RE: Stray cats.
April 27, 2021 at 9:05 am
(This post was last modified: April 27, 2021 at 9:18 am by Belacqua.)
(April 27, 2021 at 8:48 am)Brian37 Wrote: I dont think this one was feral. I think well kept outdoor cats get aclimated to humans, and I am pretty sure that is what I was dealing with. It was well groomed, and feral cats are far more skiddish than indoor cats.
I'm sure you're right! Such a personable cat isn't wild. I wonder if he was supposed to be outside, or if he just slipped out.
Quote:I think all cats should be raised indoors for that matter. I think outdoor cats risk far more injury with other wild animals such as squirrels and racoons, than humans.
No doubt outdoor cats have a shorter life expectancy. I don't know what's best, really. The ones that are born outside are not really domestic, and have a sort of happy natural life, I guess -- though it's dangerous. In Japanese we talk about "han-nora," which means "half feral." Like they're nobody's pet, but they get food from people, and might get help if they're injured or something. One of my neighbors is an expert at giving feral cats medicine and otherwise helping them.
I agree with you that indoors is probably best, just because they kill so many other animals. I've seen well-fed outdoor cats kill birds just because it's in their instinct. They rip up lizards, snakes, and all kinds of other fauna that I like a lot.
Right now all three of mine are staring at the window over my desk. The desk light attracts moths to the outside of the glass, and the moths attract geckos, and the cats live in hope of murdering a gecko, though they've never caught one yet.
