The Evil of the Outdoor Cat

[DebJ]

18. When I moved into my current home in September of 2006, I was supremely delighted

that my suburban neighborhood was so teeming with wildlife. I sat outdoors on the patio all the time as long as weather
would permit, enthralled by huge flocks of cardinals (and that other bird that goes with them, forget the name), and hummingbirds and all sorts of birds. I couldn't keep my two feeders full. There were squirrels, and hoards of chipmunks, bunnies always out in the evenings. A skunk, a groundhog. All kinds of wild things. I was ecstatic. On my patio, living that experience, I felt like I was a part of the world, a part of the wider universe. I felt alive.

Three years into living here, 2-3 cats started stalking the neighborhood.
The first to go were the bunnies, and the chipmunks.

My yard is now pretty much sterile of wildlife. And no one has changed anything else in this equation. This neighborhood has been here, just the same as it is today, for 60 years. Except now, it is only populated by humans, cats, and the groundhogs have managed to survive. And, I saw a fox or two.

I can't think about it very long, for it makes me cry. My home is so severely less enjoyable now, words can't describe it. I feel as cut off from the universe as if I were living in a city apartment.

On edit: and I LOVE cats. I've had several. I've been pining to get another one, but haven't because of a fear of vet bills, and because if my husband ends up on home dialysis in the future, the cat dander can damage or destroy the dialysis process.

Thanks for this article!