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From: kitten@pertec.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Re: who says pets should run loose?
Message-ID: <125@pertec.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 3-Jun-84 02:30:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: pertec.125
Posted: Sun Jun  3 02:30:36 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 1-Jun-84 06:46:15 EDT
Organization: Pertec Computer Corp., Irvine, CA
Lines: 39

One point that I haven't seen brought up yet is that The City and
Suburbia pose other hazards to loose cats (and dogs) besides cars,
large(r) dogs and cruel children (and sometimes 'adults').  Many
years ago we had two brother cats from the same litter that we
had as outdoor cats.  They were always together.  One day my
mother was the bearer of bad news that one of the cats was found
dead on a neighbor's lawn, and the other was in critical condition.
The had romped on a neighbor's lawn that had been chemically (as
opposed to naturally) fertilized.  It got on their fur, and when
they tried to clean themselves, they ingested it.  The one that
survived had chemical burns down his innards.  I remember those
ghastly blisters in his mouth, throat, and on his tongue.  It took
most of our Christmas money to fix him up, and not long after that
he went wild, not recognizing any of us.  I wouldn't be surprised
if some amount of brain damage had been a major contributing factor.

Animals are innocent.  They have no way of knowing what they're getting
into where Man has intervened.  Cars are the major problem, but there
are a multitude of others that a caring owner should not expose their
pet to.  The only exception I can think of is a working cat (mouser)
on a farm (or just a pet cat on a farm) were it is really only semi-
domesticated.

The cat/dog/whatever *can't* make these decisions for itself, the owner
*must* make it for him/her, and hopefully make a responsible decision
with the pet's best interest in mind.  Think of it as disaplining a
child, it may hurt, or seem mean, but it is best for the child.


As for the spay/neuter issue, the excuse for allowing the pet to "have
a normal sex life" is ridiculous.  Lengthy couplings are not a safe
thing to do in the wild, when the senses are temporarily otherwise
occupied.  Animals act on pure insinct, the females get nothing out of
it, the males get little.  It is extremely short-lived and strictly
functional.  Only a few of the great apes and man derive 'pleasure'
from it.

'Nuff said for now...