My vet provides the little window stickers that tell a fireman which room a
pet is in(like the ones for children).  If I let my girls stay out while we
were gone and something happened the emergency personel would not look for a
pet running loose but could grab the cage and get them out fast.
 
For the same reason I never let the girls loose in the car.  If something
happens all I have to do is grab the carrier and go.
 
The only time one of ours was not caged when noone was home was when Mike
took Winnie to the vet the night she crossed the rainbow bridge.  He thought
Ootz was caged but when he got back from the vet she was standing in hte
living room looking up at him with a "you forgot something" look on her
face.
 
I do not presume to tell others what they should or should not do but I urge
you to remember: it can happen to you(fires, etc.)
[Posted in FML issue 1597]