I ask my mom not to feed the cats that come around and she feeds them. One of them had kittens about a month ago and I get stuck babysitting them for a week. The house smells like a litter box, they attack my feet every time I come downstairs, and it takes 20 minutes just to get in and out of the house because they all pile around the door and aren't supposed to go outside. I've been keeping them fed but my aunt's been coming around to change the litter boxes because I can't do it without getting sick AND having a panic attack. I can't handle being around excrement. So do you see my dilemma. For the record, I don't hate animals, I just wish we didn't have any in the house.
Even discounting the fact that there's a several dozen degree difference between winter and summer in that part of the country (and yes, I checked)? I'd say it matters quite a bit. Keep in mind that I live in south-central Kansas; it doesn't get as hot here as it does in Vegas, but it does err on the warm side for eight months or so. (The bedroom I had in our last house had a broken air vent and was situated in a spot that got the maximum amount of sunlight year-round, and we also had yearly issues with the central air breaking down. So, yeah: if it wasn't obvious, I hate the heat. ) I had to change litter pans for six cats for a while until back pains gave me a solid excuse not to, so I have a good idea what you're talking about. Still... here in town, people just letting their cats and dogs roam around free is a major problem. Living outdoors has its own slew of problems for them, the big ones being: #1, getting involved in fights with other animals that get them critically injured, and #2, the sheer number of illnesses that it's possible for them to get. Our seventh (and hopefully final) cat that my mom rescued a few years ago had this massive bloody wound in one leg that probably would've ended up killing her if it had gone untreated. Letting them wander outdoors is, as far as my parents are concerned, entirely out of the question. Don't get me wrong: I understand full well what you're getting at. My dad and I tried multiple times over the years to keep my mom from bringing in more cats, considering that even having a few is a drain on our resources, but she's too much of a soft-hearted lady in that regard (thankfully, it looks like even she's reached the limit of how much she can handle). I may be obsessed with cats, but I have my limits.
Honestly, that applies to most of California. The coldest they will get is only 60 degrees, and that's the best case scenario.
Yeah, I'd like to order a large Pepperoni Melt with... wait, you don't have that anymore? Bummer... alright, guess I'll just get a small pizza instead.
