For Tarek Fatah
From the desk of your technical producer.
The other night Tarek was talking about the new cat law in Oakville requiring cats to be left indoors. Stating that cats are outdoor animals and that they cause no harm being out and about in the neighbourhood. This was one segment where being behind the (soundproof) glass where the listeners were spared me yelling at the glass.
I am writing this as a new pet owner. There are certain responsibilities that come with being a responsible pet owner and properly taking care of your new addition to the family (yes Ryan... I said that). One of these is making sure that your animal isn't harming someone elses property or animal. Tarek maintains that his cat Sylvester never peed or pooped on anyone elses lawn. I have never owned a home, but I remember countless days in Regina helping my dad maintain his lawn and garden and pushing the lawn mower along only to find a nice present left for us by one of the many neighbourhood cats on our lawn. When you leave a cat to roam free you are no longer taking responsibility for it. You cannot see where your cat goes and what your cat does.
Thinking about this more and more there is even more risk that you run by letting your cat roam free in the neighbourhood. One thing that really hit home is when I took MY new addition for the family (my puggle puppy Henri) to get registered at the SPCA in Toronto. Entering the shelter you see nothing but cage after cage filled with cats and very few dogs. We have a cat problem in this city that goes well beyond picking up poop. Letting your cat roam free you run the risk of creating lots of other cats that will eventually work there way into the shelter. Since working at Newstalk 1010 I have seen posts on our message board giving away cats no fewer than three times. So it's great that you want to give your cat freedom but what about the other cats that are to follow.
Tarek had also talked about how he left his cat declawed so he would be protected while roaming the neighbourhood. If your cat gets into a scrap with someones dog tied up in a yard and injured the dog who is responsible for that? One thing I have learned is going to the vet isn't cheap! Also ... your cats claws will not protect it from 2000 lbs of rubber and steel if he's out frolicking in the streets of Toronto.
If it's essential for you to have a cat for pest control or for you to have a cat and you're ashamed to put it on a leash (the only reason I can think of that someone would NOT put their cat on a leash is aesthetic... and let's face it even the thought of it is a little city) I urge you to, before getting a cat, maybe consider moving to the country buy an acre or two and you can let your cat frolick and play all you like without having to worry about it pooping on someones lawn or worse yet ending up dead on the road. If your cat IS in fact a member of the family I urge you to keep him inside, get him fixed and not let him roam the neighbourhood for his own protection.
This law in Oakville was surely created by someone who really does care about animals.
The other night Tarek was talking about the new cat law in Oakville requiring cats to be left indoors. Stating that cats are outdoor animals and that they cause no harm being out and about in the neighbourhood. This was one segment where being behind the (soundproof) glass where the listeners were spared me yelling at the glass.
I am writing this as a new pet owner. There are certain responsibilities that come with being a responsible pet owner and properly taking care of your new addition to the family (yes Ryan... I said that). One of these is making sure that your animal isn't harming someone elses property or animal. Tarek maintains that his cat Sylvester never peed or pooped on anyone elses lawn. I have never owned a home, but I remember countless days in Regina helping my dad maintain his lawn and garden and pushing the lawn mower along only to find a nice present left for us by one of the many neighbourhood cats on our lawn. When you leave a cat to roam free you are no longer taking responsibility for it. You cannot see where your cat goes and what your cat does.
Thinking about this more and more there is even more risk that you run by letting your cat roam free in the neighbourhood. One thing that really hit home is when I took MY new addition for the family (my puggle puppy Henri) to get registered at the SPCA in Toronto. Entering the shelter you see nothing but cage after cage filled with cats and very few dogs. We have a cat problem in this city that goes well beyond picking up poop. Letting your cat roam free you run the risk of creating lots of other cats that will eventually work there way into the shelter. Since working at Newstalk 1010 I have seen posts on our message board giving away cats no fewer than three times. So it's great that you want to give your cat freedom but what about the other cats that are to follow.
Tarek had also talked about how he left his cat declawed so he would be protected while roaming the neighbourhood. If your cat gets into a scrap with someones dog tied up in a yard and injured the dog who is responsible for that? One thing I have learned is going to the vet isn't cheap! Also ... your cats claws will not protect it from 2000 lbs of rubber and steel if he's out frolicking in the streets of Toronto.
If it's essential for you to have a cat for pest control or for you to have a cat and you're ashamed to put it on a leash (the only reason I can think of that someone would NOT put their cat on a leash is aesthetic... and let's face it even the thought of it is a little city) I urge you to, before getting a cat, maybe consider moving to the country buy an acre or two and you can let your cat frolick and play all you like without having to worry about it pooping on someones lawn or worse yet ending up dead on the road. If your cat IS in fact a member of the family I urge you to keep him inside, get him fixed and not let him roam the neighbourhood for his own protection.
This law in Oakville was surely created by someone who really does care about animals.