William Graham wrote:

: In general, there is no way one can protect an "outside" cat from all the
: hazards he might encounter.....Even if you keep him inside, he can get hurt
: a thousand different ways right in your own home or apartment.....At some
: point, you just have to bank on the animal's common sense and inherited
: ability to keep out of trouble. Of my four cats, only one leaves the
: property from time to time, but I worry about all four of them, and usually
: check up on them every morning when I awake to make sure they are all
: present and accounted for. One likes to sleep on the roof in the Summertime,
: and should he fall off of the South side of the house, he would fall two
: stories onto hard ground. And there are always cars and hawks and big
: raccoons and teenagers with BB guns and sadistic AH'd with real
: guns.......But millions of little furry creatures die miserable deaths every
: year in the wild.....It's a cruel world..... And my cats have already lived
: several years in comfort and the lap of luxury, so even if I were to lose
: one now, I shouldn't be sorry for owning them. They are a lot better off
: than they would have been had God had his way with them and I hadn't come
: along.....

I appreciate your thoughts. Nice, educating reading.