To ask why cats roaming is acceptable?

[PengAly]

Just want to hear opinions on this. Firstly i should be honest, i am a dog person, 100% love dogs and i really dont understand how people like cats (seems like they are a tad selfish of a pet) but i am an animal lover so obviously wish no harm to any cat and will play with one given the opportunity. This is JUST my opinion. But back to my original question...

Why does it seem universally accepted that cats can roam on other peoples properties and poop in the garden- even digging up flowers?! Now Im certain mainy people would get up in arms if a dog on a lead stepped one paw on their front garden or god forbid came within 3 feet of them or their child(I've seen many dog hating threads on MN) yet cat owners get a free pass for their cats doing as they please?

Im honestly not trying to start an argument i just dont understand it

I'm a cat owner and I don't think it is ok. I've told my neighbours to let me know any problems and I'll deal with it. Also offered to buy them things to prevent the cats on their land. So don't tar us all!

I agree with OP. My pup eats and occasionally rolls around in the cat shit deposited in both our front and back gardens. If she shat in one of their gardens they'd have something to say. Cats also destroyed our fence. Seriously, this cat must be the equivalent of the hulk as it managed to push very large rocks out the way to gain access to the bit they already broke at the bottom of the fence! Who paid for the new fence panels you ask? Certainly not the cat owner. Also, my mum's porch always stinks of cat piss and she doesn't have one!

@Starbitcrazy that sounds awful! Luckily we havnt got to that situation but when my dh cuts the grass he is always having to clean up cat shit that is NOT being buried, as a lot of cat owners claim is the case

Fenellas

@peacocking - totally agree with you, I get so annoyed when people go online crying that some bastard hit their cay and didn't even stop.

For one, keep your cat in and it wont get hit, for two the driver may have stopped and your cat may have done an adrenalin filled dash away before dying or the driver may have young children in the car r and not want them to see a mangled cat because the owner didn't keep it safe.

Either cat proof your yard to keep it on your own property or deal with the consequences.

Anyone having trouble keeping cats out of their garden, the only thing that worked for my front vegie garden was chilli flakes, since I started sprinkling that around I haven't seen a single cat poop in there.

To ask why cat roaming is acceptable?

Mice and rats.

Haven't read the full thread but it seems to me you have rose-coloured glasses on when it comes to dogs/dog owners. Firstly - the poo factor. We regularly come across dog poo in the unfenced section of our yard, and dog poo in parks/near sidewalks because either they're straying or the owners can't be assed picking it up. Then there are those who pick the poo up only to deposit it in public bins instead of taking it home to dispose of. I mean, sure, it's a bin. But a metre from the local picnic spot? In a bin that as a result of 50 dog owners is now overflowing with dog turds festering and stinking in the heat? Just plain nasty.

Then there's the safety issues. Where we used to live there were several owned dogs that roamed free and scared the crap out of everybody. Think bred for fighting, abused, scared, aggressive, BIG dogs roaming the streets and local parks. I used to think twice every time we walked to the playground, and had a plan of how to protect my babies should we be attacked. I took refuge on top of a climbing tower with the littles several times. And yes, animal control were called but there's little they could do as the owners were unknown and no one in their right minds would try trap them without serious heavy duty gear.

And finally the annoyance factor. The area we live in now is home to many little yappy dogs. Dogs that bark and whine all day long. Sometimes all night long. One neighbour got a puppy - that was a whole week of high pitched crying all through the night. The lovely pair over the other side shriek anytime they're let out in the yard which always ALWAYS woke the baby. Wanted to shoot them several times that's how desperate I was for sleep. I mean seriously, why do dog owners think it's acceptable for their little darlings to bark all day long at anything that moves EXCEPT WHEN OUR CAR WAS BEING STOLEN FROM RIGHT OUTSIDE YOUR HOUSE WTAF?!?! Utterly useless.

In short, YABU. Dogs & cats are equal pains in the butts and why on earth we bother with them I don't know*.

• I actually like both, we have a cat (who is busy keeping the local rat population down) and dog-sit for relatives. Both have pluses, both have minuses. Both lots of owners have responsibilities, and both lots of owners can suck at times. Time to build a bridge methinks.

Also, as the foremost purveyors of environmental destruction, damage to property, each other and all other species, perhaps it should be humans that are prevented from roaming rather than cats. Just a thought.

What happens when an off lead dog poos somewhere you don't see?

Unfortunately cats CBA to learn to read and our garden boundaries don't neatly align with their territories. They just won't listen.

As I said to an understandably uptight neighbour who thought it was my fault... "You put a sign up and I'll teach Jimmy to read!"