itty (Sherry ) wrote in message ...
(..)
seems (from reading the cat groups--I've never been there...that road kill
isn't the problem in the UK that it is here. Any idea why?

I'm not sure; however, there are marked differences in the way
suburban (and city) areas are laid out in the USA and US - at least
based on the areas I've experienced in both countries. For example,
the US seems to have far wider roads. The US is geared up as a
car-oriented society (pun intended); there are far fewer pedestrian
options. Roads in the US are often busier, and the traffic seems to be
on the roads more consistently. Street lighting in suburban areas in
the US seems a great deal worse than in the UK. Even the fact that
people have larger cars in the US could be a factor (larger blind
spots). Even the way people's land (gardens and such) are arranged
could be a factor.

All of these factors don't address any general sociocultural
differences in the way people think about animals in the two
countries. I don't know if there's any evidence for such differences.

It may also be that the risk in the US is often overstated, and
perhaps the risk in the UK underemphasised. Hard to tell, really.


Also, I am in 100%
agreement with both you and Cheryl that there *are* places left that cats
can, and should be able to go outdoors. Maybe not many,

Well, I tend to in principle favour the side of somewhat increased
risk with the tradeoff being a richer environment (for the cat).
However, there are certainly places where I'd consider the tradeoff to
be unacceptable, and would keep the cat indoors. In such cases I'd
consider it imperative to build an enriched indoor environment for the
captive.


(...)
But on the highway I drive to the city, the road is always littered with
roadkill. Both domestic animals and wildlife.

I cycle to work every day (in central NC). I see a 'significant'
amount of roadkill, but no cats as yet; the animals are usually deer,
groundhogs, and the occasional raccoon and squirrel. There are also
quite a few cats I see out of doors here, although these are mostly
away from the most busiest areas.


There's even a Dept. of
Transportation truck who's job it is to pick up everything from dead cats to
dead deer off the road. (I always thought that an awful job. I bet he doesn't
get invited to the Middle School on career day)

I dunno - maybe he can provide fresh venison steaks.

Steve.