Okay, Mr. Cat-Haver, what are you doing to improve this situation for cats ? Besides having Wilbury, who I am not sure is so lucky. I would not choose a human companion who views me as a disease-laden killing machine, who argues against efforts that would help my kin to live healthier and safer lives, and disputes basic science.
You have made many assumptions about my values, as well as my intelligence and critical thinking and know exactly zero of my efforts to assist cats. You continue to resist some basic facts (ie the kitten with rabies did not bite anyone, and there is no mention of its saliva getting on/in anyone’s open skin = exposure, not transmission). If you go back to the 1980’s there was some BIG PANIC about the actress who ate something off of Rock Hudson’s fork, as his HiV status was publicly revealed shortly after this occurred. She was EXPOSED to HiV via minute amounts in his saliva which were on his fork. However, the risk of TRANSMISSION was extremely low, and said actress did not become HiV positive as a result of this.
Your calculations of predation are astronomical. I live in a city in an area with a large stray population. I walk 99% of the time. In a given year I find the remains of two to four birds/rodents that appear to have been hunted/eaten. In that same year I come across 10-20x the amount of birds/rodents/raccoons/ killed on the street by a vehicle.
My cats, and the cats I foster are inside cats only(for the last 15 years). They do 0% killing for food or pleasure. Since I began living with cats over 25 years ago my cats have killed a total of two birds, one mouse and one vole. This is hardly the wildlife apocalypse you cite.
In an urban setting, people walk their dogs and clean up after them…most of the time. Everyday I am exposed to some canine feces on the street, and therefore my hands when I take my shoes off if I have been unaware. Don’t forget about the people who carry bags of their dog’s warm poop around, who then go grocery shopping or to the cafe without washing their hands first ! The many, many, many raccoons happily poop everywhere, as do the squirrels, chipmunks and possums, and other parasite laden critters like rats, mice, voles, etc.
Cats are not the only warm blooded creature that transmit parasites, viruses or disease. I am exposed to all manner of human diseases on the street via human urine, sputum, cigarette butts, vomit, used crack pipes, used syringes, used condoms, not to mention their sneezes, coughing, and the shared surfaces that have been touched in places like transit or the grocery store. Some of these people also have intestinal parasites, bedbugs, scabies, head lice and/or pubic lice. Some may have fungi like ringworm, yeast infections or nail infections. I am exposed to many life threatening diseases and viruses every day in the most ordinary of contexts. Oh no ! However the risk of transmission is for the most part very low.
Most people choose to minimize their risks - ie hand-washing, safer sex, correct food storage and preparation. This does not eliminate the risk. What do you think should be done to improve the lives of feral and stray cats, that would help to minimize their disease transmission, and to create a humane and safe existence for them ?
