Electra is in.
Samanthab was kind enough to suggest to my
human that he volunteer me to write a column
No bop the head or I’ll delete your expletive!
for the Tuesday Pootie Peeps Page called Ask
Electra. Apparently, I once wrote a lengthy
comment that caught her eye. Questions were
solicited and a few found their way to my desk.
Some, such as Gracie the Wonder Pug’s, “Cat,
why you such an (expletive deleted)? No bop
the head!” (submitted under Attack Gardener’s
account), and Morgansmom’s, “Why is my
curmudgeonly elder tomcat such a picky little
(expletive deleted)?”, dealt with cat behavior
and will require more column inches than I can
spare here. By the way, I’ve deleted the
expletives here not because they bother me,
but my human, who will probably read this,
thinks I have never heard a discouraging word.
Other interesting questions were submitted as
Does this look curmudgeonly enough for you?
well and if I get a contract, they’ll be answered
to the best of my ability.
For today though, I am going to tackle two
related questions that Ari and Hoovie’s human,
map, submitted on their behalf. Ari asked, “Why
can’t I be outside all the time?” And Hoovie
wanted to know, “why do I have to be outside
all the time?” But first, some boilerplate:
Do not “Troll” the Pootie Peeps Diaries. Whatever happens in the outer blog STAYS in the outer blog. This is a place to relax and play; please treat it accordingly. If you hate animal diaries, please leave now. You are welcome to share photos of your own animals, or ones you just like. If you would like a pic from the comment threads, please ask the poster. He/she may have a copyright to those pics. If you have health/behavior issues with your cat or dog or other non-human friend, feel free to bring it to the community. We just may have someone whose experience can help. There are some pictures we never post: snakes, creepy crawlies, any and all photos that depict or encourage human cruelty toward animals. These are considered “out of bounds” and will not be tolerated. If you’re not sure about an issue...please ask. Someone is always glad to help.
I’d bop your expletive if I didn’t have this harness on!
Nature’s illegitimate son
As many of you know, as a small kitten and in
dire straits, Ari was found wandering alone in a
parking lot and brought to map’s home where
he was nursed back to health. Ari found that
Mr. and Mrs. map have a multitude of cats
living at their house. Some live mostly outside
and some live mostly inside. Hoovie is one who
lives outside, Ari has been living inside. Many
humans have strong feelings about whether
cats should be let outside or not. For example,
bfitzinAR told Ari, “hopefully Electra will remind
you of where and how you were found and ask
if you really want to be (outside)” when he
asked why he had to go inside. And she’s right,
many horrible things can happen to a cat that
lives or even goes outside. They can get fleas,
infections, diseases, hit by cars, step in anti-
freeze and lick their paws, and even get eaten
by predators. Other humans say indoor cats
get bored, neurotic, obese, and unhappy. In
Europe, unlike the U.S., most cats do live
“Race you inside,” said the Norwegian Forest Cat
outdoors. I talked with some cat and human
friends of mine to get a sense of the debate.
My neighbor cat is let out each morning and
comes home at night to sleep inside. He says, “I
enjoy being outside all day. I like to hunt and
find a nice spot to lay down in the sun and visit
with the neighbors. Occasionally, I get scared
by a dog or some other unknown big thing, but
I’ve always been able to get away or hide. I’d go
crazy if I had to stay inside all the time.”
Another cat I know has lived inside all her life.
It’s behind me, isn’t it?
“I really don’t like to hunt,” she says. “Everything
I need is right here and I know just where it is.
I’ve seen things out this window that I wouldn’t
ever want to meet. I feel safe inside and
besides, I’m just big-boned.”
My doctor is in favor of keeping me inside. “It’s
for your own safety, you could be intentionally
or unintentionally poisoned, hit by a car or
trapped in a garage. You could get in a fight
with another cat and pick up a disease or
abscess. And indoor cats live much longer than
outdoor cats.” But, like any good doctor, she
gives me all sides. “Being an indoor cat isn’t
perfect either. As a veterinarian, I see the
downside of life indoors, primarily chronic
diseases with ties to obesity and inactivity. I
recommend a veterinary-supervised diet, food
puzzles, more activity with toys and cat patios
for a breath of fresh air.”
Finally, I spoke with someone that I truly trust,
my human. “Electra,” he said, “you know I love
you very much and would never do anything
that I thought would hurt you, but I want you to
have a happy, full life. That’s why I wouldn’t let
you outside unattended until you were about 8
months old. Then, it was just for short periods
until you were comfortable being outside by
yourself. I get that it's tempting to never let you
outdoors the same way it’s tempting to keep a
human child indoors with lots of toys and tv
where nothing bad can ever happen to them,
but the truth is that’s just not being a good
parent. The kind of life that has no risk is not
worth living. If you go outdoors it does increase
the chance that something bad will happen to
you, but it doesn't mean it definitely will
happen, and in my opinion, that's a risk that's
They say it’s all about love!
worth taking. Indoor houses that are turned
into cat jungle gyms are wonderful, but they
will never be as good as the outdoors. But I do
want you to be as safe as possible while
enjoying a full life. That’s why, since we don’t
live in the city and do have room to romp
around, I put in a cat door that lets you go
outside when you want during the day and
locks you in at night when it’s more dangerous
to be out.”
So, Ari and Hoovie, since humans have the
thumbs and the doorknobs, they will always
have the last word on the inside/outside
debate. One thing I’ve learned though,
whatever the choice, they do it out of love.
Electra out!
If you have questions you would like me to address, write to ‘Ask Electra’ c/o jrfrog’s kosmail.
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