~
nonchalant kitty
screech of tires, metal dented!
eight more lives to go...
~
young cat chased by dogs!
saved by its wits and a fence
seven lives to go...
~
cat slips off a roof
cushioned by branches and leaves
six more lives to go...
~
limp, shallow breathing
forgotten keys, feline's found!
five more lives to go...
~
stuck in tree for days...
faint meowing heard by girl
four more lives to go...
~
owner abandoned
lonely man needs whiskered face :)
only three more lives...
~
out, under the hood
choked engine fails, startled cat!
this life and one more...
~
feline's older now
crosses paths with short-chained dog
last time is the charm...
~
old cat is weak now
fur soaked by hoomin tears, tired
just one last cat nap...
~
awakened by light
fingers stroke his ears, gently
purring on God's lap
~
_______
Cats don't have nine lives. Cats kept outside, abandoned cats, often become feral cats. All the lives used by the cat in this haiku story could have easily been saved at any time. While there are 84 million plus owned cats in the United States, there is an estimated population of *70 to 120* million feral cats. In essense, the feral domestic cat lives like any other wild animal.
You will notice that all the lives used by the cat in this story are lost because the cat is left outside to fend for itself - against dogs, traffic, and other hazards. Cats cannot survive all falls, do not have perfect balance, and not are suited to living outdoors. Cats are left in cars, killed by sleeping on car engines when it's cold, and a multitude of other hazards. They are not indestructable.
The average lifespan of an indoor cat is approximately sixteen years. The life span of a cat kept outdoors is roughly estimated to be around three to five years. If you were a cat, where would you want to live - indoors or out?
This insanity has got to stop. The solution to the problem of feral cats is simple, if we would only take the time and the small bit of money it would take to fix the problem...
Spay and neuter your cats. It's that simple. Not just the females, but the males as well. It takes two to tango ;) One cat, in the course of seven years through its offspring, can produce roughly 420,000 kittens! That's *one* cat in seven years. There is no need for this recklessness and neglect.
Cats are not second-class citizens. They are euthanized in alarming numbers, more than any other companion animal. There is no excuse for this. They deserve our respect as much as any of our other companion animals.
This was a story. Cats don't have nine lives. Save one.
@hoomin
You will notice that all the lives used by the cat in this story are lost because the cat is left outside to fend for itself - against dogs, traffic, and other hazards. Cats cannot survive all falls, do not have perfect balance, and not are suited to living outdoors. Cats are left in cars, killed by sleeping on car engines when it's cold, and a multitude of other hazards. They are not indestructable.
The average lifespan of an indoor cat is approximately sixteen years. The life span of a cat kept outdoors is roughly estimated to be around three to five years. If you were a cat, where would you want to live - indoors or out?
This insanity has got to stop. The solution to the problem of feral cats is simple, if we would only take the time and the small bit of money it would take to fix the problem...
Spay and neuter your cats. It's that simple. Not just the females, but the males as well. It takes two to tango ;) One cat, in the course of seven years through its offspring, can produce roughly 420,000 kittens! That's *one* cat in seven years. There is no need for this recklessness and neglect.
Cats are not second-class citizens. They are euthanized in alarming numbers, more than any other companion animal. There is no excuse for this. They deserve our respect as much as any of our other companion animals.
This was a story. Cats don't have nine lives. Save one.
@hoomin
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