Biggest risks for your cat (and how to prevent them!)
I know how special your cat is to you. Though I’m most widely known for my work with dogs, I have also worked with cats for 40 years and love their curious, cheeky, affectionate ways. They are certainly part of the family. When you consider 44% of families in NZ have a cat, they’re clearly a loved family member to many of us!
But cats often have a lot more freedom to roam than any other type of pet - and this leaves them open to risk out in the world. Southern Cross Pet Insurance handled 373 cat claims in 2023 for traumatic injuries alone, which shows you just how common this is. One of those claims topped $15,000, so we’re not talking insignificant costs here!
Cats are curious, agile, and often fiercely independent, which can sometimes lead them into precarious situations. Understanding the biggest risks your cat faces and learning how to prevent them is crucial to ensure their safety and well-being.
Please note this advice is designed to help you reduce the risk to your cat, but life is unpredictable and accidents can occur when you least expect it. So please make sure you have pet insurance just in case. Only 1 in 10 cats in New Zealand have insurance*, but an accident can occur even with the most protective owner. I choose Southern Cross Pet Insurance because I love that they are NZ owned, they support Pet Refuge (like I do!), and they have comprehensive cover so you know your pet will be looked after. Veterinarian care is expensive, so I will always prioritise my furry family members’ health and longevity by having pet insurance.
1. Traffic accidents
Cats that roam freely outdoors are at significant risk of being hit by cars. Their nimbleness and speed can sometimes work against them, making it difficult for drivers to see and avoid them in time. Sadly, a traffic incident can often be fatal, and if your cat is lucky enough to survive they can require major medical treatment.
Particularly if you live near a busy road, the best prevention for this issue is to restrict your cat’s free outdoor access. For example you can:
Keep your cat indoors: cats can live a happy life indoors if you provide ample enrichment through toys, games and training. Ideally start from kittenhood and they will be more accepting of this lifestyle.
Build a catio: this is a cat-proof outdoor area that your cat can use to spend time outdoors and in the fresh air and sunshine, without being able to leave your property. They range in size from a small cage-like box off a window, right through to a considerably sized structure encompassing a portion of your garden or outdoor space. These can be built reasonably cheaply.
Cat-proof your fence: fence kits can be purchased for most styles of fences, with rollers that prevent your cat jumping the fence (or other cats jumping into your property). This is a reasonably cost-effective and low impact way to keep your cat on your property.
Supervised outdoor time: take your cat outside under supervision for playtime or use a leash and harness for walks. Especially if trained as kittens, cats can learn to be very relaxed walking on a leash and harness for outdoor exploration.
Example of cat proof fencing
2. Getting lost
Though cats generally have an excellent sense of direction, getting a big fright can cause them to scarper well away from the home territory and become lost. They may be frightened by fireworks or other loud noises, getting hurt, being chased by a dog or any number of other incidents - and their instinct is to flee.
To prevent this:
Create a safe environment: minimise any triggers in your home and garden, and provide safe spots where your cat can hide.
Keep your cat safe in frightening situations: if something is happening which may scare your cat, be sure to keep them safely shut inside a quiet room of your house. For example, on Guy Fawkes night when there will be fireworks, if you have tradies doing noisy work in your garden or at the neighbour’s place, or if you have a friend with a dog coming to visit. Provide a cosy bed (ideally something like a dark covered crate they can hide in), food, water and a litterbox so they can be at ease.
Microchip: ensure your cat is microchipped so they can be easily identified by vets or the pound if they become lost.
Collar and ID tag: a collar containing an ID tag provides an immediate way for someone to contact you if they find your cat.
Tracking tag: you can attach a tracking tag (like an Apple AirTag) to your cat’s collar so you are able to find them if they become lost.
3. Being chased by a dog
Encounters with dogs can be terrifying and dangerous for a cat, leading to injury or causing the cat to run into unsafe areas or become lost.
To prevent this:
Securely fence your yard to ensure other animals can’t enter your cat’s safe space.
If you have a dog, ensure it is trained to coexist peacefully with your cat, reducing the risk of chasing.
If your neighbours have dogs that chase your cat, have a chat to them about how you can work together to prevent this e.g. through ensuring their dogs are secured on their own properties, or walked on lead past your property. You might encourage them to get some professional dog training help on this issue too.
If it’s a regular issue, consider keeping your cat indoors as covered above.
4. Cat fights
Cats are territorial animals. When they encounter other cats, especially in their own territory, it can lead to aggressive encounters and fights, which can result in injuries and the transmission of diseases. Southern Cross Pet Insurance paid out a whopping 1788 claims for cat fight injuries last year!
To prevent this:
Neuter/spay: desexed cats are less likely to roam and engage in fights. This also helps with controlling the cat population. Entire male cats are the most aggressive and in urban and suburban areas can cause a lot of stress and damage to other cats. Ideally entire males should be kept in an indoor environment and should only be kept entire if you’re breeding with them.
Cat-proof your property: so that your cat can't get out, and other cats can’t get in. You can do this by installing cat-proof roller fencing (it fits to the top of most standard fences) or by creating a catio space, as described above.
Microchip cat door: if strange cats are actually coming into your home to bother your cat, consider a microchip cat door that will only grant access to your cat.
Displace other cats: if other cats are coming into your property and behaving aggressively to your cat, find a way to displace them humanely. For example, install motion-activated sprinklers, or use a water gun or sprinkler to give the cat a squirt when it comes into your property
5. Getting stuck or trapped
Cats' natural curiosity and agility can sometimes lead them into tight spots where they can become stuck or trapped.
To prevent this:
Cat proof your home: ensure there are no small spaces where your cat can get stuck. Keep doors to appliances like washing machines and dryers closed at all times. Check the fridge before you close the door, cats can sneak in quickly and quietly!
Enrichment: provide plenty of activities and interactive toys to your cat, so they are well entertained and have less urge to explore potentially dangerous areas.
Tracking tag: consider popping a tracking tag on your pet’s collar so you can hunt them down if they don’t come home.
6. Ingesting or coming into contact with something dangerous
Though we often think of dogs as being the culprits when it comes to eating things they shouldn’t, cats can also easily ingest inappropriate items or be exposed to toxic substances that can cause great harm. Treatment for these incidents can be seriously expensive - last year, Southern Cross Pet Insurance paid a claim of over $10,000 to treat a cat that ingested a foreign body (willing to bet that pet parent was very glad they had insurance!).
Some things to be mindful of include:
Common house and garden plants, including cut flowers: a friend of mine tragically lost her beautiful cat after he played with a vase of lilies. Make sure you look up a comprehensive list of plants and flowers that are toxic to pets, and make sure you clear them from your home and property. Some examples include oleander, philodendrons, monstera, aloe vera, fiddle leaf figs, rubber trees and jade plants.
Human foods: many human foods are toxic to cats, such as raisins, chocolate, onion and garlic, alcohol, xylitol and macadamias. Store human foods safely out of reach and be careful about letting your cat eat leftovers. Check out pawsoff.co.nz for excellent guidance on which foods aren’t safe for your pet.
Medications & household chemicals: it goes without saying that many of these items will be harmful to your cat.
Pest bait: slug bait, rat bait, ant bait are all poisonous to cats as well. Use bait traps in places your cat can’t reach and store the baits safely as well.
Keep your beautiful cat safe and well!
I hope this article empowers you to be aware of the risks and take practical steps to protect your special pet so that they can live long, healthy lives.
But remember we can’t eliminate all risks from our cat’s world, so be sure to check out Southern Cross Pet Insurance and get your cat protected in case something should go awry. The peace of mind knowing they’ll receive the best care if they need it is priceless.
This article was created in partnership with Southern Cross Pet Insurance but all opinions are my own!
