Why are we advocating to keep cats indoors? Why are we spending our hard-earned fundraising dollars on public education and advertising? Who cares?
We care. We care for cats. All cats. Feral cats, owned cats, abandoned cats, ALL cats. We are saddened by the numbers of cats that need rescue. We are saddened by stories from people who are asking for help or looking to adopt a new cat due to their cat being poisoned by lilies, hit by a car, attacked by an eagle, or taken away by a coyote/owl (or other predator). The common theme in every conversation is ‘I didn’t know’. I didn’t know that an eagle would take my cat. I didn’t know the lilies I planted in my garden could harm my cat. I didn’t know . . . It is heartbreaking.
The mention of indoor cats vs outdoor cats causes debate. People feel strongly one way or the other. We know this campaign may not change some minds, but we can educate the next generation of cat families. We hope those who bring a cat into their home will adopt a new way of thinking and keep their cat safely indoors.
Years ago there were no seat belts in cars. Drinking while driving was unfortunately common. Smoking was an accepted norm. And it was normal to let your cat outside. When I grew up, we didn’t have cat litter and our cat went outside. But times are different now. Our streets are busier. We know more; we can do better.
What did Fred Flintstone do before he went to bed? He put the empty milk bottle outside for the milkman, then put the cat outside and closed the door. Times have changed; we are a modern society. We now buy milk at the grocery store, we have refrigerators, and it is no longer common to put your cat outside. The Canadian Association of Humane Societies (now Humane Canada) conducted a nation-wide survey and found that 72% of Canadians keep their cats indoors. Please think about that and be part of the change.
We recently received a message from a family who have a 15-year old cat. The cat always enjoyed time outside on their deck and never wandered away. One day the cat disappeared. Later that day they found the cat crawling up the lane, covered in blood. The cat was rushed to a vet clinic and is recovering from an eagle attack. This family had often said “My cat always goes outside and we’ve never had a problem”. They now see things differently. It only takes one time, one incident, to change things forever. Do whatever you can to avoid a sad ending.
Here at SpayDay HRM we practise what we preach. All of the SpayDay Board members keep their cats indoors, or they have a cat-safe enclosed area such as a catio. We hope you will consider the same.
Spay Day Board of Directors
Indoor Cats: Good for Everyone 