Last night I was playing with my kids in the front yard. I look down the street about 5-6 houses and a black cat crosses the street where my neighbor and his son (8th grade) are. I see the boy pick up the cat and flip it around a few times. Then he picks it up and tosses it. The cat is obviously extremely social because it never really runs away. Then he comes out with a golf club -- I am thinking please don't -- but he is "shooing" the cat away with it.
Next my daughter and her friend come down the street on their bikes. The cat just sits in the middle of sidewalk. So they stop and pet her (I later find out she is named "Lilly" and lives across and down the street). My daughter comes back excited telling me how sweet this cat is.
Then, poor Lilly is walking about one house away from house and I can't believe my eyes I see another black cat across the street crouched down. Sure enough, cat #2 crosses the street, follows Lilly under a tree (Lilly never saw it coming) and all you hear is cat screams. Lilly then darts away across the street.
It is so dangerous for this obviously sweet, socialized cat to be out here. We live in a very nice neighborhood with low traffic -- but all it takes is a boy who hates cats to end it all. Did I mention the two Boxers who live two houses away from Lilly? They play with dogs in the front yard (no leash -- our city has no leash law except in parks) -- even when my young kids are walking down the sidewalk across the street these dog bolt across to my kids (not in an aggresive way but still scares my 5 year old). I am sure they would chase and injure this poor cat.
I have worked so hard to socialize my cat in the last year (with limited results). Here is such a nice friendly, wonderful cat who faces danger everyday. I would never let that happen. (Mind you we had an indoor/outdoor cat growing up that lived to be 19 -- in my opinion we just didn't know any better then).
Next my daughter and her friend come down the street on their bikes. The cat just sits in the middle of sidewalk. So they stop and pet her (I later find out she is named "Lilly" and lives across and down the street). My daughter comes back excited telling me how sweet this cat is.
Then, poor Lilly is walking about one house away from house and I can't believe my eyes I see another black cat across the street crouched down. Sure enough, cat #2 crosses the street, follows Lilly under a tree (Lilly never saw it coming) and all you hear is cat screams. Lilly then darts away across the street.
It is so dangerous for this obviously sweet, socialized cat to be out here. We live in a very nice neighborhood with low traffic -- but all it takes is a boy who hates cats to end it all. Did I mention the two Boxers who live two houses away from Lilly? They play with dogs in the front yard (no leash -- our city has no leash law except in parks) -- even when my young kids are walking down the sidewalk across the street these dog bolt across to my kids (not in an aggresive way but still scares my 5 year old). I am sure they would chase and injure this poor cat.
I have worked so hard to socialize my cat in the last year (with limited results). Here is such a nice friendly, wonderful cat who faces danger everyday. I would never let that happen. (Mind you we had an indoor/outdoor cat growing up that lived to be 19 -- in my opinion we just didn't know any better then).