Our Pets, Enduring Us Part II

THE GENTLEMAN'S QUESTION was, under the circumstances, quite reasonable. He had noticed, as doubtless had many others, my proclivity for sharing pictures of cats, large and small, on Facebook. As a result, Facebook, ever algorythmic, sends me a constant feed of cat pics, cats large and small. Ninety percent of what I see on facebook is cats. I am content. (I never post anything original on Facebook, being content to share other's posts.) His words were, if memory serves: "I have to ask: what's up with all the cats?" Fair enough. Initially annoyed, as in "what business of his is this?, I calmed myself, and typed in an answer. (I have discovered the prudence of a cooling off period). My response was, approximately, "Although I think the answer is self evident (I admire Thomas Jefferson, and the phrase "self evident" in the Declaration of Independence), I appreciate your inquiry, and, if I have offended you, I apologize." That did the trick, as intended. An apology, whether appropriate or not, never fails to soothe the savage soul. It is far more effective than, say, "none of your freaking business". As I expected, he relented. He rejoined: "Don't apologize. You do you. I simply do not like cats. I can always just scroll by". Further emboldened, I concluded the exchange with: "thank you for your understanding and tolerance". Later, I noticed that he was hitting the "like" button on a few of my tiger panther and lion shares, but not on my housecat post shares. I had found the precise source of his anti-catism! I not only like pictures of cats, including cute kitten photos supplied by Facebook members, I love cats in real space and time. I have several, about seven at last count, all former strays, all "rescues". Its the only kind I'll have. I don't cotton to special made to order pure bred cats, with a world full of animal shelter angels waiting for something better. But what, exactly, is "better" for cats? I don't like the term "rescue", because I can't be sure that I have rescued anybody. For all I know, they would have had a much better life homeless than in my garage and yard. I'm also newly skeptical about the popular proposition that cats are better off confined to a house than they are when allowed to go outside. Sure, they don't get hit by cars and chewed by dogs when indoors, but neither do they roam freely, hunting, which is a primary soure of their happiness. I am now inclined to believe that the best solution is to give them a choice, to allow them to go in and out at will. A simple collar with a cute little tinkling bell can serve as fair warning to birds. I like the idea of clipping off the top corner of a cat's left ear, giving it the full range of vaccinations, spaying, and neutering, and setting it free, out of the animal shelter, out of strict indoor home confiment Beats killing it, any day. Recent studies indicating that both cats and dogs are miserable being confined to an existence with humans who restrict their range of activities have had a profound impact on me. I am no longer an indoor cat only person. Nor, for that matter, only outdoor cat. Providing them with a choice, it seems to me, can only enhance their happiness and contentment. I don't like people who don't cats, so I probably would not like the "what's up with all the cats?" guy. But I love cats and dogs, more than I love people, whether or not they love me, whether or not they are miserable living with humans, as is now becoming a paradigm under consideration. Of this I am convinced; we can, if nothing else, ameliorate their misery, by feeding them outside, thereby giving them the false impression that they have successfully foraged for their own food, have been sucessful hunting, even if they have not, which seems to be the crux of their alleged discontent, . This is a cheap trick, but it may be the best we can do. One thing I know for damned sure. We humans sure as hell are not going to surrender our sacred pleasure of dog and cat "ownership", whether or not it makes them miserable, because it makes us happy, and that, after all, is ultimately all that really matters to us.