news@pesnta.UUCP (06/02/84)
1. The law (at least in Califoria) indicates that cats are wild animals; whereas, dogs are considered completely domesticated. (trainable) 2. This indicates to me at least that really, when a cat is owned, it's because it wants to be owned by that family, person, whatever, not necessarily that they are owned by them. Any animal, and this idea is more or less proven in the national parks, etc. where wild animals will allow themselves to be hand fed when there is free and easy food to be obtained. (How do you think domesticity started?) But this doesn't mean that they will always stay. I have had cat(s) that ended up in my neighbors household(s) because ours wasn't pleasing enough to them (the cats). (Not that I was cruel or anything, it could just be that they spoiled them on wet catfood or the like.) 3. It is only natural, and the domesticity of cats (dogs) has become the divergent, that these animals live rather short lives because of the battle for territory, females, and the fact that they are prey to other animals (the circle of life), even though they have a life capacity of 12 or more years. (Humans they say have the capacity to live well over 100 years, but disease, etc. prevents us from doing so.) 4. I believe that a cat, as independent as they are are more well rounded if they have a fair territory to roam in. I live in the center of town, (Oakland) and there are many cats living close, some of which are known belong to no one, and as the result, those who do have homes, stay fairly close to home. I have to admit that my cat, I think, got hit once, and now doesn't go across the street unless it is very late at night. And comes home to sleep at night, and stays outside all day. He loves it when I work in the garden, because he can be close and still be be outside. (My dog only eats inside, and stays only a few minutes, certainly not hours, in our house. I tried to keep him in, but he insists on being on the porch or front yard (fenced), since he was 6 weeks old.) 5. It is human emotions and desires that cause these "emotionless" and natural animals to change. They do not grieve when another is killed; they do not mate for life, thus a form of love. Though they do have a sense of "family", this only because of the parenting instincts, even if you are the parents. (Studies have been done on divorces and the effects of that on pets. They seem more effected than most children.) you can send me mail, but I don't know my path. : Marla Berg Perkin-Elmer Customer Service Santa Clara, CA 95054 -- Network News (USENET), Perkin-Elmer Corporation, Santa Clara, Calif. 95051 UUCP: ..!{hplabs,idi}!pesnta!news (408) 727-5540