Gorgeous illustration by Ginette Lapalme, courtesy of The New York Times
This beautifully written New York Times Op-Ed seems to say it all about the peril in allowing cats that are otherwise considered pets, to roam outdoors. There is a growing trend that we think is smart, "to make outdoor cats as socially unacceptable as smoking cigarettes in the office, or leaving dog droppings on the sidewalk." And it seems, at least according to this article, "that cats have caused or contributed to the extinction of 33 species." And let's not even talk about the estimated 2.4 billion birds that outdoor cats kill annually in the lower 48 states.
And here's a statistic we didn't know: cats are three to four times more likely than dogs to carry rabies and are the hosts of toxoplasmosis—so they're a threat to humans, too. But the real hazards are to the cats themselves—they die much younger that house cats, and often meet a gruesome end. So what to do about outdoor cats, feral or pets? Please let us know your thoughts!
And here's a statistic we didn't know: cats are three to four times more likely than dogs to carry rabies and are the hosts of toxoplasmosis—so they're a threat to humans, too. But the real hazards are to the cats themselves—they die much younger that house cats, and often meet a gruesome end. So what to do about outdoor cats, feral or pets? Please let us know your thoughts!
1 comments:
Funnily enough we have just had some cases of TB caught from cats over here. Interesting to note that the trend for indoor cats is growing. Have a super Saturday.
Best wishes Molly
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