Hey, JM, don't you realise some people just don't understand satire
and don't realise when they are being sent up?  We really should start
a "Save the Whales" programme to domesticate the whale and have one in
every swimming pool if we really want to prevent extinction.

Oh no, sorry, make that two in every pool (one male, one female) if we
really want to prevent extinction.

As for speaking 4 languages, congrats, but no big deal, I speak my
native Australian (Strine) and also English, American and a bit of
that East Coast derived dialect Noo Joisie-ish, so I'm not too far
behind.....

JM no email addy says

Actually, I have many online conversations with friends from germany, spain,
france and japan. Online translators are wonderful.  

1. There's a lot more people NOW than in the olden times.  Education regarding
the issue of inside vs outside has been researched 100x since the olden times.

.

Great contribution to the discussion.

Ah well, we best stop bickering about it as it's pointless anyway.
Some have strong beliefs one way, other feel differently. I myself
probably went too far making blanket statements, but then it was the
'let her outside and it will kill her' that got me going. That's like
saying to those of us who do let our cats out that we treat our
animals badly and don't care about them.

I lived on the 8th story of an apartment block for 3 years, and my
cats who were used to going outside became quite unhappy, I could
tell. Now I have a house with a garden and their joy is showing.
Personally, I prefer it that way, including the risks (which aren't
that great, like I said, cat safety was a big factor in picking my
house).

I would like to make a few last remarks though. Those of you who who
critizise my English, I think that is silly, bordering on childish.
Luvskats, you say you use an online translator. You may not know
because you don't speak the other language, but what comes out of them
is grammaticaly appalling. You can just about understand what someone
is trying to say but that's it. Do your friends give you stick if you
send them a message that has errors in it, or do they just try to
understand what it is you are trying to tell them?

But anyway, this one I can't win apparently: If I write English to the
best of my abilty I get critizised, same as if I were to use an online
translator. Perhaps the FAQ for this NG should say 'do not post if you
don't have a degree in English'.

About cats killing birds, according to some that is 'another
discussion'. What discussion? Cats kill birds, period. It is their
nature. You can pretend your domesticated indoor-only cat wouldn't do
it, but believe me, given the chance he would love to sink his fangs
into a nice little birdy. We can discuss that among each other, or
with our cats, until we are blue in the face, it will never change.
Cats are cruel killers, thats's a natural fact.

And I don't know what my cats base their decision to go out on. No,
they don't consider cars, bad people and the like. They just follow
their instincts and precious little hearts. As their human provider, I
see it as my resposibility to provide them with an environment where
they can do so, and therefore I did.

Greetings to all!

JM

JM..no email address listed writes

 

Please document how cats - your cats - were able to come up with the informed
decision about going outside? I won't get into the hunting birds issue (which
is another protest altogether), but cats, for the most part, are NOT aware of
the perils of going outside. The perils, btw, have been posted hundreds of
times.  No need to write them again.

Got domesticated as in relied on humans for care.

That's fine if you live in an urban or country area but the OP
lives in an apartment complex so obviously there are other considerations
such as cars and miscreants.  You may have missed the post from the
guy who got tired of his neighbors cats visits so he trapped it and
dumped it a few miles away.  Is that the future you want for your cat?

It was the obvious sarcasm in your response that illicited a like
one in me.  You can express your opinion that cats need some
freedom ..many have.  Just remember that every cat and every
situation is unique.  What's good for your cat may not be good
for another depending on the environment.

Because it's routine was interrupted and it doesn't understand why.
Sometimes even humans have to do things they don't want to or
give up things they like because they aren't good for them.  The
difference is we can understand the reasoning.  If you could tell
your cat "hey, I'd like to let you out but look at these pictures of
road kill..now look at the cars in the parking lot.  I don't want you
to look like these pictures".  The cat would probably agree and
settle down nicely inside.  Doesn't work so just like with a 2 year
old child you have to put up with the yelling..or meowing...and know
that you are smarter and you know best.

For the record...my cat goes outside.  However I have a home
with a large back yard that my cat either won't or can't leave.
She doesn't climb so the only dangers to her are the diseases
left behind by the neighborhood strays.  If I had to move to an
apartment where she couldn't safely go out she would learn to
be an indoor kitty too...no matter how much she meowed.

AG