To worry about cat haters hurting my cat?

[FlowersAndShit]

Just been reading an awful article about the Croydon cat killer. I always worry that someone who doesn't like cats (there are a lot of them) may try to hurt my cat when he's outside, maybe whils he's wandering into their gardens. I worry about him being poisoned, or abused.

He has a litter tray which he uses but I can't guarantee that he isn't peeing/pooing in people's gardens, and I worry that some cat haters might hurt him. AIBU?

[acasualobserver]

He is probably more in danger of cars than deliberately malicious people.

[PaulAnkaTheDog]

He'll be fine. Must people don't kill cats, even if they're being little shits.

[Whatamuckingfuddle]

I don't like cats at all, but I would never hurt one. It takes an odd person to harm a defenceless animal. I wouldn't worry too much.

[FlyingElbows]

Can I ask you, and everyone else, to please make sure he's microchipped. I had the absolutely horrific experience of hitting a cat the other day. It was truly awful. It just shot straight out into the road under my car, there was nothing at all I could have done. It wasn't microchipped and it makes me really sad to think that there may be a family desperately waiting for it to come home. The vet suspected it was feral from its general condition but you never know.

[maisiejones]

I've never been brave enough to let any of my cats out to roam. They've always been cosseted safely indoors and been perfectly content. I figure what they've never had they never miss.

[murasaki]

I live in Croydon. and sadly the cats are inside from dusk, as this maniac doesn't seem to act in the day, so I don't mind so much. Poor SeniorOrange sits and miaows at the french windows at night, but no dice.

[limitedperiodonly]

My cat only ever goes out with me - it's a long story - and most people either ignore him or find him adorable. But walking him (always off lead and sometimes at a distance) means that I can see how people react to him. In the three years since I've had him, only three people have been nasty to him - and one of them was today. He regretted sticking his foot out when he realised my cat had his mum with him .

So try not to worry about the Croydon cat killer. People like that exist, and you get the odd goady fucker on cat poo threads here, but most people either ignore them or love them. You are doing more than most by having a litter tray to at least wrangle some of the cat shit. Traffic is the biggest worry and there's not much you can do about that if your cat is determined to get out and do whatever it is that cats do when we're not looking

[Zwellers]

Your cat wil be fine. I an not a cat fan but would never hurt one. Unfortunately there is some sickos out there but statistically speaking cars a bigger risk. However if it worry you that much keep it in then as least you are saving someone else the joy of shit in their garden. If only my neighbours would do same.

[VioletTea]

What limitedperiod said.

Try not to stress over it too much or fret about your cat. Most people aren't psychos and for every person who irrationally and vehemently hates cats, there's probably a hundred who love them!

[limitedperiodonly]

murasaki if I lived in Croydon I'd keep him in too. It's sickening. Most people aren't like that but where you live there is someone or perhaps a number of people.

[Cheby]

We moved away from a place v near Croydon 18 months ago. There have been cat killings where we used to live. If we were still there ours would be allowed out in the daytime only, even though they are miserable being kept in. I can not believe that they have not caught this bastard. It's been going on for so long and hundreds of animals have been killed and mutilated.

[murasaki]

LImited - I know, it is very worrying. he was a bit late back over the fence this evening, and it was getting dark and starting to rain, and I was getting stressed.

My fault, mind you, I fed him before he went out, so couldn't even stand in the garden waving a pouch around like a loon to attract him back. He just likes hanging with the bad cats on the block.

Junior cat never leaves the garden as she is a skittish thing who runs indoor when a cricket farts in the next postcode, so I worry less.

[ChocolateStash]

Microchip him

[Mouthfulofquiz]

I really don't like cats coming into my garden, I don't like them near me, and I certainly don't deny that finding or seeing them poo in my garden gives me immense rage... But I would never never hurt one. Ever. If I saw one hurt or injured I would help it. I think most normal people are the same. People who would actually hurt animals are few and far between surely?

[limitedperiodonly]

He just likes hanging with the bad cats on the block.

They do, don't they Funny how you never think it's your cat

[FlowersAndShit]

Thanks all, he is microchipped and has a collar with my address/number on it. I love him to pieces and would be devastated if anything bad happened to him. He doesn't go far, usually goes to the front of my flat and sits on the windowsil.

[limitedperiodonly]

Update: We were out just now and I was talking to a neighbour while the cat was mooching around. A bloke came up to us and said: 'Is that your cat?' I said yes, expecting him to say like everyone else does that he was really pretty (he is ). Instead he said: 'I hate cats. They're disgusting. I know God made them but they're disgusting.'

I thanked him for his input, while making a mental note of his description. He wandered off. So that's four in three years and definitely the most unhinged.

I still think the biggest danger is traffic though.

[Osolea]

I have a huge dislike of cats, but I'd never hurt one. I'm sure the vast majority of cat dislikers are the same, and would squirt with water but would never actually hurt.

[Frostycake]

You'd think that with all the CCTV available in Croydon and surrounding areas, they'd be able to find whoever's doing this. I doubt it's high on anyone's list of priorities however. Even PETA have only offered a £5,000 reward.

I keep mine in at night for safety reasons and always would.

I live in a semi-rural area but the city near me is full of evil people who do this kind of thing for fun.

Awful.

[ArmySal]

Bastard killing the cats.
With people keeping their cats in though birds and other creatures will have a better chance at a life, hey?

[Frostycake]

Indeed Army

[fluffiphlox]

I'm not a cat fan. Hate having to dispose of their crap in the garden and their destruction of bird life. In a previous house I bought a super soaker water pistol as in a close of 20 houses there were about 18 cats and our garden was the latrine of choice. You will be happy to learn that they took no notice whatsoever when said water pistol was deployed. I wish people would just keep them indoors.

[Verticalvenetianblinds]

I worry about our cats, we live in a rural small town, but they are so friendly and we live on a busy street, lots of footfall to pubs etc. They sit on the front wall and I lurk sometimes see them though the blinds, mostly people stop to stroke them but I worry! They were here before DC and I love them dearly, would protect them as fiercely as I do my DC!
Yanbu but travel hopefully, not everyone is a twat, only a very few, most people are nice!

[RaeSkywalker]

I don't like cats, at all.

However, I wouldn't hurt a cat, because I'm not an arsehole. I know that other people love their cats as much as I love my pets.

[RaeSkywalker]

... However I reserve the right to chase the flipping things away when they poo in my garden, stalk wild birds, and terrorise the pets we have in our garden.