Sorry I'm late to this thread.  Kept meaning to write; life kept getting in the way.

Lots of good reasons pro and con have been offered.  Seems to me this decision needs to be made on a case-by-case basis.

However, a couple of the arguments put forward don't seem to hold water.

1) Many people are afraid of cats.

So?  Many people are afraid of spiders.  Do we dismantle our arachnid displays?

2) Many people are allergic to cats.

So?  As a Person With Allergies, my health is my responsibility, and I am rather offended by the condescension inherent in this attitude that anybody else needs to look out for me.  I know what to avoid, I know what to carry on me at all times, and I'll thank you not to think you must re-arrange the world on my behalf.  From what I gather, fatal allergic reactions to cats are vanishingly rare.  It's not a public safety issue; it's a common sense issue.

Eugene Dillenburg
Exhibit Developer and Resident Curmudgeon
Science Museum of Minnesota (cat-free for over 100 years)

=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).