Indoors or Outdoors? An International Exploration of Owner Demographics and Decision Making Associated with Lifestyle of Pet Cats
Abstract
:Simple Summary
Abstract
1. Introduction
1.1. Lifestyle Considerations
1.2. Aims and Objectives
- Identify if different owner features or cat demographics are associated with greater odds of cats having an indoor-only or indoor-outdoor lifestyle;
- Elucidate the extent to which factors identified from the literature influence owners when making lifestyle decisions for their cat, and what proportion of owners consider the different lifestyle options available;
- Establish major narrative themes around owner decision making.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Survey Creation and Distribution
2.2. Data Cleaning
2.3. Data Analysis
2.4. Odds Ratios
3. Results
3.1. Demographic Results
3.2. Variables as Predictors of Lifestyle (Odds Ratios)
3.3. Lifestyle Choice Rationale
3.3.1. Indoor-Only Owners
3.3.2. Indoor-Outdoor Owners
3.4. Thematic Analysis of Responses
3.4.1. Rationales of Indoor-Only Cat Owners
3.4.2. Rationales of Indoor-Outdoor Cat Owners
4. Discussion
4.1. Safety
4.2. Road-Traffic Accidents
4.3. Urbanisation
4.4. Variation between Regions
4.5. Pedigree
4.6. Mental Wellbeing
4.7. Physical Health
4.8. Cat Autonomy
4.9. Alternative Lifestyle
4.10. Limitations
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Owner Demographics | Categories | Proportion of Total Population (%) (n = 5129) | Proportion of Indoor-Only Population (%) (n = 2104) | Proportion of Indoor-Outdoor Population (%) (n = 3025) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Owner gender | Female | 89.1 | 87.9 | 89.9 |
Male | 9 | 9.5 | 8.7 | |
Other | 1.2 | 1.9 | 0.7 | |
Prefer not to say | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.8 | |
Owner age | 18–25 | 14.1 | 14.3 | 14 |
26–35 | 28.2 | 33.2 | 24.8 | |
36–45 | 23.7 | 23.2 | 24 | |
46–55 | 20 | 17.5 | 21.8 | |
56+ | 12.6 | 11.5 | 15 | |
Prefer not to say | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.5 | |
Other cats | No | 44.7 | 41.8 | 46.6 |
Yes | 55.3 | 58.2 | 53.4 | |
Dogs | No | 81.8 | 83.1 | 80.9 |
Yes | 18.2 | 16.9 | 19.1 | |
Children (17 and under) | No | 80.4 | 84.2 | 77.4 |
Yes | 19.6 | 15.2 | 22.6 | |
Region | Europe | 76.2 | 30.2 | 69.8 |
USA and Canada | 20.8 | 80.6 | 19.4 | |
AUS and NZ | 3 | 42.2 | 57.8 | |
Area | City centre | 9.2 | 15.4 | 4.8 |
Urban | 20.1 | 24 | 17.4 | |
Suburban | 41.9 | 38.9 | 44 | |
Village | 16.9 | 11.5 | 20.7 | |
Rural | 11.9 | 10.2 | 13.2 | |
Dwelling Type | Flat/studio/apartment | 20.6 | 37.5 | 8.8 |
Terrace/town/row house | 18.1 | 12.9 | 21.8 | |
Semi-detached | 27.8 | 17.2 | 35.1 | |
Detached | 27 | 26.2 | 27.5 | |
Bungalow/cottage | 5.9 | 5.2 | 6.4 | |
Other | 0.7 | 0.9 | 0.5 |
Cat Demographics | Categories | Proportion of Total Population (%) (n = 5129) | Proportion of Indoor-Only Population (%) (n = 2104) | Proportion of Indoor-Outdoor Population (%) (n = 3025) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Cat age | Kitten (0–6 months old) | 1 | 1.7 | 0.4 |
Junior (7 months–2 years old) | 26 | 20.2 | 12.6 | |
Adult (3–6 years old) | 33.1 | 43.3 | 43.3 | |
Mature (7–10 years old) | 21.1 | 15.4 | 17.4 | |
Senior (11+ years old) | 18.3 | 19 | 25.8 | |
Unsure | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | |
Cat sex | Female | 50.6 | 51.9 | 49.6 |
Male | 49.3 | 48 | 50.2 | |
Unsure | 0.1 | 0 | 0.2 | |
Health problems | Yes | 16.6 | 19.3 | 14.7 |
No | 83.4 | 80.7 | 85.3 | |
Pedigree | Yes | 11.2 | 16 | 7.9 |
No | 82.3 | 76.5 | 86.4 | |
Unsure | 6.5 | 7.6 | 5.8 | |
Neutered | Yes | 96.8 | 95 | 98 |
No | 2.8 | 4.8 | 1.4 | |
Unsure | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.6 | |
Microchipped | Yes | 79 | 71.4 | 84.3 |
No | 19.8 | 27.4 | 14.5 | |
Unsure | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | |
Vaccinated | Yes | 75.4 | 75.2 | 75.5 |
No | 20.8 | 21 | 20.7 | |
Unsure | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9 | |
Declawed | Yes | 2.1 | 4.2 | 0.1 |
No | 97.9 | 95.7 | 99.4 | |
Unsure | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
Owner Household Variables | Sub-Group | Probability | OR | 95% Confidence Interval (CI) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Owner gender | Female | Reference | ||
Male | 0.231 | 0.886 | 0.727–1.080 | |
Owner Age | 18–25 | 0.943 | 0.993 | 0.815–1.209 |
26–35 | 0.001 | 0.765 | 0.651–0.898 | |
36–45 | Reference | |||
46–55 | 0.006 | 1.281 | 1.073–1.529 | |
56+ | <0.001 | 1.499 | 1.224–1.836 | |
Children | No | Reference | ||
Yes | <0.001 | 1.707 | 1.461–1.995 | |
Other cats | No | Reference | ||
Yes | <0.001 | 0.768 | 0.683–0.865 | |
Dog | No | Reference | ||
Yes | 0.078 | 1.149 | 0.984–1.340 |
Cat Variables | Sub-Group | Probability | OR | 95% CI |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sex | Female | Reference | ||
Male | 0.016 | 1.155 | 1.028–1.298 | |
Age | Junior | <0.001 | 0.656 | 0.565–0.762 |
Adult | Reference | |||
Mature | 0.047 | 1.179 | 1.002–1.386 | |
Senior | <0.001 | 1.445 | 1.211–1.724 | |
Pedigree | No | Reference | ||
Unsure | 0.004 | 0.707 | 0.559–0.894 | |
Yes | <0.001 | 0.441 | 0.367–0.529 | |
Health Issues | No | Reference | ||
Yes | <0.001 | 0.596 | 0.507–0.700 |
Area Variables | Sub-Group | Probability | OR | 95% CI |
---|---|---|---|---|
Area | City centre | <0.001 | 0.442 | 0.341–0.574 |
Urban | 0.001 | 0.730 | 0.607–0.877 | |
Suburban | Reference | |||
Village | 0.796 | 0.974 | 0.801–1.186 | |
Rural | 0.223 | 1.154 | 0.916–1.454 | |
House Type | Flat/studio/apartment | <0.001 | 0.199 | 0.162–0.245 |
Terrace/town/row house | 0.165 | 0.868 | 0.711–1.060 | |
Semi-detached | Reference | |||
Detached | 0.385 | 1.093 | 0.894–1.336 | |
Bungalow/cottage | 0.637 | 1.079 | 0.787–1.478 | |
Region | Europe | Reference | ||
USA and Canada | <0.001 | 0.093 | 0.076–0.114 | |
Australia and NZ | 0.001 | 0.510 | 0.349–0.746 |
Factors | Strength of Influence on Decision of Indoor-Only Cat Owners (n = 1454) (%) | Major Reason Lifestyle Was Chosen by Indoor-Only Owners (%) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
None | Weak | Some | Moderate | Strong | Global (n = 1333) | USA & Can. (n = 634) | Europe (n = 645) | AUS & NZ (n = 54) | |
Prevent hunting | 41.5 | 18 | 14.7 | 9.1 | 16.8 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 29.6 |
Protect from people | 11.6 | 7.4 | 14.8 | 17.4 | 48.8 | 13.4 | 9.3 | 18.1 | 5.6 |
Protect from traffic | 1.3 | 1.2 | 3.8 | 7 | 86.7 | 58.7 | 51.6 | 67.1 | 40.7 |
Protect from other cats | 12.9 | 12.4 | 18.5 | 19.3 | 37 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 0 |
Protect from wildlife | 19.9 | 13.4 | 13 | 13.9 | 39.8 | 10 | 19.9 | 0.5 | 7.4 |
Cat has health issues | 79 | 6 | 4.6 | 3.1 | 7.3 | 2.6 | 1.9 | 3.3 | 1.9 |
Other | - | - | - | - | - | 8.6 | 9.6 | 7.1 | 14.8 |
Factors | Strength of Influence on Decision by Indoor-Outdoor Cat Owners (n = 595) (%) | Major Reason Lifestyle Was Chosen (n = 594) (%) | Strength of Consideration by Indoor-only Cat Owners Who Considered an Indoor-Outdoor Lifestyle (n = 131) (%) | Major Reason Indoor-Only Owners Would Switch (n = 459) (%) | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
None | Weak | Some | Moderate | Strong | None | Weak | Some | Moderate | Strong | |||
Mental health | 1.7 | 1.2 | 19.5 | 6.9 | 70.8 | 38 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 16.8 | 19.8 | 57.3 | 35.3 |
Physical health | 1.3 | 2.7 | 19.7 | 7.7 | 68.6 | 18 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 16.8 | 26.7 | 51.1 | 16.1 |
Toilets outside | 23.9 | 12.6 | 14 | 17.3 | 32.3 | 5.4 | 42 | 16 | 14.5 | 10.7 | 16.8 | 5 |
Pest control | 66.9 | 17.3 | 3.2 | 6.1 | 6.6 | 0.5 | 72.5 | 9.9 | 10.7 | 4.6 | 2.3 | 2.6 |
Cat wants outdoor access | 5.6 | 3.7 | 13.5 | 8.6 | 68.7 | 32.9 | 19.1 | 13.7 | 22.9 | 18.3 | 26 | 24.4 |
Other | - | - | - | - | - | 5.2 | 85.5 | 1.5 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 6.9 | 16.6 |
Factors | Strength of Consideration by Indoor-Outdoor Cat Owners Who Considered an Indoor-Only Lifestyle (n = 174) (%) | Major Reason Indoor-Outdoor Owners Would Switch Lifestyle (n = 593) (%) | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
None | Weak | Some | Moderate | Strong | ||
Prevent hunting | 22.4 | 25.3 | 18.4 | 15.5 | 18.4 | 5.4 |
Protect from people | 11.5 | 10.3 | 19.5 | 19 | 39.7 | 6.9 |
Protect from traffic | 3.4 | 2.3 | 5.7 | 14.4 | 74.1 | 45.8 |
Protect from other cats | 14.9 | 19.5 | 25.3 | 28.2 | 12.1 | 2.7 |
Protect from wildlife | 32.2 | 28.7 | 19.5 | 10.3 | 9.2 | 0.5 |
Cat has health issues | 75.3 | 8 | 6.3 | 2.3 | 8 | 34.9 |
Other | 82.2 | 1.1 | 5.2 | 4.0 | 6.9 | 3.9 |
Theme | Example Comments |
---|---|
(1) Protection from traffic | ‘Cats live near a busy road [...] afraid they get killed so keep indoors’; ‘Live on [a] main road and [my] previous cat got killed on [the] road’; ‘I would consider an indoor-outdoor lifestyle if we had a large garden […] and we lived away from busy roads’ |
(2) Protection from people | ‘Previously had cat injured by [a] neighbour’; ‘I was advised dog fighting is prevalent in my area and cats are stolen as bait’; ‘She is a little blue-eyed cheetah and I worry she would get stolen’ |
(3) Protection from other animals | ‘We have hawks that live in a large tree in our yard and have seen a coyote in our yard’; ‘She gets bullied by other cats’; ‘Feral cat colony outside and don’t want him exposed to disease’; ‘Next door neighbour’s Rottweiler killed a cat that went into their garden’ |
(4) Cat has health issues | ‘Cat is deaf, so cannot safely go outside’; ‘Management of IBD’; ‘She has had a mammary carcinoma and requires regular medication each day’; ‘Cat is FIV+ and needs to be kept inside for his own safety and that of other cats’ |
(5) To protect wildlife | ‘Domestic cats are a severe threat to birds’; ‘Impact of domestic and feral cats on bird and reptile populations’ |
(6) Protection from illness (*) | ‘To prevent health issues often associated with outdoor animals, such as fleas, ticks, FIV, FIP, etc.’; ‘Fleas and ticks live outside. I do not want them in the house!’; ‘Outdoor exposure requires more aggressive flea/tick/other parasite treatment’; ‘Cat also eats outdoor toxic plants’ |
(7) To prevent getting lost (*) | ‘Afraid she’d not find her way back’; ‘She was lost from her previous owners’ house (a few streets away!) for 3 years’; ‘Cat runs away to [their] previous house if let out (even after several years)’ |
(8) Acquisition requirement/recommendation (*) | ‘Medical lab cat until 7.5 years old […] advised to keep indoor as would have no instinct for dangers’; ‘Signed agreement with breeder’; ‘Adoption agency contract specifies indoor-only’ |
(9) Personality unsuitable (*) | ‘She’s also very skittish and I worry about her around traffic’; ‘He is very nervous and easily stressed’; ‘Our cat’s curious but too timid to stay outside for long’; ‘Too timid […] Shows no interest either’ |
(10) Pedigree cat (*) | ‘Bengals seem notoriously “stupid” when it comes to keeping themselves safe if permitted free reign’; ‘Breed—Devon Rex—specifically bred as indoor cats’; ‘My cat is a breeding queen’ |
(11) Cat has no previous outdoor experience (*) | ‘No outdoor experience when I got him. I don’t think he will have the necessary experience to keep safe’. |
Theme | Example Comments |
---|---|
(12) Beneficial to mental health | ‘Would never have an indoor- only cat. Had one some years ago when I lived in a flat and he was a monster. Destroyed furniture, bedding, carpets, and clothing. When I moved to a house, he started to go outside and he calmed down completely’. |
(13) Beneficial to physical health | ‘Allows them to […] control their weight through increased exercise’; ‘My cat was kept in for 12 months but had IB symptoms i.e., diarrhoea. I think she was very stressed and unhappy as an indoor cat’. |
(14) Cat indicates they want to go outside | ‘I never force my cats either indoor or outdoor but let them make their own decision. This means they have their own choice which helps their mental wellbeing’; ‘I don’t want my cats to be captive—I want them to be free to choose to stay with us and to live as they choose’. |
(15) Cat toilets outside | ‘JLD will not toilet inside and becomes distressed if he has no outdoor access’; ‘I hate litter trays!’ |
(16) Pest control | ‘I rely on their hunting to control rats and mice that would otherwise be attracted to the farmhouse and the chicken pens’. |
(17) Enrichment (*) | ‘Her world is so much bigger by having that access to the outdoors’; ‘Lots of interaction outside that I cannot provide indoors’; ‘My cat has always enjoyed sitting on the grass sniffing the fresh air’; ‘I hate the fact that one of my cats hunts […] However, they both find it distressing to be locked in’ |
(18) Previous outdoor access (*) | ‘They were five when I got them and they had been used to going out’; ‘Most of my eight cats have been stray toms, a couple are still semi-feral, one of which gets very aggressive when kept in all the time’. |
(19) Social opportunity (*) | ‘I feel it’s unfair to leave my cat at home alone all day, when he could be outside and visiting the neighbours he really likes!’; ‘We enjoy having an active cat who engages with other cats in the neighbourhood’. |
(20) Safe outdoor space (*) | ‘I also do not live near a busy road so am happier letting them out.’; ‘We felt it was best for the cats, so bought appropriate properties’. |
(21) Multi-cat household (*) | ‘I live in a small house with four cats. A large garden gives the room to have a break from each other’; ‘It seemed unfair to have one rule for one cat and one rule for another’. |
(22) Natural (*) | ‘Allows natural behaviour for my cat’; ‘I feel that although humans, over the centuries, have domesticated cats, they still very much have a natural desire, interest in […] the outdoors’. |
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Foreman-Worsley, R.; Finka, L.R.; Ward, S.J.; Farnworth, M.J. Indoors or Outdoors? An International Exploration of Owner Demographics and Decision Making Associated with Lifestyle of Pet Cats. Animals 2021, 11, 253. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020253
Foreman-Worsley R, Finka LR, Ward SJ, Farnworth MJ. Indoors or Outdoors? An International Exploration of Owner Demographics and Decision Making Associated with Lifestyle of Pet Cats. Animals. 2021; 11(2):253. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020253
Chicago/Turabian StyleForeman-Worsley, Rachel, Lauren R. Finka, Samantha J. Ward, and Mark J. Farnworth. 2021. "Indoors or Outdoors? An International Exploration of Owner Demographics and Decision Making Associated with Lifestyle of Pet Cats" Animals 11, no. 2: 253. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020253