This morning your beautiful white fluffy cat ran in front of my car and was almost road kill. Luckily, I was doing under the limit and was paying attention so when your kitty darted out from under a car into traffic, I was able to stop quickly. If it had been the speeding Maryland driver behind me, your cat would be dead. --Posted on a DC email listThe question comes up often, and remains unresolved: Should cats be allowed to roam freely? In the pro-camp are cat owners who say that cats are meant to roam, that they have happier and more fulfilled lives when they're free to satisfy their curiosity, meet other neighborhood cats, and chase mice.
Opposed are people who point to the avoidable death that roaming cats face, usually because of cars. Roaming cats also kill birds, and can have a significant impact on the local songbird population. Well-fed cats, which is to say most domestic cats, only hunt for fun, and don't need to be outside.
So what's the answer? Cats in or out?
