It is not cruel to keep a cat inside. In fact, it is a kindness we can do for them. In additional to living longer, indoor cats don’t have to deal with fleas, parasites (intestinal worms), ticks, or irritated neighbors because they poop in flower beds or stalk birds; the possibility of being hit by a car or attacked by a dog or other animal; ingesting poison that someone put out to control rodents or ingesting a poisoned rodent; being picked up by animal control; or losing their family because they are picked up by animal control or a well-intentioned neighbor.
Cats are curious by nature and will be interested in what lies outside that door that opens and closes. It is important to train them to stay far away from the front and back doors. Training is done with a squirt bottle of water. Have it in your hand every time you approach the door and squirt them if they even look at the door. This is not a cruel way to train a cat; in fact, I have found no other way to train a cat. Don’t want them on the kitchen table? Spray them with water! The kitchen counter/stove? Water! A little water will certainly not hurt a cat although, use it only when necessary as you don’t want the kitty to get accustomed to the water and, even, start enjoying it!
Did you know that it is now illegal in the state of Maryland for vets to declaw a cat! Removing a cat’s claws involves basically cutting their toe off at the knuckle. It is a gruesome surgery that has a horrible recovery. Imagine trying to keep their feet clean while using a litter box. Some declawed cats stop using the litter box. Instead of declawing, keep their claws clipped. You can do this yourself with a pair of nail clippers. I use human nail clippers for adult cats and baby nail clippers for kittens. Just clip off the very tip of the nail being careful to avoid the “quick” which is dark. I try to clip my cat’s claws about every two weeks. You should also have several “legal” scratching options around the house for your cat to use.
Beltsville Community Cats is still seeking foster homes. We have taken in so many kittens this year that our foster homes are overcrowded. Unfortunately, we have had to release some young kittens back where we found them because they are a week or two too old to socialize quickly. This is an unfortunate situation which can only be resolved if we can recruit more foster homes. Email rescue@beltsvillecats.net if you are interested in fostering or adopting.
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