Moving To Arizona with Cats? Don't let them outside! (Phoenix: apartment complexes, loan)

[GoodSamaritan77]

Hello Friends. I would like to respond to a previous (closed) post (https://www.city-data.com/forum/arizo...ving-az-2.html) where an individual requested local opinions about allowing their cats to stay outdoors or indoors/outdoors, once they moved to the general area of Phoenix, Arizona.

As a long-time resident, cat owner and general do-gooder, I provide the following arguments AGAINST allowing your cat or small dog to wander in your yard or outside in our beautiful state of Arizona. I am also a long-time colony manager and advocate for TNR (trap/neuter/return) and have seen firsthand what outdoor cats are exposed to every day, even in well-sheltering apartment complexes. Whether it is in a heavily populated city area or an outskirt community, or more rural area, keep your cat indoors because:

(1) Natural predators abound - as there are great food supplies and general amusement for cats (small birds, insects, lizards) which are available year-round, there is likewise the predators which similarly seek these animals: coyotes, owls, snakes, scorpions, bobcats, etc. Even in the most populated areas, in the greater Phoenix area (Surprise/Glendale/Phoenix/Tempe/Mesa/Scottsdale/Peoria, etc), we have washes and undeveloped areas for sewage canals throughout the city, which are great hiding and living areas for coyotes, bobcats and other predators. The beauty and areas of undeveloped land within areas in the city are likewise what makes our city in general a dangerous environment for domesticated animals.

(2) Natural disease - Forget about your basic vaccine diseases (FVRCP, FIV, rabies, etc), which are still not 100% effective: this state also has natural diseases like Valley Fever, a south western, soil-based and wind-distributable fungal disease, which is hard and expensive to manage in cats. There is no cure for Valley Fever in humans or in cats, although better vaccines are being developed and there is some talk of funding a cure at some point. My two cats, who do NOT go outside but have been exposed to simple air coming through the front screen door, were recently diagnosed and are currently being treated for Valley Fever.

(3) Cats get lost here all the time - And never found. Just take a look at all the "LOST" dog and cat posters in any veterinary office, or online at Petfinder.org. I have seen them all over town, on mailboxes and in public places. Whether natural predators may have attacked them, they were run over in traffic, or got stuck in some place while wandering, the options are endless...because the climate is generally so nice, well-fed cats will want to wander around...and have just increased their risk of death as a result.

(4) Shelters Can't Manage All The Lost/Abandoned Pets found - As a result of people allowing their unsterilized pets to wander around and breed, the animal shelters in Arizona are too full of animals surrendered. If your pet looks old, sick or unfriendly, it will go into the "euthanize" category, due to limited space, which means it will be put to sleep within a day. It is only because of the huge volume of drop-offs that these facilities are forced to make hard decisions of life/death: we can't fault them, but we can fault ourselves. Additionally, there are more and more "house hoarding" cases where cats and dogs are regularly being brought into these shelters.

(5) Carcinogenic chemicals - Because the Arizona climate invites year-round outdoor activities, including construction, car repair and landscaping, there is always the possibly your outdoor pet will be exposed to carcinogens such as pesticides, cleaning agents, and other harsh chemicals which are fatal if ingested/touched by animals or humans.

I welcome all and any questions/comments from prospective pet owners moving to Arizona, and current residents of Arizona wishing to comment on my post. Thank you and God Bless.

[Bummer]

Definitely NOT a "cat person" nor a cat expert, GoodSamaritan . . .

However, if the number of Lost Cat Signs posted around my neighborhood (about a block from the Rillito River) are an indicator . . . you are absolutely correct. There must be lots of missing and/or lost cats.

A few years ago, I had a neighbor who was devoted to her two cats and they never went outside. As I have never owned a cat, at first I thought that was kinda strange. I soon learned that a cat roaming the streets has a very short life expectancy . . . SO SAD.

[Salpointe59]

Our Tom was killed by an Owl. Phobus was one mean cat, but no match.

[WantingWarmAndDry]

VERY informative. Thank you!

[Steve-o]

This is a good post, and precisely the reason our cats are indoor-only cats. Even back in IL they were kept indoors due to coyotes and owls. There are just too many dangerous critters out there to let them wander around unsupervised. Scorpions arent a threat, though, and those can be found inside anyways.

[KurtAZ]

You forgot:

(6) Trappers in the guise of a "Rescue": These on the surface "concerned animal people" regularly roam neighborhoods after dark with cat traps. They will place them for a day and then come back the next night to collect their bounty. Each cat will "adopt" for about $130. If they are not spayed/neutered, most of these Trappers take advantage of Maricopa County's free vouchers via their SNAP program (max of 5 per month) or use a low cost clinic to fix the cat. They don't care if the cat is a pet...typically those will get adopted first anyway since they are already fixed, normally friendly and obviously the owner didn't care enough about the cat to keep them indoors (in their mind...not mine). Your only defense is micro-chipping your pets but even then, until someone scans it, your pet is gone.

This combined with the above reasons should be enough to encourage you to keep your furry friends indoors. Build them some shelves, a cat tree, a decent litter box and a place to watch "Cat TV" and you will be much happier than letting your cats roam free.

[KurtAZ]

Oh...and btw...cats LOVE scorpions to play with and while not "immune" from a sting, the venom does not cause the same reaction that it does in humans.

[Kimballette]

Originally Posted by KurtAZ

You forgot:

(6) Trappers in the guise of a "Rescue": These on the surface "concerned animal people" regularly roam neighborhoods after dark with cat traps. They will place them for a day and then come back the next night to collect their bounty. Each cat will "adopt" for about $130. If they are not spayed/neutered, most of these Trappers take advantage of Maricopa County's free vouchers via their SNAP program (max of 5 per month) or use a low cost clinic to fix the cat. They don't care if the cat is a pet...typically those will get adopted first anyway since they are already fixed, normally friendly and obviously the owner didn't care enough about the cat to keep them indoors (in their mind...not mine). Your only defense is micro-chipping your pets but even then, until someone scans it, your pet is gone.

What you're describing is not "Trappers in the guise of a 'Rescue.'" Within the animal rescue community, TNR (trap, neuter, release) is a common, accepted, and humane way of dealing with feral and community cats. There are organizations that loan out humane traps and as you said, low cost spay/neuter clinics who work exclusively with feral/community cats. All this is done with the approval and assistance of the county.

Cats are trapped as you describe, but are returned to the same area once they've been neutered. This is not a moneymaking scheme to acquire animals for adoption. The point is to reduce the number of unaltered cats endlessly reproducing.

I've been very active in rescue for years, and there is no shortage of animals at the pound and humane society to be saved from euthanasia and adopted out. Rescues save animals from there (already neutered), get them vetted, and find safe homes for them. The fees they charge cover the cost of feeding, care, and vetting.

You're mixing up two different things. Having said that, there's no question indoor cats live longer than those allowed to roam.

[johnp292]

Originally Posted by Kimballette

What you're describing is not "Trappers in the guise of a 'Rescue.'" Within the animal rescue community, TNR (trap, neuter, release) is a common, accepted, and humane way of dealing with feral and community cats. There are organizations that loan out humane traps and as you said, low cost spay/neuter clinics who work exclusively with feral/community cats. All this is done with the approval and assistance of the county.

Cats are trapped as you describe, but are returned to the same area once they've been neutered. This is not a moneymaking scheme to acquire animals for adoption. The point is to reduce the number of unaltered cats endlessly reproducing.

I've been very active in rescue for years, and there is no shortage of animals at the pound and humane society to be saved from euthanasia and adopted out. Rescues save animals from there (already neutered), get them vetted, and find safe homes for them. The fees they charge cover the cost of feeding, care, and vetting.

You're mixing up two different things. Having said that, there's no question indoor cats live longer than those allowed to roam.

I thought that was odd...who would pay $130 to a "cat trapper" for a cat?

[KurtAZ]

Originally Posted by Kimballette

What you're describing is not "Trappers in the guise of a 'Rescue.'" Within the animal rescue community, TNR (trap, neuter, release) is a common, accepted, and humane way of dealing with feral and community cats. There are organizations that loan out humane traps and as you said, low cost spay/neuter clinics who work exclusively with feral/community cats. All this is done with the approval and assistance of the county.

Cats are trapped as you describe, but are returned to the same area once they've been neutered. This is not a moneymaking scheme to acquire animals for adoption. The point is to reduce the number of unaltered cats endlessly reproducing.

I've been very active in rescue for years, and there is no shortage of animals at the pound and humane society to be saved from euthanasia and adopted out. Rescues save animals from there (already neutered), get them vetted, and find safe homes for them. The fees they charge cover the cost of feeding, care, and vetting.

You're mixing up two different things. Having said that, there's no question indoor cats live longer than those allowed to roam.

No, I am familiar with TNR...I have a neighborhood friend that does this. And no, I am not confusing them...there are plenty of legitimate Rescues in the Valley but there are some individuals that are, in fact, trapping neighborhood pets and re-selling them at PetSmart/PetCo. Before we started chipping our animals, one of our cats got out and disappeared...I found him a month later at the local PetSmart but had no way of proving that he was ours. Adoption fee for an already Neutered cat? $130.