Cats returned to the outdoors may seem free, but they don’t really live in a natural bio-community on their terms. Most suburban “strays” are ultimately picked up by animal control officers and killed.

On the other hand, as long as they stay in a home, they are dependent. Sprite seemed to find this acceptable. Sprite adjusted so well to our indoor life that I couldn’t bear to follow through with the “R” phase of TNR. It would feel unfair.

If I’d decided to keep Sprite inside, Elf would also stay. The two cats loved each other. Separating them wouldn’t do. 

So they’d have a roof overhead for life. And I got used to having Elf as a dissatisfied lodger. We’d never touch each other, and I’d live with that.

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Banner photo source.