Outside cats
I don't own a cat. I used to own cats, but I was a kid and seemed to develop allergies to them in my thirties. I work with cats and as long as I don't pick them up, I am okay and the hives don't show up.
I know a lot of people who own cats and are divided on if they should be inside or outside. Some people insist the cats need to go outside to hunt and explore. Things which they can really do inside, people just don't want to admit that.
Before I go any further, I am not talking about feral cats, which in many cases were pets which were dumped outside because some idiot thought they could survive. The average lifespan of a feral cat is 3 years, just for your information. The average lifespan of a domestic cat kept inside can be 16 to 18 years.
Several days ago, as my dogs were going ballistic at the window, I opened my front door and there he was. A sweet little tuxedo cat with a collar that had a bell on it but no tags. My first inclination as he was wrapping himself around my legs, was to pick him up and bring him inside. He seemed to be well taken care of, was not skinny or anything like that, and I figured he belonged to someone in the neighborhood.
So I closed the door in hopes he would go on home. Then I began thinking about how irresponsible people are with their cats. I could have stolen that young cat, and he would be gone. I could have picked him up and taken him to Animal Services in hopes he found a good home, or even tried to sweet talk the rescue I volunteer at into taking him in.
I did none of those things, but maybe I should have. The problem with the "maybe I should have" is if the cat went missing, they would simply go get another one. The one thing we have in abundance in Sarasota County are cats. (dogs, too, for that matter)
So I am imploring anyone who owns a cat, knows someone who owns a cat or is even thinking about getting a cat to keep them inside. Don't let them roam the neighborhood and become a statistic. There is a leash law in Sarasota County for cats as well as dogs. Be a responsible owner. Your cat should then be able to live a long and pampered life and not persish on the streets.
I know a lot of people who own cats and are divided on if they should be inside or outside. Some people insist the cats need to go outside to hunt and explore. Things which they can really do inside, people just don't want to admit that.
Before I go any further, I am not talking about feral cats, which in many cases were pets which were dumped outside because some idiot thought they could survive. The average lifespan of a feral cat is 3 years, just for your information. The average lifespan of a domestic cat kept inside can be 16 to 18 years.
Several days ago, as my dogs were going ballistic at the window, I opened my front door and there he was. A sweet little tuxedo cat with a collar that had a bell on it but no tags. My first inclination as he was wrapping himself around my legs, was to pick him up and bring him inside. He seemed to be well taken care of, was not skinny or anything like that, and I figured he belonged to someone in the neighborhood.
So I closed the door in hopes he would go on home. Then I began thinking about how irresponsible people are with their cats. I could have stolen that young cat, and he would be gone. I could have picked him up and taken him to Animal Services in hopes he found a good home, or even tried to sweet talk the rescue I volunteer at into taking him in.
I did none of those things, but maybe I should have. The problem with the "maybe I should have" is if the cat went missing, they would simply go get another one. The one thing we have in abundance in Sarasota County are cats. (dogs, too, for that matter)
So I am imploring anyone who owns a cat, knows someone who owns a cat or is even thinking about getting a cat to keep them inside. Don't let them roam the neighborhood and become a statistic. There is a leash law in Sarasota County for cats as well as dogs. Be a responsible owner. Your cat should then be able to live a long and pampered life and not persish on the streets.
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