There are many reasons to keep your cat as an indoor-only pet, especially if you live in a town or city. When you adopt a kitten, there is simply no reason ever to introduce it to the outdoors. With enough toys and attention, your cat will never miss it.

Adult cats, who have been abandoned or lost, are kept in shelters or foster homes on an indoor-only basis and, with very few exceptions, they adapt quite well to that lifestyle.

Why all the emphasis on keeping a cat as an indoor-only pet? Here are some reasons for your consideration:

1. The lifespan of your kitten is drastically shortened once you allow her to go outside. The average outdoor cat lives just 2-3 years, while the lifespan for indoor-only cats is at least 15 years and usually closer to 20.

2. Because they are living safely indoors, cats require less veterinary care, which is a real plus in these days of high vet care costs. Your pet is also protected from picking up fleas, ticks and worms which they can get from other animals or by eating trash or rodents.

3. If you have an indoor-only cat, she will not catch feline leukemia or immunodeficiency viruses, which can happen if an infected cat fought with yours and bit it. Certainly there is much less chance of your cat ingesting poisons (the sweet taste of anti-freeze has been the death of many cats) or eating spoiled food.

4. Your indoor-only cat will not be killed by a car. This is what shortens the lives of outdoor cats more than any other hazard: it just takes one accident, like the poor cat--who never, ever ventured past the property line, and was sunning himself on the driveway--got killed in front of his horrified owner when a driver momentarily lost control of his car.

5. Outdoor cats risk potentially deadly encounters with dogs too, in addition to other cats (who may be extremely territorial) and even wild animals. This is one reason why cottage country can never be deemed "risk-free" for your cat (and espcially for a kitten).

6. Keeping your kitten indoors (even if you intend to let it outside when it's older) should be a given, at least until the animal has been spayed or neutered. If you've chosen a juvenile spay or neuter, then at least wait until the kitten is about six months old before allowing it to go outside with you. There is absolutely no reason for owned animals to be having litters when millions of kittens and cats are still killed daily at pounds across the country.

7. Indoor-only cats don't kill songbirds, while their hunting instincts can be satisfied with toys and games.

8. Rescue workers have seen horrific cases of abuse that would make you cry to hear them. Suffice it to say that your cat runs a risk of mutilation by humans (usually for fun) that is very real. Even neighbors who seem to be quite normal will poison cats (and we're talking well-loved, family pets) who are digging in their flower gardens.

Hug your kitten (gently) and keep her safe.

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