# Please protect your animals **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 25, 2003, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387 "2003-05-25T10:15:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Greekigurli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@Greekigurli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greekigurli)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/1 "2003-05-25T10:15:27Z")
Well I was reading a thread about someone missing their cat. I was reminded of the time I ran over someones cat in my car. That cat could have been some little childs cat who was never coming home again. I know pets have to be let outside but there has to be a way for pet owners to look after their pets better. I had a neighbor who would let his cat out but only on a leash tied to the door. That was not a bad thing at all! ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/2 "2003-05-25T12:44:43Z")
There is no reason ever to let a cat outside, particularly without a leash. It’s always been a pet (no pun intended) peeve of mine when cat owners put their cats out. They go around the neighborhood, get hit by cars, kill and shred birds on other people’s lawns and cause other problems as well. Dogs have to be on a leash and supervised at all times, but cats have roam of the land? Do’nt get me wrong, I’m all in favor of leashing and supervising dogs, but cats should be subject to the same rules and courtesy forced on dog owners. And yes, I felt the same way even before I got my dog. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/3 "2003-05-25T13:10:36Z")
I kid you not, I actually saw someone walking his cat a month or so ago. On a leash. Yes, it was a cat, not one of those faux dogs that are about yay high and yay big. An actual cat! ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/4 "2003-05-25T15:32:55Z")
Agree completely. Eons ago we had a pure-bred female Siamese cat and wanted her to have at least one litter of equally pedigreed kittens. We started her on a leash when she was a kitten and she had no problem with it. Of course, we took her outside just for fun and exploration; normally she used the litter box inside for the “necessaries.” It would probably be difficult to train a grown cat, though. In recent years we have had rescued cats, and we let them roam outside unattended, since we are on a street with hardly any traffic, and there are several acres of woods adjacent to our yard. After watching 2 cats die of feline leukemia and another in a heartbreakingly slow decline and untimely death from feline immune deficiency, we will not let any of our cats outside any more. ---
**Author:** ![Elenfair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cc9497/32.png) [@Elenfair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elenfair)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/5 "2003-05-25T16:10:13Z")
When I lived in Nepean, Ontario, there was a dog-leash law. There was also a cat-leash law. No cats were to be outside to roam, unleashed. I don’t think the bylaw has held since the cities were merged… but hell, it was great - no digging in my flowerbeds, no cats SHITTING in my flowerbeds, and then me having my dogs digging in there to eat said treasures… yeah. Indoor cats, or leashed cats if outdoors. Anyone here been kept up at night by a female in heat, outdoors, meowing away… and the neighbourhood Toms fighting each other like there’s no tomorrow? Feh. ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/6 "2003-05-25T16:15:40Z")
I’m suprised your cat hasn’t come to kill you in the middle of the night because his friends laughed at him because he was on a leash. Leashes go on dogs, not cats. Some cats like outside, some like it indoors. My cat is an outdoor cat. He likes to kill rats and birds, that’s his nature. Hell I rather have my cat doing this stuff than the neighbor kids. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/7 "2003-05-25T16:42:24Z")
I hope your cat likes getting chewed on by other cats, too, and getting ticks, fleas and nasty diseases, too. ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/8 "2003-05-25T16:56:44Z")
I posted in that thread, and when I lived in the country on a private road, I did let my cats out. Growing up, my parents always let their (fixed) cats outside, and they never had a problem. I will admit my ignorance now. I left my tale of how I did have a couple cats go missing, another was hit by a car (a pizza delivery guy). My cats all stay indoors now, and have for years. I learned the hard way. Right now I am debating the leash thing. Bo (who was formerly an indoor/outdoor cat, he adapted to indoor only fairly easily) and Abby are perfectly content staying in. My kitten Hanna (almost a year old) lays by the door when we take our dogs out. I know she wants to go out, and I am thinking about leash training her. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/9 "2003-05-25T17:07:16Z")
I didn’t post in that other thread, because the cat was still missing and the Poster was upset . . . But I do think people should certainly be allowed to let their pets wander free–_as long as they accept the fact_ that sooner or later they will be run over or killed by another animal. If you’re willing to take that risk, then, fine. The fact that the Poster lives right by the woods, full of “owls and coyotes,” pretty much assures that eventually Kitty will _not_ be returning. But, that’s nature . . . ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/10 "2003-05-25T18:37:32Z")
My feline beast walks on a leash, wears a harness 24/7, and goes outside three or four times a day clipped to a line connected to a stake in the middle of the backyard. The yard is fenced, so no dogs have gotten in, only other cats, and they are quickly convinced to depart. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/11 "2003-05-25T19:16:58Z")
My big cat-beast goes out on a leash with a harness and human supervision. Best way to keep him safe while still enjoying time to roll around on the grass and pounce on leaves that blow by. (Oo! He’s murderous when it comes to the invading leaves.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/12 "2003-05-25T19:25:22Z")
My cat has never spent a night indoors. She’s now 15 years old. I suppose someday a coyote, roaming dog or bobcat may do her in, but so far she’s had a trouble free outdoor life. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/13 "2003-05-25T19:35:25Z")
BTW - feline leukemia, there’s a vaccine for this. Additionally, a cat that is positive should be kept indoors, in quarantined, and anyone with a positive cat should make sure that all visitors know this so that when the visitors go home to their own little kitties, they wash thoroughly to protect their kitties. ---
**Author:** ![lorinada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5e925/32.png) [@lorinada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorinada)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/14 "2003-05-25T19:51:13Z")
My cat Big Mac walks on a leash. I mostly leash him to take him to the vet, though. Biggie weighs 23 pounds and I can’t find a carrier that’s big enough for him that I can still easily carry. So, on the leash he goes. My cats are allowed outside, but only in the daytime and when I am not so busy that I can’t keep an eye on them through the window. As soon as they start to try to wander off the patio, I drag their butts back in. I do have one exception - Peaches, who is a former stray. She lived exclusively outside for at least a year, and is very quick and lithe and can slip through our legs through the open door without us even realizing it. With her I keep her in as best I can, make sure her shots are not one day overdue, and pray alot. I’m sure she’ll be the first to “go” but had she remained a stray she would probably have been dead long ago. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/15 "2003-05-25T19:54:04Z")
Damn it, do we have to have this same damn religious argument every few months? Yes, cats outside have a higher risk of injury or death. But since the last time we had this largely pointless and irritating argument, I lost a beloved cat. Indoors. Of heart failure. So guess what? Indoor/outdoor, they’re going to die anyway. Enjoy them while you have them. And quit telling other people what to do. ---
**Author:** ![effac3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@effac3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effac3d)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/16 "2003-05-25T19:57:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by j.c. \* > \*\*BTW - feline leukemia, there’s a vaccine for this. Additionally, a cat that is positive should be kept indoors, in quarantined, and anyone with a positive cat should make sure that all visitors know this so that when the visitors go home to their own little kitties, they wash thoroughly to protect their kitties. \*\* Leukemia is communicable? 😕 Or is the feline variety something totally different? ---
**Author:** ![lorinada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5e925/32.png) [@lorinada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorinada)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/17 "2003-05-25T20:15:35Z")
Sorta. Actually, what’s different is “leukememia” as in blood cancer and “the leukemia virus” which has a human counterpart. What is being mentioned here is specifically the virus-caused feline disease that is called “leukemia”. The human “leukemia virus” causes, among other things, mononucleosis. ---
**Author:** ![lorinada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5e925/32.png) [@lorinada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorinada)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/18 "2003-05-25T20:17:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lorinada \* > \*\* “leukememia” \*\* Good God, how do my fingers manage to get away from me so badly!:rolleyes: :smack: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/19 "2003-05-25T21:04:40Z")
I don’t think most of us are “telling people what to do,” **Finagle** ; we’re just mentioning that–as\*\* John Carter\*\* quite sensibly knows–if you are going to let your pets wander around outside, you should be emotionally prepared to have them not come home someday. YM, as he notes, MV. And if course indoor cast do not live forever (or I sure as hell _hope_ they don’t!). But the likelihood of a car running over my cats in my living room, or a coyote having a key to my apartment, is pretty low. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2003, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387/20 "2003-05-25T22:19:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* And if course indoor cast do not live forever (or I sure as hell _hope_ they don’t!). But the likelihood of a car running over my cats in my living room, or a coyote having a key to my apartment, is pretty low. \*\* Yes, even the cast of CATS probably won’t live forever. And you do spend a lot of time complaining about keeping the wolf from your door, so I suppose coyotes aren’t completely out of the question. As for “telling people what to do” – in my experience, there’s a fine and frequently crossed line between “you should keep your cat indoors” and “you WILL keep your cat indoors”. Some shelters won’t adopt out cats to anyone who won’t keep their cat indoors 100% of the time. And some towns pass laws prohibiting loose cats (see featherlou’s current rant in the Pit). I think the decision should be between the person and their cat. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-protect-your-animals/177387.md?page=2)