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The Slice: Of nine lives, eight should be indoors

If all house cats actually stayed in the house 100 percent of the time, I never would have met one of my best friends.

I freely admit that I have genuinely enjoyed visiting with my neighbor’s cat over the years. People who don’t get it about pets would not understand this, but she has enriched my life. So maybe it makes me a hypocrite to say this.

But in the interest of halting the devastation of the bird population each spring, I wish people would keep their cats inside.

You can look up the statistics, if interested. Or you can just take my word for it that it amounts to carnage.

There are also numbers showing indoor cats live longer, for a list of reasons.

Yes, I realize many cats love going outside. But lots of dogs enjoy riding in the backs of pickups and anyone with an elementary knowledge of physics knows why that is not always a brilliant idea.

Sometimes we humans have to make the call.

For the record, I’m not talking about barn cats. They have outdoor jobs to do.

But why do we tolerate the slaughter of birds by cats hunting in their subdivision backyards?

I suppose a lot of cat owners who are good people prefer to look the other way.

Others, though, have gotten creative with leashes, screened decks and what have you. I salute those folks.

Personally, I would miss not seeing cats elegantly skulking about in the Spokane neighborhoods I ride my bike through. But to paraphrase possibly the greatest line from “The Andy Griffith Show,” wouldn’t the trees seem nice and full?

Warm-up questions: 1) What percent of your life have you lived in the Spokane area? (For instance, I have been here for 45 percent of my life.) 2) What percent does it fee l like?

Today’s Slice question: I have a friend known far and wide as “Farmer Roy.” I have visited with him in person a grand total of three times. But he is one of my favorite people on Twitter. I like his wife, too.

Anyway, here’s the question. If acquaintances were to address you by a name that included a reference to your occupation, what would they call you?

Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. Who has spent time as a prisoner in the greatest number of Inland Northwest county jails?

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