Owning guns is not just a right, but a responsibility. As a gun owner you have the responsibility to ensure your weapon is controlled and only used safely. Another major responsibility is owning an animal. If you are both a gun owner and a pet owner you know you have a responsibility to ensure your animal knows proper gun safety. Felines are naturally curious creatures and we all know they tend to love guns. This makes teaching your cat gun safety paramount.
How do you approach such a subject? Well, that seemed to be a popular question and the AAP has addressed this with their newest book, “How to Talk To Your Cat About Gun Safety.” This short, but complete guide is here to help you discuss gun safety with your feline friend.
The book breaks down numerous subjects including the Proper Age to Discuss Gun Safety with your Cat, why you should have the talk, allowing your cat to hunt with guns and more. The short guide is very succinct and wastes no time in getting frisky.
Cats and Gun Safety
The book isn’t just a rehash of how to teach humans, or dogs, or gerbils about gun safety, it’s specifically about how to talk to cats and what affects felines and gun safety. There is some solid and pertinent advice in training your kittens on how to use guns. Even advice on how to choose the right gun for your cat. Your Cat’s Gat should be within their skill level and guns like the Desert Eagle 50 AE and Barrett 50 Cal should be reserved for only the most skilled felines. A AR 15 with a shot 300 Blackout upper is likely the best beginner’s choice outside of a 22 LR.
Some advice I never considered was being sure to never attach a laser sight to your cat’s gat. This will cause them to drop the gun and chase the laser, this will create an unsafe situation all around. These cat based factoids are fascinating.
Another interesting point was the fact that over 40% of accidents involving firearms and kitties are caused by cats trying to shoot birds out of trees. I never even considered that having an untrained cat is a danger to everyone.
What I didn’t Agree With
One piece of advice regarding defense from dogs I did not agree with. It advised cats fire a warning shot. I disagree with the idea of the civilian warning shot and believe it creates an undue danger to us all. Although, the warning shots are advised to be shot into the ground, which while safer than firing indiscriminately can still create ricochets or splatter.
The Best Advice for Gun Safety And Cats
While “How to Talk To Your Cat About Gun Safety,” is chock full of good advice regarding how to talk about gun safety and kitties the best advice is in the back. It teaches you what needs to be covered when it comes to gun safety and kitties. Four safety fundamentals that you can build upon to teach your cat proper gun safety.
They are as Follows
- If you encounter a strange gun don’t touch it
- Never let your paw touch the trigger unless you are prepared to fire the gun
- Never point the gun at something unless you intend to shoot it
- Remember guns are not balls of yarn. They shouldn’t be batted around or handled lightly. Always keep a secure grip on your gun.
These are solid fundamentals and should be part of every gun safety conversation you have with your feline friends.
