It's a fact that an inside cat lives a longer, healthier life than those that wander outdoors. An indoor cat never faces the many dangers waiting outside such as cars, attacks by other animals, exposure to diseases, parasites and poisons. Cats kept inside require less veterinarian care for problems more often associated to roaming cats such as fleas, ticks, worms and diarrhea.
Outdoor cats are more likely to get lost and searching for a lost cat is a time-consuming and often heartbreaking experience. Cats wandering outside can be legally trapped by a neighbor and turned over to a humane society.
The
Edmonton Humane Society does not support the practice of allowing cats to roam outdoors without supervision. The Society recommends that domestic felines be kept indoors, or allowed outdoors only when in an enclosed area or on a leash/tie-out with appropriate supervision.
Cats raised indoors are perfectly content with their world. Cats that have experienced the outdoors will need some time to adjust to indoor status but will eventually be perfectly content in the comforts of a home.
A few things you can do to keep your cat happy indoors:
- Keep fresh water and food at hand;
- Provide a litter box;
- Open screened windows to let in some fresh air;
- Provide your cat with toys and a scratching post for exercise.
Nuisance Cat Information
The City of St. Albert does not have a Cat Bylaw. Therefore cats are not prohibited from roaming the City or entering onto private property.
If you are having a problem with a nuisance cat, it is recommended that you try other humane methods to deter a cat from entering your property. These include speaking to the cat's owner (if known), placing a motion-censored water sprayer on the property, erecting a physical barrier, or using safe chemical deterrents that can be purchased at pet stores.
If the above methods do not work, you can use a humane live cat trap to capture the animal.
The Edmonton Humane Society supports the use of humane live cat traps only as a last resort to remove an unwanted cat from a piece of property, and only if all appropriate actions are taken to ensure the health and safety of the trapped cat.
The most commonly used humane cat trap is a metal cage with a plate on the bottom. When the cat is enticed into the cage, it steps on this plate, which closes the door behind it. Look under "Pest Control" in the Yellow Pages for companies that have available traps.
