3 Controversial Pet Opinions

Being a pet owner is harder than you might think. It's more than picking out a pet, cleaning up after it, and feeding it.

Pets are living, feeling things. They require the same amount of love and attention you would give a child.

There are several things people think are normal or okay to do as an owner of a specific kind of animal. I'm here to tell you that some of those things are bad and wrong. Just because a lot of people do something doesn't make it right.

Cats should be indoor-only pets

Did you know that your cute "outdoor cat" is a murderer and an invasive species? They kill, most often for no reason. Birds, rodents, lizards, and other creatures that are vital to the local ecosystem in your city or suburban neighborhood are all victims of your cat's boredom.

Besides, why would you spend the money to buy a cat, feed it, and care for it, only to leave it outside all the time where you rarely see it? Not to mention that it could be hit by a car or be killed by any one of numerous dangerous things outside your home.

Keep your cats inside your house. I'm sick of seeing cat poop in my yard. My dogs eat it and it's gross.

Also I am going to leave a bag of your cat's poop on your porch if I step in your cat's crap in my yard. My mulch and lawn are not litter boxes. That should be in your bathroom or whatever.

Do not declaw your cat

Look, I'm not really a huge fan of cats or anything. I'm allergic and I've only met a select few cats that I liked. Despite that, I would never wish pain or harm to come to cats or any animal.

Declawing your cat is basically handicapping them. It's like removing your fingers at the last knuckle. Declawing involves amputating the last bone of each toe on a cat's paw and if that isn't horrifying to you then I don't think we can be friends.

Having a cat declawed causes all sorts of problems for them including back pain, nerve damage, lameness, infection, and pain in the paw.

It changes the way they walk. Think about it like wearing an uncomfortable pair of shoes you can't take off.

It's an unnecessary procedure. Don't do it.

Having an "outdoor dog" does not mean it's okay to leave it there and ignore it

Leaving your dog in the backyard with only a doghouse or chained up all day and night and only interacting when you have to feed it is animal cruelty. You don't have a pet, you have a prisoner.

I have two neighbors that are classic examples of this. One directly behind me where we share a fence and one a few houses down.

The dog owners behind me at the very least let their dog in at night, though I have heard her barking as late as midnight so I'm not totally sure. I've seen and heard her outside in all manner of weather like high heat days, snow storms, and thunder storms with only a tiny dog house as shelter. I never see or hear anyone play with her and they certainly never take her for walks. I'm home all day and hear her barking all day.

The dog owners a few houses away are worse. They have a six foot by three foot dog run with plywood covering half of it and a dog house in the other half. For a medium sized dog. He doesn't even have free reign of the yard! They take him for walks, so that's something at least.

Why get a dog if you're not going to treat it like a member of the family? Leaving the dog in your backyard so you can interact with it at your convenience is heartbreaking. That poor animal is lonely. Dogs are pack animals.

Needing to leave your dog alone because you have work or school all day is one thing, but then to continue to ignore that dog even when you're home is cruel. That dog needs more stimulation, exercise, and interaction.

Do not get a dog just to grow bored of it a few months or years later. A dog is a lifetime commitment. A commitment of love and proper care.

If you are guilty of doing any of these things, I hate to tell you, but you're not a good pet owner. You're fired. Now go out there and be better. Spread this new knowledge with other bad pet owners and maybe one day all pets will be properly taken care of.