Your cat may tell you the great outdoors is lots of fun - grass to roll in, trees to climb. However, cats, like children, depend on us to recognize danger and protect them from harm.

In addition to grass and fresh air, the outdoors poses many risks to your pets. Lethal risks that can be completely avoided:

TRAFFIC: To listen to some people, a pet's "getting hit by a car" is just part of pet ownership. Your pet is not likely to agree....

POISON: Cat's don't usually resist the temptation of checking out neighbors' yards, the hoods of their cars, and their flower beds. Although it is illegal and inhumane, some people put out a poisonous substance to get rid of those pawprints on a car. Poison also may be put out for other animals, and pets are accidentally poisoned, such as by eating poisoned mice. A number of yard care products can also be poisonous, such as snail bait and some lawn sprays.

CRUELTY: Unfortunate, but true, there are more than enough people in this world who are intentionally cruel to animals.

INJURIES: If your pet goes outside, it risks injurious or deadly fights with other animals, and also exposure to those animals' diseases.

Bite wounds often abscess, resulting in a serious injury for your pet, and a veterinary bill for you.

DISEASE: Even if your pet is vaccinated, it runs the risk of serious diseases:

Leukemia  The vaccine for feline leukemia, although valuable, provides about 80% - 85% protection, leaving your pet still at some risk of contracting leukemia, a deadly disease transmitted basically by saliva, from another cat.

FIV  Feline Immunodeficiency Virus  FIV is a disease that compromises the immune system of the cat. There is no vaccine for FIV, and there is no cure. FIV is generally transmitted between cats by biting. A blood test determines if the cat is FIV positive. Scientific evidence indicates FIV is not communicable to humans. A number of stray cats are FIV positive, and your cat runs a significant risk of FIV contact with these outdoor cats. For more information regarding FIV, contact your veterinarian.

No cat, no neighborhood, is immune from these dangers. Give your cat a long, safe, healthy life  indoors!

Once in a while?
Letting your cat go outside once in a while can just reinforce your cat's interest in the outdoors. For many cats, the great outdoors is a bit like ice cream or any other treat. If you never have it, you won't miss it. It may not be a good idea to remind your cat of the outside and stir up the wish to go out.

Convincing your cat
Outdoor cats can be persuaded to become indoor cats. If your cat is a door darter, try keeping a spray bottle by the door to discourage these dashes to the outside. Your cat likes water? Instead of a spray bottle, try shaking a tin can with a few rocks in it. Makes a stop-in-your-tracks ruckus. Although at first your cat may be very distressed about his loss of freedom, give it time  your cat will adjust, to their benefit.

Make Life Inside Fun
Toys, play time with you, a window to look out of (with secure screens!), scratching posts, and a few twigs of catnip from time to time more than compensate for the risks your cat faces outdoors.