Outdoor Hazards for Cats

• Only 5% of lost cats are re-claimed by owners
• Research has shown that free roaming cats have a life expectancy of 2 - 4 years as compared to an average of 14 years for the indoor pet
• There are more cats (5.4 million) killed on the roads each year than any other animal
• The % of rabies cases in the U.S. attributed to cats is 29.4% of the total and rising
• Feline Leukemia and aids can be fatal & are spread by contact between roaming cats
• Millions of cats are injured, maimed, or killed by dogs and other domestic or feral cats

Obesity in Cats

Obesity is the number one nutritional disorder among cats. Studies suggest that approximately 25 percent of the cats presented to veterinary clinics are overweight. This extra weight puts pets at risk for certain health problems involving the cardiovascular, respiratory and skeletal systems. Knowing how to recognise the signs of obesity and take corrective action is important. But more important is knowing how to keep pets in good body condition to start, thus avoiding the development of obesity in the first place.

Defining Obesity

Animals with an excessive accumulation of body fat to the point of being 20 percent or more over ideal body weight are considered obese. Weight gain occurs when animals consume more calories than they use. This gain may be slow and gradual or occur rapidly depending on the size of the difference between energy intake and energy use.

Causes Of Obesity

The causes of obesity generally fall into three categories: inappropriate diet, genetic predisposition and hormonal disorders.

• Diet: Although this category is labeled diet, obesity is more accurately attributed to inappropriate feeding and exercising of the pet. As stated above, weight gain is a result of eating more calories than the pet uses. When calorie intake equals calorie expenditure, the animal will maintain its body weight. If intake exceeds output, the animal will gain weight. As a result, there are two ways to impact the animal's weight. The first is to feed fewer calories and the second is to increase the number of calories the pet uses by increasing the amount of exercise the pet gets . This means reducing the amount of food the animal receives and increasing the time spent walking or playing with the pet.

Mental Health

Recent studies have proven that many cats that are kept indoors suffer from several psycho-somatic disorders, including:

Behavioral problems - including erratic bathroom habits & furniture scratching.

Kidney problems

Despondent - depressed.

Cats are by nature designed to roam and explore outdoors - without this ability, many can become depressed and exhibit undesirable behaviors. It is very similar to how humans feel when confined indoors during the long winter months - a good case of cabin fever that never ends.

Numerous vets and animal behaviorists agree - Purr-fect Fence is truly a great idea.