What is dangerous self-walking for domestic cats

Surely you have heard that cats walk by themselves. How safe is it? Let’s figure it out.

Self-walking is walking your pet along the street without an owner. Most often, cats on their own are found in villages and small towns. You may think that this is convenient – the pet breathes fresh air and you do not need to constantly look after it. But such walks pose a danger incomparable with convenience. Pay attention to the risks of self-walking and the misconceptions associated with it.

Risks for a cat on the street

Both in the conditions of the city and in the country, numerous dangers lie in wait for a domestic cat on the street. If at home the animal is almost always supervised, then on the street, even with a GPS beacon, you will not be able to accurately track where the cat is and what happened to it.

• Car injuries. There is no car traffic now except in the taiga. In any small town or village there is at least one car, and in large cities there are hundreds of thousands of cars and motorcycles. Your pet may get scared and throw themselves under the wheels or get hit by a car completely by accident.

• Flayers. Unfortunately, there are enough people in the world who for some reason do not like animals. If your cat is gullible, it can fall into the hands of flayers and get badly hurt or even die.

• Falls from heights or into water. Despite the fact that cats can land on their feet when they fall, they often receive injuries that are incompatible with life. A cat can also fall into water, such as a pond or well, from which it is difficult to get out on their own.

• Hunger. Self-walking is also dangerous because the animal can go far from home and get lost. Your cat is used to eating at certain times and is not trained to forage on its own, so it may starve to death.

• Attacks by dogs and other cats. Stray dogs and cats that can attack your cat are not uncommon in large cities and towns. It happens that domestic dogs of hunting breeds attack cats – it is better to protect your pet from such meetings.

• uncontrolled reproduction. If your cat or cat is not neutered, they can breed uncontrollably outdoors. It is especially sad if the cat is purebred, and you have to attach mestizo kittens.

• Various diseases (rabies, lichen, fleas, internal parasites that are dangerous for both animals and humans). Even a vaccinated cat can pick up parasites on the street. Especially often pets are bitten by fleas and ticks. When bitten by a sick animal, a cat can become infected with rabies, which then infects the owner. Toxoplasmosis is also very dangerous, with which a pet can get sick by eating a mouse or a piece of raw meat.

• Dangerous food (garbage, trapped animals, poison). On the street, domestic cats, if they are hungry, may well pick up something edible. A cat may accidentally eat spoiled food or even rat poison.

• A cat can hurt someone. Your stressed cat may bite or scratch someone else’s child or pet.

Misconceptions about self-walking

Some owners are so accustomed to walking their cats on their own that they believe common myths about the benefits of self-walking and its safety.

• Many people think that cats need the company of relatives. It is a myth. Cats are not dogs and are not pack animals. The best thing for them is their own comfortable territory.

• All cats find their way home. Not always. If a cat is worried and nervous, it may well get lost, especially in a big city. Why take such a risk?

• Cats need to hunt. Toys are enough to satisfy your pet’s hunting instinct. Buy a set of rubber mice, balls and feathers at the pet store – the cat will be happy.

• The apartments have little space for a cat. A domestic cat has enough space of 18 square meters to meet all its needs.

Owner’s responsibility

The responsibility of the owner for self-walking of a pet is fixed in the Federal Law of December 27, 2018 No. 498-FZ “On the responsible treatment of animals and on amendments to certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation.” Paragraph 5 of Article 13 says that it is necessary to exclude the free movement of animals on roads, yards and public places – for example, entrances. This applies not only to dogs, but also to cats. In case of violation of the articles of the law, the owners may incur administrative or even criminal liability.

If you really want your fluffy beauty to walk and breathe fresh air, be sure to walk with her. In the pet store, you can buy a special cat leash and harness, as well as a GPS tracker and an address tag in case the cat gets lost. Teach your pet to walk in a harness – and enjoy joint walks.