They cannot be let out because of a few reasons. Yes, they are declawed, so they cannot survive in the wild. They are declawed because they are small and wild. Since they are small, nature has built into them really big claws. Mine had adult house cat sized claws at 4 weeks old. They are also really strong, I mean SUPER strong for their size. It takes a lot of effort to get them off your arm or leg should they 'hug' it. I brought mine home when it was 4 weeks old. At that point his claws were big like an adult house cat's claws. They really love and enjoy spending time / playing with their owner. They love being on their backs too, just waiting to grab your arm with their front arms and kicking with their back legs. OUCH. Their claws will also destroy anything they choose to sharpen them on. They do this a lot, regardless of whether or not they are present. Yet they also cannot be let out because, in nature, bobcats have large natural areas. They will travel, and mark as their own, a square mile or more. They are secretive, too, so chances are you will not see them again. Also, they will not be afraid of humans, so they will approach neighbors. They are not house cats, so will attack other people. The bobcat, and other wild cat 'pets' will bond strongly with their owners. They are extremely loving creatures. But a stranger is an enemy. Period. They will attack them, and probably will go for the face. They can jump 8 feet from a sitting position after all. They will not fear taking livestock and pets as food. This little cat has been known to take down deer. They may also be more likely to interbreed with domestic cats (if they don't kill them), creating 'pixie bobs' and diluting the ever important gene pool. And let us please not forget those people who choose to kill things just because they can (ie not a food source). There are people, believe it or not, who think it is okay, for various reasons, to kill and stuff a bobcat. There are others who think it is okay to kill them only for their belly fur (blond and spotted)- literally throwing away the rest. Pet bobcats are easy targets for this. I myself have had clients (we own several businesses) express their desire to kill bobcats. I find it sickening, personally. As anyone who has a graduate understanding of ecology (hopefully) knows bobcats should not be hunted. Also because they are being killed strictly for the thrill of the kill. Not right. To own a bobcat- or any wild or domesticated animal- is to protect it from other people, and to protect people from it. Hopefully that answers your question.

Barb...both happy and sad....Happy he is moving forward with his life. Knowing he will go far as long as he stays focused on his studies, and learns to quit being so wasteful. Sad because he is moving on and we will be seeing very little of him in the next 4 years or so. We havent made any new life adventures yet. House needs some TLC. I suppose first we will get used to having a home with just us and the critters and go from there. Chell I used to be a dog and cat groomer. I loved it too. But my employer was a deedeedee. Never had the money to pay me each week and always "owed" me. And she never gave me my tips either.Then at the end of the year she reported more earnings for me than what I had really made.Fortunitly I kept records and proved my case and won, so make sure you don't let the same happen to you. I have kept my clippers, blades and accessories and still will do a neighbors dog or two once in awhile to keep my skills up.....but don't miss the hair stuck in places I did'nt know existed....lol. Love all the pictures the everyone post. Always enjoy seeing ya'lls babies. Regina

I think they are going to work and I like them. I would get rid of the blue pillows from the sofa and try to get something else that combines the blue with the other colors. I can see that the chairs might fit in better if the wood was darker. One thing about vintage style, if that's where you might be going, is that it gets better the more you add to it in terms of other colors and styles. In the beginning it can look a bit disjointed because it isn't "full" yet. Ralph Lauren does it best, and the link from Bellaflora is a great one. The more you look, the more colors and odd styles you see him combine. He's a master at that. I get a lot of inspiration from his site. I have lusted after this wood Pottery Barn flag for years. (Link below.) I think it might be perfect over your sofa or fireplace. It's quite large---50" x 27" I think. ps. I would straighten the rug too. It seems off. If the sofa is slightly angled, you could run the rug along the same angle. Here is a link that might be useful: Pottery Barn Wood Flag

In my first kitchen (that would've been 400 years ago, give or take a few hundred years), due to lack of space I had a wire 3-tier basket for hanging fruits. Honestly? Never again. Fruit degraded quickly, fruit flies swarmed, baskets got gunky and needed emptying and cleaning constantly. The swinging didn't bother me, but it hung over a peninsula, and was very obstructive (kinda like playing peek-a-boo with people on the other side). I hit it a few times, but that was ok. I liked the look of it back then. Not so much now. Lastly, I occasionally let a fruit of two go bad before getting to it.. people saw that. Now, my fruit stays in the fridge, lasts longer, and if I forget about something, it gets whisked away in secret, no one else the wiser : - )