How Far Do Cats Travel at Night

If you have a cat that likes to spend a lot of time outdoors, y'all probably accept seen information technology all over town. If y'all take a kitty with astringent wanderlust, you might be wondering just how far away from home your true cat volition go. The answer is quite surprising, so if you lot would like to acquire more well-nigh the travel habits of your cat, keep reading.

The 3 Factors That Affect Cat Travel

i. Sex

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One of the biggest factors that bear upon how far your cat travels from your home is its sex. Male cats tend to venture farther from domicile than female cats, and information technology's not uncommon to see them as far equally 1,500 feet away (more ¼ mile), and many cats volition likely venture out even further. On the other hand, female cats tend to stay closer to habitation, and it'due south rare to see them beyond nearly 750 feet (⅛ mile).

Similarly, the male cat's territory is usually larger than the females. Males tend to protect and lookout man over a rather large 153 acres, while females typically worry about only 42 acres. Ideally, this territory would exist round, but information technology rarely is and will be heavily influenced past other factors similar finding food and mating partners. Their territory will stretch further forth a river where small rodents are often plentiful, for instance. They may also prefer to avoid wide-open areas similar a paved parking lot.

2. Food

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Some other thing that will accept a big impact on how far abroad a cat travels is food availability. As nosotros mentioned earlier, some areas, like rivers and streams, tin exist home to many small animals like rodents and moles. Snakes, birds, and even some fish can be easy casualty for cats, and their plentiful numbers hateful the true cat won't have to get as far to find its adjacent meal. If yous are a cat possessor, you know that they love to lounge around, and they will likely observe a comfortable perch to nap on subsequently a filling repast instead of wandering far abroad from dwelling.  However, if the true cat lives in a urban center or other expanse where food can be scarce, the cat may need to travel farther abroad from home to get the nutrition it needs.

3. Mating

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One of the biggest reasons male cats travel further than females is that they oftentimes need to travel quite a distance to find a mate, while the female stays put and waits for the males to come to her. In many cases, the males volition fight over the right to mate, and the loser may need to travel even further. The search for a mate is probable the reason some cats can encompass more than 150 acres.

How Far Do Cats Walk?

Near healthy cats can walk a half-mile or more than per day, depending on their demand to practise so. However, some cats can cover amazing distances, and 1 cat named Sugar traveled over 200 miles to get back to her hometown in Florida. Scientists were amazed by her ability to encompass such a distance. They also found it astonishing she was able to navigate her way home.

Should I Let My Cat Exterior?

Nearly experts recommend keeping your cat within if possible every bit they can cause a significant amount of ecology harm. Cats kill for food, simply they will also kill for fun, and they kill almost anything that moves even if they have no intention of eating it.

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How To Protect My Cat

• The best way to protect your cat from danger is to keep information technology in the house where information technology cannot go into a fight with some other cat or get hit by a machine.
• Make sure your true cat has plenty of admission to food, then it doesn't need to travel far to find it.
• Go your cat microchipped while it is still a kitten. The cost is non high, and you lot are 20 times more probable to take your cat returned if it has i.
• Get your cat spayed or neutered. Spayed and neutered cats have much less desire to get exterior and will probable stay much closer to dwelling house and get into far fewer fights.
• Become your cat vaccinated. While most people do get their pet vaccinated, it'due south of import to mention considering doing so can help protect your pet from a wide variety of diseases, including rabies. Information technology's also important that many of these vaccinations require boosters every few years.

Summary

Most cats travel between ⅛ and ¼ mile per day, depending on whether it'southward male or female. Cats can travel much farther when looking for a mate or nutrient, and some cats have traveled hundreds of miles to get back home. We recommend keeping your cat inside, but if it needs to leave, brand sure information technology has a microchip and all of its vaccinations to minimize run a risk.

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Ed Malaker is a veteran writer who has contributed to a wide range of blogs that cover tools, pets, guitars, fitness, and computer programming. When he's not writing, Ed is usually performing DIY projects effectually the house or working in the garden. He's also a musician and spends a lot of time helping people prepare their guitars and composing music for independent films.

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