The Price of Freedom

by Gary Dungan

Cats have become the most popular household pet, the numbers of cats kept as companions having surpassed the number of dogs some years ago. Given their popularity, one would think that our culture would at least grant them the same respect rendered to dogs. Such, sadly, is not the case.

Every day we are called upon to retrieve from the streets and alleys of Visalia the mangled remains of many, many cats which suggest the depth of the cat's popularity as a companion is very limited indeed. Many, if not most, "owners" of companion cats believe that their pets cannot or should not be confined in any way, that it is the cat's innate nature, its inherent, inalienable right, to roam wherever it pleases.

Such attitudes in 1996 are exceedingly curious. Decades ago, I suppose, when Visalia was only a sleepy rural village, perhaps we had that idea about dogs as well. Dogs went where they wanted to, did what they wanted to and nobody much cared. But those days are gone forever. Even the most casual dog owner will admit that he should keep his dog under control for its own safety as well as his neighbors' peace of mind. Yet not so with cats. Somehow the prevailing attitude is that cats should roam, they are somehow "street smart" and to interfere with their "freedom" is somehow to violate the rules of the universe.

People with that attitude should see what we see. Cats that are allowed to roam free are free alright. They are free to be hit and killed by cars, their remains ground into the pavement so badly it is often impossible to distinguish breed or gender. And moving cars are not the only hazard. Consider the "free" cat who, on a cold winter day seeks warmth, so it climbs under the hood of a car and nestles next to the warm engine. The car suddenly starts, entangling the cat in the fan belt assembly, ripping flesh and breaking bones.

The "free" cat is also freely exposed to the ravages of fatal diseases, such as feline leukemia, feline infectious peritonitis, feline rhino tracheitis, feline AIDS, feline panleukopenia, etc., all of which can cause horrible suffering before a lingering death.

Cats that are free to roam are also free to bother the owner's neighbors, to defecate in their flower beds, spray their cars, etc. This natural innocent behavior on the part of the cat often results in poisonings, beatings, or the trapping and relocating of the cat, often in ways which guarantee that the cat will never be seen again by anyone--owner or neighbor.

Cats which roam free are also free to be attacked by other roaming dogs and cats. At worst, the "free" cat will be killed outright or left with lingering disabilities, abscesses, etc. The list of tragic ends and injuries for the cat allowed to be free goes on and on.

The simple truth is this: No matter how strangely aloof or how inherently intelligent the household cat seems to be, he/she is no match for the complexity of modern society. They are domesticated animals and as such rely upon human beings for protection. Our recommendation? Keep your beloved feline at home. Yes, at home. In the house. Cats adjust quite well to living inside so long as they have a clean litter box (and with the new clumping litter now available, this is much easier than it once was) and ample access to food and water. They will be quite content indoors if provided with some cat toys, a scratching post and lots of human affection. Obviously, for a house cat--or any cat, for that matter--to remain happy and healthy, they must also be sterilized. For those who insist on letting their animals outside, we recommend building an outdoor cattery, attached to the house so that the cat(s) can come and go as they please but, when outside, remain safely contained. (If you have questions about building a cattery, please call the SPCA; a number of shelter staff and volunteers have built their own catteries.)

For those who remain recalcitrant regarding their cat's "freedom": Please, at least allow them outside only under your direct supervision. We at the SPCA want to see your cat happy, healthy and living beside you as a companion, not as a mass along the side of the road.