By KRISTEN LEVINE Tribune correspondent

Our kitty friends don’t get out as much as their canine counterparts; therefore, there are fewer manner infractions to speak of. However, cat owners who let their pets roam the neighborhood are guilty of creating a nuisance for neighbors and a health hazard to their own pet.

Roaming cats contribute to the pet overpopulation crisis if they have not been spayed or neutered. While your cat may have a home to come back to after cavorting all night, thousands of stray cats and kittens are subjected to living on the streets, where they are exposed to danger and death daily through disease, other animals and moving vehicles. Be part of the solution, not the problem, by having your cat altered.

Even if your feline is fixed, it’s still subject to dangers when left out to roam. Add to that, the nuisances to neighbors. Many male cats will urinate to mark their territory on your neighbor’s house, landscaping or cars. This leaves a highly unpleasant odor that is difficult to remove.

If that’s not enough motivation to keep Tigger inside, both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties have ordinances that require pet cats to stay indoors or be confined to the property when outdoors. No cat (or dog) is allowed to stray, run or roam free on any public property, street, sidewalk, park or private property of another without consent of the property owner. Add to that, any cat that is outdoors while not under direct control of the owner must be sterilized. Violators will be cited and fined (penalties vary county to county).