The grass looks greener on the other side of the door
Dear Fisher,
It seems like every day, I look out the window to see people walking dogs, squirrels running up and down trees, and birds bathing in a bird bath next door. Some days I even see cats wandering freely through the neighborhood and I have to wonder how come they can be outside and I have to stay in. Why won’t my humans let me go out and play?
PeeJay
Dear PeeJay,
You bring up a good subject for all the cats on the inside looking out. There are three main reasons why you should stay inside. First, it is for your own safety. Not everything out there is as peaceful and calm as you describe it. You may find enemies you never knew existed: dogs, other cats, people who hate cats, children who are just plain mean, and traffic everywhere.
There are dogs who love to chase and are happy to see a new critter in the area. Some dogs just plain don’t like cats. They may belong to a home where their people do not take the responsibility to keep them on a leash. You could get into a terrific mess if the dog decided to attack you. You could walk upon a snake, or meet up with fire ants (ouch!) or any other assorted creatures, depending on your neighborhood.
Cats on the “outside” don’t want any new cats in their territory. They may be fighting whiskers and tails just to survive and will not welcome an “intruder”. They can be ferocious and turn on you, biting and scratching. Cats left to roam are often infected with diseases like feline leukemia or FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). Even if the cat is nice to you, the diseases are killers and are transmitted from cat to cat.
It breaks my heart to even think there are humans (young and old) who would hurt a cat. One form of news or another has a story every week telling how some loving household pet was poisoned or tortured or stolen from his yard for sordid reasons.
And traffic! What can I say? Vehicles are huge and fast and the people in them are focused on their destination – not whether or not you decide to cross the road when they have a green light. You can just imagine the result that may come from that.
Now, the second reason you should stay inside is to show respect for your neighbors. You know that huge litter box in their back yard with real sand in it? Well, it is for their children to play in. And that birdbath you describe, where the birds flit and play – and the nice neighbor lady is watching through her kitchen window, and then WHAM! The cat gets the bird. These events do nothing to help those who are trying to understand that cats are really wonderful beings, and they may even retaliate. (Re-read paragraph 4)
The third reason for staying inside is the best reason: Because you can! You are in air-conditioned splendor, there are no fleas, and the furniture is soft and cushy. Your humans have provided you with cute little toys to bat and chase until you get tired and take that long afternoon nap in the master bedroom on the softest pillow. Aahh, the life of an inside cat!
Your friend,
Fisher
published in tbt* Tampa Bay
