By The Way, Which One's Pink?

[anarchist_nomad]

Back in Oxford again... this time with no plans to leave until Friday.

Spent the bulk of yesterday in London having a day that mixed fun and frustration. The frustration part came first. I drove out to Battersea to register with the Battersea Dogs & Cats Home and get the ball rolling towards adopting a new kitten into our home. I may have well not bothered and saved myself the trouble. The Battersea Dogs & Cats Home will not adopt a kitten to us because of an insurmountable philosophical difference. To wit: they will not adopt a kitten to a family that will keep it indoors, believing that cats are "wild animals" and will not be happy if they are not allowed outside. Meanwhile, none of our cats have ever been allowed to roam outside, as we believe that cars and other hazards pose too much of a threat. The "wild animal" argument is bollocks -- you don't adopt "wild animals" into your home. Cats are domesticated and if they were truly "wild animals," the shelter need not worry so much about people who let their cats go unattended[*]. I appreciate that the Home screens applicants carefully to make sure that their cats are going to a good home. However, this is beyond a question of providing a "good home" and is simply them being overly dogmatic[**]. I have known plenty of cats -- including some of our own -- who live their entire lives indoors and are quite happy[***]. No cat I have ever known has been happier than Foxy as she cuddled next to cheshcat or me on the couch, or Stumpy as she gets her daily dose of scritching, or The Boy just about all the time[****]. Feh. So that was a waste of my time.

The day did get better, though -- that is where the fun part comes in. In the evening, I made my way to North Greenwich to see Roger Waters perform at the Millennium Dome. I have seen him perform several times before -- at Jones Beach in 1999; in Providence, RI in 2000; at at Madison Square Garden in 2000[*****] -- but it has been many years. So off I went to the ugly-as-hell Dome to go to the show. The first act was a nice selection of songs, both from Pink Floyd and his solo work:

1. In The Flesh (The Wall)
   
2. Mother (The Wall)
   
3. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun (A Saucerful of Secrets)
   
4. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Wish You Were Here)
   
5. Have A Cigar (Wish You Were Here)
   
6. Wish You Were Here (Wish You -- oh, you figure it out!)
   
7. Southampton Dock (The Final Cut)
   
8. The Fletcher Memorial Home (The Final Cut)
   
9. Perfect Sense, Part One (Amused To Death)
   
10. Perfect Sense, Part Two (Amused To Death)
    
11. Leaving Beirut (not on an album)
    
12. Sheep (Animals)

The second act was, quite simply, The Dark Side of the Moon. I have never heard the album live before. It was... spectacular. For the encore, Waters and company played several songs from The Wall:

1. The Happiest Days Of Our Lives
   
2. Another Brick In The Wall, Part Two
   
3. Vera
   
4. Bring The Boys Back Home
   
5. and, to finish it all off: Comfortably Numb

Twas indeed a great concert! The enormous video screen in the back of the stage was artfully used, with a variety of images that enhanced the music. Most noteworthy was a comic-book sequence that illustrated the true story told in "Leaving Beirut." As one might expect from a Pink Floyd show, there was a floating pig above the audience at one point. At a different point -- during "Perfect Sense, Part One" -- there was also a floating astronaut. Very cool! As one would also expect from Pink Floyd, there was an abundance of pyrotechnics on the stage -- explosions, fireworks, et cetera -- and dramatic use of lighting. The most stunning example of this was a gigantic three dimensional rotating manifestation of the Dark Side of the Moon logo at the top of the stadium at the end of the second act... all made out of brilliant lights!

So the concert did a lot to easy the grouchy mood that the Battersea folks left me with, and it made my trip into London worthwhile. I eventually got back to Skullcrusher Mountain around 2am and collapsed into bed with cheshcat and The Boy soon after. It was a little odd to see Waters perform without The Kiddo this time... but he and I have plans to meet in New York to see Billy Joel's "Last Play At Shea" in less than two months, so that gives me something else musically themed to look forward to.

---

[*] I have also heard people use the "wild animal" argument as justification before when they are tired of caring for their cat, so they just dump it outside. This is a pathetic excuse for a truly reprehensible behaviour.

[**] Ignore the potential for making a pun here, please. Really, it just isn't worth it.

[***] There is also a cultural effect going on here, as most people I know in the UK think it is weird to keep indoor cats, while most cat carers I know in the US keep their cats wholly indoors.

[****] Before Foxy and Totoro died, anyway. Now that he is alone for the first time in his life, he is noticeably less cheerful. The Boy is a very social cat, which is one of the reasons why I want to find him a kitten quite urgently.

[*****] Where, by some stroke of luck, The Kiddo and I ended up scoring some incredibly good floor seats!

Comments

[blur01.livejournal.com]

I am jealous.

[kat1031.livejournal.com]

Wow, I just find the mandated outdoor cat thing to be truly reprehensible. Have they never noticed mangled animals on the roadside?

I'm fine with the concept of outdoor animals in areas with no cars... if you can find one of those anywhere these days.

[bammba-m.livejournal.com]

my mom once told me that outdoor cats (or cats allowed to live outdoors) have a life expectancy of two years. cats who live out their lives indoors typically have a much longer life expectancy.

if you're feeling particularly ... uh... *insert word here that i can't think of* you might try looking up the factual information, and seeing what those numbers are for the UK and bringing that information to the attention of the shelter.

or, just look for another shelter. *shrug*

Good luck!

[squeektoy42.livejournal.com]

I called...but you weren't there. :-(

But it's ok cause I talked to cheshcat instead of you...so I win! :-D

I agree...the policy is fubared! My first cat ever was an outdoor cat, and only because he started that way. And long story short, I had to give him up to a family friend with a 30+ acres farm because he didn't get along with the people who lived around us. I will NEVER do that again unless I live somewhere with lots of land and the cat/s start that way anyways.

:-)

[ms-redcat.livejournal.com]

OK, looking at your subject line and first paragraph, if you're looking for a pink kitten, that is FAR too specific a request! :)

As far as the shelter's policies, when I've looked into adopting cats in the US, many rescue organizations do not place cats in homes where they'll be allowed outdoors. Period. Too much risk from traffic, other animals (yes, this is a risk in urban areas -- think dogs and raccoons at the least), human cruelty, and communicable disease.

I do think this is a cultural difference -- on alt.gothic years ago, there were several ugly arguments on the subject. The list was pretty evenly UK/US then, and that's how the cat lovers split. UK posters: indoors only is cruel, no matter where you live (urban or rural.) US posters: loving cat parents keep their cats indoors, with a few people saying "well ok, maybe in a rural area where there are no predators to speak of. Since those hardly exist, indoors only."

BTW, do they use "natural" and "wild animal" rhetoric to argue against spaying and neutering? Does the happy animal = outdoors animal apply to dogs, rabbits or other animals?

[ludy]

i think it is mostly a cultural thing (although my understading from my days on rec.pets.cats way back is that most UK cats would be called Indor/Outdoor by USians rather than being soley Outdoors). I don't get it. If a cat has only ever ben indoors then it's not cruel to keep it in. If a cat is used to going outdoors then it may be cruel to make it be indoors only but sometimes ilness or injury make that necesary. The human's of indoor only cats have a greater responsibility to provide then with company and stimlation which an outdor going cat may be able to find for itself (though that isn't guarteeed) And the best situation for any individual cat depends on the cat, their humans and where they live.
I do think that cats are closer to being wild that most other compainion animals and they should be allowed to do cat things rather tjhan havng tofit to much with humans. But that isn't a necessary justification for letting them go outside if the enviroment is cat-unfriendly.
When i lived in Bradford on a busyish street with almost no front garden with 2 cats they were entirly Indooors and that worked fine. One of them, Martha, was a resqued street-kitten and was initally quite scared of te outside and unfamilar people anyway (though she got over that eventally)
When i came down here (sadly with just Sylvia) i stareted letting her outside because here was a fairly potected garden away from traffic. Now she's used to that i wouldn't want to keep her indoors only for any great length of time - but if she got ill or injured then i might have to. omangel's cat Horrace who has varoious age related aliments including significant sight loss (he's 17) decided for himslf to be pretty much indoors only - he just stopped going outside unless omangel goes with him.
When i moved last year finding somwhere Sylvia safe was one of my biggest priorities

I hope you find a shelter with a more flexibale re-homing policy soon

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

Loki was an indoor-only cat all his life. When we adopted him, the SPCA didn't demand that we keep him indoors, but they presented us with the risks, and strongly urged us to have him be an indoor cat. He did get out every once in a while (see squeektoy42's LJ), and he always seemed interested in the idea of going outside... but whenever he got out, he very quickly decided he'd rather be back inside where it was temperate and safe, and food and skritches were available. (He wasn't stupid!)

[friend-of-tofu.livejournal.com]

Really sorry we missed your visit to Greenwich!

I have known several people have difficulties with Battersea, they are v strict in a bunch of odd ways.

[ms-katonic.livejournal.com]

It is a cultural thing - dr_d's cats have outdoor access. They're both about 6-ish. My grandparents' cats were both allowed outside, and neither died young (it was cancer killed them in the end, I think). And I personally would not feel any guilt about allowing adult cats I might own outside access presuming they'd been neutered and vaccinated thoroughly, the place had access to the outside world for them, and I wasn't on a main road. And if my home was not suitable for outdoor cats... I probably wouldn't get a cat at all. None of which is a judgement on your decisions - your circumstances are different. Your cats have never been outside so would not be able to cope, and your flat's not remotely suitable for outdoor cats - no direct access and it's on the main road out of Oxford! It would be an extremely bad idea for you to let any cat living there outside! It all comes down to individual circumstances, and yours point to indoor cats.

Hope you can find a more flexible shelter - they do exist, I'm sure, and Battersea's have gone down in my estimation for being that insistent. If I'd known about the policy, I wouldn't have suggested them. I'm sorry, hon. Next place you visit, emphasise you live on a busy main road and there's a really good chance any cat you let outside would get run over. Better yet, ring and ask about their policy in advance. Good luck, sweetie.

[xirpha.livejournal.com]

Here in the States, outdoor cats are discourage. My brother John has a small horse farm outside of Woodstock IL in McHenry County. He has indoor cats and outdoor cats. The outdoor cats live in the horse barn. The state of Illinois considers feral outdoor cats a public nuance because they kill small mammals and birds. The county pays for the spay and neutering of feral cats to keep the population in control. The fixed cats are allowed to live in the barn as that keeps other cats from moving in.

Outdoor cats at night are a danger to themselves and other animals. Cats as pets should spend most of their time indoors. Indoor cats should live in groups as they need social contact to be healthy.

Our three cats are mostly indoor cats. Gregory lets Checker and Coal to go into the garage when he is out there. They will wander around the garage and the gardens. If outside at night the cats will come to Mike's window and howl till they get back inside.

I think "Pink" would be a great name for a cat, especially a large Tomcat.