Comedians Chad Daniels and Kelsey Cook Stand Up for Companion Animals in PETA PSAs
Chad Daniels and Kelsey Cook have a “funny bone” to pick with breeders, people who don’t spay or neuter their animal companions, and anyone who has an “outdoor cat.” The cheeky, ever-so-charming comics took a break from the stage to stand up for companion cats and dogs in two hilarious PETA public service announcements (PSA).
Daniels and Cook Deliver a Sterilarious New Set List: Snip, Skip Breeders, and Support Animal Shelters
The “friendly neighborhood comedians” display their amusing banter in our video snippet to remind everyone that it’s humans’ responsibility to help curb the companion animal overpopulation and homelessness crisis.
As Cook says, “Too much pussy can be a problem.” And she’s right: In the U.S. alone, there are already tens of millions of homeless cats and dogs struggling to survive on the streets, where they’re vulnerable to traffic, weather extremes, attacks from other animals or cruel humans, diseases, infections, and other deadly dangers. When people don’t get their companions spayed or neutered, countless more animals are born into a world where there are no homes for them.
Breeders churning out more puppies and kittens in the midst of a widespread companion animal overpopulation crisis may seem like a sick joke, but it’s all too real. Purchasing an animal from a pet store or breeder props up a cruel, greedy industry and takes a home away from a homeless animal who desperately needs care.
‘Outdoor Cat’ Daniels Heckles Misguided Guardians
In another PSA, Daniels and Cook demonstrate what it would be like if humans were treated like “outdoor cats” to prove a point that is no laughing matter: Feline companions face life- threatening hazards when their guardians leave them outside.
In the video, Daniels is shooed outside by Cook and left to fend for himself in the not-so-great outdoors—and he’s got some harsh words for his irresponsible guardian.
“Do you have any idea how many diseases I can get out here? Hookworms, ringworm, rabies, ticks, toxoplasmosis, pasteurellosis, Campylalalal … I’m gonna catch something I can’t even pronounce!” Daniels says. “Ear mites, Giardia, feline herpesvirus—if I get herpes because of you, I’m gonna be so friggin’ pissed.”
The Outdoors Is a Huge Threat to Cats’ Lives
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, the majority of reported cat deaths outdoors are caused by trauma, most commonly due to being hit by cars or attacked by roaming dogs. Some cruel people poison, shoot, burn, drown, or otherwise torture and kill cats. Being outdoors also increases the odds that a cat will freeze or starve to death, succumb to parasites, contract deadly contagious diseases, or endure countless other horrific fates.
“If I live inside, my life expectancy is 12 to 20 years,” Daniels says. “But you leave me out here, I’m not gonna make it to my fifth birthday.”
Cats Left to Roam Outdoors Also Cause Trauma
Companion cats allowed to roam outside may occasionally bring home a dead mouse or bird, but this represents just a fraction of the animals they maim and leave for dead.
No matter how well fed they are, cats are instinctively driven to hunt, and as a nonnative predator species, they don’t fit into U.S. ecosystems. Roaming cats are the number one direct deadly threat to American birds. They kill an estimated 1.3 to 4 billion birds and 6.3 to 22.3 billion mammals every year in the U.S. alone. Free-roaming cats have also contributed to the extinction of 63 species of birds, mammals, and reptiles.
Cats Don’t Belong Outdoors
The best thing you can do for your cat is to keep them safe inside with you, for their own sake and for that of the wild animals they prey on when left outside. If your cat is eager to explore the outdoors, you can give them opportunities to do so under supervision. Cats should be allowed outdoors only for walks on leashes that are attached to well-fitting harnesses designed for cats. Not every cat can get used to a harness and leash, though, so if you’ve given it your best effort and they’re not comfortable, stick to a window perch or a catio.
To learn more about how you can provide your cat with enrichment indoors, check out PETA President Ingrid Newkirk’s book 250 Vital Things Your Cat Wants You to Know (aka “the cat guardian’s Bible”):
