PAWS Academy: Help Keep Wild Animals and Cats Safe
August 17, 2020
Written by Madi Cook, PAWS Education Intern
Keep Cats Indoors!
Another issue wild animals’ face is predation from pet cats. PAWS Academy explores this along with other benefits to keeping pet cats indoors this week.
The Impact of Pet Cats on Wildlife
On average cats account for about 10% of the patients at the PAWS Wildlife Hospital. Last year at the PAWS Wildlife Center, 524 patients were victims of cat attacks. Cat attacks are the second highest cause of injury to both bird and mammal patients at PAWS. To keep wild animals safe, it is vital to make sure your pet cat stays indoors. Bites from cats can often cause serious infections in small animals as their saliva can carry bacteria. Cats also can damage and remove feathers from birds which can impair their ability to fly or climb. Wild animals in North America are susceptible because they are not adapted to escape from pet cats. Pet cats are not a native part of their habitat so they can fail to recognize pet cats as a threat. Remember to not get upset at your cat if they hurt wild animals as they are following natural instincts and they have plenty of energy to expend thanks to being well taken care of!
Learn even more by checking out this week’s video here and hearing PAWS Wildlife Naturalist, Jeff, talk about why to keep cats indoors!
Indoor cats do not have a poor quality of life when compared to outdoor cats, they actually live on average ten to twelve years longer reaching fifteen to twenty years old. Outdoor cats face many dangers from vehicles, animals, poisons, diseases, getting lost, and more which explains why they typically live much shorter lives.
How to Keep Cats Indoors
For indoor cats it is important to make sure to provide a stimulating and fun indoor environment. Here are some tips below:
- Create a spot that gets sun during the day
- Give them access to an outdoor view
- Play with them to keep them active
- Provide a scratching post
- Install perches and shelves or buy a cat tree
If your cat is allowed outdoors, it is not too late to transition them to an indoor cat. Start by bringing them in at night and slowly lengthening the time they stay indoors. This may be easier when the weather is less desirable, like in winter, as they may already spend less time outdoors.
There are safe ways for pet cats to enjoy the outdoors. For instance, a catio, or cat patio, is a safe enclosed space outside your home that allows your cat outdoor access. Another, more involved way to let your cat outdoors, is with a leash and cat harness. Taking your cat on a walk is an active way to let them spend time outdoors safely. It is normal for cats to dislike wearing a harness in the beginning, but with time they may not mind it. Let them wear it inside for short periods to get used to it. Some cats will never get used to the harness and not enjoy being walked, but they can still have fulfilling indoor lives. For more information, check out our Safe Cats, Healthy Habitats resource packet here. As always, it is important to let others know about how to keep wildlife safe. We challenge you to share with someone what you learned about keeping cats indoors.
This Week’s Activities
Visit paws.org/PAWSAcademy and you will find two sets of activities at different difficulty levels along with a word search and coloring sheet all about this week’s topic! Put what you learn about cats into practice by completing this week’s activities.
Continue To Learn With Us!
If you missed last week’s episode on feeding wild animals or are unaware of our pet series, you can learn more at paws.org/PAWSAcademy. Check back next Wednesday to learn more about the issues facing wildlife as we will address windows in the ninth episode of PAWS Academy wildlife series. Thank you for continuing to learn how you can make a difference in animals’ lives!
If you have any questions or suggestions you can reach us at education@paws.org.