Those coyotes were noisy and quick!

[michaelb]

We get coyotes coming through regularly. I often hear more than one pack howling in the night. We also have a fox that patrols through regularly.

People can make their own choices about cats, and not all cats need to be indoor cats, or can be kept indoors. Plenty of cats live outside in the country all the time. I currently have a fenced area that is mostly cat proof, so I let the cats go out there, and that keeps them contained (if your cat is an escape artist though, keeping it fenced can be a real, fun, challenge).

[dk62]

"Some people have a stupid fantasy that domesticated cats are actually better off living outdoors, even when they know that the cats will suffer from mites, fleas, ticks, fights with other cats, neighbors bent on trapping and poisoning them, cars, predators and other threats and will -- of course -- die an early death."

That is a ridiculous statement. A cat that is well cared-for by a vet will not suffer from fleas, ticks, etc., and in a quiet neighbourhood will not have a great chance of running into a speeding car. Its life will not be painful and brief, but interesting, happy, and probably longer than that of overfed diabetic mosntrosities that Americans like to keep in their houses. The latter have turned from animals into unnatural toys for their owners, who are at the same time full of pious feelings of great care for their pets. I am sure both me and my kids would also be safer spending the whole life indoors being fed by benevolent beings, but I do not think we would have much fun, unless we did not know any better.

On the other hand, outdoor cats can be a menace to the wildlife, particularly birds. From that standpoint, I would rather see them being kept indoors.

But I am not much of a cat person, anyway.

[Doc]

RgrF wrote:
The animal had a full life. That it became a part of the food chain seems to annoy you, why is that?

You had an obligation to protect that cat's life and instead you chose to be wanton and arrogant and it suffered for your lack of integrity.

That's not so much annoying as it is bleak.

[Doc]

dk62 wrote:
That is a ridiculous statement. A cat that is well cared-for by a vet will not suffer from fleas, ticks, etc., and in a quiet neighbourhood will not have a great chance of running into a speeding car. Its life will not be painful and brief, but interesting, happy, and probably longer than that of overfed diabetic mosntrosities that Americans like to keep in their houses.

Outdoor cats have an average lifespan of less than 2 years.

Indoor/outdoor cats generally live less than 5 years.

Indoor cats can live to be 15-20 years old.

[Grateful11]

>Outdoor cats have an average lifespan of less than 2 years.

We have 3 cats, 1 "Fuzzie" stays inside 90% of the time, her twin brother
"Chip" has never been in the house, they're about 11 years old. The 3rd
"LC" we rescued from starvation, he just wondered up, he's in about 50%
of the time, when he wants in he rings a little Christmas bell, with his
paw while sitting on a little table, that's hanging on the storm door in
the carport.

Fuzzie:


She's prefers Macs:



LC:


LC seems to prefer PCs:

[haikuman]

HaPPy Easter To Everyone and May all Your Jelly Beans Be Yummmmy ~!~

[RgrF]

Doc wrote:
[quote=RgrF]
The animal had a full life. That it became a part of the food chain seems to annoy you, why is that?

You had an obligation to protect that cat's life and instead you chose to be wanton and arrogant and it suffered for your lack of integrity.

That's not so much annoying as it is bleak.
Wanton and arrogant? I saw my obligation as allowing the cat to be a cat. It wanted out and did well for itself for a while. Under your prescribed alternative I could have turned it over to the tender mercies of the local pet shelter when we moved into the hills and it then could have been put peacefully to sleep a year or more earlier and never been part of the food chain.

Would that have been your preference?

[Robert M]

Grateful,

Then your cats are lucky. I've seen info similar to what Doc posted elsewhere on the 'net and in the newspaper.

Robert

[Doc]

RgrF wrote:
[quote=Doc]
[quote=RgrF]
The animal had a full life. That it became a part of the food chain seems to annoy you, why is that?

You had an obligation to protect that cat's life and instead you chose to be wanton and arrogant and it suffered for your lack of integrity.

That's not so much annoying as it is bleak.
Wanton and arrogant? I saw my obligation as allowing the cat to be a cat. It wanted out and did well for itself for a while. Under your prescribed alternative I could have turned it over to the tender mercies of the local pet shelter when we moved into the hills and it then could have been put peacefully to sleep a year or more earlier and never been part of the food chain.

Would that have been your preference?
My preference would be for you to have posted an ad and given up the cat to a family that knew how to care for him.

[RgrF]

Odds on no one takes an old cat, one who already has declared a preference. I think you just don't like my description of her demise, We only assume she went to a coyote, for all we know she went to a snake or a local hiker who took her home is still caring for her.