Part two of ''The Net is a Weird Animal'' post (the saga continues!):
The animal thaaaaang: FYI, it is somewhat ironic that I've been arguing that indoor-outdoor cats are no biggie, as for years I've been involved in rescuing strays and educating people about the importance of spaying/neutering their pets, etc. For years, I was a strong advocate for the position that all cats should be kept indoors, no matter what. But in recent years, I've mellowed somewhat, depending on the situation (If you live on a major road, etc., well--do the math). I now feel that, if a cat has all it's vaccinations and is in a relatively safe area, there is nothing wrong with letting it out for brief periods when the owner is at home. This started when I adopted a stray that was already 6+ yrs old and she was sad to be kept indoors all the time. I started letting her and my older (now 15yrs old!) male out for brief periods. They love it so much. The fulfillment and happiness they get from going outside is, IMHO, worth the risk that they are subjected to, especially in this day and age of the new generation of flea products like ''Advantage''. But anyway, without getting into the whole indoor-outdoor debate, I just want to say that dogs should ALWAYS be either in a fenced yard or on a leash (or in a designated leash-free area, which I wish the city of St. Pete would develop one in Northshore Park--but I digress!). At no time have I said that loose dogs are not a problem and a potential danger to themselves and people (and property!). It's just, cats...I mean, really...owned, cream-puffy cats...is this a big prob???
Anyway, I hope this clears up where I'm coming from. I hope this discussion board will continue to be a lively place of free debate, discussion, occasional argument, and hopefully frequent positive comments about and celebration of our wonderful, unique, and way cool neighborhood!
The animal thaaaaang: FYI, it is somewhat ironic that I've been arguing that indoor-outdoor cats are no biggie, as for years I've been involved in rescuing strays and educating people about the importance of spaying/neutering their pets, etc. For years, I was a strong advocate for the position that all cats should be kept indoors, no matter what. But in recent years, I've mellowed somewhat, depending on the situation (If you live on a major road, etc., well--do the math). I now feel that, if a cat has all it's vaccinations and is in a relatively safe area, there is nothing wrong with letting it out for brief periods when the owner is at home. This started when I adopted a stray that was already 6+ yrs old and she was sad to be kept indoors all the time. I started letting her and my older (now 15yrs old!) male out for brief periods. They love it so much. The fulfillment and happiness they get from going outside is, IMHO, worth the risk that they are subjected to, especially in this day and age of the new generation of flea products like ''Advantage''. But anyway, without getting into the whole indoor-outdoor debate, I just want to say that dogs should ALWAYS be either in a fenced yard or on a leash (or in a designated leash-free area, which I wish the city of St. Pete would develop one in Northshore Park--but I digress!). At no time have I said that loose dogs are not a problem and a potential danger to themselves and people (and property!). It's just, cats...I mean, really...owned, cream-puffy cats...is this a big prob???
Anyway, I hope this clears up where I'm coming from. I hope this discussion board will continue to be a lively place of free debate, discussion, occasional argument, and hopefully frequent positive comments about and celebration of our wonderful, unique, and way cool neighborhood!
