Keeping cats inside is something that has has risen in popularity in recent years as it has become apparent how unsafe the streets can be for our cats. In 2014, 2019 and again in 2021 pet cats on the Wirral were shot with air rifles and left in horrific suffering. Then there is antifreeze poisoning which occurs enough that the RSPCA have a page warning of the symptoms and what to look out for.
That's not to mention the danger from our roads. PetPlan figures record 230,000 cats are hit by cars every year, that's 630 every single day in the UK and that figure is likely to be lower than the actual amount.
I was born in the 60's and it wasn't that unusual for dogs to be turned out onto the streets to wander and return home for food. Dog poo on pavements and verges was a fact of life and had to be constantly looked out for when walking. In 2022 such a thing is thankfully unthinkable. Cats however are still unthinkingly let out to roam in an increasingly dangerous world for them.
My last cat to be killed on the road was in 1994. She was a beautiful black cat called Magrat who went missing one day in July and it was only later I learned that her little body had been found on the road after being hit by a car. It was then that I knew that I had to keep my cats safe and that meant keeping them contained. The first cat run in my back yard was small and there were protests from the feline residents. The second one was bigger, the third bigger still and the current one encompasses the entire back yard. My cats have outside space, they can lie in the sun, they can play, they can climb and are perfectly happy with their space. Unlike the residents back in 1994 my current cats have never been further than the cat run and have no idea what lies in the bit unsafe world beyond.
In 1994 cat runs were not common and the concept of house cats was a new one. Attitudes are changing though - I have three friends with cats and none of them are let out to roam. They all have outdoor space and live quite happily safe from cars and other dangers.
Of course, keeping cats safe has the added bonus of keeping wildlife safe also. It is estimated that about 100 million wild bird and small mammals are killed every year by Britain's 6 million roaming cats.
That's a huge amount of environmental damage done by our cats who are only acting in accordance with their natures. Whilst they can't be blamed for being what they are, it's another very good reason for cats to be contained.
Comentarios