Cats banned from going outside in Australia, could it happen here?

[JamBiscuitBun]

I'm interested to hear thoughts on this. Article here I can't ever see it working in the UK. I also remember Australian farmers having apocalyptic mice problems on some of their farms, so I'm not sure how this fits in with that. Though there are many people who'd love to never have the neighbour's cat pooing in their garden again. What d'you think?

The complete lack of ability to see the wider perspective is baffling here.

Do we need a new hashtag?
#notallcats
#maybesomecatsbutnotmine

Somebody's cats are out there, impregnating females, killing wildlife in epic numbers, pooping in neighbours' gardens, spraying territory (why not neuter?)

There seems to be a plague of completely irresponsible pet ownership.

Cats do absolutely fine indoors. You provide a litter box for them and dig it out frequently. Maybe get a cat tree for them to sit on. Play with them with cat toys. Give them affection. They will live a longer and healthier life indoors, where they are not exposed to traffic, parasites, or attack by other animals or feral children.

The complete lack of your thinking is baffling here, not everything is black and white. Not all cats adapt to living indoors.

Cats do absolutely fine indoors. You provide a litter box for them and dig it out frequently. Maybe get a cat tree for them to sit on. Play with them with cat toys. Give them affection. They will live a longer and healthier life indoors, where they are not exposed to traffic, parasites, or attack by other animals or feral children.

In my case my cat would be stuck in a one bedroom flat. I have no room for a cat tree. He's 18 so I think he's doing pretty well even if I am apparently an irresponsible cat owner to some people. Some cats would be absolutely miserable kept indoors. I know mine wouldn't be too happy and neither would most of the cats I know.

You have a complete lack of understanding. And absolutely no idea on cats.

Haha, because you know it all so well, Ms Cat Expert.

I know that some can't will not do well indoors and no amount of litter trays or cat trees will help. So yeah. I know more than the pp.

It’s funny how humans ‘think’ cats will be ‘happy’ indoors, although they have no experience of being a cat and what’s best for them.
Should we also lock humans in for the harm that they cause?

I always wonder how happy humans would be not able to leave their house. Plenty moaned about lockdowns. But it's ok if you're a cat apparently!

*Your argument here seems to be that since global warming, agricultural practices, and loss of habitat to development, one more major threat - cats do kill millions of birds annually after all, and ten cats prowling at any given time in any given neighbourhood are going to kill far more than the weakest; they're not doing the bird population a favour - isn't that big a deal.

And that is bunkum.*

Its not my argument - it is that of the RSPB and other experts.

You have not put forward a counter argument, as to why the RSPB is wrong to say cats are only killing the weaker birds.

Explain, with reference to some other reputable source why cats are harmful to bird populations in the UK?

My sisters cat is an indoor cat by her choice. She even put fencing up so he can't leave the garden. Her cat is overweight, always having health problems and never seems that happy as when he's outside, all he wants to do is jump up on to the fence but can't, so just stares at what's beyond the garden. He's clearly a cat who would be happy to naturally roam.
My sister always says how come my cats don't get ill? Well, it's because they are free to go outside, jump/run/walk to get the exercise they need, build up their immune system, and burn off their energy/weight.

Not all cats are "happy" indoors, so forcing it is cruel.

Actually research shows that cats generally benefit from outdoor access in the same way that people and dogs do - it increases physical activity and behavioural choice.

so some cats may do fine. But an indoor only lifestyle is certainly not generally good for cat welfare and many cats are negatively impacted by environmental restriction.

@FurAndFeathers if cats are looked after properly indoors with outdoor access via catios or cat proofed gardens , a cat wheel , climbing frames etc there isn’t a negative impact , the only thing they can’t do is hunt . In reality my dog would have his life enriched if I let him chase / kill cats , I don’t because it’s anti social . Statistically indoor cats live longer than outdoor cats so I don’t think it can be that bad for their welfare .

Wildlife can still get into to cat proofed garden. We thought about a catio but I didn’t want my garden to look like a cage so went for the cat proofing instead. I don’t encourage wildlife but anything that gets in takes its chances.

How many people would have the space or money for a cat wheel?

The anti cat replies on here are largely nonsense. I doubt most of the people going on about the welfare of birds are even vegetarians themselves, so they aren't in any position to preach about any sort of killing.

Fact is, cats give a lot of joy to a lot of people. Personally, I have never come across an aggressive cat unless they are approached unwillingly. Those type of cats are happy to go about their business and be left alone by humans other than those they live with. Cats, like dogs or other pets, can be a great companion to people who feel lonely and help people live through their mental health disorders such as depression. Pets can be a lifeline.

Just because you don't like cats, you have no right to deny someone else enjoying or even needing their cat for their own joy in life. I'm not a fan of dogs, I hate hearing the neighbours dog bark at 7.30am in the morning when it's let out, I hate standing in dog poo, but dogs give people joy like my cats give me joy. So it's really a live and let live situation. We'd all love to live in a world full of only the things we enjoy, but we don't. So we have to tolerate the things we don't like and try to understand its not all about "you" and your likes/dislikes. Live and let live.

@AllThingsServeTheBeam

I know that some can't will not do well indoors and no amount of litter trays or cat trees will help. So yeah. I know more than the pp.

I live in rural Australia. My indoor cat:

• Is safe from predators such as brown snakes (we saw one outside just outside the window today), wild dogs, dingoes, and other cats. My neighbour's cat was mauled to death by a dingo

• doesn't wander onto roads so is safe from cars

• has never been in a cat fight, so not suffered injuries from those

• doesn't pick up diseases from the outside environment

• has never had fleas or worms in 7 years.

I have a friend who has had 4 cats in a 10-year period. All but the last one have been run over by cars. To me, that is not responsible pet ownership. I love my cat and don't wish for her to die horribly.

It has to be all or nothing with you, eh?

If you keep your cat indoors and hate the thought of cats being run over, attacked by wild animals, dogs, other cats, cats picking up FIV from infected feral cats, cats picking up parasites from eating discarded food they find outside or infected wildlife, or injured (or worse) by the small section of the population who are psychopaths, you are anti cat?

Concern about millions of birds being killed every year is only valid if the person concerned is a vegan?

What nonsense.

Cat wheels are about £200 so not overly expensive .

You can let your cat out in a completely enclosed space, a catio, for instance.

Letting your cat loose to kill whatever it finds (or run into all the dangers that are out there for cats) is irresponsible and not in the best interests of the cat or small wildlife of the area.

Indoor cats generally enjoy a longer lifespan than outdoor cats, who are statistically more likely to be killed by cars or by vicious cat haters, to sustain broken bones, or pick up illnesses, parasites and fleas (requiring medications that are not completely benign), and even FIV.

I see PPs have said it already, but this rule affects only some council areas, and does not require cats to be kept indoors. Cats just need to stay on the property, same as dogs.

Having recently had to pick up the body of a poor little cat that had been killed by a car, go round looking for the owner, and eventually call the council because no-one claimed it, I think it makes sense, even leaving aside the problems of free-roaming cats for wildlife.

You can let your cat out in a completely enclosed space, a catio, for instance. yes you can if you think caged animals are a good thing. I personally wouldn’t choose to keep a cat in that set up. My cats are working animals like most cats in rural areas.

So to the ppl who think this is a good idea.
What will you do about wild foxes? Same predatory instincts, shit in gardens, get run over by cars, eat other species.
Should they be rounded up and kept in cages?

I've never understood that argument because it's basically "we can't solve everything so why solve anything?"

if you have 10 issues and you can solve 1 then you have 9 issues. If you can solve 2 then you have 8.

It doesn't make sense to say well, we can't remove all ten so why should we do anything at all?

It has to be all or nothing with you, eh?

Hello pot, meet kettle!

You can let your cat out in a completely enclosed space, a catio, for instance.

That would mean turning my small garden into a cage. Not happening. Cat proofing is fine, he has the run of the garden but can't annoy the neighbours. Any birds daft enough to come into the garden can take their chances - I'm pretty sure they can move faster than him!

But where do you put them? The ones I've seen are huge!

This!