The independent and seemingly self-sufficient nature many people admire in cats is really a facade masking an animal especially sensitive to illness and vulnerable to tragedy. Cats need our help to live a healthy, long life, although they wouldn't deign to admit it to us. Others are not so, and at least one gets me a flurry of letters and phone calls every time I write about it. The latter, keep your cat inside, is a hard decision for many to make, and I've never said otherwise. And so, without further ado, a list of the some ways you could be putting your cat's life at risk.
Cats seek out warmth, as any cat-lover knows.
They bask in the sun, they sleep on our chests and in our laps. This heat-seeking behavior is dangerous when the warmth a cat seeks is under the hood of a car or in a dryer full of soft, warm clothes. If your car isn't kept in a securely cat-proof area, such as a garage, get in the habit of pounding on the hood before starting the engine, especially on cold mornings. This action will startle any cat yours, or your neighbor's who cozied up to the warmth of the engine the night before. The dryer is a hazard few people recognize before it's too late.