I used to leash my cats whenever they went out back East. They have all lived inside since we first moved back there in 1983. Mine live inside for all of the reasons Lamarca noted and then some!

LH, there are just as many hazards in the country as in cities: eagles, hawks, snakes, coyotes, poisons etc. plus sometimes farm machinery, old buildings wtc. Before when we lived on a mini-ranch, we had a cat get shut up in a neighbour's shed and no one could find him for weeks; it was a good mile away from us. When he finally got out and made it home he was so far gone he didn't make it.

In town they can also wander far from home, esp. if they happen to get chased by a dog.

Lamarca, thanks for the link! I've had several Siamese over the years, since my first on around 1970. They are incredible, aren't they?! My oldest, Sasheen, was 17 when I had to have her put down. Sorry about your old one. Good for you and Bill for taking in two new ones. My youngest daughter just got her first Siamese, Emily, a couple of months ago.

In Rome, there are cats everywhere and no one seems to mind according to what my sister and her family experienced, when her daughter lived over there. Everyone feeds them and they wander in and out of cafes. In fact, my other neice impressed the owners of one place when their resident cat decided to sit on her lap at dinner. Italians seem to really love cats and tolerate them well in most settings.

kat