ajm

I have yet to see a viable excuse for not accepting responsibility for the actions of a pet.

Remember, we are not neccessarily just talking about keeping a cat indoors here, we are talking about taking responsibility for what the cat does.

As owners are you willing to pay for damages your cat causes to other people's property and are you ok with the fact that someone may have to catch your cat in order to identify you as the owner?

Mice_Elf

But not all cats adversely affect other people's environment. It's a sweeping generalisation to say that every cat annoys every cat owners' neighbour.

I used to live near someone whose dog would bark constantly, get free from the chain in the garden, crawl under the fence and dig up my flowerbeds. It would harrass the rabbits and whizz up my car tyres.

Other people would take their dogs for a walk in the park at the back of my house and once I was quite happily weeding when suddenly the alsatian being walked decided to go to the toilet - which shot through the hedge and onto my hands. There was also enough dog faeces in this children's play area to fill a large bin bag.

Shall dogs therefore be considered to be adversely affecting MY environment, therefore let's do away with dogs or keep them confined to one house?

It's daft coming down on one animal / its owners when every breed of animal going has irresponsible and responsible owners. And responsible doesn't necessarily mean confining it to one house & garden.

MooseRacer

Absolutely no problem with that at all - as long as no harm is done to the animal in the process.

Can you return my cat now?

Jye

Good, were getting somewhere now

K9VYN

how do you think they wouldn't survive (they'd more likely survive than you or i would) - if they hadn't survided in the wild then surely we could not have domesticated them????

my point is... ferral/wild cats still...

crap in gardens
kill indigenous wildlife
damage property
etc etc etc

regardless of whether a cat is wild or a pet, the same will always occur. so as an irresponsible owner, i could take the decision to let my cats go free somewhere. that wouldn't stop them being the pain they are to the likes of Olly K and ajm would it?

TelBoy

Would that still be the case if there weren't a huge supply of "domesticated" cats to help swell their ranks? And would they necessarily encroach so closely upon urban life, as per foxes? I've never seen a wild cat in my area, ever.

MooseRacer

LMAO

OllyK

And I abhore dog owners that do not clean up their dog's mess. One of the cut throughs we use to walk our dog frequently has numerous piles lying about. At least with dog mess you can report it to the council, and they will do something about it. Also a dog crapping is usually accompanied by an owner which makes it easier to identify and prosecute.

Complaining to the council that a black and white moggie crapped in my garden won't get you far when there are half a dozen of them running around the area, likewise you can't identify it sufficiently to go and take the issue up with the owner either.

ajm

LOL!

So if you are happy to accept responsibility for the cat's actions, how come you voted no?

imlach

I'm quite happy for neighbours to use non-destructive methods to scare our cat away from their gardens if need be - ie, hosing it with water, etc.

Hopefully, if they are "trainable", it should soon associate that garden with somewhere it shouldn't be going into.....

Nick

What's not right exactly?

When I planned to get a cat I decided to try to keep her as an indoor cat. I purposely chose a breed (British Shorthair) which is more likely to be happy indoors. The reason for this was that the previous owners had lost 3 cats on the road near the house & the neighbours had also lost their cat. We live in the country, but the road has high hedges & high amounts of traffic at rush hour times with about zero at other times. We live in a large converted barn & there is someone at home almost all the time. Marmite has defined playtimes twice a day after which she has to find several high food-value treats that are then hidden around the house. She has places where she can hide (from visitors with children) & many windows where she can watch birds, including one large window with 2 bird feeders outside. She has several sleeping sites, including some radiator beds & a little tray upstairs & downstairs in quiet areas. Almost every room has a scratch post near the door & she has an activity center at the top of the stairs & in front of the window with the bird feeders. She is not overweight & I give her the best life I can.

CraigH

Not read the whole lot, but theres a big difference between legal responsiblities of dog owners compared to cat owners.
There are laws governing dogs because they can and have killed people/children, or attack and cause sever injuries Plus they cr4p ANYWHERE they like, pavements, playing fields, pretty much anywhere the children can walk/play and therefore potentially transmit diseases.

Cats kill small animals and generally go where they like. They tend to mark and roam more often if they're not speyed/neutered. If they do cr4p at least they bury it. And I've not heard of a domestic cat attacking a human in the street and causing death

OllyK

So you let the cat catch its own food, it wanders about outside most of the time, what's the point in having a "pet" like that. Why not buy a bird feeder and claim the local birds as your pets and help them rather than supporting something that kills them

Jye

From the RSPCA's website. By this definition I am the perfect cat owner

What do cats need?

* Companionship - to be with other cats or people for at least part of the day.
* A balanced diet - make sure there are no bones in your cat's food.
* A constant supply of fresh, clean water.
* A garden or safe place to play and exercise every day, away from busy roads.
* Somewhere warm and cosy to sleep.
* To be brushed regularly, particularly when shedding their coats. Long-haired cats need to be brushed every day.
* A scratching post.
* Help to clean their teeth. You can brush or rub their teeth with special toothpaste. They also need to have their teeth checked regularly by the vet.
* To come and go as they please - a cat flap is ideal.
* To be trained to use a litter tray.
* To be microchipped in case they get lost.
* To be neutered at an early age.
* To be taken to a vet if they are ill or injured.
* Injections to prevent certain serious diseases.
* Worming and regular flea treatments.
* To be looked after when you are away on holiday

MooseRacer

Better entertainment than dealing with fecked firmware on FastT's

juan

I can see why you want to keep a cat indoors but everything you have provided you have had to provide as you have denied her access to these things in her natural habitat outside. Not having a personal dig. Thats just how I see it.

CraigH

Why? Cat's have a memory span of about 2 weeks, so they'd forget what outdoors was anyway They can be perfectly happy kept indoors - as long as the house is big enough.

TelBoy

Halle-fookin-lujah!!

Jye

Why would they want to hang about with the likes of you?

Seriously, they breed like em, cats Just one un-spayed female cat can produce three litters of kittens per year, with an average of five kittens per litter. These kittens can continue the cycle almost immediately. They dont need domestic cats, most of which are probably (or should be) neutered anyhow.

juan

cool. so am I

Oatcake

Juan,

please accept my apologies, I have edited the offending post.

oatcake

juan

No probs mate

Jye

Of course they do Tel, the all start out as kittens m8. And they need to use litter trays if they become ill or housebound or elderly. Just as well you dont have a cat Tel, you're clueless

weapon69

Wow, i agree with OllyK for once........

juan

If we did that would you insist we kept them on leads?

TelBoy

LOL, and i've never had one, have i??

Jye

But you voted YES in the poll W69, you bl@@dy well should agree with him, it's his poll

Jye

Awww, Telboy as cute ickle cat owner. Nice