Carrot's Field

If your thought is “wow, is that a Raven??” It’s a crow.

im getting help with my laundry and there’s this 4yo black kid who’s super precocious. looks me up and down after hearing my voice and seeing like, little bit of beard through mask but also boobs and was like. are you…a girl? and i said no. then hes like hm. are you…a boy? i said “kinda.” he looks at me a little more and after a brief pause says very loudly “you’re WHITE!”

28mm revolver cause it looks like a normal sized revolver until you see a real person holding it

This is legitimately a huge (and still somewhat controversial) topic and I don’t really have the time to go into it in a lot of detail right now but here is a quick summary: 

- Cats are damaging to local ecosystems. Well-fed pet cats still enjoy hunting and end up killing not for food but for fun and to practice their hunting skills. It’s a natural instinct, not malice, but it can absolutely devastate local songbird and wildlife populations.  

- Outdoor cats are at MUCH higher risk of injury from vehicles, other animals, or even ill-intentioned humans (we once rescued a black cat with a broken tail I’m 99% sure had been broken by a group of kids swinging her around by her tail)

- Outdoor cats are at greater risk for contracting communicable diseases like Feline HIV

- Outdoor cats can get lost or even stolen (I’ve had both happen to me before)

- Outdoor cats are at higher risk of suffering from the elements (getting caught in snowstorms, freezing to death, etc.) 

- Outdoor cats are much more likely to contract parasites like fleas, ticks, and worms

- It is much more difficult to spot irregularities in your cat’s health if they are regularly outdoors (you can’t monitor how frequently they urinate or defecate, and whether or not there are any changes to their bathroom habits)

- Outdoor cats are more likely to end up consuming something dangerous (rat poison, spoiled food, etc.)

- Outdoor cats who are not fixed are likely to increase the feral cat population by getting pregnant/impregnating other cats. 

In general, outdoor cats are damaging to local ecosystems and at great risk of premature death. 

Now, that’s not to say you can’t find ways to let your cats enjoy the outdoors, though! Here are some fun solutions: 

Catios: 

Cat harnesses (yes, cats can be taught to walk on leashes!)

Cat-safe plants for nibbles and noms:

Cat “TV” (ie shelves or seats near windows where cats an easily observe the outdoors from the safety of inside)

She's alive and mostly healthy (i think) and she doesnt actually kill birds much

Plus its good for cats to kill and eat birds and stuff, its kinda bad to have them eat cat food their whole life

At least feed them seafood if they're indoor cats

also it's not good for them to eat birds, literally what [1] are you talking about? birds can carry diseases or parasites, cats can be injured while hunting, and they devastate bird populations; birds arent out there to be food for your cats, and no matter what you may think you have no way of knowing how many birds your cat kills [2]. do you think all cat food is just whiskas gravy or kibble? good cat food is made from meat; it's formulated to give your cat proper comprehensive nutrition, help with health conditions and body maintenance, and taste good without exposing them to injury or sickness or death. (warning for [1] [2]: graphic images of dead birds)

your cat is 13, and has been lucky; my friend had an outdoor cat for 15 years, until a coyote got her. I don't understand why so many people are stubbornly resistant to keeping their cats indoors despite repeated scientific evidence that it's safer for cats and better for the environment.

tbh one of the biggest issues is probably the cultural stereotype that cats are 'responsible'. dogs often know where their house is, could 'take care of themselves', and could theoretically be let outside to run around all day. but would that not be seen as completely irresponsible? if someone said "it's good for dogs to kill and eat raccoons, they shouldn't be fed dog food all the time" would you not be like wtf i'm calling the SPCA?

if your cat lives a truly full life then congratulations, that's incredibly rare. outdoor cat's lifespans have been proven to be shorter, even when they aren't eaten or hit by a car! my old roommate's cat was run over last month and thankfully """only""" had a broken leg, but is that supposed to be a good thing? if they took a baseball bat to the cat's leg, would that be any different? it was still injured because of them. if your cat gets attacked and comes back, would you still let it out again? or would you wise the fuck up and realize that your inaction directly allowed this to happen? for your cat's sake i hope you can do that immediately, because if you wait and something does happen you will have no right to cry about it.

our cats love to sit on the balcony, we can take them for walks, we have bird feeders by the windows they can watch, and we play with them daily; they are living full and happy lives, without needlessly fighting for survival. proper enrichment takes very little effort if you're willing to do the bare minimum.

to anyone reading this, please understand that if you choose to have an outdoor cat despite lists and lists of reasons you shouldn't, then just don't get a cat in the first place. and if you can't manage that, every time you let it out maybe remember: