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From: alb@alice.UUCP (Adam L. Buchsbaum)
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Re: who says pets should run loose?
Message-ID: <2769@alice.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 15-May-84 19:59:04 EDT
Article-I.D.: alice.2769
Posted: Tue May 15 19:59:04 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 16-May-84 04:48:54 EDT
References: <880@ihuxi.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 26

I have had two cats so far.  My late cat (God rest his
soul) went outside frequently (at least once a day),
usually just before I went to bed (usually choosing to
reenter the house some 5 hours later via my bedroom
window, but we won't go into that...), and lived to the
ripe age of 12.  He never got hurt outside (sure, he got
into a couple scrapples, but nothing serious; actually,
he was sort of a wimp and avoided fights, opting instead
to run to the door).  My present cat (now 2.5 years old)
also enjoys going out (more frequently but for far shorter
periods of time).  The worst thing that happened to him
was that he got stuck in a tree once.  Big deal.  Cats
can handle that.  He, too, has gotten into a couple fights,
but he is well able to fend off the neighbor cat (who sort
of took over our lawn as her territory during my former
cat's reign; Tiger was very prompt about recapturing it).
Letting him out gives him a chance to get rid of some of
his tremendous energy, which would otherwise be vented on
the sofa.  Inside, he is calm and playful and affectionate.

Lettings cats out is not bad (granted, we live on a nice, quiet
street (though there is a big, dangerous one nearby).  If
you keep cats in, you can't let them out later in life, as they
won't be able to take care of themselves.  Only if you let them
out young will they be able to continue to enjoy going outside.
Keeping them in deprives them of some very playful times.