Cats: Indoor or Outdoor?
Updated: Oct 6
Adopted Cats are Indoor Cats
In my neighborhood in Lowes Island, Virginia, several cats are roaming who are household pets and should be kept indoors.
A cat adopted from 4Paws 703-715-6369 and other rescues is not allowed outdoors, and any adopter knows this by signing a oontract. Violating that contract has consequences. It's a stressful life for a cat especially in urban and suburban areas, abusive, dangerous, and possibly fatal.
Cats who are free roaming were born outdoors, or were abused, or intentionally dumped, as was the case with Brutus, a friendly former barn cat whose adopters brought him from Ohio to Alexandria and then dumped him in Manassas, They are wealthy people; this was not a hardship action. The cat friendly feeders in Manassas provided his sustenance but by no means was Brutus suited for outdoor life. A barn cat lives a relatively sheltered life, literally, with a barn for shelter, rodents and ideally supplemental food from humans.
June and Sterling, have homes in Lowes Island on Sandbank Square, but are intentionally left outside in all weather and times. They roam the neighborhoods, sometimes befriending residents, but always under the stress of survival. When a human adopts a cat from a rescue such as 4Paws, he or she signs a contract that the cat will be kept indoors. The stress of being outside at all times is detrimental to their health and potentially fatal in a busy suburban area. I've had to carry Sterling away from lounging in the middle of the street where a careless driver could easily run him over.
I saw June frequently visiting my front and back yards, sometimes sitting on the back fence gazing in at me while I worked at my computer, then drinking out of my flower pot. My front Ring camera recorded June frequently all times of day and night. Her behavior was curious but cautious and her need for water and food on a hot day implied she did not have a regular home or food, shelter, and loving care. The frayed, tight collar alarmed me. I feared she was a stray, homeless, and I endeavored to make sure she was safe. I posted a photo on NextDoor hoping to identify if she had an owner.
I saw June the day after my Johnny died, July 10, almost like an angel, sitting on my front step gazing at the wrens in the tree. Her collar was worn, frayed, and too tight. I endeavored to read the phone number on her tag. When I succeeded, and called the number, there was no answer. However, the neighbor came home and informed me he had adopted her from 4Paws 703-715-6369 for his daughter (who does not live with him), and that June was "an outdoor cat". He also complained that he had to clean up her vomit, boasted about the scratch on her nose, and rebuffed my suggestion that she needed a new collar.
When 4Paws 703-715-6369 saw that June was outdoors, they immediately wanted to get her to a vet. 4Paws confirmed that the adopter violated his adoption contract by intentionally sending her outside. A Rescue organization has responsibility and rightsfor the safety of a pet that they rescue.
Community Cleanliness
HOA rules regulate the clean up of pet waste, enforcable for dog walkers. However, pet families who put their cats outside also are the cause of pet waste and unhealthy public and private places. Cat families should have inside litter boxes.
Outdoor, Community, and Feral Cats
Cats who are born outdoors and inherit what we call feral characterstics are survivors, and there are always exceptions. In the case of my dear Paddy, he lived in a corporate garage but had friendly association with humans before I rescued and adopted him. .
Shaila was a lone young female within a colony I was caretaking in Herndon was bitten by another cat, vetted, spayed at Fairfax Animal Shelter, and adapted to become a happy household pet with the loving mentorship of Paddy.
Community cat organizations
Loudoun Community Cat Coalition and Fairfax Friends of the Shelter, are organizations who volunteer to caretake colonies of cats whose lifestyle is outdoors or were not socialized to be indoor pets. Colony caretaking assures a friendlier, well managed, and healthier community of outdoor cats. However, as in the case of Brutus, irresponsible humans dump their house pets where they see someone feeding. A critical aspect of colony management is trap/neuter/release to control population growth (or adopt, as was my choice with Shaila).
Microchips
If you see a cat you believe is a stray, one sure way to assess ownership is by scanning the microchip. The chip is registered to the Rescue organization. Most vets have a microchip scanner as do many of the rescues. If a cat is surrendered, or abandoned, the cat should and will be returned to the rescue.
An amazing example of Microchip idenifications was with Friends of Homeless Animals,(FOHA) who took in a cat, Scooter, a second time, after one adoption failed, he was identified in another state ,and returned to FOHA, then adopted (see Pet Info Cafe Episode #21)
Contact 4Paws 703-715-6369
At time of blog publication, June is still at large and needing to be returned to 4Paws for veterinary care due to adopter neglect.
*The 4Paws Rescue Team is a nonprofit, community-based, all-volunteer organization dedicated to helping neglected, abandoned, abused, and unwanted cats and kittens. As a result, we strive to prevent suffering by providing each animal with the care it needs.
In addition, every cat rescued by 4Paws receives vaccinations and appropriate veterinary care before being placed in a permanent, loving home. You donations help us achieve our goals.
703-715-6369
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