Editorial

Saying goodbye to a companion

my editorial for the September issue last year talked about two new feline additions to our household – Heist and Hazel, the precocious Burmese kittens. I talked about the road to providing environmental enrichment in our house for them, discussed the responsible things we had done as new cat owners – of course they were both microchipped and fully insured. they stayed inside at night and we were looking for ways to cat-proof our section (which I have to admit, was not overly easy to do without turning our backyard into something resembling a prison yard). But none of our responsible cat owner measures protected Heist from leaving our house on a thursday evening a few weeks ago and being hit by a car right outside our front door within his “curfew” hours. the microchip did not help us to track him after he ran off somewhere in panic and to this day has not been found. the insurance policy was of little use when he never made it to a vet clinic for treatment.

Statistically, we should have known better. Cats between the age of 7 months and 2 years old, have the highest risk of being involved in a road traffic accident (RtA). For every oneyear increase in age, the odds of an RtA decrease by 16%. male cats have been found to be 1.9 times more likely to be involved in an RtA than females, and more entire males are involved in RtAs than neutered males (Rochlitz 2003a). the majority of road traffic accidents happen at night (dusk in Heist’s case) and often (in 48% of cases) they occur just outside or very near to the cat’s home – bingo (Rochlitz 2003b). We were able to reduce the risk somewhat through desexing – intact male cats are more likely to be involved in an RtA than those that are neutered. But in all honesty, the only thing that really would have eliminated this risk would have been to keep him indoors. And believe me, we tried, but he was insistent that he “wanted out”. He displayed a few different behavioural problems, including more than a couple of episodes of inappropriate urination around the house, and so, eventually, we relented.

So I am currently reconsidering what makes us as New Zealanders so intent on thinking our cats need outdoor access. As a country, we are a little unique in our approach to cat ownership. most of us think our cats should be able to go outside. In fact, in a 2010 survey, 95% of NZ cat owners reported their cats have outdoor access (Farnworth et al. 2010). We cite freedom to express normal cat behaviour as one of the main reasons for this decision.

on the other hand, we provide advice to our clients on many health issues we know young animals are at risk of developing – the risk of parasitism, disease, poor nutrition, too little or too much exercise and poor socialisation …. But I wonder how much “airtime” we give to the pros and cons, and recognised statistical risk for cats who do go outside compared to their indoor counterparts? Looking at lostpet.co.nz, ours is not an uncommon story. Cats that venture outside often go missing. there are many many people waiting for their cats to turn up after, in some cases, quite extended periods of time (one person has been renewing their monthly listing every month for over two years!). Honestly, I don’t know if I could do it differently if I had another chance with Heist. the very thing that we loved about him (that confident and outgoing nature) was the personality trait that put him at risk. to our family, he was one of a kind. Heist put the “companion” in companion animal. He was friendly, vocal and snuggly. my 13-year-old son could pick him up and have cuddles when life as a 13-year-old boy got a bit too much. my 11-year-old daughter could pass him around all five of her BFF’s and he would happily purr and camp out with them while they did, well, whatever 11-year-old girls do. Eventually after shining his light on everyone else in the household he would come and sleep on our bed at night cuddled up by our feet. He was the star feature of Sunday morning sleep-ins and helped my husband tirelessly whenever a computer and keyboard were required…. And he was inseparable from his little sister Hazel. they slept together, ate together, went outside together and played endlessly together. As I turn my attention to her, I wonder how to fill a void of “behavioural enrichment” previously occupied by Heist. So, if you haven’t already, perhaps consider those statistics I have provided in this editorial when talking to your kitten guardians. I am aware that we have so many other important topics to cover in a new kitten or puppy consult but maybe there is room for just a couple of minutes on this avoidable health risk.

Rochlitz I. Study of factors that may predispose domestic cats to road traffic accidents: part 1. Veterinary Record 153, 549–53, 2003a Rochlitz I. Study of factors that may predispose domestic cats to road traffic accidents: part 2. Veterinary Record 153, 585–8, 2003b

Farnworth MJ, Campbell J, Adams NJ.

Public awareness in New Zealand of animal welfare legislation relating to cats. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 58, 213–7, 2010

Natalie Lloyd, CAV President