I've agonized over the bird vs. cat-owning dilemma. I've been a "cats deserve
the outdoors" person in the past, but after volunteering with a local cat
rescue organization, and seeing what an outdoor life can really do to a cat,
I'm starting to turn into an 'indoor at all times, outside only with
supervision' person. And while one side of me is saying "but it's natural for
cats to hunt - if you don't want a bird-killing animal, don't have a cat!" the
other side is saying "Ooooo, wassa fuzzy woogums!" while smurfling a cat
('smurfling' in our house means picking up one of the furballs, and smooshing
one's face into their belly while said furball purrs so loudly you'd swear
they had a combustion engine in there. It can also include raspberries into
same cat belly, which amuses the cats so much that after you put them down,
they will meow piteously until you pick them up and do it again).

So how to reconcile the two sides?

I've been reading some about "cat-proofing your yard". That sounds
interesting. I was thinking, lots of people have dog-runs to keep their
pooches in one area of the yard - perhaps I could make a cat-run? An enclosure
which contained a grassy (sunny) expanse, something to climb on, places to
hide, and food/drink containers sounds pretty good to me. I even created one
while dreaming one night! It was pretty big - 20'x40'x6'. (The whole scene
went something like Bill Cosby's "Noah" routine) I'm contemplating making one
of these when I move into the new place this summer, and acquire a cat (the
smurfling side is winning).

Anyone else reconcile these sides? I've seen some people talking about leashes
and such ... I've attempted that with a past cat, but she never did like it.


Susan
susan at pmel.noaa.gov