Indoor cats

On 17 Aug 2005 11:07:05 -0700, wrote:

It's interesting, do you think it's a cultural thing? How long have
people in the US been doing these things? Perhaps it's not the general
population, just people in cat groups As I say, I wasn't saying
that either way is right, it's just interesting how people do things
differently.

I live in a rural area in Western Washington, and my experience has
made me wary. I see freshly killed animals on the road every day,
including a few cats.

My cat, Tweaker, came to be my pet because I found him on the road
after being hit by a car. He had been an outdoor barn cat. Once he
recuperated, it was very clear he had no desire to go anywhere. So, I
keep him inside. Once in awhile I let him outside for a little while,
but only if I am standing right there.

I was taking care of an elderly (14-yo) dog for a friend who got
flooded out of her home. Early this spring, he wandered onto the road
in front of my house while I was inside looking for my car keys, and
someone ran him down and splattered him down 150 feet of pavement. It
was easy to see what had happened. The driver crossed the center line
to hit the dog.

I have a lot of equipment and junked cars here, most belonging to a
tenant who is a mechanic and uses them for his projects. We stay on
top of anything important, but that's about it. My next-door neighbor
here is a yard & garden enthusiast, and he hates me, although we have
never met or spoken. He is also the macho type, and had a sign in his
driveway warning that he will shoot intruders, but I think maybe the
cops made him take it down. He complained to the county, but it
backfired because we aren't doing anything wrong. I'm pretty sure he
ran the dog down. I hear gunshots in his backyard now and then, and I
imagine he might kill any cat or dog that set foot on his property,
especially if he thought it belonged to me.

So that is the cultural milieu in which I am operating.

Charlie