Cats

[NightAngel]

Here's a topic that could get heated for you- cats. Yes, fuzzy, cuddly cats.

I like cats overall.

It's the cat owners I don't like much.

Why?

Because cats are animals- just like dogs. In my opinion cats should be collared and leashed- just like dogs. I don't want your cat in my yard, on or in my car, at my door, at my window taunting my dog, under my car hissing and swiping at my legs, etc.

And I HATE cat smell- that nasty spray odor. I do not want that anywhere near anything I own.

Basically, I don't let my dog out to run rampant- my dog is leashed. I do not expect anyone to want to know the joys of my dog.
Do not expect me to want to know the joys of your cat. If I wanted the joy of being around a cat- I'd own a freakin' cat.

Cat owners seem to think that we all are going to be thrilled at having their cat/s around.

[Seshat]

Around here, the councils and the RSPCA are starting to encourage people to either put up cat-proof fencing, or put up cat cages. Basically, the fencing is a type that the cats can't get out of - thus confining our cats to our yard. The cages are simply enclosed 'play areas' for the cats.

We have a covered patio - we just need to save up enough to put doors in, and then we've got a giant cat cage.

[Amethyst Hunter]

My cats always have been and will be 1) fixed, and 2) strictly indoors pets. This is as much for their protection as it is for others' - it's statistically proven that altered, indoor cats live much longer and healthier lives than those allowed to roam outdoors and 'sow their oats' (the latter leading to the pet overpopulation problem and results in too many animals being killed because no one can or will adopt them ;_; ). While I like seeing cats, I feel sad seeing them wandering freely outside, because of all the nasty things that could happen to them.

Part of that 'letting cats roam' mentality comes from the stereotyped image of cats as aloof and independent, so a lot of people - especially those raised in a farmlike environment - still tend to think that cats don't need the same considerations as a pet like a dog would. That misconception simply isn't true.

[AFPheonix]

My cats at the farm are a half-mile away from my closest neighbor, and they don't tend to wander far afield. Since most of them were ferals and living in the barn when we moved in, we've let them stay in the barn if they wished or come inside the house if they wished. Now, the neighbors goddamn dogs that come over and shit all over everything....that's another story.

I can totally see where in the city it's a whole 'nuther thing, though. I live in an apartment complex, and some of the neighbors let their cats go about as they please, and I've had a few cheeky ones come into my apartment if my door's open! That, and the yowling catfights in the middle of the night aren't so cool, either.

[Lace Neil Singer]

My cat tends to stick to my parents' house, the front bit, the neighbour's garden, and sometimes to the people over the road to beat up their tomcat. She likes to roam free, keeping her shut in the house would be cruelty of the first order. One neighbour understands that; they in fact like her a lot. The other, "Victor Meldrew" spends far too much time bitching about her being there. Then again, he bitches about everything and anything. The cat is just another thing on the list.

I don't like the idea of leashing cats; they're not meant to be collared and leashed anyway. If you object to my cat entering your garden, then feel free to put bramble sprays on your flowerbed or citrus candles about; they'll deter her, no problem. I don't particularly like the sound of your children shrieking in your garden, or your dog barking at night, but this kind of thing is all part of being neighbours and living at close proximity with other human beings. Live with it, or live out in the sticks somewhere.

[NightAngel]

I could just as easily say that dogs weren't meant to be collared/leashed and are meant to run free.

Why should I have to spend extra money on candles and things to keep your cat out? You don't have to install extra things to keep my dog out. And really, how much money would you be willing to spend on that? I'm not particularly willing to spend a dime on it.
I shouldn't have to.

I used to have a neighbor that would get insanely angry at me because every time her cat decided to hang out on my property I'd spray it with a water gun. Didn't hurt the cat and I already owned the water gun. LOL

[Greenday]

I used to have a neighbor that would get insanely angry at me because every time her cat decided to hang out on my property I'd spray it with a water gun. Didn't hurt the cat and I already owned the water gun. LOL

That's an awesome idea! I should start doing that to my neighbors cat who is always on my property and sits there, taunting my dog.

[rahmota]

Since I live in a rural area I'll go with AFP on this one. Most of my cats are ferals. Live in the barn and unless one of them gets in my way or directly gets my attention somehow (like the one that died in the barn by chewing through a light cord or the one friendly one that will let you pet her if she decides to do so) they are ignored. most of these are like fifteenth cat generations later having been a farm for so long this place just kinda raised them And no we dont have an overpopulation problem as there are skunks, foxes, coyotes, dogs, hawks and all sorts of other population limiters on them around here. That circle of life thing you know?

I have had one somewhat pampered clipped king in my trailer before he went nuts and pushed through the screen door (not opened the door went through the screen) to go and try and find his former owner ,my friend in the Navy. Hope the stupid fark can swim. And the wife(2) has 2 young clipped ones in her trailer she kinda dotes on. But nothing stupid as she grew up a good farm girl herself.

Being out in the country I dont have too many roaming pets coming around much.

I don't like the idea of leashing cats;

Actually I find it rather quite humorous. the one time we tried to leash a cat he went into a death roll worthy of a gator, flipped and went crazy insane. then he finally just stopped moving and laid there. We thought he was dead but nope he was just playing possum. made a cute drag toy briefly as he refused to walk. When we finally turned him loose the little piikker scratched and bit me for gratitude.

And yeah I could say leashing a dog is unnatural as they are descended from wolves and the spirit of wolf is strong in many of them. Spirit of wolf is a good thing showing much honor and strength. (To quote a native american friend of mine)

I personally like dogs more having a kennel and all. Dogs are more loyal, more trainable, more personable and generally just better pets. IMO. Cats aside from that whole hunting vermin thing are about useless and if they dont hunt vermin they are useless and dont need to be around on the farm.

Should have told the neighbor that a water gun is a lot better than a bb gun and then showed him the difference the next time the creature got into you yard.

[Seshat]

Actually I find it rather quite humorous. the one time we tried to leash a cat he went into a death roll worthy of a gator, flipped and went crazy insane. then he finally just stopped moving and laid there.

Both our cats tolerate leashes. Our white cat thinks we're nuts, our grey and white just sees it as another incomprehensible human thing.

Both cats will 'sit' or 'give me five' for suitable treats - mince for the grey, cheese or dog treats for the white - and the white is amenable to more complex training. I just have to keep the training up. Hard to do with the dog sitting and giving me puppy eyes saying 'I'm being good, can I have the treat?

Cats can be trained to accept confinement, do simple tricks, and behave nicely for the vet*. Our method is to encourage behaviours we want, providing reward and attention for good kitties. Harmless behaviours we don't want get ignored or pointedly ignored, and harm-causing behaviours get distracted, discouraged or (rarely) punished with something harmless like a water gun. (Some of our furniture is currently wearing aluminium foil. The white boy won't scratch that.)

* unless they have an outright phobia of the vet, which our grey does.

[AFPheonix]

Two of my barn cats aren't really feral anymore (they discovered the joys of lunchmeat and scritches), and the other one will find you and pester you to get petted if there aren't any of the dogs around. If I did have any of them in the apartment with me I probably wouldn't let them out.

[Boozy]

Most of my experience with cats is also with the feral/barn variety. But I did live in town with my mom for a few years, and this story still upsets me today:

My mother had just bought herself a finch feeder for the backyard and filled it with seed. She was very excited about all these cute little yellow finches that started coming around after a few days. She'd sit out on her deck every evening and enjoy watching them.

Then a clearly well-fed house cat, whose owners evidently allowed it to roam the neighbourhood, had started sitting in the bushes beside her feeder and was leaping at the birds.

I was the one who eventually saw the cat actually catch and eat one, and I was furious.

We tried everything to keep this cat out of the backyard, but nothing worked, and we couldn't watch the feeder all day. So my mom had to remove the feeder, or continue watching her beloved finches get eaten.

She's also had neighbourhood cats destroy part of her fence, dig in her garden, and leave paw prints all over her car.

Cats should be inside or on leashes.

[rahmota]

Hmm Seshat I dont know about that. My experiences with attempting to train cats to do anythign has not been the most productive.

Boozy: sorry to hear about that. Thats one of those times a BB or airsoft gun could be an effective traning tool as well as highly entertaining.

[protege]

Hmm Seshat I dont know about that. My experiences with attempting to train cats to do anythign has not been the most productive.

I had mine trained. He knew he could only sit on the couch...was if the protective sheet was in place. He knew that if he wanted to hide downstairs...that he had to go through the kitty door.

[AFPheonix]

Hmm Seshat I dont know about that. My experiences with attempting to train cats to do anythign has not been the most productive.

Boozy: sorry to hear about that. Thats one of those times a BB or airsoft gun could be an effective traning tool as well as highly entertaining.

Electric fences and kitties are pretty amusing, too. My neighbor, when we lived more in the 'burbs, had a fish pond and had to have an electric fence around it to keep out the herons and raccoons. My cat came over one day to see if she could get herself a fishy, but right about when she was about to pounce, she flicked her tail a little to vigorously, hit the electric fence, jumped out into the middle of the pond in suprise, and on her way out she hit the fence again. Poor, bedraggled, pissed off kitty! My neighbor rather liked her coming over, though, she was an expert at catching moles. Much more effective than him sitting next to a fresh molehill in a lawn chair with a shotgun across his knees....

[Seshat]

Hmm Seshat I dont know about that. My experiences with attempting to train cats to do anythign has not been the most productive.

You have to be more patient than with dogs, and provide a positive reinforcement that the cat is willing to work for. And they're a lot less patient than dogs, too, and don't have the eagerness to please.

But I've proven to my own satisfaction that it can be done.