to think that people shouldn't really have cats?

[gerontius]

Now, just to make this clear, I am not a cat-hater. I'm rather fond of them.

However, given that they crap in other people's gardens, is it not a massively anti-social to have one?

Although if you have the kind which uses its litter tray exclusively fair enough.

I have 5 cats - all rescued - so shoot me.

I have spoken - several times - to my immediate neighbours and have asked them to let me know if the cat crap ever becomes a problem so I can clear it up for them (though each pile doesn't actually come with a name tag ). Have also offered to pay for cat deterrent capsules, and have given permission for neighbours to hose them if they become a nuisance.

None of my lovely neighbours have ever taken me up on any of this ....

.... perhaps they view the rat killing machines I have as a kind of pay-off ? (Rats, and all the rest, which are always brought back to me). I would never be intentionally cruel to any animal but can't get worked up about cats doing what comes naturally ... they are driven by instinct, not by a desire to be nasty. Bells really don't work very effectively BTW .... my cats have had bells and have continued to bring back just as many dead things as they ever did.

I happen to adore cats and find them fascinating. I get a lot of amusement and affection from them and believe they enhance my home - not in a homes & gardens fashion you understand, although the ginger one does compliment the green carpet rather nicely - but by making the family feel complete. It's no bad thing for children to grow up at close quarters with an animal and cats make great pets in so many ways. Someone said earlier that people only have cats 'cos they're too busy for a dog - which may be true for anyone who'd have liked a dog, but isn't true of all cat owners and is hardly a valid criticism when similar arguments could be made for horses (hard work, expensive), chickens (no space), or indeed children (hard work, expensive, no space). In fact why should anyone have to justify their choice of pet whatever it is .... we all have different requirements.

Not only is a bit rich for human beings to complain about cats killing other creatures, FFS, or damaging the planet, it's also ironic given the amount of deliberate cruelty humans inflict on cats, other domestic and wild animals. Don't think any cats have ever thought it amusing to terrorise humans with fireworks or throw stones at us.

cats - are cats. they do as cats do. are we going to start complaining about birds crapping everywhere? it's harder to get rid of....

although as a dog owner i have very little problem with cat poo in the garden (it would be a v. brave cat indeed...)

Cats aren't nature?

We took them and 'domesticated' them. If we hadn't done that, there would still be cats. There would still be animals eating birds and other animals.

Same as dogs. We took the - what? wolf? and turned it into dogs.

Cows. Sheep. Goats... We take animals and we change them to suit our purpose.

Without us there'd be a perfect balance of nature. some creatures eat grass etc, some eat them.. nature in action.

It's us that's screwed all that up.

Of course, we might have simply gone and eradicated the whole species. As we tend to do to any species that we feel is in the way, or is more use to us dead than alive.

Or simply looks good on our backs or mounted over the fireplace.

Human beings are on very dodgy ground trying to complain about the effect other animals have on each other and the planet.

How do you know the offending pile was deposited by a cat? Foxy droppings are pretty yuk and we've had badgers and deer poop, too.

The book illustrates the problem of determining the offending creature

Oh and yeah

My cat saved my life

So I'd be dead if we didn;t have a cat, and the boys wouldn't exist

Cat haters are you wishing me dead?? ARE YA??

(That did happen though)

did it? Do tell the story!

(My mother's cats saved her life when she had a complete and utter breakdown because she HAD to go out for cat food. Otherwise she'd just have lain down on her bed and died, I think.)

I feel for those who do not have a feline friend or two in their life Along with good wine, handsome men, and sunny days they are the finer things in life.

Lets see you tell us how lovely having cats next door is when they shit by your doorstep in the dark, meanaing you tread cat poo into your house.

YANBU, it is unacceptable that people think it is cool to just let cats go anywhere and do anything. If I brought all your cat's crap back to you would you still say 'oh it's just poo'.

Thank goodness I live in an area with a much lower cat density now, my path, driveway, grass and flowerbeds were disgusting at my old place.

So these cat owners think its all fine and dandy for them to shit all over peoples gardens.

I assume you would have absolutly no complaint if I let my dog shit on your front lawn, or maybe just the pavement outside your house? That would be fine wouldn't it? Obviously.

My cat uses waste water drains so shits in nobody's garden thanks

And i;d gladly ahve your dog over for a cuddle but if you just let him poo you'd have to trespass a six foot wall yto get in

Edam: had hyperemesis with ds1 and went into coma stage when he was at work, just couldn't keep fluid down. DH came home and went to check and understandably thought I was asleep; went abck down for a cuppa, cat bit him and chased him upstairs until DH tried to wake me to ask wtf was up with cat- hospital, drip, five days later I was OK (ish).

I agree with the op. cats should all be neutered; problem solved within about ten years.

I will happily visit them in zoos after that or just look at their humorous antics on youtube.

Sainsbury's Finance estimates the cost of owning a cat at nearly £8,000 over its lifetime which includes things like insurance, food, the cost of installing a cat flap and grooming. So they cost more than my car.

YANBU cats are very antisocial.Tear open bags of rubbish ,shit on gardens sit on and scratch cars

sancti, wow, that's an amazing story. What a fab cat! Nothing so dramatic here but my childhood cats would always cuddle you when you were ill. They'd stay with you for hours, only to stalk away the minute they thought you'd turned the corner. My mother said, when I was seriously ill with flu as a 6yo, she knew I must be better because the cat left my side.

Katie think you are confusing cats and foxes.

howannoying - as has been explained repeatedly on this thread, dogs are under their owners' control (or should be). Cats are not. The law recognises this, don't know why it's so hard for some posters. What's more lots of animals shit in your garden since a. they are animals and b. no-one has explained the property laws to them. Feel free to go and have stern words with all the cats, birds, hedgehogs, mice, foxes, rats and other wild animals if you must but you'll be there a long, long time and I don't hold out much hope you'll make a difference.

(Oh, and Sainsbury's finance might possibly be tempted to exaggerate their estimate given they are in the business of persuading people to shell out for pet insurance...)

"as has been explained repeatedly on this thread, dogs are under their owners' control (or should be). Cats are not. The law recognises this, don't know why it's so hard for some posters."

That's just not acceptable, that's why it's hard.

I can own a cat, let it shit where it wants tough luck the law is on my side. I think that is the op's point - why SHOULD it be allowed?

because cats and dogs are different. Dogs can be trained and are expected to be under their owner's supervision at all times. Cats are not and cannot be contained in a similar manner.

Feel free to try to establish a cat training school if you wish to try it.

Don't fucking me!

I understand the difference between the animals, doesn't mean people should own unlimited cats and merrily allow them to foul my garden!

Given that husbands and sons often miss the loo when taking a leak, isn't it just as anti social to have these?

WRt to ratting yes, I grew up near a farm and we'd have struggled without cats.

My cat doesn't poo everywhere; he's a prissy sod who use the drains, and if we forget to close the door the tpilet. Becuase he is a freak of anture.

AN d no of course he doesn't flush LOL

jaggy, you clearly don't quite get the difference between dogs and cats, given you are still moaning about people 'allowing' cats to crap in your garden. People don't 'allow' cats to do anything, just like we don't 'allow' hedghogs and birds and rats and foxes to crap in your garden. Yes, cats do tend to have identifiable humans but if you spend your life getting angry because those humans haven't toilet trained their cats, you are going to have a very stressful time of it.

amothers - ds managed to miss the loo today and pee on me instead (I was washing my hands at the sink, ds bursting so hurried in without waiting for me to come out). I think he might be being bribed by cat haters who are out for revenge!

You bought the cat - it's your problem!

I don't care if they bury their crap, it is no more pleasant when you dig it up when planting bulbs than when you step in it.

I think the main problem is vast numbers of cats concentrated in residential areas, with owners who make no effort to provide them with shelter and somewhere to go in their own garden.

Until you have lived near obnoxious owners who let their animals out into your garden for a shit, some of you clearly have no idea!
I was not stressed because the cat's weren't in any way controlled by their owners, i was stressed at having to watch my feet in my own garden, even on the gravel driveway. I also did not enjoy the sick on my doormat or decapitated mice, but I was only bothered about the vast amounts of crap we had to clean up and avoid.

cats not cat's, clearly, ranting not helpful to punctuation.

If you had a pet fox that crapped by my doorstep that would piss me off too. ;)

It is your pet, not a wild animal, so surely it is is not fair to non-cat owners to have to put up with them messing up the garden?