Dear Editor,

The misleading Internet memes/jokes depicting cats getting or about to get eaten by very hungry migrants in Ohio, USA, are not at all funny for us cat lovers.

At the same time, there’s a potential solution for the pet-cat worried. The average lifespan of an indoor feline is about three times that of outdoor felines, not to mention the notable absence of outdoor-related injuries. Ergo, always keep your pet cat on a chest harness during walks or (preferably) indoors at all times. If you won’t do it for the vulnerable wildlife potentially killed by your roaming cat, then please do it for your also-very-vulnerable cat’s sake.

I grew up around cats, including feral/stray felines and developed a lifelong appreciation and affection for them in general.

As a young boy, finding them slaughtered the first thing in the morning was quite traumatising. They were lost to larger predators — perhaps even a cat-hating human. I knew about a few guys willing to procure sick satisfaction from torturing to death those naively trusting thus likely sweet-natured cats whose owners had allowed them to wander the neighbourhood, even at night.

Domesticated cats offer reciprocally healthy relationships — many cat lovers describe them as somewhat symbiotic — particularly for those suffering physical and/or mental illness. Yet human apathy, the throwaway mentality/culture and even a bit of public hostility toward cats, typically result in population explosions, thus their inevitable neglect and suffering, including severe illnesses and starvation.

Frank Sterle Jr.

fgsjr2013@gmail.com