Let’s be honest: cats are bad. They’re moody, sullen, and clean themselves with their own tongue, which is not very hygienic. I’ve tried, and now I’m not allowed back at Fitness First.
Also, they tend to kill many other animals when allowed to roam around. That’s right, These soulless killing machines that we give cute names to, like ‘fluffy’ and ‘princess’ are responsible for killing about 230 million native animals a year, and none of them have been put behind bars. Which is probably for the best, or our prisons would be full of cats shanking each other in the shower.
For this reason, some local governments, like Greater Bendigo and the Adelaide Hills, have created laws that require cat owners to keep these ruthless murderers indoors. Canberra will be bringing in the same rules in July, but, to be honest, there’s not much to do there anyway, so I’m sure the cats will be more than happy to stay indoors anyway. There are only so many times you can check out Questacon.
But, the good news for these hardened criminals is that they will be allowed out for walks, but only if they’re leashed. Now, the idea of popping a leash on a cat might seem strange, but let’s not forget that parents have already started leashing their children, so why not do it to cats as well? If anything, cats should be kept on a very short leash at all times because it’s important to keep your enemies close.
Dr Jacqui Ley, a veterinary specialist in behavioural medicine in Melbourne, says that it’s not that bizarre an idea. “Some cats like going out for a walk on the lead,” she told The Guardian. “They’re just like people. Some are much more sociable, outgoing, and some … like to stay home… The trick is for the human carers, guardians and owners to figure out what sort of cat theirs is and whether or not they’re going to like it.”
So, some cats might like being on a leash, some might not; kind of like humans and BDSM. According to the RSPCA “a leash and harness may be used to walk cats outside the owner’s property under direct supervision”, but the RSPCA goes on to say that it does not recommend this for cats.
In this writer’s humble opinion, no matter what pet you have, it’s really important that you have it on a leash at all times when taking it out for a walk. Whether it’s a dog, a cat or even a toddler, keep those things leashed at all times and have some bags ready to clean up their mess. Perhaps the only pet that doesn’t require a leash is a snake, but that’s mostly because it’ll probably just escape anyway.