Many adventures await a cat outside and hopefully even a few cat friends. However, also various dangers might be there as well. What can happen to a cat outdoors?
If your cat can go outside, it will definitely bring a lot of fun it might not have at home. It has a lot of prey for hunting, trees for climbing and high grass for crawling. It can enjoy sun outside and make social bonds with other cats. Besides that, the outside world hides many various dangers for the cat. And we should consider them before we decide to let our cats go outside or not to go there, realize and really think through if the benefits of the outdoor life take precedence over its risks. It depends on our preferences, on where we live and on the nature of the cat and everyone needs to decide for himself/herself. Today, I will introduce you to the risks (I know) so you could make an informed choice.
Ticks, fleas and internal parasites
The first thing that probably comes to your mind is probably the danger of parasites. However, this can be quite easily reduced by getting antiparasitic agents. I like pipettes for cats more than collars – there is a risk that a cat remains stuck somewhere and suffocates. If the cat goes outside, there is a higher risk of catching a tapeworm, roundworms and other parasites. Therefore, you need to remember around regular deworming and do not underestimate it.
Car accident
Cats very often die under the wheels. That’s why you need to consider how much traffic is in your surroundings and whether the access to the road is easy for the cat, if there isn’t a forest behind the road she would like to go to, etc. The risk of being hit by a car is sometimes so high that it is not worth letting your cat go outside.
Dogs
Cats can be a dog’s prey as well. If your neighbour’s dog hates cats and hits on them, your cat might become its prey. Cats usually learn to avoid gardens where dogs hit on them but some of them are incorrigible and will provoke the dog until they pay for it.
Hunters
If you live near a forest, your cat might be shot by a hunter. They can’t shoot at cats and dogs only within 200 m from the closest property designed for living. Therefore, keep your cats mainly at home during the hunting period if they are used to wander around.
Other cats
An unknown cat might become a companion for adventures. However, it will more likely become an enemy. Mainly if it concerns two unneutered male cats and even in the period of rut. But even female cats fight. My cat started a fight with any cat that wasn’t willing to surrender. Cats are territorial creatures and they will protect the territory even if it costs some scratches. And the fights may be quite brutal, so you won’t avoid visiting a vet and potential stitches then.
Transmitted diseases
The transmission of diseases is directly connected to these fights. The diseases might include calicivirus or panleukopenia and sometimes even fatal diseases such as FIV. Diseases are transmitted during an intercourse or, most often, by blood during fights.
Birds of prey
Even birds of prey may be threats to cats. Especially if you live in the countryside near fields, I wouldn’t worry about this risk in a city.
Poisoning
Poisoning may be for example caused by eating grass treated with pesticides, poisoned baits for mice or eating such a poisoned mouse, there might be poisoned water by fertilizers and pesticides.
While some risks are minimal for the cat, some can be prevented and somewhere there might be high enough that it would be irresponsible to let it go outside. So it’s necessary to think it through and decide in the best interest of your cat. Can you think of any other risks that should be considered?
If you have decided to buy a purebred cat, you still have a lot of questions ahead of you. Which breed should you choose? A female cat or a tomcat? A kitten or an adult? Only if you consider everything carefully, you'll get the right companion for...
Lots of rabbit lovers choose this breed mainly by its appearance. The cuter, the better. But maybe they don’t know that a certain kind from the order of lagomorphs lives in nature, and hardly any domestic rabbit can match it in its cuteness. The same...
If you've noticed that your fluffy friend excessively licks and nibbles at his paws, you should not leave it like that. It might have several causes. Whether it's a psychological problem, allergy, yeast or other problem, the situation must be...
Did you know that our senses include the perception of the magnetic field? While we have almost lost this ability already, dogs still have it and use it every day. Do you know for what?
The British Shorthair cat is without a doubt the most popular cat breed not only in the Czech Republic, but also in the rest of Europe. This is caused not only by its appearance of a small Teddy bear, but also a mild, trouble-free nature.
In individual rodents, we’ll find breeds that are more popular with breeders than others. One of those is the American Teddy, typical with its peculiar hair structure that gives it the appearance of a teddy bear.
There is certainly no doubt that the Labrador belongs among the best known and most popular dog breeds. The reason is his extraordinary versatility, adaptability, intelligence and loyalty. Like the British Shorthair cat, the Labrador Retriever can be...
To spend a few days outside of civilisation - in the forest, on the ridges of the mountains - away from the hustle of the cities, in the wilderness and ideally with your dog. An imaginary return back to nature is the trend that did not avoid even the...
Hunting and exercise. If the dog loves both these activities, then coursing is the perfect activity for it. This cross-country race is based exactly on the desire of the dog to catch its prey.
No matter how thorough we are with the prevention, a situation might come up when a dog or a cat will get to a poisonous thing, whether it’s by our inattention or it's somebody else’s fault. That’s why it’s not off-topic to prepare yourself for the...
Under the name of dogtrekking, imagine an orientation walk with the dog. Official rules rank it among extreme dog endurance sports.
There may be more causes of dog fear. And the first step to eliminate it is to find out its origin and cause.
