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I know we talk a lot about the importance keeping our cats indoors. Our neighborhood experienced a tragedy yesterday when a neighbor's cat, an orange and white girl that we just called Orange Kitty, bolted out into the street and was killed by a passing car.
This cat had such a pretty face, with gorgeous markings and a white tummy, and a very distinct ringtail. She was reasonably friendly -- she'd let me pet her on occasion, but not as a matter of course. If she were mine, I probably would have called her Creamsicle. I wish I had a picture of her to share.
But she did annoy the heck out of my Checkers! He did not like her one bit -- he'd growl and hiss and claw at the window when she came into our yard or, heaven forbid!, on our porch. A couple of times she actually lunged up at the window at Checkers, which created quite a commotion! Our windows are more than six feet off the ground, so you can imagine how her springing up at him would freak Checkers out. Almost like something right out of a cartoon!
The driver of the car was devastated, but said she didn't see Orange Kitty until it was too late. It's such a shame her owner didn't keep her indoors.
I know we talk a lot about the importance keeping our cats indoors. Our neighborhood experienced a tragedy yesterday when a neighbor's cat, an orange and white girl that we just called Orange Kitty, bolted out into the street and was killed by a passing car.
This cat had such a pretty face, with gorgeous markings and a white tummy, and a very distinct ringtail. She was reasonably friendly -- she'd let me pet her on occasion, but not as a matter of course. If she were mine, I probably would have called her Creamsicle. I wish I had a picture of her to share.
But she did annoy the heck out of my Checkers! He did not like her one bit -- he'd growl and hiss and claw at the window when she came into our yard or, heaven forbid!, on our porch. A couple of times she actually lunged up at the window at Checkers, which created quite a commotion! Our windows are more than six feet off the ground, so you can imagine how her springing up at him would freak Checkers out. Almost like something right out of a cartoon!
The driver of the car was devastated, but said she didn't see Orange Kitty until it was too late. It's such a shame her owner didn't keep her indoors.
I couldn't agree more. While it is true that cats are, essentially wild animals that have consented to co-habitate with us for the benefits of being fed and having a warm place to sleep, they do not understand the dangers of modern urban (or suburban living). Cats are meant to be outside, in the forest, where all they have to worry about is a coyote now and then. NOT where there are dogs, traffic, mean kids, etc., that can harm them or kill them.
My cats always have been, and will forever be indoor only. They do not suffer for it. They are as happy as they can be and certainly every bit as happy as a cat that goes outside. I have never regretted protecting my precious kitties from the horrors that await outside the front door, and I find it very disturbing that people will allow their cats out to face uncertain death.
But hey, that's me and we life in a free country (thank goodness).
Now I will pull my lawn chair up and enjoy the rest of the discussion...
The driver of the car was devastated, but said she didn't see Orange Kitty until it was too late. It's such a shame her owner didn't keep her indoors.
Those who don't want to keep cats indoors shouldn't have them. We had a horrible experience today with a kitten that was run over and left to die on the road. See my other post. We rushed her to my vet to try and save her but the damage was too extensive and she was in agony.
It should be mandatory for potential cat owners to witness what a cat looks like how it suffers when hit by a car and isn't killed on impact. Require they watch a few videos of the horror after an accident. Maybe toss in a few videos of what sadists do to cats. Videos of cats burned alive, tortured etc. Something has to get through to these people.
Maybe it should be the law that no cats be allowed to roam. It is in some areas, but the laws are not enforced.
That makes about as much sense as making it mandatory to watch a human child being born, with the mom under no anesthesia, to prevent girls from having sex. No one is going to guilt me into keeping Weasie inside. She has a healthy fear of passing vehicles, doesn't go out at night except for brief "patrols," and enjoys a large following in the neighborhood. When I tried to keep her indoors, she not only tried the usual drama (sad face, mournful meows) but also peed on furniture and tore wallpaper. (I think her being abandoned in a ventilated box with her littermates when she was newly weaned might've had something to do with this claustrophobia.)
She always wore tags which jingled enough to give fair warning to birds, so nice try but no cigar on that one. Now, arthritic and 19, she poses no threat to our avian friends. (Not that she's going to wander far, much less get lost, at this stage in life - but she's microchipped for ID purposes.)
If we lived along a busier street or in a neighborhood of strangers, then yes, I would've stood my ground and not let any destructive behavior deter me. And if we were in suburbia or the countryside where there are more bird species than starlings and sparrows I would've probably done the same. But we don't.
Goyguy, it was not my intention to pass judgement on anyone who lets their cats out. Really. I'm sorry if my post came off that way.
I had an indoor/outdoor cat once, too. She lived a long, healthy life as a fierce and formidable huntress, and would have been unhappy not being able to roam the 'hood, as Weasie is. Perhaps my neighbor recognized that about Orange Kitty, too.
That makes about as much sense as making it mandatory to watch a human child being born, with the mom under no anesthesia, to prevent girls from having sex. No one is going to guilt me into keeping Weasie inside. She has a healthy fear of passing vehicles, doesn't go out at night except for brief "patrols," and enjoys a large following in the neighborhood.
It's not using "guilt"... it's using reality! It was a video of a person dying of lung cancer and the pictures of what the lungs of smokers look like compared to non-smokers that got me to quit smoking years ago. That video may have saved my life and years of suffering. Guilt was not involved.
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When I tried to keep her indoors, she not only tried the usual drama (sad face, mournful meows) but also peed on furniture and tore wallpaper. (I think her being abandoned in a ventilated box with her littermates when she was newly weaned might've had something to do with this claustrophobia.)
That's possible. But your home may not be interesting to her either. Cats can get bored. I don't need to tell you this or the things that help prevent boredom.
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She always wore tags which jingled enough to give fair warning to birds, so nice try but no cigar on that one. Now, arthritic and 19, she poses no threat to our avian friends. (Not that she's going to wander far, much less get lost, at this stage in life - but she's microchipped for ID purposes.)
If we lived along a busier street or in a neighborhood of strangers, then yes, I would've stood my ground and not let any destructive behavior deter me. And if we were in suburbia or the countryside where there are more bird species than starlings and sparrows I would've probably done the same. But we don't.
The kitten that was run over apparently lived in the quiet subdivision of middle class homes. She was dragging herself across the road in that direction. The road she was hit on doesn't have a lot of traffic. The speed limit is 40 MPH and it's several miles from town. Across from the houses is woodland.
I live way out in the country, almost no traffic comes through here, and yet several neighbor's dogs (before the leash laws) were run over. Fortunately all were killed instantly. Several weeks ago a cat was run over. I had never seen him before and figured it was another dump-off. I stopped, thinking maybe he was still alive, but he was dead - it looked like a head injury once I got up close.
I know we talk a lot about the importance keeping our cats indoors. Our neighborhood experienced a tragedy yesterday when a neighbor's cat, an orange and white girl that we just called Orange Kitty, bolted out into the street and was killed by a passing car.
An all too common happening.
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The driver of the car was devastated, but said she didn't see Orange Kitty until it was too late. It's such a shame her owner didn't keep her indoors.
You see.... the driver was traumatized. And it didn't have to happen if the cat was inside where she belonged. The cat would still be alive and the drive spared the emotional pain of killing it. Accidents have happened when drivers have veered to keep from running over cats and other animals out in the roads. How would the cat owner feel had the car crashed and the driver killed or injured?
There was a fatal crash in town a few years back when a cat or dog, the witness couldn't be sure which, ran out across the road and into some tall grass. The driver veered to avoid hitting it, lost control of his car and hit an electric pole. He died on the spot.
I'm so sorry to read about the death of Orange Kitty.
Domestic cats should live indoors. Their wild ancestors didn't live where there are coyotes. But I feel sure that they had other natural enemies.
They most likely did, but nothing like what they face living so close to man today. Some cats seem to survive outdoor jaunts for many long years, or so the owners claim. And I can believe some cats, by some miracle, do. But most do not.
Those people don't talk about those cats who lived short lives perhaps because they don't know of any or just wont mention those they do know about. The last two outdoor-indoor cats I had were lost before they were a year old. In my ignorance I thought living in the country on a ultra-low traffic road was a safe place for cats and dogs. I was wrong. After the dog got hit by a car and spent a few days at the vet, I had a male friend come over and help me put up a fence (this was before I remarried). Then one cat vanished. He went out one morning and never came back. The other one, about 9 months old, got in the engine of a friend's car and when he stopped in town, Fluffy left the car and ran in a panic for his life. My friend couldn't catch him as he dashed into heavy shrubs and through fences. A search turned up nothing. God only knows what happened to him. I was devastated. He was one of those rare cats you only get one of in a lifetime.
Then after hearing so many sad stories from friends and neighbors about the loss of their pets as well... I vowed the next cats will be indoor-only cats. These three have never roamed outside, so indoors, except for their outdoor screened area, is all they know. None are door-dashers. None try to escape from the RV when we're traveling or camping. They have all kinds of toys and 6 assorted cat trees plus a few scratching posts. They're healthy, parasite and disease free... and above all, safe and loved.
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I wish I had a picture of her to share.
