Thanks to the Internet, an idea comes along every now and then that we like to share to those we know, because it is that good of an idea someone has come up with. Well, brace yourself, this one is one of those, but not only is it a good idea, it is brilliant. And not only do we wish to share it, we wish to climb atop the highest perch and scream it out to the masses, so that the whole world embraces this idea, because it's that darn brilliant.
The kitty convict project is a plan born out of frustration when a group of animal lovers saw the statistics on the found/return rate of cats in the U.S. For starters, over 7 million animals are lost each year in the U.S. Of that number, 26 percent of the dogs that become lost are found and returned to their owner. Cats fare even worse, with less than five percent, according to LIfehacker. Yes, less than five percent of cats that get lost are found and returned to their owners. Disgusting.
What happens is that when someone sees a dog loose, they know it is lost. So the dog gets reported. But when someone sees a cat loose, they just assume it is an outside cat. Think about it. Cats are everywhere. There is no way for someone to know that the cat wandering their yard or alleyway is actually an inside cat that got out, one that has spent its entire life inside and is scared, starving and lost. This mighty hunter is used to hearing the can opener telling it when the meal is ready, not having a clue how to hunt for food or eat garbage.
So, the amazingly brilliant folks at Exploding Kittens have come up with an idea: the Kitty Convict Project. It's as simple as placing an orange collar on your inside cat, along with an ID tag. Stop the kitty nudity, and let's get that cat some clothing in the form of a bright orange collar. We all know what orange means, it's convict attire. So if your inside cat ever gets out and becomes an accidental outside cat, the orange collar is a signal to anyone that he is an escaped convict that does not belong outside!
And the companion idea to this is that if you ever see a cat outside that is wearing an orange collar, notify the authorities and get that kitty inside. He is an escaped convict, and there is someone looking for him and missing him.
The idea here is to turn more lost cats into found cats and bring up that horrific five percent return rate to an acceptable number. This will increase kitty birthdays, says Exploding Kittens, and reduce kitty funerals.
We think this is one of the best pet ideas we have ever heard. If you think so too, don't just get an orange collar on your inside cat, but spread the word, so others do, too. And let them know that orange means that the cat has escaped, and someone is looking for him, according to Arizona's 12 News. Spread the word, because the more we get the word out, the higher that percentage increases. It's a simple idea for a huge problem.
End cat nudity today! Get your convicts their orange collars.
