Elaborate for me: do you think in a moral sense, cats are not property? I am not asking about the legal sense because quite clearly the legalities vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.
I have previously made my thoughts and preferences about cats well and publically known. I do not like them and consider them individually but a barely decent ingredient for a Chinese dinner or one half of a pair of mittens or slippers. Not even fit for a certain vendor's use as moccasin material.
As to the moral sense of cats as property, I do not consider them as such. Please see above. I have no interest in the keeping of them for any purpose. While I understand that farmers seem to prefer them to snakes or other predators for controlling rodents, I see nothing to give them any special advantage in that regard. As companion animals I scoff at the notion, unless one intentionally chooses to be the provider of food, shelter, and care of an animal that gives nothing in return unless it sees a specific and immediate advantage to doing so. Cats come looking for affection when they want it, and have no generalized behavior trait of succoring their providers of food and care in times of emotional or physical distress. Cats have no generalized behavior trait of protecting their provider of food and care against assault or other danger - when a cat does so it is considered newsworthy.
Should you choose to maintain a cat, I only ask two things: that you not expect me to express anything short of mere tolerance for your decision, and that you do not expect me to interact with it except to discourage it from being near me. The latter I will do without cruelty so far as is possible. If the cat cannot determine on its own that its presence is not wanted then it will incur an increasing range of consequences. Yes, I will attempt to remove myself, but if that is not possible, the cat will need to look for its own welfare.
stay safe.
