The sun is shining, birds are flitting from branch to branch, and a warm breeze is wafting through your open living room window. Your cat has her nose pressed against the screen, sniffing the air. She looks up at you, and you can almost read her mind: "I'm a creature of nature. Let me out."
Tempting, isn't it? She looks so eager, and it's so nice out. Plus she's been acting kind of bored lately. A thought crosses your mind: A trip outdoors will add spice to her life.
Don't give in to temptation.
Some people think it's kinder to let their cats outside, but it's the sort of kindness felines can do without: Allowing cats to roam only subjects them to the dangers of traffic, dogs (or other animals) who prey on cats, cruel humans, poisons, and antifreeze. Then there's the risk of disease: Cats let out to catch a few rays often instead catch rabies, feline leukemia, or feline immunodeficiency virus. And finally this nugget: Cats who have no home or are put out by their owners may live two to five years; cats who are kept safely inside often live past the age of 17.
How kind can it be to radically abbreviate your buddy's life?
Safe Cats from Coast to Coast
If you've let your cat out in the past, don't stress. You've likely not had all the information needed to make the right decision. And you aren't alone. That's why The HSUS launched its Safe Cats campaign last year in Sacramento, and why we've expanded it this year, including the next phrase scheduled for New England on April 27.
HSUS Director of Outreach, Companion Animals, Stephanie Shain puts it this way: "Cat owners who let their cats out alone aren't cruel or thoughtless, and it's not that they don't love their cats; they just believe that cats are happiest outdoors. Those who work in shelters and veterinary offices, who see cats who were abused and injured outside their homes, could tell them that cats are much happier when they are kept inside and given an interesting indoor environment."
Fortunately for felines, the word is getting around that safe cats are happy cats. The movement took off in March 2003 when The HSUS took the Safe Cats campaign to Sacramento, teaming with Mayor Heather Fargo, the Sacramento River Cats (the AAA affiliate of the Oakland A's), area animal shelters, and animal care and control agencies to get the message to the public.
The mayor designated a full week in March 2003 as "Safe Cats Sacramento Week" to raise awareness of the need to keep cats as safe as we keep our dogs. The mayor did it again this year when she issued the same proclamation for March 14-20, 2004. What's more, the HSUS's West Coast Regional Office is again working with the River Cats to put together a "Safe Cats at the Park" day at RiverCats Stadium (Raley Field) on Saturday, June 20. The theme will be Keep Our Cats SAFE at Home.
Dallas and Fort Worth teamed up next to embrace the Safe Cats message. Mayors Laura Miller (Dallas) and Mike Moncrief (Fort Worth), along with 12 mayors of surrounding communities, jointly proclaimed April 12-16 "Safe Cats Week" for their region. The HSUS's Southwest Regional Office is working with local shelters to distribute Safe Cats materials and educate cat adopters about the hazards of letting felines outside.
Next up: New England. On April 27, Safe Cats New England will launch with a press conference during the New England Federation of Humane Societies annual meeting. In addition to the HSUS New England Regional Office staff, shelter experts, and politicians, there will be wildlife professionals to address the effects of free-roaming cats on wildlife.
"It's important to be aware not only of the danger and suffering cats can encounter when they go outside, but also the danger they can pose and the suffering they may inflict upon local wildlife," remarks HSUS Wildlife Issues Specialist Susan Hagood. "As much as we want to protect our cats, we also want to protect chipmunks, salamanders, and sparrows from unnecessary pain and death."
Spreading the message from coast to coast isn't the end, though. The HSUS's other regional offices are hard at work planning to launch more local Safe Cats campaigns. Keep your eyes open because your city may be next.
Information at Your Fingertips
Think your cat couldn't ever be happy indoors? Find helpful hints and some amazing products at www.SafeCats.org, and you'll both soon be singing the praises of a happy life indoors.
Print out our Safe Cats PDFs:
A Safe Cat Is a Happy Cat
The Uninvited Cat
Cat Care Basics
Guide to Cat Law
 | Get Adobe Acrobat Reader |
Generous support for the Safe Cats campaign was provided by The Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, a KeyBank Trust, and the Frances V.R. Seebe Trust.
