I totally agree with this: "I've never understood people who look at pets (be they cats, dogs, gerbils, etc) as easily replacable items, rather than another living, feeling soul, who is entitled to a lifelong committment of care. A living creature is NOT a toy - if you can't handle the responsibility, you shouldn't "own" one."
Where some of us here disagree is on whether a cat should ever be allowed outdoors. I think there are arguments to be made on both sides (and it depends partly on the individual cat's proclivity to roam). But it's unfair to label all people who sometimes let their cats out as uncaring, insensitive creatures who think of pets as replaceable objects.