A cat kept indoors will most likely live a long, healthy life, usually up to at least fifteen years. While the great outdoors truly awakens the wild hunting instinct present in all cats and makes for a more interesting existence, a cat that is allowed to roam freely outside may not survive to old age. Aside from the most obvious dangers inherent in roaming outdoors — getting lost or hit by a car — a cat may also fight with other animals and end up with abscesses or serious wounds. Fleas and other parasites and diseases are easily picked up outdoors, and some, such as roundworms and taxoplasmosis, can be transferred to humans. And once a cat is roaming the neighborhood, the owner can't supervise what it might eat — poisonous products are an ever-present danger. Sadly, there are also a few cruel people who take pleasure in hurting animals, some who even steal pets.

While an indoor cat can be quite happy, the best compromise on the indoor/outdoor issue is to build a secure enclosure in your yard. Or, if you already have a perimeter fence, look into cat-proof add-ons that will keep your cat on your property and bar entry to other cats. Alternatively, you might tether your cat with a harness and leash, but only under supervision, to be sure the leash doesn't become tangled around his neck or prevent him escaping from other animals that might enter the yard or swoop down from above.

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