The Cat Question

Moving into a home involves decisions . . . lots of decisions. For example, are we skilled enough with tools to build a do-it-yourself shed without killing each other? Should we fork over the cash for a brand-name TV or get the generic brand? Should we paint the walls taupe or red? What color is taupe anyway?

But one of the most difficult decisions so far has been whether or not we should get a pet and if so, what kind of pet.

Will grew up with dogs and has fond memories about a certain beagle of his that had more guts than brains. I have not yet had a dog, but am open to the idea. But neither of us are home enough to give a dog the attention it needs, so we decided a dog would have to wait for now.

I have lived with four different cats over the last ten years. Every cat has had wildly different personalities, so I know that cats can be a bit of a crap shoot. But I love having a furry pet waiting for me when I get home, so I have advocated for a kitten.

I have brought up the idea of getting a cat a few times and Will has become more and more open to it, despite my predictions that a cat would likely scratch our new couch to shreds. He became even more open to the idea after I sent him a link to all the adorable kittens in our area that are awaiting good owners like us.

But even as we are leaning toward adopting a cat, there is still one sticking point: will it be an indoor or outdoor cat?

I am overprotective and would want to keep the cat indoors. We are relatively close to two big roadways, including Route 1, and I would always be worried that a car would have an unfortunate run-in with our cat. There is also the threat of wild animals or dogs, though I am pretty sure the two weiner dogs next door would be no match for a cat.

But Will, with his experience with dogs, believes animals should have access to the outdoors. "It needs to be free," he said when I asked him why he insists on letting a cat outdoors. "It needs to be able to hunt, and follow its wanderlust and make friends," he added.

However, it appears that hunting is one of the main problems with outdoor cats. According to a recent article in the Washington Post, cats are responsible for killing far more birds than were killed in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. And while the Bethesda-based group Alley Cat Allies argues that cats are not affecting overall bird populations, a study in Maryland shows that cats can prevent some kinds of birds from reproducing at sustainable rates, according to the article.

And so the debate at the Hapless Home continues. The cat question, like the shed and paint color questions, remains to be determined.