Safely confining pets
Difficult as it might be to prevent animals from exploring beyond the boundaries of their home, a wandering pet is an animal at risk of accident, injury and impoundment. With three days being the minimum pound/shelter holding period in many states across Australia – the same length of time it takes the average household to ring and check if their cat has been found - pet-proofing your property as effectively as possible and tackling the root causes of roaming is an important part of ensuring your companion animals stay healthy, happy and safe at home.
Pet identification
Ensuring your pet is microchipped and that the information on their ID tag is current is crucial to swift identification and return. Checking and updating your pet’s microchip details is quick and easy - visit www.petaddress.com.au to find out how.
(If you don’t know your pet’s microchip number, ask your vet or a local shelter or Council if they can scan your pet to find out.)
That advice stands even for indoor only pets, as one study found that 40% of lost cats were, according to their owner, 'indoor-only pets with no access to the outdoors'.
Why pets roam
While constant movement is the ‘norm’ for cats that spend most of their time outdoors, there are some common reasons why indoor cats and dogs are motivated to escape.
They are not spayed/neutered - when your dog or cat reaches sexual maturity, they will instinctively and persistently seek a mate. The solution is to have them desexed.
They have an underlying fear - loud noises such as thunder and fireworks can trigger a pet to run. If that’s a significant issue for your dog or cat, talk to your vet about treatment options for anxiety.
They experience separation anxiety - if your pet lacks socialisation or relies entirely on you for their social interaction and sense of security, the anxiety caused by your absence could drive them to try to escape. If that’s the likely cause, engage in behavioural training and increase their socialisation.
They are bored – all animals, particularly if young and high-energy, need mental and physical enrichment. Find new social opportunities, develop challenging games and introduce new toys, scratching posts and puzzles, and ensure you give them adequate daily exercise or, for cats, an environment that allows them to explore under their own steam. If you’re away from home for long periods, consider a doggy daycare or dog walker.
They love the thrill of the chase – if the exhilaration of escape, and your pursuit, gives your pet a lot of excitement and attention, it’s time to find some new behavioural interventions!
How to prevent a pet from escaping
Roaming doesn't just expose your pet to the risk of accident and injury, it can cause friction between neighbours and across communities. Barking, fighting dogs and spraying, yowling cats can create tensions between people and leave animals vulnerable to mistreatment or being seized and impounded.
To prevent a pet from escaping, make sure all doors, gates, and windows are securely closed and can’t be ‘bounced’ open with a bit of persistence. For dogs who like to leap the fence you might increase its height or add a roller to the top; if they like to dig you may need to bury fencing below ground level or add a layer of fencing tiles or pavers flat on the ground in front of the boundary. While exploring pet-proof fencing options, don’t forget to keep an eye out for anything your pup might use as a launchpad to aid their escape – kennels, trees, children’s toys!
For feline companions, consider installing a spacious cat enclosure or specialist cat proof fencing – being indoors constantly can increase their risk of obesity and related conditions like diabetes and joint disease, as well as behaviour problems, so it’s worth finding ways to give cats a safe outdoor experience.
Where physical fencing isn’t practical, or if your escape artist is too risky to trust with a fence alone, electronic boundary fencing (also called invisible fencing) may be an option (though it is illegal in some states - so check first!). Choose a reputable installer who can assist you in training your pet to understand the new system.
If your pet is a door ‘dasher’, you’ll need to establish containment routines, find distractions or implement training to prevent them launching outside at every opportunity. Research verbal cues, clicker training, treats and leash training to help stop escapes, prevent accidents and avoid impoundment. Door dashing cats can be trained to stay inside at night by limiting their morning feed to 20-30 minutes, avoiding ad-hoc feeding and giving their final meal inside at bedtime. This can help protect wildlife susceptible to predation and minimise nuisance nocturnal behaviours.
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With your support, we can build a better Australia for companion animals and the people who love them.
