Big Cats Need Love Too

Now that the secret is out of the bag that I am a sucker when it comes to cats, I should share with you what has become my new obsession. I have been aware that the big cat population around the world has been on the decline for quite some time now. Thanks to a new friend of mine I have been given a little more insight into the issues that lions, tigers, and all the other types of wild cats face. We have a responsibility to not only our planet but to all the occupants on it and we really need to look out for those that are being destroyed by our negligence. My beloved cat, Spike, is related to all the other cats on the planet and because he brings me so much joy I feel it is up to me to try to help his cousins as much as I can.

Domestic cats have adapted well to living with humans be developing a symbiotic relationship. Cats were allowed into the house as a trade of warmth and food in exchange for keeping some of the pest under control. Cats have a way of showing their humor a type of affection that makes them a unique member of the family almost immediately. Cats also are able to provide a lot of entertainment with the various games they like to play whether chasing a string or hide and seek. It is very comforting to have a cat sit in your lap and start purring when you pet them, it gives your actions meaning because of the pleasing response you get.

Big cats are also very playful but they aren't safe to keep as a pet because they are wild and do not share the need for humans in the same way as their indoor cousins. Even the smaller wild cats have a need to live as a wild cat even though some people think they would make a good pet. Bobcats are commonly taken as kittens because they are cute and cuddly as kittens but as they age the wilderness calls and they become a serious danger to their keepers and in many cases become caged or chained in an attempt to control them. Keeping wild animals confined is essentially then same as a person being imprisoned for their beauty. Large cats require a great deal of expense to properly set up a habitat for and to maintain. Even when all of the best preparations are made it is still common for a cat to have health issues as a result of being kept in an unnatural environment.

The world cat population is on the decline for many reasons but one that is the most serious is as the humans use up more resources and continue to overpopulate the planet, we are destroying the homes of numerous species of life in the progress. One thing that sticks in my mind is the plight of the horned toad that used to be very plentiful in Texas which lived on a diet of red ants. As people began to develop neighborhoods they wanted to rid their yards of the red ants due to the uncomfortable experience of the sting. In destroying a large number of red ants, the horned toad population began to dwindle as a result because their food source was removed. This is happening with way too many species and it makes me sad that the worlds population of large cats are down to numbers that can easily be counted. These majestic animals need love as much as the furry little guys we keep in our houses, but they need a different kind of love. The large cats need to be shown the respect to be able to live and prosper in their homes without having to migrate into other area to find food, water and shelter.

The delicate balance of the food chain is teetering on the possibility of collapse. Use of chemicals is destroying bees which we depend on to handle the task of pollinating the plants that we use for food, without bees we become much like the horned toad because even the meat we eat relies on the plants to live. The use of paper is destroying the forest and driving its residents into urban areas where they are considered pest and are subject to some type of control. The development of new neighborhoods is constantly destroying the habitats for many species driving them towards extinction. The food chain is just that, in order for us to live we require a very complex system of other forms of life to sustain us. This makes it increasingly important for us to help the other species survive otherwise will can will this planet to the cock roaches that will be here to clean up after us.

I ask you to think about the things you do with consideration to how it impacts other lives, not just the humans. We consider ourselves the keepers of this planet and it is too late in most cases for us to make a difference but we really must try now to save what we can. Their future is our future.