Cats in other people's gardens

PCros

cianer wrote: »

I don't have a front garden, only a back one and it's 6ft all the way around the half acre I have.

But if you did you can understand where I'm coming from.

cianer

PCros wrote: »

But if you did you can understand where I'm coming from.

To be honest I havent a notion what a front garden as to do with anything

PCros

cianer wrote: »

To be honest I havent a notion what a front garden as to do with anything

Dogs peeing and ****ting in it? The majority of front gardens have gates and a wall thats about 3 foot tall, easy for dogs to get in.

Simples.

enda1

PCros wrote: »

Dogs peeing and ****ting in it? The majority of front gardens have gates and a wall thats about 3 foot tall, easy for dogs to get in.

Simples.

Yes. Dogs and cats shouldn't piss or shit on other people's property.

Now that the air has been cleared...

Do you believe cats should be allowed roam. And if so should I be allowed law poison for one as per the act you mentioned?

Paul91

paddyland wrote: »

You can train a dog. You can't train a cat. Two entirely different scenarios. The vast majority of cats roam at will and cause no trouble whatsoever. The OP has a particular situation with a neighbour which is thankfully not too regular. However he has managed to incite a thread full of anger and hatred. Honestly, you want to get over yourselves, there are serious issues in this country with regard to the behaviour of humans. A few cats are generally no harm at all.

OK

1) I don't hate cats, we had one at home when i was in my teenage years, he used to roam and kill the neighbours fish - not sure if the neighbour was too fond of him

2) You can train a cat

3) There are issues with humans, that doesn't mean that animals and their welfare should be ignored

4) I wonder what the stats are on cats causing road accidents (and yes dogs can cause them too, but the overriding factor i pick up from this thread is that cat owners belive their animals should be allowed to roam, where as the dog owners understand they have a responsability to keep their dogs under control - on the thread at least)

Did you know "Cats eyes" in the middle of the road where developed from the fact the inventor nearly hit a cat and only the fact his headlights reflected off the cats eyes that the cat was saved? http://wapedia.mobi/en/Cat's_eye_(road)


http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ufaw/aw/2004/00000013/00000001/art00008

Six veterinary practices participated in a study of cats involved in road accidents. Of 127 cats, 93 survived, of which 58 had moderate to very severe injuries. The mean period of hospitalisation was five days and the mean length of veterinary treatment was 23 days. The cost of treatment was less than £400 for 84% of cats. Owners of 51 surviving cats completed questionnaires within three to five months of the accident. The mean time it took for their cats to recover was 47 days (n = 41; range 1-150 days). Eight cats had not recovered within five months, four of which had had a limb amputated. The severity of the cats' injuries correlated positively with the cost of treatment, length of hospitalisation and treatment, and time to recovery (rs ≥ 0.69, P < 0.001). Behavioural changes were noted in 34 cats; 23 were described as being more nervous, going outdoors less, or being more fearful of cars, roads or going outdoors. Half of the owners treated their cat differently: 17 restricted the time their cat spent outdoors and 11 worried more about their cat. The effects of the accident on the owner's emotions and finances were measured using a scale from 1 (minimum) to 7 (maximum). Most owners registered a score of 5, 6 or 7 for effect on emotions and 1, 2 or 4 for effect on finances; the scores were not correlated. Road accidents are an important cause of poor welfare in cats and their owners.

cianer

PCros wrote: »

Dogs peeing and ****ting in it? The majority of front gardens have gates and a wall thats about 3 foot tall, easy for dogs to get in.

Simples.

Any animal that's not mine that $hits in my garden, regardless of species drives me nuts. I go around like a bag lady with my baggies of poo, so it drives me up the wall when others dont pick up after their animal, ANY animal.

And what started the post was not a cat $hitting in my garden but seeing a cat that shouldnt have been there getting attacked and the fact that it left me rattling for hours. If the neighbour was as responsible about her cat not getting out as I am for my dogs not getting out then we all (me and the cat) could have been spared.

PCros

enda1 wrote: »

Yes. Dogs and cats shouldn't piss or shit on other people's property.

Now that the air has been cleared...

Do you believe cats should be allowed roam. And if so should I be allowed law poison for one as per the act you mentioned?

Cats should be properly litter trained therefore not needing the neighbours lovely new flowers as arse-roll and also people need to stop over reacting if a cat walks throught their back garden without going to the loo.

IF the cat is a constant offender then the proper authorities should be notified to take the cat away and pay a fine for the cat to be released. But you should not play God and go and kill the animal.

I would like to add that it should be mandatory for cat owners to have a litter tray/box therefore the owner is showing the incentive that they want their cat to use it if they let their cats out.

Graces7

I once lived where we were told not to feed the birds because they messed on cars etc.

We get rabbit droppings etc here too and badger scat.

We are getting maybe far too .... cannot find the word.

And clearly your garden is part of the cat's territory; onus on you to protect?

If I were American I might say, get over it. But I'm not, but I said it anyways.

cianer wrote: »

Any animal that's not mine that $hits in my garden, regardless of species drives me nuts. I go around like a bag lady with my baggies of poo, so it drives me up the wall when others dont pick up after their animal, ANY animal.

And what started the post was not a cat $hitting in my garden but seeing a cat that shouldnt have been there getting attacked and the fact that it left me rattling for hours. If the neighbour was as responsible about her cat not getting out as I am for my dogs not getting out then we all (me and the cat) could have been spared.

sambuka41

I think a lot of posters are being unrealistic in their expectations!!! Cat owners are not miracle workers! I have said already in this thread that i would love to keep my guy indoors but i cannot undo generations of instinct in a few weeks, i would if i could. Is it not better to have a cat looked after and neutered rather than have left him as a stray just so i could get a kitten young enough to be kept indoors??? So its a good thing to rescue a dog but not a cat??

I have 4 family dogs so im not on either side of the debate but it IS OK to like both cats and dogs!!! I dont understand the cat hatred on a forum where i would have thought people had respect for animals but this has really shocked me :eek: people have been discussing the legality of KILLING someones pet on a forum for animals!!!!!!!!!:eek:

Yes cats kill wildlife (they've been doing it for ever,why is it a problem now?) Yes they wander into ppl gardens and i do have sympathy for OP i dont know how many times i've had to stop my dogs fighting with another dog while walking,it can be very upsetting. BUT they are animals cats/dogs whatever! Its just part of what they do.

I think cats/dogs, cat owners and dog owners just have to try a bit harder to live together, we are all in the same boat. Both have pets that we love and dont want to see hurt.

Paul91

the original question was

Why do cat owners think they have no responsible for their animal's actions?

and the answer seems to be, cats are semi wild animals and therefore not the responsibility of the owners

star-pants

OK-- just to point out -- this thread was started because the OP has 6 dogs and a cat keeps coming into her garden, soiling etc.

People shouldn't *have* to put up with cats coming in pooping and leaving, for many reasons.
Also if the cat got attacked by her dogs, you'd be damned sure someone (possibly the neighbours) would give out, even though it's the cats fault as the dogs are contained.

We all know that a lot of cats roam around and there's not much we can do, there are a lot of responsible cat owners -- oh and just because a cat owner has a litter tray does not mean the cat will only go there and nowhere else.
Some cats can be trained yes, some cats can be also trained to be indoor cats. Not all of them.

I don't own a cat, I have two dogs. I don't allow them into other peoples gardens, and I always clean up after me. I can understand how people get a bit annoyed when cats or other dogs come into your garden and poop.

So let's try and keep this thread on topic please.

Paul91

paddyland wrote: »

You can train a dog. You can't train a cat.

At mealtime, Roxy rings a desk bell. Lucy and Ethel come running, and everybody gets fed. Roxy isn’t Lucy's and Ethel’s owner, although she probably thinks of the two dogs as her servants. Roxy is a Devon Rex cat, and on command she comes when called, runs through a tunnel, jumps over a child lying on the floor, gives a high five, and sits and stays, even when she hears treats being thrown down the hall.
Roxy’s not unique. With the right motivation, cats are highly trainable. You can even teach a cat to go for walks on leash, although you can expect that your cat will be choosing the route, not you.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20841270/ns/health-pet_health/

Graces7

Amen....I have to admit here that searching for thing on feral cats i came across an old thread on the hunting forum and was nearly sick.

We have two dogs and two cats and never can they meet. One dog is fine but the collie! oh my! So we work around that and all live peacably.

And safely.

And we love them all.

Maybe as a nation we have just got too far from dealing with natural processes?

sambuka41 wrote: »

I think a lot of posters are being unrealistic in their expectations!!! Cat owners are not miracle workers! I have said already in this thread that i would love to keep my guy indoors but i cannot undo generations of instinct in a few weeks, i would if i could. Is it not better to have a cat looked after and neutered rather than have left him as a stray just so i could get a kitten young enough to be kept indoors??? So its a good thing to rescue a dog but not a cat??

I have 4 family dogs so im not on either side of the debate but it IS OK to like both cats and dogs!!! I dont understand the cat hatred on a forum where i would have thought people had respect for animals but this has really shocked me :eek: people have been discussing the legality of KILLING someones pet on a forum for animals!!!!!!!!!:eek:

Yes cats kill wildlife (they've been doing it for ever,why is it a problem now?) Yes they wander into ppl gardens and i do have sympathy for OP i dont know how many times i've had to stop my dogs fighting with another dog while walking,it can be very upsetting. BUT they are animals cats/dogs whatever! Its just part of what they do.

I think cats/dogs, cat owners and dog owners just have to try a bit harder to live together, we are all in the same boat. Both have pets that we love and dont want to see hurt.

Graces7

But this is what cats do. And often the owner will not have any idea of the problem.

There surely has to be some give and take.
.

star-pants wrote: »

OK-- just to point out -- this thread was started because the OP has 6 dogs and a cat keeps coming into her garden, soiling etc.

People shouldn't *have* to put up with cats coming in pooping and leaving, for many reasons.
Also if the cat got attacked by her dogs, you'd be damned sure someone (possibly the neighbours) would give out, even though it's the cats fault as the dogs are contained.

We all know that a lot of cats roam around and there's not much we can do, there are a lot of responsible cat owners -- oh and just because a cat owner has a litter tray does not mean the cat will only go there and nowhere else.
Some cats can be trained yes, some cats can be also trained to be indoor cats. Not all of them.

I don't own a cat, I have two dogs. I don't allow them into other peoples gardens, and I always clean up after me. I can understand how people get a bit annoyed when cats or other dogs come into your garden and poop.

So let's try and keep this thread on topic please.

paddyland

We will have to agree to disagree here. I seriously don't believe you can train cats to be indoor cats, if it is not in their nature. Some cats are happily indoor cats, some are not, and never will be. I believe it is cruel to impose an indoor lifestyle on a cat who simply will not accept it.

There are thousands of housing estates all over Ireland, with a few cats poking around in each. A sum total of hundreds of thousands, maybe even a million cats, I don't know. Of course in that number there will be a few cats causing a nuisance. In particular instances, maybe they need to be put down, I am talking about extreme cases. But by and large, the vast majority seem to poke around without getting in anyone's way.

Now perhaps you are advocating that 'somebody' should be going round in a van catching them all and sending them to the pussy gas chamber. If so we will have to disagree. But in many cases the owners cannot force their cats to remain indoors. Of course some owners couldn't care less, and there are as many cases of careless dog owners too. How many dogs in the country are cooped up in yards, howling from morning to night? But in the majority of cases, cats are simply not causing any problems at all. You cannot let a few cases here and there blacken the whole thing. That would be totally unreasonable. And expecting every cat in the country to remain cooped up indoors is unreasonable too. It is simply not on.

I get great pleasure when I am out walking, when a pussycat comes out to greet me. It is a totally natural and harmless thing. Only in very rare cases do they cause a problem. I really think this is a non-thread. A thread is merited where a particular cat is causing a problem, and a question is put as to how it might be dealt with. But a generalised 'all cats are a nuisance' thread is going nowhere, and only serves those with misplaced anger issues.

I have two cats. One sits in most of the day, happy to be snug and warm. The other marauds outdoors, but he doesn't go far, and spends most of that time mooching in woods near where I live. I could not under any circumstances keep him in. Even in freezing cold, hurricane, or pouring rain, he has to be out. It's what he wants. He seems to have no nerve endings! It would be wrong to coop him up. He would have to be put down. And what would be the point of that? He is a lovely cat, and harms nobody. There is too much anger in this thread, and I would imagine it stems from other issues in people's lives. By and large, cats cause very little problem.

sogg

I just moved house there in May and couldn't figure out why, despite all my cleaning, the room always smelled so bad! So I kept leaving the window open twice as much to air it out....and eventually came up to find a disgusting ginger cat in there!! yuck! hate the yokes - and can't open my (upstairs!) bedroom window anymore in case he gets back in! Have no idea who owns him but he's always sneaking round the house....would definately speed up if I spotted him in the middle of the road!!

Paul91

paddyland wrote: »

Now perhaps you are advocating that 'somebody' should be going round in a van catching them all and sending them to the pussy gas chamber. If so we will have to disagree.

not advocating any animal should be put down unless sick/injured - i recently rescued a kitten found in my car engine - took it in - fed it - would have kept it but my boxador wasn't keen to say the least, so i found him a home (6 doors away) and he's happy as larry (well his names mondeo) with the two dogs there - little rascal even taunts my two as we walk past every morning and evening

paddyland wrote: »

You cannot let a few cases here and there blacken the whole thing. That would be totally unreasonable.

I know a little OT - but what would be your standpoint on the dogs on the restriced breeds list having to be muzzled and on lead at all times in the public environment because of a "few cases" ? (this sounds argumentative, it's not meant to be, more thought provoking to understand the hoops dog owners go through to keep animals as opposed cat owners)

star-pants

I think ye are all taking this too far, the OP was simply asking a question and venting her annoyance at having to deal with a neighbours cat, (as I said a lot of people would blame her if her dogs attacked the cat even though the cat went into her garden).

I'm certainly not advocating doing anything harmful to cats, so I hope you aren't suggesting I was, I'd be fairly ticked off.
I like cats as much as the next person, but I also understand how some people don't want them pooping in their back garden.

And as for training cats, you can train cats - ask The Sweeper, or many other posters who have trained their cats to do things. You can also create a world for them in your backgarden without having them get out.

To some people cats are really annoying, to some people dogs are really annoying, they're entitled to their opinions once they're not out to hurt an animal.
And there's no harm in discussing ways to try and deter cats or dogs from getting into your garden.

paddyland

Paul91 wrote: »

I know a little OT - but what would be your standpoint on the dogs on the restriced breeds list having to be muzzled and on lead at all times in the public environment because of a "few cases" ? (this sounds argumentative, it's not meant to be, more thought provoking to understand the hoops dog owners go through to keep animals as opposed cat owners)

I'm with you here. It is cruel to muzzle a dog who does not merit it. However the issue is with humans, not dogs. On two points. First, a human looking at a 'dangerous' breed has no idea if the dog will be a danger to him or her, or if it is a docile, well trained individual. Remember, if the dog is ill trained, it may well be a serious danger, but that is the fault of the owner, not the dog. Secondly, the decision about whether a dog is dangerous or not is a human decision. I do believe it is difficult to judge some breeds. There are many dogs who were very trustworthy until the day they bit somebody!

On balance so, there is a need for muzzles, because the human element cannot be trusted. That is not fair to you as a responsible owner, but there you have it, the world we live in, etc. Also, the instinct of a dog is to obey it's owner, but not necessarily anyone else, who may well be below it in the 'pecking' order of the 'pack.' A wholly different state of affairs to how a cat's brain works.

As a dog owner, you do carry an awful lot more responsibility than a cat owner. Everything is relative. If you want the easy life, get a goldfish. Or don't have a pet at all. I cannot give the commitment a dog needs. I can manage a cat, and I got two as I hate to see one animal alone. They are fed, wormed, spayed, litter trained, and everything I can do for them. That does not extend to cooping up one cat who refuses to be so. I am happy with that.

Paul91

paddyland wrote: »

If you want the easy life, get a goldfish. Or don't have a pet at all.

we also got 9 goldfish, and let me tell ya the 240lt tank ain't that easy to maintain - ha

also 2 lion head rabbits - to be honest they're probably easier than the goldfish

T-Square

cianer wrote: »

cats can also attack people

gonna have to call bs on your post

star-pants

T-Square wrote: »

gonna have to call bs on your post

How is that a helpful post?
are you saying no cat has ever attacked someone?
It happens, with feral cats, it can happen with regular cats, if you tick a cat off/it gets a fright or whatever, they might scratch/bite you out of instinct.

T-Square

Paul91 wrote: »

cats do attack livestock and people

Hey lookout cow! that cat looks darn angry and he's headin straight for you!

Gonna have to call bs on your post too.
livestock = cows, goats

seamus

T-Square wrote: »

gonna have to call bs on your post

No, it's true:

T-Square

cianer wrote: »

I don't have a front garden, only a back one and it's 6ft all the way around the half acre I have.

Only 6ft?

sure you may as well put up a sign, inviting cats to come on over, and fool with your dawgs.

6ft is ~nuthin~ to a cat

If you want to stop cats, you need to think 10ft or electrified 8ft

Paul91

T-Square wrote: »

Hey lookout cow! that cat looks darn angry and he's headin straight for you!

Gonna have to call bs on your post too.
livestock = cows, goats

if you read the postings in here you would have noted cats attacking and killing chickens = livestock

but i did say if

T-Square

enda1 wrote: »

Yes. Dogs and cats shouldn't piss or shit on other people's property.

Where should cats do their business?

The whole "house" cat thing, that's the minority.

Most people have cats that come and go as the cat pleases.

Cats are generally smart enough to use a human toilet when pressed,
but when out and about cats can use the coin operated toilets,

COS CATS DON'T HAVE ANY FOOKIN POCKETS!

Paul91

T-Square wrote: »

Only 6ft?

sure you may as well put up a sign, inviting cats to come on over, and fool with your dawgs.

6ft is ~nuthin~ to a cat

If you want to stop cats, you need to think 10ft or electrified 8ft

try again - got a 10ft wall and seen cats on it - next?

seamus

T-Square wrote: »

If you want to stop cats, you need to think 10ft or electrified 8ft

Any agile young cat would easily scale a ten foot block wall or wooden fence. I've seen a cat scale the side of a two-storey house and get onto the roof.

The point is that people shouldn't *have* to try and keep cats out. If dogs were constantly running in and destroying your garden, you'd go to the owners about it.

T-Square

seamus wrote: »

No, it's true:

The kid was askin for it! :cool: