Ham-Micks

Monday, September 24, 2007

Horrible News



Some of you read my 4-part story about our Davy, The White Panther, and how he was bloodlessly mutilated in August 2000. If you haven't, you need to.

On Saturday, I found out that a small city southwest of Ft. Worth has had 14 known cat mutilations since March in a gated community. This community, DeCordova Bend Estates in Granbury, not only is enclosed by fencing and shrubbery, but has its own private security that patrols 24/7 and staffs the gated entrance. People pay a $4500 initiation fee for the privilege of building on a lot in this subdivision, and then a monthly fee of about $100 to maintain their private golf course, pool, lake access, country club, and security.

I spoke with 2 women who were interviewed by local news channels. Each of them has a missing cat and does not know its fate. One woman is very proactive in getting the news media, print and TV involved and is trying to get the message out, but she is also fearful of reprisals from the HOA board and it's long-time members. The other woman I spoke with is much more hesitant to get involved and be vocal for personal reasons.

Ok people, the reason I'm bringing this up is that now, in 2007, Texas finally has laws in place making this a punishable felony. When Davy was killed in 2000, cruelty to animals was a Class A misdemeanor and the police and lawyers didn't even want to bother with pursuing a crime. Then, when SB 1724 was passed in 2001 making animal cruelty a felony, it had big enough loopholes in it that a lawyer could drive a dumptruck through it and get guilty clients off on various technicalities. This year, HB 2328 was passed and signed into effect closing those loopholes. Yet, we still have these sicko, psycho perverts slicing cats up and returning them to people's yards or leaving them on this private, security patrolled golfcourse.

And, the worst of this that sticks in my craw is that both of these women still allow their other cats access to the outdoors!!!! One of them has a doggie door that her 1 year old cat can use at any time, the other allows one of her cats to go out in the daytime, and then brings it in at night.

What is it about the human psyche that allows us to deny the obvious when we don't see it with our own eyes? I didn't know the mutilations were still occurring in my city when Davy was killed. I thought they had stopped. But I probably would have been one of those who thought, "Oh, this can't happen to my cat."

But, once Davy's 5 lbs. of remains were returned to us, and I found out that his blood had been drained from him prior to his being surgically mutilated, my brain did a complete 180. I used to believe that cats should be indoor/outdoor animals. I figured they were much happier.

I still have nightmares and horrible waking thoughts of Davy being conscious while his torturers drained his blood from him. I see his fear when the net was thrown over him in our driveway. I see the sick, maniacal eyes of his torturers watching while his life was being drained from him.

No, I know longer believe in cats going outside. Period. The average life-span of a cat who goes outside in the US is 5 years. My own average with indoor/outdoor cats was about 5 years. I've finally decided that I believe the cats are happier not being hit by a car and slowing dying on the side of the road. I've finally decided that I believe the cats are happier not being killed in a coyote's or wild dog's jaws. I've finally decided that there are way too many gangs, occult dabblers, and sick kids in the US and I know my cats are happier not being killed or tortured at the hands of these wack jobs.

You can change the behavior of a once indoor/outdoor cat into indoor only. It's going to take a lot of patience on your part because the cat will howl and pace and carry on as if it's dying. But do you want your cat to remain living?

Luf, Maw

29 comments:

Dragonheart, Merlin, Devi, and Chloe said...

Maw, my mom totally agrees with you. Other people tell her "it's cruel to keep cats indoors" or "my cat is a formerly feral and isn't happy inside" but she believes it is far too dangerous for cats to roam outdoors unsupervised. I'm an indoor-only cat (except on my harness or in my stroller) and the two cats my mom grew up with were indoor-only, and they both lived to be 19 years old. They were healthy and happy their entire lives, and I am happy being indoors too. Some people do get offended when she tells them that she believes cats belong indoors, and other people think she's cruel for having indoor-only cats, but she knows it's what's best for her and any cats she owns or will own in the future.

Daisy said...

It makes me feel very sad and sick at heart to know that these terrible things are going on. I am very glad that I am an indoor only cat (except for my stroller excursions).

LZ said...

The LL agrees completely too. The Tall Man still feels certain cats could be allowed outside (none of us obviously) but the LL is very strong in her convictions that its much safer for cats indoors. What happened to those poor mutilated cats I can only hope happens to the person who caused them such pain.

Kaze

Gemini said...

We agree with you. I don't think coyotes are the worst--at least they are being what they are, which is a predator. It's the humans and the cars that get me.

I think your enclosures are wonderful way of letting a cat explore the outside, get fresh air and still be safe.

Shaggy and Scout said...

Anyone who still believes that cats need to be outdoors should be given a copy of this post!

Unknown said...

My Mum and I so agree with you that to keep a cat safe they should be indoors only. I have an enclosed deck that I can go out on to get fresh air, but if I didn't a window would be just as good. I like being indoors safe and happy.

It is beyond me what kind of a "person" could do this to a defenseless animal!

Tiki, Kirby, and StanLee said...

There are too many cruel people on the loose. We only go out in our stroller or on our harnesses.

The Furry Kids said...

This makes us very, very angry and sad. We're only allowed to go outside in our stroller. And Momma even watches Titus like a hawk when he goes outside. Bad, bad things can happen to furbabies when they're just left alone outside. grrrrr

Love,
Tazo

Mo and The Purries said...

We agree 100% that our kitties are inside ONLY.
It's a shame you couldn't convince those peoples not to let their cats outside anymore. Don't they learn?

Thank you, Maw, for being a voice for this cause.
luv,
the purrchance to dream kitties
and Not The Mama, too!

The Furry Fighter said...

weez indoor cats and we are happy!
why would anyone want to do that to a cat? why?
it is sick..i hope they get theit comeuppance x

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

oh honey i am so sorry to read this. it is simply dreadful. in palm beach some perv was putting out antifreeze and the feral cats would drink it and die, others were trying so hard to save them, get them neutered, etc. fights about it lasted for years. horrid news.

hugs, auntie bee

ASTOR CATS said...

Our mom agrees with you about indoor only cats. There are obviously sick people in this world and to mistreat helpless animals of any kind is disgraceful. Animal lovers should determine the fate of kind of people when they are caught.

Midnite & Stray Kitty

christy said...

Our mom agrees with your Maw.

Cats do not belong outside. Not with the horrible things that can happen.

Mom is just disgusted. She doesn't understand why anyone would want to do that, but she's not going to give them the chance to do it to us.

Candace said...

We adopted an outdoor cat recently. So far, so good. He isn't howling, but he is looking everywhere for a way out. I wish there was some way to make him understand, but of course there isn't. The main consolation, though, is just knowing that he will always be safe.

Our other cat, that we inherited with the house a year ago, has always lived indoors. It's amazing the difference between them. She makes much more noise than the new cat does when she walks around. The former outdoor cat is stealthy and silent when he moves. She likes to play with toys, but he just sniffs them. Once he realizes they aren't food, he is no longer interested.

He's much more affectionate than the indoor cat, but I've heard that's true of male cats in general. At first, he hid for days. But now, it's like I can't get rid of him! He wants to be ON the computer keyboard when I'm trying to type, or IN my lap when I'm trying to read. :)

Keep your babies safe, everyone. I sure hope they catch these sickos in Granbury soon.

momsbusy said...

just within the past week, a man was arrested in a town about an hour away from us. it seems he was picking up stray cats and kittens as well as any cats that he could catch. in other words he was stealing peoples pets. he would then injure them and give them to his dogs for "training purposes". luckily he was caught, but how many cats/kittens lost thier lives? the arrest of that football player (vick)brought dog fighting to peoples attention. the question is: when will people open their eyes and see they need to watch their pets like they would watch their kids?

i cried for those poor kittys. like you said we think it won't happen to us. so how many kids cried themselves to sleep wonder what happened to fluffy? makes you want to do to the sickos what they did to their victims.

we are behind you 100% on this subject. yuki, kimiko & momsbusy

Memories of Eric and Flynn said...

It is so sad that there are such sick people in the world. I have to say that my boys do go outdoors, but only ever with me when we walk around the fields together. There is no apparent danger around us from people or cars, but our nearest neighbour's dog would most likely savage them if they strayed onto their land, so I would never let them go unsupervised. The first two years of their lives I let them out alone, but they kept wandering off for 2 or 3 hours,so they had to change their ways. It only took about a week for them to accept it.
I cannot understand those people who have lost their cats to the sicko who is doing the mutilating still allowing the others out to wander.I just hope those evil people are caught.

pissed off patricia said...

In my own opinion cats stay indoors always. To protect them from a nightmare like you experienced and to protect wildlife from their hunt and kill desires.

Fred the Cat was a grown stray when he came to live here. It was amazing how quickly he adjusted to never going outside again.

Zippy, Sadie, Speedy and M'Gee said...

Only Zippy gets to go outside, because only Zippy will wear a harness and leash. Funny, Sadie was a feral and Speedy was born in a barn then allowd out by his former owner but neither of them have much interest in the outdoors. A human is the only creature who will kill for pleasure. I hope the security and police are a little more vigilant in catching the sicko's this time and that they get prosecuted to the full extent. We just had a 17 year old who killed a neighbor's 6 year old, he started with animals and his parents knew what he was doing and never did anything about it. He's being charged with murder now and looking at life in prison and his parents are on tv crying and saying "it was an accident". It was an accident that a 17 year old, animal mutilating middle school drop-out sat on a 6 year old and killed him. I'm just sorry Wisconsin doesn't have the death penalty...

Icon Baxter Bentley said...

Oh, I agree with you!! We are all indoor cats! Barn cats might be the only exception the stay-inside rule, but even that could go wrong.
It's scary to think of the kind of people that could not just kill, but dismember, an animal.

Glad that the laws are starting to catch up!

The Crew said...

Mom is completely with you on this! She never, never lets us out and we get along quite nicely indoors.

George

P.S. Mom says happy anniversary to your humans.

Anonymous said...

We completely agree. Lucy was an outdoor only cat for all of her 5 years of life, till we brought her inside. She's lucky to have lived that long. The street where she roamed is heavily travelled by cars going much too fast, not to mention large dogs and juvenile delinquents. Lucy hasn't once howled or made any effort to try to find a way out of the house. She and Grr don't get along to the extent that I've got to find another home for her, but I would never return Lucy to the outside. Our furry friend Milo was killed by stray dogs right outside her own home.

Pumpkin said...

Yes, it's much safer for cats to be indoors only unless they are on a leash, in a stroller or escorted outside. Before we "saw the light", we had indoor/outdoor cats. They came in the house to eat and then howled to go back outside and we always gave in. 2 were hit by cars, 1 was killed by the neighbor's pitbull and 2 disappeared without a trace. Blackie was an adult feral cat when we took her in but she's never asked to go outside and is perfectly happy being an indoor only cat. They boys were kittens when we took them in and are happy watching the birdies through the windows. Tiger must have been traumatized by living in the hedge because he cries and struggles to get back in the house when I carry him outside. Pumpkin doesn't mind being carried outside but is easily startled by the neighbors and sudden noises and wants to go back to the safety of being inside. Indoor only is best.

Pumpkin's Momma

Lux said...

It's a shame that the world is this way and that there are mean people in it, but I guess you all know we're indoor only (sometimes to my chagrin).

When a cat (or dog) runs in front of our car, Mom says DadBean gets all upset and yells at their owners. If he ever hurt one accidentally, he just couldn't stand it.

Too much danger.

JT said...

Maw, our Feeders agree with you completely. Cats belong indoors! None of us knew that cats (and dogs) were being mutilated so frequently. The Feeders worry about us getting hit by cars or picking up diseases. We were all very sad to hear about Davy and we can't believe it is still going on!

Kudos to you for making a difference!

Tara said...

We remember Davy's story, and its just sickening that it is still happening. Mom had an outdoor cat that lived to be 18, but the second one only lived to be 2. She is now a firm believer in indoors, and only outdoors under strict supervision (we both get in harnesses).

Mom wants us both to live to be 20!

Tara and Kavan

michico*Adan*Lego-小芥*阿丹*樂高 said...

That is very sad story, I agree with you that cat should stay inside, if we really need to get out, should be in the strollers.

Parker said...

All of us were rescues (except Rudy) we accliamated to indoors only with a minimum of complaining (about 3 weeks)- you are right, indoors only and I hope there is a special place in H E double hockey sticks for humans who hurt animals.

ANGEL ABBYGRACE said...

Maw
WE totally agree with you. We felt like we had been stabbed in the heart when we read your words. We find it incomprehensible that anyone would let their cats go outside without supervision. There are too many sickos out there. Last night I watched the town hall that they had on Michael Vick and the attitude was so prevalent that it was OK to fight dogs which I feel is on par with the torture of any animal -- it made me ill. How can a society feel it is OK to be cruel to a powerless animal, what kind of sick mind would even want to harm a defenseless animal? I don't understand and it makes me feel very upset to know that there are people out there that get pleasure out of hurt.

Abby's Mom Debra

The Cat Realm said...

This wanted the maid to shoot some people. Back in Berlin where she lived you could not let your cats outside because professional cat catchers would come and get them and sell them to research laboratories. People are the most cruel and inhumane species in existence!
I am an outdoor cat but if this here would be an environment with the danger of deranged humans around I would not be allowed out!
I am very happy to hear that Texas finally has appropriate laws in place!
What really need to happen is a total change of conscience in humans so that they finally realize that ALL life is precious, not just their own silly human life.