On the other hand, I find it very difficult to fork out money for all of the immunizations and innoculations [sic] they think I should give her. She's an indoor/outdoor cat and they think its negligent for me to let her outside. I think she's entitled to be a cat.

Do you at least spay or neuter your cats? Ignoring the immunizations available allows your animal(s) to spread disease among the pet population in your neighborhood. It also allows such nasty things as rabies to enter your domain. The cat is a good vector from wildlife to humans.

Raptor, my remark that says to eschew the comparing or lumping together of animal rights folks and environmentalists means that environmentalists don't want to have anything to do with the wacko animal rights folks, because they are mostly fighting an emotional battle that isn't based on good science. People outside of these two areas don't always know any better and assume that the rights of animals are somehow tied into cleaning up the environment. Animals don't have standing in the courts*, as hard as the animal rights folks would try--they want their own version of the Endangered Species Act that limits vivisection and testing.

* This is not to say there is no protection for animals in abuse situations or general raising or management of them, but they are not other-than-human-people, they are property, so cases can't be brought on their behalf.

SRS