Indoor cat = safer cat

Indoor cat = Safer cat

-About this stamp
I decided to make it today after something I read that truly made me feel sick to the stomic x)x
I feel that it's important to educate people a little bit about the "indoor cat" = "safer cat". 
(I apologize in advance, my native language is not English) Also before you start arguing by
any chance, make sure you read the complete stamp! Otherwise I might just copy the text
you missed out on for some reason =3=

Why indoors, shouldn't they be "FREE animals"
If that was the case then they wouldn't even be living with you! Long ago cats were taken in for one reason only and that was to get rid of rodents. But for some reason as time passed people ended up stuck to the idea of a cat that "HAS" to be outside in order to feel "free"... For some reason people believe that outdoor cats are even "happier" than indoor cats which is false. For those who think that keeping cats indoor is cruel and abusive, please educate yourself. In that matter if it wasn't good for a cat and if keeping them indoors would basically "take away" their freedom then how about the following animals: Dogs, Birds, Rodents, Reptiles, Fish,  etc...I could go on forever. If you think that keeping a cat indoors would do that then basically all owners who keep dogs on leashes would be taking away the freedom of their dogs too. Now it's normal to have dogs on leashes ? Actually there are a couple of countries were dogs live without leashes and fences, and many dog owners could NOT image that either. Also when you call it a "FREE" animal, remember that when you took the animal in and began feeding it the part of "free" can be questioned greatly. A Feral cat is the closest you can call "free" since keeping them indoors at a later age is not always optional depending on how the cat behaves. But if you have a domesticated cat then it's part of your home. 

The many risks of being an outdoor cat
Going outdoors does not come without it's risks. Remember that it's not because your cat never got killed out there that it's not possible! Think about the idea that every single day cats that are part of a family do get killed on all kinds of ways. Diseases, predatory animals, traffic and probably the worst possible danger...humanity itself. When your cat is out there the chances are always possible that one day your feline friend might not return. Just from personal experience, when I was little my parents found back one cat of theirs that was beaten up by what the vet believed was a shovel. 2 of our other cats in the past were killed by someone who shot them. My aunt found back 2 of her cats that were killed by a car (even though the speed limit there was very low). And the women who adopted the mother of our current kittens is keeping the adopted mom indoors because she shared her experience with her own cat who she found back poisoned, this cat was still alive but died due to the poison right on her porch. And friends of ours keep their cats indoors after they saw a cat in their street drive fast over cats on purpose. It's simply dangerous to assume your cat will be fine can simply not be guaranteed! I remember in Belgium how people found their cat back dripping from oil and beaten up, they assumed the animal was about to be set on fire but got away. The great outdoors is simply not as great as you might think. Also remember you have people out there that simply go around like serial killers but then targeting animals. I myself am part of a Facebook group called "Meldpunt Dier langs de weg", basically it means this page is alerting people of dead animals that are found. Why am I part of this group? I have found a dead cat before as well and reported the animal as well by leaving photo's of this poor cat. They do this in hope to find possible owners if the animals have them. Now that is a smack to reality of this page? The fact that everyday you see their page updating of the dozens of cats (and dogs) that are found. It simply shocked me. Sadly people are just to little aware of how many animals die for having the aces to go outside. If you have a sensitive heart then I do not suggest you to take a look at this page
=>> www.facebook.com/search/top/?q… <<= Just to give you an idea of a rather horror like story, today (26/10/2016) a basket was fished out of the water, the basket itself was sealed with a little gate and inside the lifeless body of a cat was found. Basically this cat was locked up and died a horrifying death of drowning that is. Only a few days ago a cat was found missing it's ear tops and nose area. Just to point out of how dangerous it cat be out there for a cat. Sadly those who commit the sickening actions often get away, and sadly are never punished as harsh as they in my opinion should be. Think about it, but what a human can do to your cat is sickening. 
Cats do NOT have 9 lives, the risks:
-Diseases
-Parasites
-Rat Poison, traps...
-Traffic, cars, etc...
-Predatory animals
-Wounds from other cats
-Encounter with unfriendly human
-In general indoor cats live longer than outdoor
(Live of an indoor cats is said to reach 10-15, outdoor 1-5)

Are indoor cats happy?
Why on earth could an indoor cat not be happy ? It's a myth that outdoor cats are happier than indoor cats. All that counts in the end is the environment. If you decided to keep your cats indoors then of course it's your job to provide them with a fun and enriched area. Meaning adding shelves so they can get up, having scratching posts, toys and of course playing with them! They will be just as happy and I have met many people with indoor cats and the bonds just seem to be far closer than that of outdoor cats ( i'm not saying no outdoor cat can have a strong bonding). If they have a great area then they won't miss the outdoor at all. My 3 youngest cats were raised indoors and they don't even want to go outdoors, they don't scratch on the door to go out and the only moment they do is when either me or my mom is out. They had vet check ups, and the vet could only compliment us on how well the cats looked, shiny pelts, good diet and so on. One of our cats was even tested blood wise and body wise because we thought he had stress because he could bother or other two cats. And the vet just told us it might be rough playing because his results showed he was completely fine and no signs of stress whatsoever.  So yes an indoor cat can be just as happy or even happier than an outdoor cat. The happiness of a cat does "NOT" depend on the possibility to go outdoors. Can indoor cats be unhappy ? Of course! But then it's basically your fault to begin with, if their home is boring and has no enrichment for them then they might get sad, depressed or bored! But if you are a true cat lover then you in the first place would make sure that this is also their home including cat toys and so on! I had outdoor cats in the past and they would come in and sleep. Now I have indoor cats and I feel that the amount of knowledge I have about them is far greater! I know their dislikes and likes understand their calls much better I can play with them daily it's so much fun! You will automatically spend more time with an indoor cat. Your also more responsible for wildlife and nature by keeping your cat indoors. Some countries do face the issue of cats killing native bird species to a point were they begin asking people to keep cats indoors. You can also build a cat pen or walk em by leash.

Indoor cat life vs outdoor 
-www.peta.org/living/companion-…
-www.americanhumane.org/fact-sh…
-www.peteducation.com/article.c…
-www.petfinder.com/cats/cat-car…
-cats.about.com/od/indoorsvsout…
-www.animalplanet.com/pets/dang…
-www.sheknows.com/pets-and-anim…
-www.animalliberationfront.com/…
-www.mspca.org/pet_resources/th…
-catsindoors.tumblr.com/post/10…
Convinced that your cat is safe on it's own ? Then look at this www.facebook.com/dierenambulan… worth of 2 weeks of collecting dead cats in Belgium. These people try to find the owners, and will remove the cats that are found dead. This is only TWO WEEKS. And in a country like Belgium were animal welfare is generally higher than in most countries. So expect the death toll much higher in different countries.

Misreading body language
Some people tend to misread body language and assume therefore that their cat wants to go out. For example cat scratching a window, does not mean they want to go outside. My cat scratches a window when she sees a bird, she likes to look at it and she stares through the window. The moment the bird is gone however she leaves too and she quickly loses interest. My indoor cat which are 4, have no interest to go out because their indoor environment is fun enough. The point is that people often mistake certain behaviors. I remember watching my cat from hell, and how a cat that tried to get out ended up getting a room make over. Due to the changes the cat quickly lost all interest in going out. Cats also love looking through windows because they like to have an overview of the area but it doesn't mean they have to go out or want to. Providing enrichment is usually the clue to a happy indoor cat. 

But I am feeding feral cats or have to many cats
Feral cats is a completely different situation. They were born outside and are more wild. Or some became feral that can also happen. I understand that making them indoors can be much more challenging or not possible. I myself am taking care of one feral cat who lives outside but is fed by us. She is so sweet but only wants to come indoor at night time to sleep and relax a little in my room. But keeping her indoors is just not an option because of her much different behavior. She for example just can't get along with other cats. I understand if you for example feed a bunch of stray cats that keeping them all indoors is no option so like I said this is a different situation this stamp is more aiming towards domesticated cats. As for many cats, I know some people ended up adopting so many cats that they basically can't get along with one another. I understand as well that keeping all of them indoors might result in stress like days unless the house is super big. So yeah not all situations are ideal that I know.

Am I bad for keeping an outdoor cat?
Well of course not!!! I didn't imply that :'D ! Most people (I hope) have a cat because they love them. And in no way do I think your a bad owner! But truth to be told many cat owners still go by "old believes" that date back from times we have already passed by now. The majority of cat owners do not have cats anymore to get rid of rodents. And some of the most common reasons for owners to let cats out is: "They will be bored otherwise", "They are free animals" etc... Many of these sayings are however myths! This stamp is focusing on educating people. This stamp is also for you to educate others, be brave and try to challenge the views of others or perhaps your own parents. I had to edcuate mine and luckily they instantly took to it, but many out there have outdated believes. So rather than give in, don't give up to change their mind. To share my own story, yes I have had outdoor cats too and in the past when I was little I thought it was pretty normal for cats to always be indoor/outdoor, but when growing older and learning about the dangers I simply began doing research. When I figured out that indoor cats can be just as happy but basically 10 times safer my choice was quickly made. I come from farm country and it's typical for such to say cats should be outdoors too, but I prefer educating and learning so I can improve and learn more of cats. Another big change I made is putting my cats on a RAW diet rather than a store diet. As I also learned how much better it is. So in short, no my stamp is not saying your bad and should keep your cat inside. My stamp is saying please educate yourself then perhaps in the future you might consider having indoor cats. Step away from the myths that just make no sense! For example from the kitten litter we had from a rescued feline mom, 1 of them is missing. The people who adopted this kitten allowed the cat later on to go outdoors. Sadly the cat after some weeks never returned. As I was discussing with the owner (as I stated indoor life), she came with excuses that cats have to be outdoors that's "who they are". Now the people adopted a dog, it truly made me feel to contact the women and ask her if her dog could roam outside alone too. Why treat so many other animals to the point of safety and indoor vs cats outdoor. Take this into consideration. Again this is not a stamp to bash on outdoor owners... I want to educate because I met many people who were willing to learn vs many who didn't. A friend of mine for example lost one of her cats on the road and she also listened to me which i'm grateful for and changed her views having her young cats indoors too. So what i'm asking is to be open minded and not throw excuses right away at this! Instead educate people around you or future cat owners! Also I love to mention this again but it's not because nothing ever happened to your cat that nothing ever might happen! Anyways I hope you have learned something from this!



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