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LETTER: Cats’ lives in danger if let to roam outside

Re: Speeding drivers creating havoc in Sunriver area (News, Aug. 10)

 

Re: Speeding drivers creating havoc in Sunriver area (News, Aug. 10)

Being a cat owner I have complete sympathy for the Crawford family in the loss of their cat.  Losing a pet is like losing a member of your family.

However, after been involved in animal welfare for many years, I feel obligated to point out that if you have a cat and allow it to run at large outside you are placing it in danger from a number of things, including being hit by cars.

Neighbours don’t always want your cat in their carefully cultivated gardens and will rent traps to catch them. Sometimes they will turn them over to animal control, sometimes they won’t.

Outside cats fight with each other and your cat will quite often end up at the veterinarian.  Sometimes people will put out poison for animals, including cats.

I have three cats that I love very much. When we had our house built in Sunriver, we also included a two-metre fence that contains our cats to our yard.

If a person has been allowing their cat to run at large, it can be difficult to make the change to being an inside cat but it can  be done.

I have noticed in my neighbourhood lately, missing cat posters appearing – so something is happening to these cats and unfortunately their owners may never know why their cat suddenly disappeared.

If you ask anyone involved in animal welfare, animal control or a veterinarian, I am sure that they will all tell you that the safest place for your cat to be is inside or contained in your yard.

I hope that some cat owners will think of these risks to their pet before they just open the front door and let them out. They might not make it home.

Lynn West

Sooke