Simply Living with Cats...

When living simply, there are as ever the problems with wants and needs and the conflicts which arise. One of these is a cat. Do you want a cat and if you do, how do you justify it eating the wildlife that would otherwise abound around the cottage? Nothing is easy. Most people just turn a blind eye to the fact that any cat is a great destroyer, and the myth that only hungry cats kill wildlife is a general stupidity that is touted by people who know nothing of cats, and kidding themselves so they can sleep at night, or people who just don't care what happens, and how they affect their environment and the world in general.

So a cat in the wild where it was never before is not an option, but anyone who knows something about cats and animals in general, will know that they are very adaptable, no less so than human beings. That a cat which is fed by humans and kept indoors is a very different animal than one who lives and survives in the wild. Therefore the domestic cat can be changed, its habitat altered, and be quite happy to live inside a house all day, every day. It thrives on this no less than when it lives another lifestyle, stays alive longer and is healthier without the problems of accident, parasites and predation from other animals.

In our experience of keeping cats, they love being indoors, and have no desire to go out. It is wise though that they have a great deal to entertain them when they are active with many places to hide and sleep. Cardboard boxes are good. Toys of various kinds should be available, and two cats are better than one if the house is otherwise empty for long periods. Time should be spent playing with cats inside the house when the human resident comes home, the shopping and any clothes they wore out that day could be placed on the bed or where the cat can smell them. Thus be entertained if only for a moment trying to identify the scents, which is like any experience of what was outside. This time of play with a cat is not anything that should be looked down on in a way as taking from life. It will in fact be a great contributor than life and if you can't be bothered playing with your cat, then don't even consider a dog. Even with room to run, a dog requires some playtime as well and any caring pet owner has that pet to enjoy and to share their time with, otherwise they are better just buying a decoration.

That's part of living simply, being aware and being responsible, discovering what will happen by your actions.