- A new study conducted in New Zealand found that transitioning cats from an outdoor to an indoor lifestyle is not as difficult as commonly believed.
- Over 40 per cent of surveyed cats adjusted “immediately”, with more than two-thirds of owners reporting that keeping their cat indoors was “easier than expected”.
- Age significantly impacted adaptation, with 75 per cent of cats who were moved indoors under the age of two adjusting within days, compared to 39 per cent for those over two.
- Motivations for owners to move their cats indoors included safety concerns, with owners citing risks like road traffic and attacks, as well as reducing their cat’s impact on native wildlife.
- Despite challenges such as litter tray maintenance and managing weight gain, 77 per cent of cat owners said they were very likely to continue keeping their cats indoors, according to lead author of the study Dr Julia Henning, while 76 per cent would keep future cats indoors.
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