Cats and Politics

This week, the news will be focused on our elections. I don’t know about you, but I will be happy when this is over! Every election season I am continually amazed by how much money goes into campaigns. So much fundraising is done by powerhouse agencies trying to get folks elected into office! While I do feel it is important to vote and to study what issues the candidates represent, the scale of the “political machine” just blows me away. So what happens when it comes to Cats and Politics?

I always have to wonder, what if those resources were used to support the needs of our community cats? Hey, a girl can dream! Would we be able to afford a national system where anyone could get veterinary care for their cats at an affordable price? Whether it was with a small private veterinary practice or a larger clinic? Or, would we be able to ensure that all areas of the country have enough veterinary services for community cats? Just think of what it would be like to have this without having to worry about costs? Some Scandanavian countries are able to ensure the health and well-being of their companion animals. Wouldn’t that be nice?!

Okay, back to reality. The political machine is with us and it seems that in order for us to be able to protect cats we have to “play” in that sandbox. That is why so many animal welfare organizations have had to expend resources in the political arena with lobbyists. Some great strides have been made for farm animals and they continue to make changes. If you interested in learning more about this process and some of the thinking about why an organization like the Humane Society of the United States needs to be involved in this area so much, I would recommend reading Wayne Paycelle’s book, The Humane Economy. It really helped give me a better perspective on where HSUS is coming from and how they can make a difference by being on Capital Hill.

There are many groups out there advocating for cats: Alley Cat Allies, HSUS and many, many others…  Many of these organizations have listings of candidates that list their positions on animal issues. I would recommend checking out those lists before going to the polls.

However, I do have to say that I do wish some of the time and money that goes into politics would go to help the cats. Let’s see if any of our future Commander in Chiefs may eventually feel the same way!