This piece really invites deep reflection: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2023/4/11/23673393/pets-dogs-cats-animal-welfare-boredom
The writer asks us to contemplate if “fewer pets will result in happier pets” and how we should provide our pets with enrichment opportunities which are in tune with their natural instincts. Perhaps, as the article says, quoting Jackson Galaxy, building catios in our compound and even inside our houses would be the next best environment for them. There are even cat boarding facilities that provide guests with catios for additional enrichment.
Coincidentally, I was chatting with a friend recently and she says she decided not to adopt or rehome the cats in her neighborhood anymore, but to CNRM them, ie. neuter and return them to the colony so that they get to live as Nature had intended them to. In a good neighborhood where there are no complainants or abusers, I too will opt for this, as I had in my old neighborhood where all our cats were CNRM cats. But not this present neighborhood (you know the challenges I face from the neighbors). So I have built catios to confine the cats, and I have tried my level best to provide platforms amidst plants (their jungle?) so that they have a more natural surrounding with access to sunshine, plants, soil and grass. They just do not have a chance to hunt which is actually depriving them of a natural expression and instinct.
After reading this article, I am inclined to, hopefully, put Samantha and the Blondies in one of our catios. It will either be Ginger’s Catio or Bunny’s Place. More likely, it will be Bunny’s Place and I intend to make platforms for them too. But I would have to wait until the Blondies are vaccinated (Indra isn’t yet). And there’s Hiro too.
I bet the CNRM cats are the happiest. I wish every single cat can be returned to colony to live freely. But that’s the dilemma, between giving them their freedom and ensuring they are safe from abusive humans or fast cars. Our concrete urban jungle can never be a “natural” environment for them. It is just too concrete.
Perhaps, as the article says, quoting Jackson Galaxy, building catios in our compound and even inside our houses would be the next best environment for them.
The article also delves into the essential requirements for pet dogs, or dogs in general, emphasizing the significance of allowing them time for natural expression, exploration, and the freedom to smell their surroundings. It highlights the importance of not hurrying them through the daily walk routine. For those seeking guidance on obtaining an Emotional Support Animal Letter in Texas, https://wellnesswag.com/esa-letter/texas is a valuable resource that provides relevant information and assistance in navigating the process.
As I’ve mentioned to a friend before, a long time ago, I do wish our ancestors hadn’t domesticated the wolves and wild cats. It is not that I do not like our domesticated dogs and cats. Believe me, I do. But when you hear of their suffering on our streets and irresponsible pet ownership, they would certainly have been happier living in the jungle, by the laws of the jungle. Yes, their lifespan would have been much shorter if they were living in the jungle, just as zoo animals definitely have a longer lifespan than animals in the wild, but isn’t life all about “the life in your years” and not “the years in your life” even for us humans? Isn’t life all about quality and not quantity?
Isn’t life all about being happy?
Is your dog and/or cat happy living in your home? Let’s take a good long reflective look and ask how we can make them happier, which according to this article, translates as living closer to their natural selves, permitting them more opportunities for natural expression.
Are you happy, Hiro?