Cats are people, too
I don’t know why I do this to myself… this evening I went to a town council meeting. Now, I really hate meetings so there had to be a really, really good reason for me to subject myself to such a thing. Here it is: the Town of Normal was considering a cat-leash-law. And they passed it, with no public discussion allowed.
It seems that feral cats had become a nuisance, so personally owned, well-fed, vaccinated, neutered cats are now required to be kept indoors. It was long and complicated, with lots of side issues, but here’s the kicker… they swore up and down that the ordinance would not be enforced unless there was a complaint! I can see the headline now: “Normal residents invited to get back at their neighbors by filing complaints against their outdoor cats.”
The representative from “Sterile Feral” said that if pet owners really cared about their pets, they’d keep them indoors. This is the argument that people use when they want to control you: “If you really cared about ‘X’, you’d (do what I think is best!)” There’s never any room for the way you see the problem, or for your priorities. If you don’t agree with them, it’s obvious you just don’t care about… whatever it is.
See, as much as I can’t stand animal rights nutballs, they do have a point about pets, and it is this: animals are sentient and they do have preferences. Since I don’t personally know any chickens (and have not liked the ones I did know) I don’t have a problem with the chicken sandwich I ate for lunch today. But I do know my cats and I respect their preferences.
I like to go outside, and when I do, I create a lot of noise and even more pollution with all my engine-powered monstrosities. Generally, this is thought to be OK. But if my cat goes outside, and creates a little noise and a little (biodegradable) pollution, that’s not acceptable.
I happen to know beyond reasonable doubt that my cats like to go outdoors. They sit on the porch railing and doze in the sun, waking to watch the world go by. Clearly they’re having a good time. Yes, I can force them to stay inside until they become accustomed to imprisonment, but that would be wrong.
I’m also aware that cats kill other animals, and it’s their business! Frankly I just don’t care. I’ve indirectly killed a lot more animals than my cats ever have – they eat dry cat food. Hell, they’re practically vegetarians next to me.
A lot of noise is made about the fact that cats defecate outdoors; but so do birds, squirrels, rabbits, mice, coons, possum, bats, deer – all successful urban animals. Even I’ve been known to water the plants on occasion. But if my cat ever “goes” in someone’s garden, I’ll gladly pay for cat repellent to make them happy.
I had a neighbor who openly hated cats. The moral defective so-and-so threatened to get his rifle “and take care of it” referring to my cat.
Humans have been around animals for a long time and it hasn’t killed us yet. But there’s something missing from a human who can’t stand the sight of somebody’s pet.