Cat welfare issues

Cats who are always kept indoors rarely, if ever, suffer physical injuries/wounds or get fleas and develop associated flea-bite allergies.

These health issues can be costly in terms of cats’ quality of life and cat owners’ time and money. In the U.K. — where cats are commonly allowed outdoors, and sustain injuries from fights and vehicular traffic — “wounds” are the most common cause for insurance claims for medical treatment of cats.

In the U.S., the most common allergy treated in cats is flea-bite allergy, with a 67-percent increase being reported over the past decade. Fleas are the most common external parasite seen on patients, according to the 2018 Banfield State of Pet Health report. Fleas can transmit zoonotic diseases such as plague, putting family members at risk; anti-flea drugs, meanwhile, put cats at risk, and possibly family members who come in contact with externally applied treatments.

In both countries, and most others, it is a culturally accepted tradition to allow cats to roam free, as many cat owners believe that an indoor-outdoor life is best for their cats’ satisfaction of behavioral needs and quality of life. Many such cats bring home dead and live prey, which is also accepted as natural predation, but in many communities has a negative impact on biodiversity and small mammal and songbird populations.

Surely it is time for the veterinary profession to move forward and support municipal ordinances prohibiting cat owners who live in high-density suburban communities — and especially rural communities where wildlife is at risk — from allowing their cats off their property. Similar ordinances are in place for responsible dog ownership. The Florida panther is at risk of extinction in part because of viral diseases from domestic cats, who can also infect lynx and bobcats.

Concerted efforts to provide cat owners with the information needed to help their cats adapt to, and enjoy, life as indooronly animals is called for, regardless of the potential for alienating some clients. We must also advise against declawing (onychectomy), which is an all-too-common practice in North

America.