Outdoor access benefits cat welfare but carries road traffic risks. Balancing welfare needs for exploration with safety is a key challenge for cat owners.
The outdoor access question for cats involves genuine welfare trade-offs. Indoor-only cats face higher obesity rates, boredom, and behavioural problems; outdoor cats enjoy richer sensory environments and natural behaviours but face road traffic, predation, disease, and conflict with other cats. The welfare-optimal solution is supervised outdoor access or contained outdoor space (catios, cat-proof fencing) that provides environmental enrichment without exposure to roads. Where outdoor access cannot be safely provided, indoor enrichment - climbing structures, foraging feeders, window perches, and interactive play - becomes especially important for psychological welfare.