We drift totally but Leenia, I'm dissagreement with the idea cats should bet kept in. This subject was one that I think was the closest to a heated argument the Annexe ever had. I can't find the thread at the moment but somewhere within it, Ed posted a very interesting link illustrating that there are often cultural US vs UK thoughts on the cat. In that sense, I subscribe to the "UK" view that a cat is naturally a wild animal and has to take it's own chances.

We do try as Pip wants to - not my view - to keep our younger pair in though but they come from farm/feral stock. Personaly, I hate the meos or the looks to get through windows or the fight to ensure one doesn't sneak out of the door as you go out. As I say, they were born wild (perhaps something I disagree with local farmers over - there are oppertunities to get them neutered for free) but to keep such an animal indoors all the while (Pip has a compromise of in at night) would seem to me to be the height of cruelty.

Back to squirrels, yep I've seen dead ones that could only have been killed by one of our cats.