AIBU to think cats should not roam unsupervised like dogs?

The most insanely judgemental thread.
😆

It’s not that people don’t care, it’s that they accept these as normal levels of risk.

Same with letting children take risks. Of course it’s ‘safer’ to wrap them in bubble wrap and never let them out of your sight. But it’s a mad way to live.

Well I don’t really know what I can do. We rescued her from a farm when she was about 3 months old so she was used to being outside, we kept her in for about 8 months as I really wanted her to be a house cat (mostly due to road safety tbh) but despite me WFH and her getting lots of engagement in the house she was so unhappy, she desperately wanted to get out, she tried at every opportunity.

When we finally let her out she was a changed cat. Honestly it just felt cruel keeping her in. She has a collar with a big bell, she doesn’t go out until long after dawn and she’s not usually out at dusk (she will be more so in summer of course). But she does hunt. It’s not ideal but I’m not going to pretend I lose sleep over it.

Oh ffs. Have you ever owned a cat and/or a dog, OP? If not, kindly go away and delete this thread as it’s a load of bullshit.

Cats and dogs are completely different animals as pp have said. Cats are independent and can’t be trained in the same way dogs can. They like to wander off on their own and not always be around people, whereas dogs would prefer never to leave their owner’s side for the rest of their life, which means they don’t mind being walked.

Yes, SOME cats can kill wildlife. But as pp have said, that’s what happens in the animal world. Really not going to be het up about the odd pigeon or squirrel being killed by a cat. Australia is different as some of their species are endangered, which is why they have stopped cats from roaming in those areas. Fair enough.

As for cats themselves being injured outside, well yes I suppose it’s a possibility, the same way you could be knocked down by a bus tomorrow. But are you never going to go out just in case that happens? Of course not. FYI I had 2 cats that went outdoors (in London) and lived to 17 and 18 years old. HTH.

Cats are allowed to roam as they are less likely to hurt humans. Dogs have injured and killed people so they are considered differently under English law. Roaming rules are not about animal welfare.
But you legally have to stop and report if you hit someone's dog while driving. Not so for cats.

Cat-proofing a garden is just giving them a bigger cage.

Don't post bollocks if you don't want to get pulled up on it.

I’d say about 10% of all the posts on our local social media is “dead cat by this road” or “my cat’s not been home for days, have you seen it?” I question people letting them wander and then being furious when they get run over or disappear, you’ve surely only got yourself to blame if you let them run free…

My cat is allowed to roam (as all cats should be) and has a cat flap so can come and go. She rarely goes further than our patio because she is scared of the scores of foxes constantly invading our garden and pooing everywhere. I dont hear anyone proposing we put foxes on leads. Leave nature alone and let animals do what they need to do. Dogs are much more domesticated than cats are as a species (and much more dangerous, responsible for killing sheep, cattle, deer and humans, unlike cats).

Because those animals are not cats, and don't have the same needs as cats. What part of this isn't going in with you?

You know, my first experience of indoor-only cats was in the US. With a cat who was literally on Prozac. Are we okay with that? Cats needing actual medication for mental ill health?

Then don't keep a cat. Simple !

Cats hunt. It is their instinct. But it isn’t natural in the sense that they aren’t part of our native ecosystem.

The answer to that isn’t to continue keeping millions of cats inside. The answer is to reduce the number of cats. Licences? Mandatory neutering?

people are fighting hard to stop "managing" and treating big cats better. They might survive in cages, or their ridiculous enclosures, but it's very cruel.

Keeping guinea pigs, hamsters etc in small enclosures is very cruel too. You can't let them roam free, obviously, but enclosures too small should be banned.

Treating animals horribly is not an argument for locking cats inside.

Having cats and foxes who kill rats and prevent them from going to our houses is much better than poison.

Cats are huge predators of songbirds, particularly at night or when the birds are advertising their whereabouts during the dawn chorus. For that reason, cats should be kept in at night.

And are you just…ok with that? If my dog killed a bird I would be mortified, especially with the pressure that bird populations are under. Not to mention that I would be committing a criminal offence under the Wildlife and Country Act in knowingly allowing a protected species to be killed.

Both our cats and dog go off and roam in the evening. The dog comes back before midnight and the cats come in whenever they want to as they have a cat flap. 🤷🏻‍♀️

No. It’s because they have a massive effect on wildlife, killing native animals that are already highly threatened.

Cats hunt. But they don’t need to in order to survive. They get fed by humans. Which means natural laws of population balance don’t apply.

In wild populations, if a predator kills
too much of a prey species, food becomes scarce and the predator numbers die off, giving the prey species a chance to recover. If you artificially feed the predator (which is what happens with cats) the prey species never gets that chance to recover.

Introduced species are a huge threat the world over and cats are a big part in that. Native animals haven’t evolved a response and cats can have a huge impact on their numbers.

Australia recognises this and deals with it. If your cat is killed or hurt, then so be it - the bigger cause is trying to prevent the extinction of a range of native wildlife species, not protect one domestic individual. I’ve been to events and talks and things where cat owners all agree that if you are irresponsible and allow your cat to kill wildlife, shame on you. If your cat is harmed, that’s on you. You choose to own an animal that is capable of killing, then it’s on you to mitigate that.
Very different attitude to here.

Wildlife is killed here though. We just don’t seem to value our native wildlife as much as some other countries
do. We see it as common or boring I think. But we’re on a downward trend - there are around 73 million fewer birds flying around us in the UK than there were 50 years ago.
Cats aren’t responsible for all of that by any stretch. Habitat loss for example is massive. But cats play their part and it might be nice to acknowledge that.

Cats hunt. It is their instinct. But it isn’t natural in the sense that they aren’t part of our native ecosystem.

I think it is a conversation that needs to be had. Even if it doesn’t result in laws or similar, it needs to be something people are talking about, aware of and take seriously.

I was born early 70s, south wales (not rural) and dogs were let out on their own. There were a few that used to visit us in our street from around. Maybe not all but it seemed normal back then.

Shall I quote the vets in the paper AGAIN? Letting them roam is the opposite of neglect:

an indoor-only lifestyle may challenge reliably meeting all of a cat’s behavioural needs (eg, engagement in play, exploring, hunting, climbing and scratching), potentially inducing stress.13,14 While indoor-only living could effectively increase longevity, ensuring access to adequate environmental resources is essential to support normal feline behaviours.13,15