Got
a Question? Ask Callie!
Callie the Cat knows all and sees all. Have
a question? Just ask
Callie!

Q:
What's the big deal with having an outdoor cat?
Callie:
Don't get me started! No cat should be an outdoor
cat, unless it's a lion or something. The Humane Society
estimates that the life span of a "free-roaming"
cat is less than three years, compared to a 12-15
lifespan for the average indoor cat. The sad fact
is that more than one million (yeah, that's million)
cats are killed each year by traffic, dogs and exposure
to disease. Why on Earth would you want to expose
your beloved cat to the elements, to possible harm
from cars or people, or any of the other hazards an
animal might face outside the warmth and safety of
your home? Remember, all the laps are indoors, so
that's where a cat should be, too.
Q:
What's so wrong about chaining a dog outside?
Callie:
Hello! Please try to pay attention. Outside, bad.
Inside, good. Dogs weren't meant to be chained. They
feel confined, and being chained is often physically
painful. Chained dogs are far more likely to run off
at the first opportunity, because coming back means
they have to face being chained up again! Chaining
a pet can lead to bad behavior, too. Don't blame your
dog for misbehaving if you've been lazy and mean and
used a chain. There are easy
ways to avoid having to chain your dog. Not that
I'm a huge fan of dogs, of course, but every animal
deserves to be treated with care and compassion, and
that's that.

Q:
What's so important about spaying and neutering?
Callie:
Let's face it, we all like to get some action once
in awhile. The problem is, animals like cats can breed
way too quickly, and that can lead to overpopulation,
bigtime. A pair of breeding cats can have several
litters per year, and their descendants can theoretically
produce about 250,000 (again, not a typo) offspring
over a five-year period. Phew. I'm feeling tired just
thinking about it. Overpopulation leads to the needless
deaths of 4-5 million pet-quality animals each year.
Spay and neuter!
Q:
What is a feral cat?
Callie:
No, a feral cat isn't just a cat that's having a bad
day. Feral cats are the wild offspring of domestic
cats. They survive as best they can, but their lives
are pretty miserable.
Doing the spay/neuter thing helps with the feral cat
population, but it's still an overwhelming, often
sad problem. In Las Vegas, where I live, there's a
feral
cat clinic that's fighting the good fight for
feral cats. They rock. Take it from me, feral cats
have issues. I dated a feral cat once, and he couldn't
keep his paws off of me.
Q:
What's so wrong with declawing a cat?
Callie:
Oh. No. You. Didn't.
Let's start with this little goodie: Declawing involves
10 separate and painful amputations. Not swayed? Take
a look at the charming graphic below. See the dotted
line? That's the "line of amputation." That's
not just a nail. That's toe. This procedure causes
animals agonizing pain. A good word for it is "mutilation."
Find
out more. And here's a good rule of thumb: Don't
do anything to your cat (or to any animal) that you
wouldn't want done to you!

Q:
How many centipedes are in the world?
Callie:
How would I know? I'm a cat.
Q:
I found a cute puppy in a pet store. Should I get
it?
Callie:
Granted,
those pet store puppies and kitties are cute (aren't
we all?), but buying a pet store pet actually encourages
and finances "puppy mills" and other breeding
farms that treat animals like widgets, and that's
really not a lot of fun. There are tons of adoptable
animals at your local shelter. The puppy mill industry
is driven by greed, and terrible conditions are common.
Without the demand, puppy mills would go away. Don't
contribute to the problem, help solve it. Like you've
got anything better to do.
Q:
Hey, if I witness animal abuse, what can I do?
Callie:
This
site might be a good start. Bottom line: Take
action. Animals, for the most part, don't have a voice
of their own. Except for parrots, but they tend to
just repeat the same phrases over and over like they've
had some kind of head injury. The point is, animals
being harmed need you to help. Animals don't have
lawyers (although these
folks help a lot). They don't have mace to protect
themselves. You're it. Help whenever you can. It's
that simple.
Q:
What's smarter, a dog or a cat?
Callie:
Ever
read a Q&A with a dog? Bor. Ing.
Check
back again soon for more answers from Callie the Cat.
Got a question? Send Callie an
e-mail now.