Cat outside today (18 degrees) - ok?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both cats and dogs should be inside right now. And no cat should ever be an outside cat. You are not fit to have cats if you let them roam.

This is ridiculous. Cats are just fine roaming around when it's not freezing out. People around here are so weird about outside cats. I'm from California, and everyone lets their cats roam.

But CA doesn't have weather like DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both cats and dogs should be inside right now. And no cat should ever be an outside cat. You are not fit to have cats if you let them roam.

This is ridiculous. Cats are just fine roaming around when it's not freezing out. People around here are so weird about outside cats. I'm from California, and everyone lets their cats roam.

It is illegal here to let your cat roam. It is also inhumane to the cat as it shortens their lives, and roaming cats kill off native bird populations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both cats and dogs should be inside right now. And no cat should ever be an outside cat. You are not fit to have cats if you let them roam.

This is ridiculous. Cats are just fine roaming around when it's not freezing out. People around here are so weird about outside cats. I'm from California, and everyone lets their cats roam.

It is illegal here to let your cat roam. It is also inhumane to the cat as it shortens their lives, and roaming cats kill off native bird populations.

Exactly right. An indoor/outdoor cat is highly likely to enjoy a substantially reduced lifespan vs. indoor-only, and a death outside will not be pretty. Cruel and thoughtless to leave a domestic animal to roam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both cats and dogs should be inside right now. And no cat should ever be an outside cat. You are not fit to have cats if you let them roam.

This is ridiculous. Cats are just fine roaming around when it's not freezing out. People around here are so weird about outside cats. I'm from California, and everyone lets their cats roam.

It is illegal here to let your cat roam. It is also inhumane to the cat as it shortens their lives, and roaming cats kill off native bird populations.

Exactly right. An indoor/outdoor cat is highly likely to enjoy a substantially reduced lifespan vs. indoor-only, and a death outside will not be pretty. Cruel and thoughtless to leave a domestic animal to roam.

Seriously??
I grew up in a northern state with a climate at least as bad as VA's, if not worse. Had 2 cats - could not keep them inside if we tried. They loved to roam. One in particular would disappear for a couple days at a time, and always reappeared on her own terms. They other always seemed to enjoy pouncing around in the snow.

Both cats were over 20 yrs old when they died of age-related illnesses. One died in her sleep, the other had to be put down at the vet's office.

Maybe it depends on the breed of cat, but I never understood keeping cats inside 100% of the time. They are natural roamers, or at least mine were. It would have felt cruel to keep them cooped up inside, like kitty prison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both cats and dogs should be inside right now. And no cat should ever be an outside cat. You are not fit to have cats if you let them roam.

This is ridiculous. Cats are just fine roaming around when it's not freezing out. People around here are so weird about outside cats. I'm from California, and everyone lets their cats roam.

It is illegal here to let your cat roam. It is also inhumane to the cat as it shortens their lives, and roaming cats kill off native bird populations.

Exactly right. An indoor/outdoor cat is highly likely to enjoy a substantially reduced lifespan vs. indoor-only, and a death outside will not be pretty. Cruel and thoughtless to leave a domestic animal to roam.

Seriously??
I grew up in a northern state with a climate at least as bad as VA's, if not worse. Had 2 cats - could not keep them inside if we tried. They loved to roam. One in particular would disappear for a couple days at a time, and always reappeared on her own terms. They other always seemed to enjoy pouncing around in the snow.

Both cats were over 20 yrs old when they died of age-related illnesses. One died in her sleep, the other had to be put down at the vet's office.

Maybe it depends on the breed of cat, but I never understood keeping cats inside 100% of the time. They are natural roamers, or at least mine were. It would have felt cruel to keep them cooped up inside, like kitty prison.

It is illegal to allow your cats to roam here.

It is not "cruel" to keep your cats indoors if you provide them with sufficient stimulation and activity. Every humane organization in the country recommends that cats be indoors. You cannot adopt a cat in this area without signing an agreement to keep the cat indoors.

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/cat-behavior/preventing-your-cat-getting-outside

Leaving aside the issue of indoor vs. outdoor cats' lifespans, roaming cats wipe out native bird populations - now *that* is cruel:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/outdoor-cats-kill-between-14-billion-and-37-billion-birds-a-year-study-says/2013/01/31/2504f744-6bbe-11e2-ada0-5ca5fa7ebe79_story.html

[Anonymous]

It is NOT illegal to let your cat outside. Also, little known fact: black rat snakes are responsible for killing many birds. Saw it happen with my own eyes. We tried to stop a snake that was in the process of strangling baby blue jays outside our bedroom window. He killed two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is NOT illegal to let your cat outside. Also, little known fact: black rat snakes are responsible for killing many birds. Saw it happen with my own eyes. We tried to stop a snake that was in the process of strangling baby blue jays outside our bedroom window. He killed two.

In Montgomery County it is illegal for a cat to roam outside its yard.

[Anonymous]

Oh shit I'm going to jail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh shit I'm going to jail.

Probably not, but you are responsible for the ongoing destruction of native bird populations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is NOT illegal to let your cat outside. Also, little known fact: black rat snakes are responsible for killing many birds. Saw it happen with my own eyes. We tried to stop a snake that was in the process of strangling baby blue jays outside our bedroom window. He killed two.

What does the snake information have to do with the killing off of local bird populations? We have data, actual data, about the relationship between outdoor cats and the decline in local bird populations.

I am sure you are right that birds are vulnerable to other predators. We can't control the whereabouts of those predators, however, as we can vis-a-vis our cats.