Yesterday at work, a woman came in doing her best to carry a cat and bring in her young child. The cat had been hit by a car in front of her house, and someone was kind enough to stop to tell her. Turned out the cat was hers. She was quite upset and covered in blood. This isn't the first hit by car pet we've gotten in the past few weeks. We've had a couple of others, some made it. Some did not. Its so difficult to see them come in. We recently had to work very hard to save a cat named Fluerf. He was the sweetest thing. He got it full blown in the face. He ended up with wires in his jaw, and his owner had to hand feed him. It was so heart breaking to see him, but its always nice to hear he's doing better.
Recently a friend of mine's sister lost her cat to a car. She remembered him:
Dayo would help us when we were packing, by jumping into the active luggage, or box and sitting there royally like he was the most important thing we could take with us. If anything was important, thats where he would be. He would nonchalantly sit on your book, or your playing cards, or your homework, to the delight of the kids I took care of afterschool who agreed that they certainly couldn't disturb the cat just to do their homework. Except newspapers. These he would run underneath thinking he was hidden even though the lumpy newspaper you used to be reading would now be wiggling with a black tail and white edged nose sticking out.
All the time at work I ask owners of new cats if they are going to keep them indoors. All too often I get the reply of "Im going to try". I hate that answer. I have five cats, not one of them show any interest in going outside. In fact, the other day the door wasn't shut properly, and blew open after we went to bed. The kitties were sitting right by the door looking around.(but didn't I panic until they were all accounted for) Indoor cats are purfectly happy. People try to say it isn't natural, or that cats are happier if they go out. Equate it to you living in a very small apartment being perfectly safe, or a huge mansion that has dangers that could easily kill you. If you didn't know about the dangers, you'd pick the mansion too. Unfortunately you can't explain to cats that by going outside they are risking their lives.. so yes.. cats that have gone out and know what fun things there are to do outside are going to want to continue to go.. but if you could explain to them the real risks, I doubt one of them would continue to want to go (ok.. so yes.. like humans Im sure there are cats out there that would.. but go with me on this analogy)
So please.. consider the joys of the litterbox to give your kitty the safest longest life possible.
