When you bring a new cat into your home, you want to give them the best life possible. You research litter box setups and food brands, and you max out the credit card on toys, scratching posts, and kitty beds. Yet many cat owners don't give much thought to one of the most important choices you will make. Will you keep your cat inside or let it out?

Obviously, in the wild cats do not live indoors. Yet they also don't eat

kibble, sleep on a foam mattress, and use a regularly cleaned litter box! Indoor cats are more likely to get fat and bored. Outdoor cats are more likely to get hit by a car. The decision is ultimately a personal one, but here are some of the benefits of each choice.

Access to the outdoors

It can certainly seem a bit cruel to keep an animal closed off indoors when its natural instincts are still so in tuned to the outdoors. Despite centuries of domestication, cats are still hardwired to stalk, hunt, and defend their territory. They will sit on the windowsill and yell at another cat on the patio, and run from window to window to try and keep track of a noisy bird. If they are home alone all day, it can be hard to leave them enough surprises and stimulation to stay active indoors. A cat can keep active and react to all of its instincts out in the wild. It can also eat grass and leaves instead of your plants, as well as take care of some of it's business where you won't have to clean it up. Your feline friend may also show great talent as a mouser or take care of other annoying small animals while spending time outside.

Indoors Only

The obvious benefit of keeping your cat exclusively indoors is safety. While a cat is outdoors having fun, he runs the risk of getting into fights with other animals and cat-hating neighbors. A cat's natural ability to stalk and hunt in secrecy makes it very likely to get hit by a car, especially at night. While cat owners living in a city or busy suburb may need to worry about these dangers more, even cats in rural areas are at risk. Add to that the possibility of contracting a host of diseases and parasites from plants and other animals, and keeping your fur ball indoors begins to sound like a good deal.

While it's probably true that your cat would rather be able to go outside, the dangers seem to far outweigh the benefits. As a cat owner, you are essentially the parent of a fun-loving child, and it's your responsibility to make the tough decisions for their own good. The fact of the matter is that indoors-only cats consistently live longer than their outdoor counterparts. However, for some cat lovers, the feline connection with nature is too strong to ignore, and they decide that the risks are worth maintaining that connection. If you do decide to err on the side of caution, it is possible to alleviate the benefits your indoor cat is missing out on:

*Make sure she has access to several different windows in the house - watching the outdoors is like watching television for cats!

*Purchase different varieties of toys, and rotate them in and out of circulation so she'll never know what's waiting around the corner.

*Leave a radio on in one room to deliver audio stimulation. If your TV has a timer, set it to go on and off at odd times during the day.

*Cats love to scratch and climb, so a tall cat tower or other climbable furniture can provide entertainment.

*Try hiding treats in shoeboxes full of newspaper or purchased toys designed for the same. This allows your cat to work for his treats!

*Feed high quality, high protein foods and put a pot of cat grass where your cat can nibble on it.

*If you can handle it, a feline friend is the easiest way to keep your cat happy and active all day.

Learn more about this author, Kimberly Schiller.
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