“Our” world is so oversaturated with sensationalism, misrepresentation, haranguing, intolerance, name-calling, “cancelling”, “virtue signalling” and the “100% this versus 100% that” school of argumentation.
It has become an increasingly rare pleasure to read a measured and sensible newspaper article, devoted to a highly contentious topic.
The relevant piece was published this week in the Australian edition of The Guardian.
Fully cognisant of cats’ devastating impact on Australian wildlife, it addresses this question:
can we have cats (as pets) in a sustainable and ethical way?
You may be surprised to know that the answer is yes, albeit yes, if…
The key word is “containment”; if universally achieved in Australia, the results would benefit all relevant species.
The average life expectancy of Australia’s pet cats would increase, their human “owners” could continue to enjoy/benefit from cats’ presence in their lives, and pet cats would no longer pose any threat to Australia’s native birds, mammals and reptiles.
(of course, “keeping fluffykins indoors” would not solve the threat posed by feral cats)
Katie Cunningham’s article was published on 12 November 2023.
Click here to read it.
Musical bonus
I first heard my favourite cat-connected composition as the title piece of the 2002 album Le Pas du Chat Noir.
Anouar Brahem was its Tunisian leader, composer and lutenist.
Brahem is a superb, subtle player of the oud.
Over several decades he has made unfailingly excellent albums, no two of which are too much alike.
Le Pas du Chat Noir was a trio set with French colleagues, pianist François Couturier and accordionist Jean-Louis Matinier.
This “live” performance is from 2004:
Photo footnote
The morning of 16 November 2022 (my 68th birthday) followed a very exciting evening in which desert-adapted elephants had “invaded” our northwest Namibian lodge/camp.
As a future post will detail, the pachyderms briefly prevented us from accessing “our” cottage.
Come the morning, we discovered that “our” cottage had been successfully invaded by the pictured individual, who had spent a very comfortable night in my open pack.
You were so “lucky” to have that little visitor sleep in your bag for the night. Glad it was in your room and not in my room.