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
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