Cats should stay inside. They live a lot longer inside as they don't come into contact with risks like other cats, predators, stray dogs (family lost 2 cats this way), diseases and parasites from birds and rodents.
They should also stay inside because house cats kill for sport and they kill between 1-4 Billion birds in the US every year, driving some species into threatened, endangered, and even extinct status.
I used to do some work for a local fauna park (like a small zoo) and cats were terrible. If a fox got in you’d find a couple of dead (and eaten) fowls but you could tell if a cat got in because there could be a dozen dead birds that were otherwise untouched. They just like killing. Knowing that each cat could be doing that to native birds each night is why I tell cat owners to keep their cat inside.
By that logic, Humans should be locked up too. We kill for sport and have lead so many species to extinction or endangered status.
Well... yeah, those specific humans that kill for sport should be locked up. Sometimes they are. We call it "prison sentence".
Their bird kill is exaggerated
They unfortunately kill tons of birds, accounting for three quarters of non-natural bird deaths. :/
Non-paywalled National Geographic link: https://archive.ph/Ysy0C
I get your point and I do not advocate to let cats freely roam outside because of their impact on local wildlife but by this logic wild animals should all be kept in zoos as they live a lot longer there.
but by this logic wild animals should all be kept in zoos
Domestic housecat is not a wild animal any longer. It's closely related to wild species, but it is different. It's a domesticated animal, meaning humans changed it over generations. This is the same for dogs, cows, pigs, chickens and most other animals we keep for food or work.
We don't and we shouldn't let domesticated animals loose in the world intentionally, barring a few exceptions for controlled grazing. They no longer have a place in the ecosystem and releasing them in sufficient numbers could greatly upset it as we've seen with domestic cats.
Especially since domestic cats don't need to hunt. People who let them out provide them shelter and food. Therefore the only reason cats get out is to prey upon local wildlife for entertainment. That's akin to letting your dogs out to run around in packs murdering any squirrels, rabbits or cats they find. Or letting your sheep or cows wander from your farm into the local town where they cause problems with traffic.
There is no reason to let your domesticated cats out to wander except for a misplaced sense that they "should".
Cats aren't wild animals, cats are domesticated animals, and they are the world's most invasive species. So sorry but that logic is completely wrong.
Often they don’t, thriving in captivity is by no means a guarantee and is an important distinction between domesticated and wild animals.
But again, the argument of “don’t introduce new predators to an ecosystem” is good enough already.
“Wahhh”
Are you Waluigi?
I have patiently explained to my cat that he is kept inside not for his safety, but because he is an amazing, large, fast, intelligent, talented murder machine and I can't let him destroy all the birds and lizards and, of course, the other cats in the neighborhood. He seems to appreciate the flattery.
Our cat is terrified of going outside. It doesn't even like to be on a different floor of the house.
Agoraphobic cats for the ethical win
I don't let them out because then they pick up fleas and mites, which in turns means tapeworms and other illnesses related to all that. It's not good for the cat and definitely not good for my wallet.
People who call themselves "mother" or "father" to a pet creep me out.
Costs you zero dollars not to be a dick about it
I wasn't being a dick. It creeps me out. What do you care?
I understand the sentiment, but when I hear those words I just hear love. Maybe a different love than I feel but still love.
Or when referred to as "fur babies" "fur son" "fur child" it's weird. I don't know what's wrong with just saying pet, it's the proper classification for their position in a family hierarchy
I don't mind the parent thing, but fur babies just makes me think of furry cosplayers in diapers, which is a thing.
Those terms are absolutely rampant on dating apps. It creeps me out too.
I blame the places that say you're "adopting" the animal.
No. Legally they are property, I'm giving you currency in exchange for personal property. Doesn't matter how you have to word it for legal purposes, I'm buying it from you.
Imagine calling living beings "property". Your boss should also refer to you as their "property", as they exchange money to own you for a portion of your life.
You're adopting, or you are a piece of shit. Can't have it any other way. Next you'll be like "well we used to own slaves and I don't see why that went out of style".
