Why one decision can reduce your cat’s life expectancy by 10 years, expert warns

It’s an age-old debate amongst cat owners – should you or should you not let them roam?

Some argue that cats need to be outside amongst nature, soaking up the sunlight and the fresh air.

Whereas others argue that allowing your cats unsupervised time outside can be dangerous, and Dr. Katrina Warren has revealed why that is the case.

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Speaking with David Campbell and Richard Wilkins on Today Extra, Dr. Warren explained that letting your cat roam can cut their life expectancy by a whopping 10 years.

“The average indoor cat or contained cat will live well into their teens,” she shared.

Dr. Warren went on to explain that there are a number of dangers of letting your cat roam including predators, cars, cat fights, diseases, snake bites and simply getting lost.

“Nine out of 10 cats that get lost never make their way back home,” she said.

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“A roaming cat will cross three or four roads in a day. I’ve lost count of the number of people that say to me their cat has road sense or would never go on a road, and then they phone me crying because the cat has died.”

But Dr. Warren isn’t suggesting that every cat should stay entirely indoors – it just has to be done the right way.

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She suggests that cat owners let their pets outside in a contained environment.

“I know lots of people who have enclosed balconies using cat netting,” she explained.

Dr. Warren suggests finding an area outside your home where you’re able to set up some kind of cat netting so that your furry friend can be outside under the sun without any of the dangers of roaming free.

“You can actually get a special netting that the cats can’t get through, the air gets through, you can hardly see it, but it’s keeping your cat safe,” she added.

If you are currently letting your cat roam and want to switch the keep them safer, Dr. Warren suggests starting by bringing them in at night as that is when they are most at risk.

She shared that as long as you are letting your cat exercise their hunting and climbing skills safely through games and toys, there is no harm in keeping them inside rather than letting them roam freely.

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