classification essay-take two

I love all animals but as far as house pets are concerned, domestic cats or housecats are my favorite. Growing up we always had a cat or two in our house. I would dress them up and play with them for hours like they were my very own toys. I particularly loved the hats mom made for the cats, obviously way more then the cats did. Just imagine the expression on a cats face with a hat on his head. Can you see it, are you smiling? As an adult, I’m still an avid cat owner/lover but I don’t dress them up nearly as much as I did as a kid, especially with the cats I have now. I will admit I have a Santa outfit and a leather bomber jacket for my black cat. I bought these outfits in the dog section because he is really big but unfortunately he doesn’t like playing dress up all that much. In my travels over the years, I have seen many, many homeless cats and it breaks my heart everytime I see them. I've yet to understand how we have allowed this to happen for so long considering cats have been domesticated animals for thousands of years. People have been breeding cats since the late 19th century and there are hundreds of breeds of domestic cats available for adoption or for purchase but there are only three types of domestic cats: indoor, indoor-outdoor and outdoor.

My cats are the indoor type. The only time they go outside is if they’re out on the secure second story deck. While out on the deck, there is no possible way for them to get to ground level and out on Main Street. They have many of the typical items any of your outdoor cats would love. There are a half dozen or so planters which I grow edible grass and cap nip solely for their consumption every year. We have an array of hanging bird feeders so the cats are able to do their daily bird watching and drooling (that’s their favorite part, they told me so) there’s plenty of obstacles for them to climb upon and numerous scratching posts for them as well. They lead a very happy life being indoor kitties; they don’t have to hunt for their food, they’re lax on their grooming habits considering they’re brushed daily and there’s also an abundance of toys for their play time. Most days, every day, they are treated to yummy kitty snacks because they know how to manipulate us into giving them out. They have indoor plumbing which they don’t have to do a thing with because every day their excretions magically disappear out of the box! Indoor cats do however; tend to be more overweight then your outdoor cats for they do not get nearly the exercise as the outdoor type but typically they do live longer. Some indoor cats have lived into their 20’s but more commonly will live into their mid teens.

Growing up, we had indoor-outdoor cats. They got their meals in the house, but they had to hunt for their snacks, and these weren’t the kind of snacks given out freely by the human hand, like the kind I use to persuade the cats out of my office chair. Most of the time, indoor-outdoor cats use outdoor plumbing which I’m pretty sure they don’t mind for they can go anywhere anytime they want. In the winter months, especially in the colder climates, many indoor-outdoor cats do have the luxury of using a kitty litter box inside. Our indoor-outdoor cats could come and go as they pleased. First thing in the morning they would be at the door to be let out and they would stay out all day long until dark. It was pretty easy to get them back in the house at night, too. All I had to do was make kissing noises at the back door and they’d coming running in. Our indoor-outdoor cats did all their own grooming and the only time I’d step in is if they had a bad mat or something stuck to their fur. Indoor-outdoor cats are usually thinner and are in better physical shape due to all the running, tree climbing, snack hunting and exercise they get while outside. They don’t sleep all day like lazy indoor cats. One problem you may find with indoor-outdoor cats is they get ear mites and/or fleas. These medical issues can be easily remedied by a visit to the veterinarian. The biggest problem however, is your indoor-outdoor cats don’t live as long as your indoor type due to getting hit by cars or caught by something bigger than them and killed and eaten while they were outside.

Cats that live exclusively outside 24/7 lead completely different lives than the indoor/indoor-outdoor types. They have to do everything for themselves; most importantly, survive. They do not get fed by people, but hunt for everything they consume no matter what the temperature or climate is outside. Outdoor cats are still domesticated animals, but at one point in life were made homeless by people and became stray cats. These types of cats have been on their own for so long, they’ve become fearful of people and usually will not go anywhere near them. Outdoor cats are usually very thin and malnourished, due to lack of food especially during the cold season and they don’t get any medical attention. Their coats are dirty, matted and flea infested and the life span of the average outdoor cat is very short. These cats are not neutered or spayed and you will see litters or feral colonies of them around dumpsters out behind your local restaurant. These types of domesticated cats are sometimes referred to as feral or farm cats and try to live as close by to food as possible. Life expectancy for a feral cat, if it makes it past kitten hood, is a couple of years if it’s lucky.

If you lined up the three types of domestic cats you could probably tell the difference visually as to which cat belonged to which type. The indoor cat would most likely be the fattest and have a nice coat of fur. Its eyes and ears would be clean and clear and its overall appearance would be one of a very healthy looking pet. The indoor-outdoor cat would look a bit thinner than the indoor cat but in good physical shape. It may not have the best looking coat especially if it’s a long haired cat and didn’t get brushed every day. The outdoor cat would look very thin and its coat will probably be in the roughest shape from fighting and trying to stay alive. Because outdoor cats are susceptible to disease more than likely it would probably not only look sick, it would be sick.

Please neuter and spay all pets and donate to your local shelters and humane society.