Roadside Cat Vendors Crisis in Louisiana
I saw an article in the morning Times-Picayune that prompted me to weigh-in on this important issue. And I thought what better forum than SC?
The Louisiana legislature, once visited by a sitting governor who rode his horse into its chambers, is a model of modern, incisive thought, keenly attuned to the public safety of the citizens.
In this frame of reference it has taken up a bill to prohibit the sale of cats by roadside vendors.
No you did not misread that.
For my part I say, “Well it is about time too!”
I’ve driven many a mile on Louisiana’s highways and bye-ways. At first one rarely saw a roadside cat vendor. But for some years and inexplicably the numbers of roadside cat vendors has burgeoned until one can hardly drive from Chackbay to Paradis without encountering the now ubiquitous roadside cat vendors.
My anxiety has grown over the years and I should hav approached my own legislator to express my concern because of the health, safety and public nuisance these feline purveyors have become. Thank goodness for the militant soul who prevailed on a legislator to bravely put this bill in the hopper.
Warning signs “High cat vendor concentration area next X miles,” with which the DOTD has now dotted the state’s highways; let’s face it, that is simply a band-aid approach that falls far short of curing the fundamental problem.
Nope, the roadside cat vendors must go. Oh we may be sure that the Louisiana Association of Roadside Cat Vendors will bitterly oppose the legislation although it is clearly in the greater good. And they will have their allies among cat fanciers; the same people who allow their cats to walk on counter tops (ugh) and sleep in bed with them (double ugh).
I congratulate the diligent members of the state legislature for spending the time, the paper and the money needed to take up this important bill.
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Not being a resident of Louisianna, I can still agree with the law being being enacted preventing roadside cat sellers. However,surely an even more effective way of dealing with it would be to offer free spaying services to cat owners who can’t afford the cost?
That’s pretty drastic JoJo, even if free; just for owning or keeping a cat! Just for the record, are you spoofing my spoof? OB
No for the record I was not spoofing your spoof, because I didn’t realize that’s what it was! Silly me – I thought people were literally selling kittens on street corners! Just last night, I saw a program on TV where poor people in one of the Eastern Countries do in fact sell puppies on the street in order to eke out a bare living! I don’t think it’s drastic to spay and neuter dogs and cats to curb the number of unwanted pets that are born daily, and often end up abandoned and suffering.
When we lived in Montreal, I worked for an agricultural college where people used to dump their unwanted cats thinking they could become feral farm cats, only the poor creatures would starve instead. I’m not a cat loving person, but I couldn’t bear to see these poor creatures’ uffering. I used to buy cat food and feed them in my lunch hour – I even found homes for a couple of them. Then the college started euthanizing them and still people dumped them there.
My best friend has a neighbour whose female cat comes to visit her daily, and she’s grown to love this little puss. This man allows his cat to have kittens, then drowns them all, because he’s too cheap to have her neutered. This upsets my friend so much, she’s offered to have this poor cat spayed at her own expense, and the neighbour was furious with her and very nasty! .
So do I think cats should be spayed? Yes I do and I don’t consider that “drastic” in the least bit – it’s humane and kind.
Wow. i was deliberately reading your earlier reply to suggest you wished to offer the adopting humans themselves free spying or neutering and my response was in that frame of reference. I did not expect anyone to take me seriously. As far as the original piece is concerned I was moved to write it in consideration of the unbounded foolishness of the state legislature to be taking up this sort of thing. Government cannot be everything to everyone. This was satire and sarcasm front to back. I thought readers would see that. For the record I am completely in agreement aobut the issues you brought up. But gee JoJo lighten up. LOL
Well OldBull, I’m afraid satire and sarcasm are not a part of my persona and yours went completely over my head! I especially didn’t get the fact that you were implying that I’d suggested the humans themselves get spayed. Good grief, where on earth did you get that from anything I wrote?
As for me “Lightening up,” when it comes to the issues of the need to have cats and dogs spayed and neutered to prevent the proliferation of unwanted pets, no I won’t be lightening up on those issues any time soon! I passionately love animals, and this particular issue is one that’s very close to my heart.
Sorry.