Laws are different in different places. When I bought a house, I made sure the local laws allowed cats to roam free. As long as they’re fixed, rabies-shotted, and wear a bell to alert birds, they don’t do anyone any harm. They don’t gather into violent packs the way dogs do, and they don’t poop in the middle of sidewalks. They’re much happier, and much better behaved when indoors, if they’re allowed to come and go as they please (this means having a cat door, not letting them out a people door and then leaving them stuck outside when they may want food and shelter).
Outdoor cats do a lot of damage to gardens around here. They also kill protected species of birds. That is why there is a local ordinance here. Let your untagged kitty roam and it will go to the pound and eventually will be destroyed. Tagged kitties that get picked up will mean you pay a fine to get it back. If you love your pet cat you will never let it roam becsuse it could be killed by dogs or other cats or it could get hit by a car.
Yes, I am aware that the laws and ordinances vary. What I am saying is that the cat people who live in the places where cats are included on leash laws do not feel like following them and do not obey them. They just rattle off excuses as to why they are not following the law.
Again, I like cats. I just have problems with the people who own them not wanting to follow the law. If you have an animal, wherever you live, you have to follow the laws regarding the keeping and control of the animal. It’s not a ‘rules are rules’ thing, it’s being courteous to your fellow neighbors. It seems nowadays most people can’t think past themselves and consider the fact that their behavior impacts others around them.