Point:
Animal lovers: I know it’s tempting to feed feral cats, but believe it or not, you’re doing more harm than good. It’s true that feral cats have hard lives; often nasty, brutish and short. But when you feed them, you make it worse. Large numbers of cats will congregate in an area where there is a ready food supply, leading to overpopulation and disease, including feline leukemia, feline HIV and distemper, not to mention infected wounds from fights over food and mates. Large numbers of outdoor cats also wreak havoc on the local bird population. It’s estimated that cats kill up to 3.7 billion songbirds in the U.S. each year! Feeding feral cats may seem like the humane choice, but if you want to be a friend to these cats, donate to your local TNR (trap-neuter-release) program. This is the most effective way to control the feral cat population, with an ultimate goal toward destruction of the colony by attrition. I love cats too, but they belong indoors, basking on the windowsill, with proper diet, veterinary care and TLC from a loving owner.
Counterpoint:
Meow! I’m so cold and hungry. Mrrrrow? Don’t rush into your apartment. Look at the adorable way I roll around, prostrate at your feet, my four paws thrust toward you in a gesture of supplication! Observe the way I arch my back as I rub my flanks on your garden gnome, bicycle and shins. I’m marking my territory. I want you to be my territory! I love you. I know it seems soon but isn’t that the beauty of animals? We are guileless. We love purely with open hearts. Don’t be thrown off by my impassive, owl-like countenance. Dogs were selectively bred over thousands of years for faces that emote in a way humans can understand. I have just as much love inside, it just doesn’t show on the outside in the same way.
Did you see that? The way I crouched and wiggled my butt adorably before pouncing on your shoelace? So cute! Do you hear me purring? That means I feel content and secure. Please don’t prove me wrong. I’m so hungry. You won’t turn your back on me will you? Mrrow?