Here's the story. We have just moved house, and it's a LOT smaller than our old place.. up until now, we have kept our pets (two cats and one dog) as mostly indoor pets.
But now that our living quarters are a bit more.. cramped.. my wife is looking to transition the animals outside.. However, I'm a bit less receptive to this idea.. so I need your help.. which should it be...?
The argument goes as follows.. My wife, being a mother first and foremost, is worried about animal hair and smell around the kids, especially our amazing, incredible 4-month old. She believes the animals will be fine outside.. especially because we have a front gated area for parking cars/bikes, etc.
The neighborhood is quiet, and our neighbors all let their cats and dogs roam the street. There's even a forest right behind our house to explore. Besides, my ferociously superior feline has already escaped on multiple occasions and always seems for find his way safely home.. the transition will be flawless, right?
By from my point of view though, we are opening up to a lot more problems than just a bit of unpleasant odor and scruffs of fur here and there.
Outside animals life expectancy drastically drops.. our cats and diminutive dog will be exposed to a whole host of dangers, including but not limited to, cars and bikes, aforementioned neighborhood cats and dogs that might not be so opened to newcomers on their territory, and also, mosquitoes, fleas, ticks and inclement weather.. i.e. flash floods..
Animal safety aside, the fact is if we put the pets outside, they will be bringing a lot more unwanted visitors in and around the house.. unspayed tom cats will spray everywhere once they catch scent of our female feline. The bugs are also an issue.. the wild cat already has ear mites, probably from some of his jungle excursions, and we've seen two ticks inside the house this week!
Finally, I'm worried that if we ever need to, or decide to revert to raising them as indoor pets again, it's going to be an epic struggle. Maybe not so much with the dog, but the cats dart for the door every time it's left ajar.. the outdoor environment is a much more stimulating place to be. It would take a lot of attention and effort on our part to match that stimulation indoors. Also, it might only be a matter of time before instinct takes over and our furry feline companions decide to make a permanent switch on their own..
So, weigh in, what do YOU think? Do you have any pets? Is it wise to let your pet roam outdoors or should we suffer a few inconveniences to keep them safe and indoors? Sound off in the comments below!
..and, stay savvy! 😎