To the editor,
The article about the new cat bylaw (Lezlie Lowe’s “Claw enforcement,” November 1) was great. For any of us who have outdoor cats it is common sense. I have two cats: One, Oreo, is as dumb as a bag of hammers. She stays inside, always has and always will. Tasche is NOT an indoor cat. I tried to keep her in for three days when the SPCA
was trapping feral cats in the neighbour-hood. It was torture. She has a route, goes to neighbours’ homes and is a “community cat.” I have a garden, too, and in light of all the cats in the neighbourhood, there isn’t much I can do except hope my cat does her jobbies in my yard and doesn’t upset my neighbours.
In a perfect world, everyone with a pet would have the money to care for it, just like everyone who had a baby would have the skills to be a great parent. Did they even look at cat behaviour when they decided on this law? More cats will be killed—cats who are well cared for, but whose owners don’t have the money to bail them out (or have kids who don’t know how to close doors).
What a guilt trip: “Johnny, Fluffy was put down by the city because YOU are a dimwit and left the door open.” I suppose it’s one way to teach kids responsibility.
By Theresa
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This article appears in Nov 22-28, 2007.