Wow.
This is a classic "city vs. country" argument.
I was raised on a farm in Michigan. We had "barn cats" and we had "house cats".
The barn cats were sweet and we loved them, but they could take care of themselves very well thank you very much.
These are cats that can hunt and fight and find water and shelter just fine. They were born and bred to do this.
As a matter of fact, if you take a barn cat and try to make it into a house cat, you're going to have one very unhappy feline. And no, they never "get over it" and settle in. They'll long to be outside for the rest of their lives.
So why have these outdoor kitties in the first place?
Well, they serve a purpose for the farmer. They keep the grain clear of the urine and feces of mice and rats for one.
Have you ever seen a *real* mouse infestation? The mice will eat the ears clean off a pig in one night. That's a living, breathing animal that's simply so over-run that he can't begin to fight back. Yeah. It's great to see your livestock eaten alive.
Farm animals get deathly sick from eating grain that's been excreted on by rats and mice. Cats are the *best* defense against this issue. (I get *really* irritated by people who want to go "organic" and eliminate all forms of pesticides, but then who also want to eliminate barn cats. These same idiots have no problem using Lady Bugs to keep their hemp crop pest-free.)
You need to realize that there if a cat has been allowed to roam, he won't tolerate being cooped up. Period.
Go to your local shelter and adopt a random kitty. Pick an adult who'd most likely to be put down - not the cute kitten. Be VERY humane.
Now bring him home and find out that you've got yourself a loving barn cat.
This animal will fight you every moment of every year to be let out. He'll scheme and sneak and rush and fight for freedom and he'll never give up. NEVER.
But, if you let him go, he'll come back to you every night.
Cats are very much like people. Once they know freedom, they'll never tolerate tyranny.
There *are* house cats that need our love and support always. They don't know how to hunt and can't defend themselves. (I have one of those right now.) They shouldn't be free to roam. But there are very capable barn cats that don't need or want your help. (But they *do* need and want you to smooch them behind the ears.)
Learn to respect the difference. And try to understand that there are people (like me) who don't see cats as their babies, but as partners and friends. My cats protect me and my property. I give them support, love, medical care and supplemental food and water. (And a kitty door so they can even come to me as they please.) They're not my toy dolls. They're independent animals with an intense will. We have a symbiotic relationship and mutual respect.
You make excellent points.
I have never had a barn cat mainly because I’ve lived in cities and suburbs all my life. But now that I live amid farmland, the three that came starving to the door and we thought were barn cats obviously were not. One died of FeLV, but the other two are very happy to be inside, well fed, amused, and groomed. None of our cats has ever tried to live outside, so I’ve never felt guilty about keeping them in.
Your essay really taught me the whys and wherefores, and I appreciate it.
Thanks for the comments. I totally agree about the “country” cats on farms and such. No problemo with that at all! My beef is with kittehs in urban communities and cities who are “let out” to make out on their own. They do not usually have the instincts nor are they protected from being hit by cars, picked on by close neighbors who don’t care about them, not neutered or vaccinated. I totally respect the farm cat’s job! Mine are protected inside kittehs and seem to appreciate it.