Can My Cat Go Out if He Bullies Other Cats?
Question:
Playing outside is my cat’s greatest joy…. Jasper loves people and dogs but loathes cats…. Keeping Jasper inside would lessen Jasper’s quality of life, and arguably those who love him would be sad. But I know he’s bullying a handful of cats. What’s the ethical thing to do?
Correct answer:
Your property is an extension of yourself, and your neighbors’ property is an extension of themselves. Your cat is your property. When you intentionally let your cat outside, knowing that it will attack, intimidate and potentially destroy your neighbors’ property, you are posing a direct threat to your neighbors. Keep your cat indoors until he can be trained to behave in a civilized manner with other animals.
Question:
I’m an undergraduate researcher at a center focused on policy work…. We committed to working 30 hours a week and are expected to sign in and out. I noticed that my co-worker was spending significantly less time at the office than I was… He said he spent two whole days at the center when he wasn’t even there…. What should I do?
Correct answer:
In general, you should mind your own business, but as an employee in a business, you are ethically obliged to act, in part, in the best interest of your employer. You have been made aware of theft targeting your employer, so you must share that information. It is best to do so in a way that is subtle, but well documented, to cover your own ass. Send an email to your direct manager asking if it would be possible to establish or to negotiate a flexible schedule like your colleague’s, which would allow you to work remotely. This will signal to your manager that one of his employees is not at work at the appointed time, while giving you plausible deniability if you are ever accused of ratting out your pal.