I Have No Cat in this Fight

A recent news story reported on the disappearance of cats from a neighborhood on the east side. Somewhere between 25 and 30 cats have gone missing in the last few months. Cat owner's are distraught and concerned. A sound bite quoted a cat owner saying that she was a responsible pet owner and that her cat was like her child. This news report was very biased and one sided. It was reported as if there is something wrong in that neighborhood that needed to be stopped. I live in the west end, but here's my opinion about the story that the short sighted news station missed.

Having a pet requires responsibility from a pet owner. A responsible cat owner would not allow their cat to trespass on another person's property, just like responsible dog, rabbit,  or sheep owner's. If you want to have a pet you must be responsible for that animal. Too many irresponsible cat owners let their cats run wild in their neighborhood under the guise of "they're just cats".

Your cat may be like a child to you but it is not like a child to your neighbor. It is a trespasser and a nuisance. The stench of cat pee in a flower bed or doorway is not pretty or desirable. Worse is the sight of cat poop in a sandbox where real children and grandchildren play. If I don't own a cat and I have cats trespassing on my property to pee in my yard and poop in my sandbox, it is up to me as a responsible citizen to trap that cat and have the humane society come and pick it up. The humane society picks them up for free all day long and are quite prompt in response to a phone call.

A cat owner that lets their cat roam free is not a responsible pet owner and is part of the problem in the community. A home owner that traps trespassing cats and has the humane society pick them up is a responsible citizen and is part of the solution. The news report, like most reports nowadays, focused on one half of the issue, as if it were a travesty. This is a non story and is happening all over the valley. I have an acquaintance in South Boise that has trapped 14 cats in her small backyard, just trying to keep her kids from playing in a sandbox full of cat poop, and trying to keep her 2 chickens and a rabbit alive. The rabbit is now dead but her pets do not leave her yard.

Side Note: The one positive thing I got out of this news report: The cat owner interviewed for this story stated that her cat was like her child. This made me feel like a much better parent. As a parent raising children, I cannot remember one time where I opened my door and let one of my children wander over to the neighbor's yard to pee in their garage or poop in their sandbox. Maybe I wasn't that bad at parenting after all.