What is the average life expectancy of an outdoor cat

Keeping cats away from busy roads — how to keep outdoor cats safe Go. How do fireworks affect cats and how do I help my scared cat? Read More. Why is my cat sneezing? Feline herpes virus and feline calicivirus Read More. My cat has been injured in a fight, what should I do?

How long do cats live? Do you want to know how long cats live? You can build a screened-in porch or a cat enclosure. Contrary to popular belief, cats can also be trained to walk on a leash.

Just be sure to attach it to a harness instead of a collar, as cats can slip their collars if spooked. Add an ID tag and have your cat microchipped for an extra degree of safety. With a little help from you, your cat can be just as happy indoors as out. Provide plenty of safe toys for him to play with when you are away from home and create window boxes and perches for him in multiple rooms.

This will allow him to soak up the sun and watch what is happening outside. These also come in unheated varieties for warmer climates. Can an indoor cat become an outdoor cat? Indoor cats are accustomed to air conditioning and lots of snuggles, so it's best to keep them inside. However, you can give your cat a safe "taste" of the outdoors. For starters, set up a catio or an outdoor cat-safe tent for him to play in. Train him to walk on a cat harness and take him outside for a stroll.

Or carry him on your walks in a Travel Bike Backpack. Indoor cats love when you set up bird feeders in your backyard. Don't forget interactive scratcher toys like the Creative Kitty Tunnel. Play with her every day for exercise and try clicker training for further enrichment. Unfortunately, outdoor cats do tend to have shorter lifespans on average than indoor cats.

But not all cats are meant to be indoors. If you want your cat to get the benefits of going outside without facing the risks of true outdoor cats, your best bet is to build an enclosure in your yard. Outdoor playpens for cats can present another option. If you want to let your cat enjoy the whole yard, you can install special fencing to keep them safely enclosed. You can also train some cats to walk on a leash. This will let you spend time outside with your cat while keeping them safe and under control.

If you let your cat roam outside, microchip them for identification and outfit them with a reflective, breakaway collar and current identification tags.