A letter from Sabre’s family

To the Editor:

In August of 2020, our beloved indoor cat named Sabre was driven by a local couple and put somewhere. They gave many conflicting stories about what they did with him, or where they put him.

He was chipped. We have, after exhaustive searching, yet to find him. We hope this may help save other indoor cats suffering.

Without clean water a cat may only last 3 days. While people misguidedly believe that cats can hunt birds and small animals to survive, it is simply not true. Cats hunt for sport or play, and rarely eat enough to sustain their bodies. Feral cats are able to survive a mere two to five years on average, due to human waste being readily available and kindness of those who actively feed outdoor cats. Cats who live their lives indoors can live 10 to 20 years.

Cats that live a domestic lifestyle are not suited for life in the wild. Coyotes and other critters such as owls, foxes, or raccoons often prey on cats or injure and/or dismember them – leaving a few days of intensive suffering before succumbing.

Rabies from raccoons and other wildlife is always an omnipresent outdoor threat. There are many other diseases. Human beings who are deeply disturbed poison cats, decapitate them, and dismember them while they are alive.

When temperatures are below zero, the most vulnerable parts of a cat are their external body parts, such as their ears or paws, which can suffer from frostbite.

If you consider abandoning a cat, it is a much more humane option to leave a cat with an animal shelter.