them. My goal is to educate, not scold.

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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)

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