Safe as houses: how to make your outdoor cat at home indoors to protect themselves and the environment

Keeping cats indoors can keep them safe from harm and protect native wildlife. But how can pet owners support their furry friends in making the transition? Change by degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprint Got a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at changebydegrees@theguardian.com Cats are a popular pet in Australia: second only to dogs, they’re found in a third of homes, with about 5.3 million felines nationally. Roughly half of owners keep their cats completely indoors, according to a national survey by Animal Medicines Australia. When cats roam, they risk getting hit by a car, going missing or getting into fights. Now, with the arrival of H5N1 bird flu in Australia, they are also at risk of catching and spreading the virus. When cats catch bird flu, the virus can be deadly. One study, published by the American Veterinary Medical Association, found domestic cats infected with H5N1 had overall mortality rates of 50 to 70%. Keeping pets indoors, contained in outdoor enclosures known as “catios”, or on a harness, also protects native wildlife. Each roaming puss kills about 186 mammal