Half of all pet cats NEVER go outside

Almost half of all pet cats are never let outside by their owners over fears for their health and safety, scientists have found. 

All domesticated felines fall into one of two groups, completely indoors, or a combination of outside and inside. 

A survey of more than 5,000 cat owners around the world found 41 per cent of owners opt for the former.  

Nottingham Trent University researchers say the main driver behind this decision is a desire to protect their cat from traffic, other animals and criminals. 

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Of the 41 per cent of owners who keep their cat inside all day, the vast majority (85 per cent) said it was down to keeping their beloved pet safe. 

More than half (59 per cent) cited traffic as the main reason, and 98.7 per cent said traffic played at least some role in the decision-making process.  

Around one in eight (13 per cent) said keeping their pet safe from people was a major factor, with owners concerned about thieves. This concern was elevated in people who own pedigree pets.

In North America, one in five cat owners said harm inflicted by other animals, both domestic and feral, were a concern. This drops to ten per cent globally. 

‘The UK is densely populated and highly urbanised when compared to many regions within the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, which all have large, sparsely populated areas,’ the researchers write in their study. 

‘Therefore, it is reasonable that owners in Europe have urban-centric concerns, whilst in the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, concerns are typically nature-orientated.’   

Nottingham Trent University researchers, who led the study, found the main driver behind the decision to enforce an indoor-only existence on their cats was a desire to protect their pet from traffic, other animals and criminals (stock)

On the flip side, almost a third of cat owners (30 per cent) from New Zealand and Australia keep their pet inside to prevent them from hunting other animals.

‘In the USA and Canada, large predators are commonplace. The presence of larger predators such as coyotes, eagles, or bears may mean prey species have adapted better to avoid predation, dampening the effects of depredation by cats and meaning cats are at risk of predation themselves,’ the researchers write. 

‘In Australia and New Zealand, there are no large predators, although poisonous insects or snakes may still pose a risk to cats. 

‘The absence of predators makes local wildlife particularly susceptible to cat depredation, and this ecological niche has made it easy for cats to reproduce and survive.’

Keeping pets inside has previously been linked to stress-linked sickness and undesirable behaviours but is an increasingly common trend, especially among young people. 

Cat owners aged 26-35 and people living in city centres were among those most likely to keep their cats indoors. 

Researchers say this is an increasingly common trend as more people flock to urban hubs for work.  

‘It is important for us to look at how best we can improve the behaviour and wellbeing of indoor-only cats, particularly those significantly more likely to be kept indoors, such as pedigrees,’ said lead researcher Rae Foreman-Worsley.

‘To ensure they are adequately provided for, it is crucial for owners to recognise the individual needs of cats with different temperaments, activity requirements or previous life experiences. 

‘Those living in city centres, urban environments and apartments are significantly more likely to have indoor-only cats, and as urbanisation is set to continue it is reasonable to assume the proportion of cats kept indoors will too.’ 

Co-author Dr Lauren Finka added: ‘The choices owners make concerning the environments they provide their cats with can have important implications for the cat’s general wellbeing and quality of life.

‘It’s therefore vital we understand how owners’ decision-making processes and their own lifestyles may impact on their choices for their cats.’ 

The findings are published in the journal Animals.