#secretsuitwitch

Hey there! I don’t think it sounds irresponsible at all. You’re trying your best to protect your cat now, and that’s what counts. It’s not your fault that your mom would rather have an outdoor cat. 

I think the easiest angle to do this would be via medical bills. Vet visits are costly, even for little things. Cat bite abcesses, car accidents, predator attacks, malicious humans, or eating something toxic can all contribute to some expensive vet bills. It’s also more difficult to spot health problems in outdoor cats such as UTIs, kidney stones, bad teeth, etc that could get worse and mean even more bills. 

Another angle could be your own health. Outdoor cats hunt things, and that’s a fact. If Lion brings home his kills, or brings them indoors, that could pose a health risk to you/your family. Wild animals carry parasites, many of which can transfer to humans and would need a doctor visit to fix. Sometimes cats don’t properly kill their prey either, and mice running around in your walls means you’d have to drop money on mouse traps or an exterminator. 

If your cat is indoors, he also may not need as many shots during his annual check up, as he will not be interacting with stray cats or parasite-ridden prey.

All of those bad things can be prevented by keeping Lion indoors. 

In terms of keeping him inside, there are a TON of cheap ways to entertain him. If you’re really strapped for cash (or your mom just doesn’t want to spend money on a cat), then you can still keep him happy with a variety of cheap things around the house. Check out this post for some ideas, or go through my #cat enrichment tag.

If she’s afraid of furniture damage, you can always get claw caps at the pet store to keep him from scratching anything valuable, and train him to only scratch appropriate things like scratching posts. 

Hello friend!