Dispute about cats reflects black and white thinking | Letter to the Editor

Published 11:46 am Thursday, October 20, 2011

I see the back and forth about cats as another sign of black and white thinking on Vashon. Such methods of conversation only go so far. A few people might change their mind about how they care for their pets, but what might have happened if the letters had been written in a Gray Way?

Yes, it is a conundrum. Domestic cats, indoors, often grow fat from lack of exercise, and their litter boxes stink. But they are safe from outdoor dangers and cannot attack the wildlife. Outdoors, they so often live naturally (the way God or Mother Nature intended) and that has health benefits, for sure! But, they might catch a disease or get killed by a coyote or a car. And they catch all of those wild animals.

What to do? Choose your battles, perhaps? Aim for a compromise? If you think in black and white, it can be an easy decision either way, right? But gray decision-making is tougher.

And here’s something new. Did you ever wonder about the environmental impact of kitty litter? Eight-five percent of the 2.54 million tons of clay mined in this country every year is used for absorption of pet waste, with cat litter being the dominant. Silica gel, meanwhile, is often manufactured in other countries and then shipped to the United States with a transportation component not present in clay litter. Finally, the parasite in cat feces, toxoplasma gondii, may be responsible for killing sea otters along the California Coast.

This issue truly is gray. So let’s extend some respect to our neighbors for their choices. After all, it appears that all options have benefits and risks.

For me, I respect whatever you decide, as long as you know what you are choosing.

— March Twisdale