Keeping cats safe at home
Thank you for providing a loving home for your feline friend!
Whether you’ve just adopted a new cat or kitten or are considering how best to care for your existing cat, this guide is for you. We know that cats can be safe and happy at home, avoiding the dangers of roaming. Many owners provide a safe environment that promotes positive wellbeing for their cat at home all day, every day.
The information in this guide can assist anyone who wants to optimise their cat's wellbeing, regardless of your cat's lifestyle.
Keeping your cat safe at home is important. Cats who are safely contained at home are at less risk (e.g., they are less likely to be injured by cars, other cats, dogs, and other animals).
Keeping your cat happy at home means providing for all their needs, including some that may previously have been met by roaming outdoors.
Meeting these needs in other ways requires forward thinking and a little imagination and commitment. But you needn’t go it alone; we’re here to help explain how you and your cat can live at home together in harmony.
What is cat containment?
Containing your cat means keeping them within your property boundaries all of the time and preventing them roaming from your property at any time, day or night — in other words, keeping your cat safe at home and not letting them roam.
Contained cats do not have to live totally indoors. Access to a safe outdoor escape-proof enclosure or fenced garden is highly recommended as this greatly assists in providing an environment that meets your cat’s physical and mental needs, including increasing the opportunity for activity and stimulation by allowing them to experience the benefits of the outdoors without the dangers of roaming beyond their home property boundaries.
Why should I keep my cat contained?
By keeping your cat safe at home, you will be:
- reducing the risk of them getting sick or being injured
- reducing the risk of them straying and getting lost or impounded by the council
- minimising the risk of them harming or killing other animals
- preventing them from interacting with un-desexed roaming cats (e.g., fighting or breeding)
- avoiding cat-related problems with your neighbours
- giving them a better chance to enjoy a longer, safer life
What are the risks of roaming?
Keeping your cat at home helps reduce their risk of decease, injury or death from:
- being hit or run over by a car
- being attacked by a dog
- fighting with other neighbourhood cats
- acquiring a serious infection, such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
- eating toxic plants or poisons
- being stolen or abused
- picking up ticks or fleas
- being bitten by a venomous snake
Will my cat be happy staying at home?
Cats can be very happy staying at home if they have an environment that safeguards their physical and mental health and provides them with the opportunity for positive experiences and good welfare.
Your newly adopted cat may be more likely adapt to a stay-at-home lifestyle if you keep them at home from the beginning. Newly adopted cats should always be contained during the settling-in period anyway, as they may be more likely to run off or become lost if allowed to roam outside when they have not yet settled in.
Kittens generally cope well with a totally stay-at-home lifestyle if their environment meets their needs, and they are used to this from an early age.
If you have an existing cat who roams, it may be possible to successfully transition them to a stay-at-home lifestyle, depending on the individual. It is important to try to introduce them to staying at home on your property gradually as this is a big change for them (e.g., you may start by gradually getting them used to staying home at night and then slowly increasing the time they are contained to your property, only making a change if they have adapted to the previous changes). It is essential to provide an environment that meets their needs and is a place that they enjoy being (this means making sure they have choice, control, and challenges at home, including plenty of opportunities to explore and display predatory play behaviour using a variety of toys and regular positive play sessions every day).
Ideally, all cats should have access to a safe and secure outdoor area, but this may be particularly important to help cats who have been used to roaming outdoors adjust to a stay-at-home lifestyle.
Although many cats are very happy staying at home, some cats may not be compatible with this lifestyle. If your cat does not seem to be coping well with a stay-at-home lifestyle, seek advice from your veterinarian and possibly a veterinary behaviourist.