The roof is a dangerous place

[newslacker]

Both cats how now sustained injuries from activities involving the roof. First #2 somehow got a cut on her flank about 1/3" inch wide. It festered for about 2 weeks before scabbing over. A week later the scab fell off to reveal a clean heal. Second, Bacon jumped from the balcony (I'm on the second story) down to the ground and now has either a

Comments

[g_the_curious]

If being humane isn't reason enough, then I'd suggest the threat of very expensive vet bills might be reason enough to keep the cats inside. (See a recent post of mine about hitting a cat.) A "stupid" cat was never intended to be on roofs or in an urban/suburban jungle. Their instincts are for the wild, where things are considerably more predictable and scaled appropriately. Not only that, but if yours were formally indoor cats, they'll have even less of a clue about how to survive outside.

Statistically, the average lifespan for an outdoor cat is 2-3 years. Indoor is 11+..

[newslacker]

Agreed. I made the decision last night to keep them inside from now on. They were both strays and know how to survive outside. But, if I want to keep them, they can not be allowed the limited freedom I was giving them.