Veterinary client handout: Keep cats indoors

October 18, 2018

Jenifer Chatfield, DVM, DACZM, DACVPM

Dr. Jenifer Chatfield is the Staff Veterinarian at 4J Conservation Center, an instructor for FEMA/DHS courses, and a Regional Commander for the National Disaster Medicine System Team. She graduated from Texas A&M University's CVM and has pursued emergency medicine and zoo medicine throughout her career. She owned two emergency clinics and has been the Senior Veterinarian in a zoo. She completed fieldwork in Madagascar and South America and continues to explore new areas of medicine as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine for more than 10 years. Dr. Chatfield is a Medical Reserve Corps member and developed the "Veterinary Support to Zoological Animals in a Disaster" for the National Veterinary Response Teams training curriculum. Dr. Chatfield has chaired the Florida Veterinary Medical Association's (FVMA) One Health Committee and co-chaired FVMA's Disaster Response Committee.

Print this PDF to educate your veterinary clients on the dangers of outdoor living for domestic housecats.

There are lots of reasons for pet cats to stay indoors: Unkind neighbors. Diseases. Wild animals. Cars. I've gathered those reasons and more for a client handout your veterinary hospital can share to explain the dangers of letting cats roam free. If somebody really wants a cat to get some outside time, there are always catios.

Click here or on the image below to pop up a downloadable PDF of this handout.

Dr. Jenifer Chatfield is staff veterinarian at 4J Conservation Center, an instructor for FEMA/DHS courses and a regional commander for the National Disaster Medicine System Team. She has also chaired the Florida Veterinary Medical Association's (FVMA) One Health Committee and co-chaired FVMA's Disaster Response Committee.