Unbelievable as it may seem, there is such a thing; Feline AIDS. The symptoms are that of human AIDS and is fatal.

My dad and I took in a very abused stray years ago. He was so abused it took us weeks to convince him it was okay to come closer and even longer to come in the house. When he trusted us enough, I took him to the vet to have him checked out & vaccinated. Blood wasn't taken at that time to check for diseases.

About 4 yrs later, the cat began licking/biting himself like crazy. He was sleeping under covers and losing hair. My poor dad took him everywhere to find out what the problem was. Finally, a vet in dermatology diagnosed him with a fatal skin cancer. This was brought on by an intolerable immune system due to Feline AIDS. He was put on medication to keep him comfortable and was taken in for routine shots to control the itching until the AIDS took over more and had to be put down.

This cat was put through so much in his early life; he DID NOT deserve to die like this. I still hope I run into whoever 'owned' him. I've got a few chosen words for them.

So again, to all of you who think you're doing your cat a favor by letting them outside: KEEP THEM IN!!!