Hog Farming and Animal Welfare vs. The Cat Lady and Her Kitties
We’ve all heard stories on the news about a “cat lady”—a woman who lives alone, except for the 78 cats who share her house. Most people’s gut reaction to such a story is that it is not a particularly good situation for the cats. But let’s play a little cat poker, up the ante, and throw some more chips into the kitty.
Instead of dozens of cats in the house, let’s say it’s 1,000 cats. And let’s say that the carpeted floors have all been replaced with iron grates so the cat excrement can fall through and be efficiently hosed out. And just for good measure, let’s install a system of iron bars to severely restrict each cat’s movements even more that they are already constrained by the hyper-crowded kitty quarters. Finally, let’s give the cats water through drip tubes and provide drug-laced food in a communal trough.
This is not cat Hell, it’s a modern pig farm. Now, before you read any further, understand that picture of crowded pigs this is not going to be an argument for you to give up pork products or turn vegetarian. Meatless diets are wonderful for those who choose them, but this article is going to deal only with our innate sense of knowing what’s right and wrong when it comes to animal care—in this case, as it applies to the modern hog farm.