REASON TO KEEP YOUR CAT COMPLETELY INDOORS:
I feel very strongly about this, and herewith the reason why:
Years ago, I got my first cat, a terrific red tabby male named
StarFreedom Tailkinker, estimated by the vet as being around 4 or 5. He
was a street cat, hanging around my foster brother's building. He and
another red tabby had been adopted by some college kids in the building,
but at the end of that spring semester, they left, taking the other one,
and leaving Star to make out on the street, as he had before. I believe
that he began life as someone's pet, from the way he behaved during the
7 yrs. I had him.
People used to exclaim when they first met him, "This is a BIG cat!"
and he was, weighing around 22 lbs. in his prime--and that wasn't fat,
either. He was simply big, with a massive head. But gentle and
loving--he once alerted me to a burgler trying to get into my bedroom.
I made him a completely indoor cat because there was a sicko in the
neighborhood who liked to strangle cats and leave them in the alley.
Later he adapted well to being a buddy of two other younger cats (1 at a
time), and adjusted to several moves (and my marriage) without turning a
whisker.
But one day I noticed that he seemed to have trouble with an eye. We
took him to the vet, who prescribed an ointment, which Star hated, and
indicated his distaste by attempting to push my hand away with his paws.
The eye didn't improve. Back to the vet for tests.
Then we got the news: Star, who had been off the street for 6 yrs.,
who was gorgeous and healthy all that time, had 2 problems: he was
diabetic, and he was also FIV. What's that? Feline AIDS. Yes, there is a
variety of AIDS which cats can have. Like human AIDS, there is no cure.
Our vet told us that it has become rife among street cats in major
cities, including Pittsburgh but not only Pittsburgh, and all too few
vets test for it. Obviously, he had been infected before I got him. He
did not infect our other cat Finn, and it is not communicable to humans.
It took months to get Star regulated on insulin (and weekly trips to the
vet) but he and I became old hands at the injections. What stubbornly
refused to improve was his eye....and the Monday morning of Thanksgiving
week, 3 yrs. ago, the other cat acted oddly, alerting me to a trail of
bloodstains in the hallway to where he was hiding under the bed. His eye
had literally exploded...when I touched him, he screamed. I called my
boss, my husband, and the vet. John raced home to drive us to the vet,
and Dr. Hughes, while not pressuring us, let us realize that poor Star
was in agony, and would not improve. Reluctantly, we gave permission for
him to be put to sleep.
I don't mean to start a discussion on the ethics of putting animals
to sleep or euthanasia in general. This was a hard decision, and not
made easily or lightly. 3 yrs. later, we still miss him very much. He
was, simply, the best cat I have ever had.
But as a result, I strongly recommend that any of you who have cats
and let them run loose outside even part of the time, get them tested!
And keep them indoors. Not as a convenience to you, not out of
possessive cruelty, but to protect them. And if you think it could not
happen to your cat--well, I'm not trying to ill-wish anyone, but that
might just be wishful thinking. Surely it is more responsible and loving
to be protective of our pets?
Sorry, now off the soapbox.....
--Barra