A Safe Cat is a Happy Cat
By Pat Ragan -HSUS Safe Cat Program Most pet owners would not dream of letting their dogs roam the neighborhood freely-the dangers are too great. Yet many loving pet owners don't think twice about letting their cats roam, believing it's unnatural-even cruel-to keep cats cooped up in the house. The truth is that millions of owned cats suffer and die because they are allowed outside unsupervised. Some estimates put the average lifespan of a free-roaming cat who gets marginal care at less than three years, compared to 12-15 years for the indoor-only cat. Even in "safe" suburban neighborhoods, cats can face grave dangers and never return home. Collisions with cars often kill free-roaming cats, as do rabies and other diseases like feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus. The toxins in chemically treated lawns, rat bait, and automotive antifreeze can also cause serious harm or death to free-roaming cats. It's easy to make a home meet all of a cat's needs. Making the great indoors meet all of a cat's needs is easy and fun. Simply playing with an indoor cat keeps the animal stimulated and exercised-and safe from the outside dangers of injury and disease.	Wildlife also benefit when more cats are safely confined. Free-roaming cats kill millions of wild animals each year because of their instinct to hunt prey, not because of hunger. Most prey are small mammals like field mice and chipmunks, but about 25 percent are birds-many of them song birds visiting neighborhood feeders. Change is on the way for cats and they will be much safer for it. Animal care and control agencies, humane organizations, and concerned cat lovers are becoming more active in reducing the free-roaming cat populations. And local ordinances encouraging pet owners to confine their cats are being enacted. This article is from an HSUS Article on the Safe Cat Program WAG has always had a policy of placing cats in indoor only homes for the happiest, safest cats and owners. New England states are joining the movement to keep domestic cats safe