Strollerderby

I have to say, while I appreciate the little girl's view and activism, letting cats run loose is not a good idea, IMHO. Not only can they cause damage and be a general nuisance to neighbors (if you've ever had a neighbor's cat use your garden as its personal litterbox, you'd understand :-p), it's dangerous for the cat. For better or worse, we have domesticated these animals and if you're going to own one, you're responsible for keeping it safe. And, I always feel awful when I see a "LOST" sign for a cat that I've seen wandering around the neighborhood (most likely it's dead on the side of a road somewhere)....

For the record if you take a kitten and put a harness and a leash on a post in the ground, and the only let that kitty go outside on his leash, he wont know any better and will even sit patiently at the door while you hook him up.

I did this with my cat while I lived in a condo, he had a circular run from a corkscrew in the middle of the yard and he loved it and didn't mind it.

But taking an adult cat who formerly ran free and attempting to leash him would be impossible/cruel.

I think attempting to leash a cat would be dumb but... outdoor cats kill birds, can contaminate soil with toxoplasmosis (relevant to moms-to-be!) and are at risk themselves for injury or death.  She sounds like a sweet and determined girl, but I'm not sure that this is the best cause to take up.

We had free roaming cats in my old neighborhood. They made things oh so, so stinky ! . Especially after rainfall the smell of cat urine would permeate the air .  Oh and their is also the very loud, constant yowling. This child's heart is in the right place but needs some loving re-direction.

I'm in agreement with those above - particularly when considering how many people have their cats "declawed" (so they won't have to train their pet to not destroy furniture!)

Cats are small compared to: people, dogs, cars, buses, raccoons and other cats. They can also pick up parasites from eating things they shouldn't (which does include birds, mice, rats, roadkill, etc.)

And then, as noted, there are the issues with cat urine, the yowlings of the cat-in-heat, the fact that cats really don't appreciate the concept of "private property" or "flower garden does not equal litterbox".

Cats do not need to go outside. The law isn't inane and, as the full article noted, the owners were reminded of the law but said, "No, that's insane!" which means they lost their pet because they felt they were above the law.

I'm all in favour of people attempting to change laws that they feel are unfair (whether I agree with that law or not!) and I think Brianna should definitely be commended for following her own heart and mind in that regard. Hopefully she'll continue to speak up even after she's grown!