David Grimm, author of “Citizen Canine: Our Evolving Relationship with Cats and Dogs,” says in this opinion piece that cat owners should be walking their indoor cats daily. He readily admits veterinarians and wildlife advocates recommend that cats stay indoors. Yet, he argues that cats are naturally nomadic and have evolved to stay cooped up.
Source: New York Times, December 5, 2018. Link. (paywall) The solution lies in what we’ve already done with dogs for decades: We need to start walking our cats. I’m not saying that you should put your cat on a leash like we did. They don’t like you telling them where to go. But we should let our cats outside for 30 to 60 minutes a day to rove yards, stroll sidewalks and disappear intro shrubbery.
INSIGHTS: Cats may not have evolved to stay in the house all day, but coyotes’ taste buds have not evolved to dislike cats as snacks, either.