I stayed up last night researching, hoping to find what else might have happened to Rhonda, Dave, and Toby – I guess because the idea of a human predator was so gut-wrenching. I found news articles about all kinds of wild predators, when and why they might attack cats, and nothing seemed too likely because of the time of year or time of day, except when I came upon articles about eastern coyotes and fishers in the area. The habitat around here is suitable for both of them, they’ve been seen recently, and they actively seek cats as prey (whereas the other local wildlife is more likely to kill them in defense). Some of the news was disturbing – a coyote had attacked a child in June, and the fishers had been deliberately relocated and are voracious eaters. Wanting to grieve a little and also warn people, I got onto the Pets forum at NJ.com and posted this:

The first one disappeared at the beginning of August, the third sometime yesterday. We were doing our darndest to keep the cats indoors, but they were used to coming and going through the dog door. The last of our outdoor cats may meet the same fate, because keeping him in means keeping a constant watch on him, since he shows his displeasure by urinating and defecating all over the house. (He uses the box just fine when he gets his own way.)
We moved to Ocean County a couple of years ago, and this is the first time we’ve had this happen. The cats were healthy and safe, and kept their prey to rodents for the most part. When we moved here and found out the kind of damage chipmunks and voles do to houses, gardens, and pond liners, their hunting habits worked out pretty well.

At first, we thought that there might be some horrible person trapping and killing cats, but we couldn’t imagine someone doing that to a cat that clearly was a pet, not a stray – collar, name/phone tags, town license – but it was eating us up inside. Last night, though, I was reading that not only have there been coyote sightings, including a child being hurt by one in June, but government wildlife officials have introduced fishers into the area. They’re a species that was endangered by overhunting, since their fur is valuable. It’s a win-win for the dept. of fish and wildlife AND fur trappers. The former gets to crow that they saved an endangered species, the latter will be able to profit from hunting them again. In the meantime, they’re voracious, and cats are one of their favorite meals. (Of course, they won’t be out eating the voles or chipmunks, so our ponds and gardens will be toast.)

I suppose the idea that my beloved pets were killed by an efficient predator rather than a sick human is a little less disturbing, but it’s still awful. I have two cats now who are perfectly content to stay indoors – at least I won’t have to wonder what happened to them.

O. M. G. Immediately, the responses started coming. I’m lying. I ‘m a wackjob. I’m too stupid to realize that my cats are safer indoors. I deserved to lose my cats because I installed a dog door. I’m irresponsible. Amazing.

I ended up explaining how and why the cats were allowed out (or in Rhonda’s case, got out accidentally) and what happened when we attempted to keep them in. I let them know that I always have had, and still do have, cats that are kept indoors, and that indoors is the first choice. I’m not too good at letting attacks on my character stand, even when they come from a bunch of insensitive strangers on a forum. Now, though, I think I’ve addressed all the possible snark, and anyone who comes in with more isn’t reading and is just looking for an opportunity for anonymous sniping. But so much for pet owners being sensitive and sympathetic people. Geez Louise.