[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by boopster

My vet told me the danger was from the urine of infected animals -- especially wild animals. He told me that Tallulah was probably safe in the back yard, but that I should not take her any place that other animals might have been. Since my yard is something of a bird sanctuary (not by my choice) and therefore a hunting ground for all the cats in the neighborhood, I chose to keep Tallulah inside.

I personally would stick with the vet's advice. There are plenty of things you can do inside to keep Gizmo amused. I got Tallulah a variety of different toys and sat on the kitchen floor with her for hours - playing fetch, and later working with her on sit, come, and shake. When she got tired of one activity, we switched to another.

I don't think size affects the susceptibility to disease that much, but I believe the smaller the animal, the faster an illness can have a tragic consequence. Dehydration can happen so fast when they have so little fluid stored up in their tiny bodies.

Excellent advice! While We might think the backyard is safe, what about roaming cats? Squirrels?