You're gonna let somebody with an outside cat talk to you that way....?
This is such an American take....
You don't have an ecosystem where you live? Zero native flora or fauna? Dogs, wild animals, or territorial cats that could cause it harm? People that go out of their way to hurt animals?
Not a lot of fauna here that can harm them no, they are the top predators as well so wildlife is not an issue, very few cases of strangers harming peoples cats either. We also have very few natural disasters or cases of extreme weather either so that's not a big concern. edit to add- It's also been proven by scientists studying it that cats don't actually do that much damage to ecosystems here either because there's always been some form of cat here, unlike say New Zealand where cats were an invasive species so I'm not concerned to damage to ecosystems either.
I'd say the biggest concern with letting a cat outside is in fact roads, but most places don't let you adopt a cat if you live anywhere near a busy road.
In fact in this country it is almost impossible to get a cat from a rescue unless they have outside space. I have adopted multiple cats in my life time, not a single one of them was allowed to be re-homed unless we had access for them to the outside via a cat flap.
So yes, keeping cats indoors is a very American take. In Europe, most cats have access both to the home and outside via a cat flap and as I already said, it's almost impossible to get a cat that is inside only here, especially if you're getting a rescue. (And yes they do check that you're letting the cat out)
tbf over in america you have a lot of gun wielding maniacs, cat's aren't the top of the food chain and extreme weather so I understand your sentiment. I just don't think it's a sentiment that works the world over.
No diseases or parasites? No possibility of it eating something it shouldn't and you not knowing what's wrong? If not a car or a bus maybe it'll be hit by a train. And there are other ways of harming animals besides with firearms, there are people who abuse animals everywhere you go regardless of the country you live in or what they have access to
Look I get that you have very strong opinions on this as is the American way, you can continue busting your balls yelling about this but I promise you most of Europe does not care as much as you do and will consider your opinion on it a very American take.
You're allowed to keep your opinion, that's fine but don't become like a religious nut thrusting it down others throats like a catholic priest who can't control where he wants to stick his seed.
I already told you I accept that where you are it makes sense to keep them indoors and to a certain point I agree with you that they should be kept indoors in places like America. But the fact of the matter is other countries don't view it as a big deal and have a very different outlook on the matter to the point it's nearly impossible to adopt a cat unless you let them outside.
It's better to accept that that is just how it is than become the crazed nut thrusting their opinion on others. If you can't accept that I suggest using your block button and I'll do the same.
I'm acting crazed and busting my balls but who's been writing paragraphs? You're not somehow exempt from all these things just because you're European, these things still apply
You're going to have such a shock if you ever leave America lmao.
Have fun trying to adopt a cat in another country and keeping it indoors where the rescues will literally take the cat away if they discover you lied to them about 😉
We're not going to change each other's opinion on this matter, you'll always hold your overly American view on this and I'll hold the European view.
So I continue to suggest instead of trying to thrust your American values down my throat and me trying to thrust European values down yours we simply block one another. Because that's all this comes down to, American vs European values.
I suggest you do the research, because in other countries (like mine) have really bad feral domestic predator problems, so bad that we've had to talk with urgency about eliminating the feral cat and dog populations. It's not "american vs. european values" it's a "native vs. invasive populations" issue.
Multiple people from Europe and other continents have mentioned that rescues won't "take it away" if you don't let them out. In fact, in my country some rescues require you to prove your cat won't be decimating the local reptile and bird populations.
will say while you're not wrong about the issues with letting cats outside, the person from the UK was not wrong either in that it is common practise and normal in other countries, especially Europe and especially, especially the UK to let cats outside to the point it is nearly impossible to adopt unless you have an outside space.
I do have screenshots I just took from the RSPCA as an example to show what adopting from rescues looks like in the UK. This is just from the RSPCA, but I can assure you all rescues in the UK say similar things and all rescues do check that you're letting them out, these are just examples.
So what you're attacking that person for is literally something encouraged over there to the point that to attack them alone feels wrong when in reality it's the system that's fucked up over there.
Adding to show more rescues in the UK requiring that cats be allowed outside, this is from the rescue 'Cat's protection' and all these cats are from London branches of that rescue. Just to show it's not just the RSPCA, but aaaallllll rescues over there.
It's the system that's broken. Here's pages from the most famous shelter, where the Number 10 cat came from, Battersea dogs and cats, also requiring cats be able to go outside if you want to adopt over there.
Now again I am not disagreeing with you, just stating that the issue you bring up in your posts is likely not so easily solved especially when you consider the differences in cat culture from country to country.
I mean in some countries cat is a delicious dish right alongside dogs and horses and other animals. In some countries they let them out via cat flaps whenever they choose, others encouraged supervised outside time, others encourage you keep your cat in. Every country and every cat is different, which is worth noting when debating topics such as this. Instead of getting mad at individuals, we get mad at the system and instead of ambushing people with floods of responses we let one or two calmly discuss with them?
