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So i follow a youtube channel called Lex & Cinnabon. Lex is a single guy in his 20s who lives in Michigan in his own home in the country. A couple years ago he noticed an orange cat on his property sometimes that looked a bit thin. He asked around and no one said it was their cat, he put out food for it but couldmnt get close, it would run. Winter came and he built the cat a little house on his back deck to keep warm. Then, finally one day the kitty took a few hesitant steps in his home and allowed Lex to pet him. From there things improved greatly. Btw, in early videos Lex said he didnt mind feeding amd helping him out but that he "wasnt a cat person".
So the cat came more, got more friendly, then one day Lex left him in his home alone the first time for a few hours, a few weeks later he kept the kitty in overnight, he started giving itvwet food daily not just dry, took it to the vet for its shots ect.
As of today the cat spends more time inside than out, and is officially Lex's kitty Cinnabon-Lex takes care of food, vet cate, if he ever moved he'd take Cinnabon, Cinnabon spends the night a lot ect.
Should be all great, right? Well it is-however, especially now that its very cold, Lex keeps getting lectured in the comments, sometimes strongly, to "just keep him in. Make him an indoor kitty. You are taking a chance letting him out-he could get attacked by an animal, get sick ect. Lex, you need to keep him in!
Lex's position is look-he was semi wild when i got him. He enjoys going out side and will paw at the door and cry if i dont let him out. Im not interested in being his jailor-he is free to come and go as he pleases."
Which always gets the pushback thst "hes a cat. You need to think for him, the same way you wouldnt let a five year old out to play in the snow in jeans znd a tshirt. Youre the owner, youre the boss. Insist he stay in!"
And its like.. i get both sides. I grew up in the country in Maine. We had at leazdx t 6-7 cats during my childhood and all were allowed to come and go as they pleased. We lost a kitten, tragically, that had crawled up into the engine of our car (Belvedere. RIP. It was horrible), but we never had a cat go into the woods one day and just not come back. All my childhood cats died of old age. Of course i understand that just bc it didnt happen to my cats doesnt mean it cant happen.
So its like... is life worth living with no risk? We act like we dont take a risk everytime we hop in the car to go to the store. We could get in a wreck. Someone could have a disease and we catch it. There could be an active shooter. But we leave our homes anyway because the alternative is unthinkable.
Is it fair to apply that to cats?
I remember watching my childhood cat Susie playing in our yard, climbing trrees, having so much fun, bringing home mice ect. And every year, until she got older deep in the middle of summer when it was 80 in the daytime and 70 at night, she would disappear for 4-5 days. Of course we would worty, especially the first few times. My mom would call her but she wouldnt come. A few days later she'd stroll up the driveway, come in, gobble some food, and sleep for half a day. After the first few times we realized she was just going on an adventure. I picture her deep in the soods, climbing trees, drinking from streams, killing mice for food, and just living as a true wild cat for a few days, and im so happy she had that opportunity. She did it probably 7 years in a row, then around age ten she just stopped. She lived to a ripe old age and led a full, loved life. She slept on my bed every night.
Would it jave been fair, after the first time she took her little trip, to keep her as an indoor kitty, to avoid any risk at all of harm? I dont think so. I was just a kid, but i feel my mom did the right thing.
In the city or burbs its different, but the country? Thats more complicated.
If youve read this far, what are your thoughts? Is it irresponsible to let an animal out in the country knowing there are risks? Or is it cruel to keep in an animal who's pawing at the door and desperately wants outside, so you keep them safe?
The first vid of Lex and Cinnabon i saw, where Cinnabon comes inside for the first time-its how a lot of people foubd his channel bc it went semi-viral.
The latest Lex & Cinnabon vid
So the cat came more, got more friendly, then one day Lex left him in his home alone the first time for a few hours, a few weeks later he kept the kitty in overnight, he started giving itvwet food daily not just dry, took it to the vet for its shots ect.
As of today the cat spends more time inside than out, and is officially Lex's kitty Cinnabon-Lex takes care of food, vet cate, if he ever moved he'd take Cinnabon, Cinnabon spends the night a lot ect.
Should be all great, right? Well it is-however, especially now that its very cold, Lex keeps getting lectured in the comments, sometimes strongly, to "just keep him in. Make him an indoor kitty. You are taking a chance letting him out-he could get attacked by an animal, get sick ect. Lex, you need to keep him in!
Lex's position is look-he was semi wild when i got him. He enjoys going out side and will paw at the door and cry if i dont let him out. Im not interested in being his jailor-he is free to come and go as he pleases."
Which always gets the pushback thst "hes a cat. You need to think for him, the same way you wouldnt let a five year old out to play in the snow in jeans znd a tshirt. Youre the owner, youre the boss. Insist he stay in!"
And its like.. i get both sides. I grew up in the country in Maine. We had at leazdx t 6-7 cats during my childhood and all were allowed to come and go as they pleased. We lost a kitten, tragically, that had crawled up into the engine of our car (Belvedere. RIP. It was horrible), but we never had a cat go into the woods one day and just not come back. All my childhood cats died of old age. Of course i understand that just bc it didnt happen to my cats doesnt mean it cant happen.
So its like... is life worth living with no risk? We act like we dont take a risk everytime we hop in the car to go to the store. We could get in a wreck. Someone could have a disease and we catch it. There could be an active shooter. But we leave our homes anyway because the alternative is unthinkable.
Is it fair to apply that to cats?
I remember watching my childhood cat Susie playing in our yard, climbing trrees, having so much fun, bringing home mice ect. And every year, until she got older deep in the middle of summer when it was 80 in the daytime and 70 at night, she would disappear for 4-5 days. Of course we would worty, especially the first few times. My mom would call her but she wouldnt come. A few days later she'd stroll up the driveway, come in, gobble some food, and sleep for half a day. After the first few times we realized she was just going on an adventure. I picture her deep in the soods, climbing trees, drinking from streams, killing mice for food, and just living as a true wild cat for a few days, and im so happy she had that opportunity. She did it probably 7 years in a row, then around age ten she just stopped. She lived to a ripe old age and led a full, loved life. She slept on my bed every night.
Would it jave been fair, after the first time she took her little trip, to keep her as an indoor kitty, to avoid any risk at all of harm? I dont think so. I was just a kid, but i feel my mom did the right thing.
In the city or burbs its different, but the country? Thats more complicated.
If youve read this far, what are your thoughts? Is it irresponsible to let an animal out in the country knowing there are risks? Or is it cruel to keep in an animal who's pawing at the door and desperately wants outside, so you keep them safe?
The first vid of Lex and Cinnabon i saw, where Cinnabon comes inside for the first time-its how a lot of people foubd his channel bc it went semi-viral.
The latest Lex & Cinnabon vid
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