Outdoor access for cats: The lifestyle risks and benefits

There are over 100 million cats in households across Canada and the US [1,2]. In Canada, approximately 28 per cent of caregivers allow their cats to roam free without supervision [1].

This means caregivers either believe the benefits of outdoor access outweigh the risks, or there is a lack of awareness of some of the risks outdoor access pose to their feline friends.

So what are the risks and benefits to your cat if they have outdoor access? Given how important this topic is, we want to ensure you have the information you need to make informed decisions that strengthen your connection with your cat.   

According to a recent joint review conducted by the University of British Columbia and the Ontario Veterinary College, there are significant risks associated with uncontrolled outdoor access for cats [3]. However, caregivers can provide significant benefits to their cats by enriching their home environment [3].

Let’s look at some of the risks and perceived benefits discussed in the research.

Risks associated with having cats outdoors

Increased risk of disease and parasites

• When left unsupervised outdoors, cats are likely to interact with unknown cats and dogs, urban wildlife, rodents, and birds. This increases their risk of contracting a variety of diseases including parasites, bacterial infections, and viral infections such as rabies, feline leukemia virus, and feline immunodeficiency virus.

Increased risk of trauma, predation, and poisoning

• This includes injuries or fatalities from traffic collisions, wildlife such as coyotes, dog predation, interactions with other cats, and accidental poisonings from hunting poisoned rodents, drinking from contaminated sources, and consuming toxic plants.

Increased contribution to homeless and feral cat populations

• Cats with outdoor access are at higher risk of getting lost and contributing to homeless and feral cat populations. Approximately 56 per cent of cats received into Canadian shelters were strays and only 10 per cent were returned to their owners [1].

Negative impacts to wildlife

• Cats have highly developed predatory skills and can have a negative impact on reptiles, mammals, and invertebrates. For example, it’s estimated that cats kill between 100-350 million birds annually in Canada [4].

Negative impacts to humans

• Cats with outdoor access have a greater risk of carrying diseases that are transmissible to humans such as toxoplasma, fleas, and ticks.

Perceived benefits of having cats outdoors

Express natural behaviours

• Although there isn’t any research that has shown a positive impact of outdoor access on cats, outdoor access does allow cats to hunt, explore and climb freely.

Prevents behavioural issues

• Some have suggested that outdoor access may reduce frustration, boredom, and problematic behaviours such as aggression and furniture scratching. There is little research on whether limiting outdoor access for cats leads to behavioural issues.

Provides an opportunity for exercise

• Obesity in cats is a significant welfare concern since cats are at higher risk of developing diseases that can impact their welfare. Confining cats to indoors has been suggested to contribute to obesity.

Enriching your cat’s home environment

There’s a lot you can do to enrich your cat’s environment at home. This can include providing more opportunities for climbing and exercise and making feeding time more interactive. Your cat’s environment is directly linked to their physical and emotional well-being and behaviour. It’s important you understand your cat’s environmental needs and how they interact with their environment.

Controlled outdoor access

Giving cats access to enclosed outdoor environments (such as catios), or taking them on leash or harness walks may limit some natural behaviours like hunting, but still provides opportunities to explore and interact with the outdoors while increasing their physical activity.

It’s important to assess your cat’s physical surroundings (indoors or outdoors) and their social interactions with you and others. The more engaged they are with their home environment, the more engaged they’ll be with you.

Pets positively impact our health and well-being. By supporting your pet’s health, they support yours.

• References

  1. Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. Cats in Canada 2017: A Five-Year Review of Cat Overpopulation. Available online: https://www.humanecanada.ca/cats_in_canada_2017 (accessed on 16 December 2019).

  2. The Humane Societies of the United States. Pets by the Numbers. Available online: https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/pets-numbers (accessed on 16 December 2019).

  3. Tan, S.M.L.; Stellato, A.C.; Niel, L. Uncontrolled Outdoor Access for Cats: An Assessment of Risks and Benefits. The Welfare of Cats and Dogs. Animals 2020, 10(2), 258; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10020258

  4. Blancher, P. Estimated Number of Birds Killed by House Cats (Felis catus) in Canada. Avian Conserv. Ecol. 2013, 8. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]