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
