I love animals - many people do.

But we have to keep in mind that there are people who don't like dogs, cats, and other animals we keep as pets.

I mentioned earlier in my journal that I grew up with many cats. These cats were usually kept outside. At first, I expected to have the same cat for many years, but every time I found a cat (or cats), this animal ended up being poisoned to death by somebody in the neighborhood. I was especially shocked and saddened to watch my first cat die suffering in front of my eyes. The cat didn't know what happened to him, and he tried to walk toward me with all his might, but his entire body was so convulsed he fell before he reached me. The cat and I were so attached to each other I cried many weeks over his traumatic death.

Eventually, I found out who left poisoned food in the neighborhood. It was done by somebody who didn't want his property to be spoiled by cats. At one point, there were dead cats' bodies lying everywhere.

My family decided not to try keeping cats any longer. We couldn't let the cats stay indoors because my family lived in a traditional Japanese house which is not necessarily "pet friendly" (the floors, for example, are made of a special straw that can't be cleaned if soiled). Some people may not care, but my parents did. And we didn't want our cats to be killed any more.

Based on this childhood experience deeply engraved in my memory, I personally don't like the idea of letting house cats roam freely outside. I also tend to overreact whenever my dog picks something up from the street when I'm walking. I'm just so afraid it might be poisoned food, left intentionally by an uncaring person.

Some people love animals,
Some people don't.

I always remember this.