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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask why cats roaming is acceptable?

537 replies

PengAly · 16/12/2018 23:05

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 Confused

OP posts:
Edendal · 17/12/2018 08:19

Free spirits my arse.

What you are basically saying is that you wish to abdicate the majority of your responsibilities as a pet owner, limiting it to feeding, worming, vets once a year. Now and then you can fuss your sweetie then let them go out and relieve themselves in someone else's garden, rather than the litter tray you may or may not supply that would mean you would need to clean it up yourself. Far easier to put the neighbour to the trouble of a) finding it (or their children) b) picking it up (or their children) c) disposing of it (hopefully not the children).

It is the height of bad manners and entitlement. I have a pet, its YOUR job to clean up my pets mess, because I can't be arsed myself.

Honestly. You 'cat's are free spirits' and 'its cruel to keep them safe' lot (which is the majority of the cat owners in this country), give your heads a wobble.

It also keeps a PET cat safe by keeping them indoors. I know of boys at school who would laugh about shooting cats with an air gun, or tying fireworks to their tail's and setting them off. How many PET cats are killed on the road every year due to owners choosing to let them take their chances? How many cats go missing every year? How much wildlife is killed each year by your cat, or the amount of cats that roam free in this country?

People need to realise times have moved on. Be a responsible PET cat owner and keep your cats indoors and safe!

I do have cats, and yes they are indoor cats.

zingally · 17/12/2018 08:21

Cats are far less domesticated than dogs.

You have to earn their love, and they don't give it out lightly.

Original poster
PengAly · 17/12/2018 08:24

Wow this is great-love all the cat people getting riled up when ive made it clear this is about cats shitting in my garden. For the record i NEVER said dogs were better i said i was a dog person and that is JUST MY opinion. Love how people chose to interpret things Hmm

Anyhow, obviously how dare i question a domesticated pet shitting on my property and trying to enter my home because thats "Natural". If we allowed all pets to act as they should in the wild it would have awful results. Its a shame cats cant be walked on leads.

I understand there are irresponsible pet owners that dont clean up after their dog but i dont have this issue in my village

OP posts:
Sparklingbrook · 17/12/2018 08:26

Yes this is great. Everyone getting all defensive and riled up. Lovely.

So glad I live in a normal neighbourhood.

CaptainsYuleLog · 17/12/2018 08:31

I think the tide is turning against roaming cats. We have cat proof fences put in by the previous owner so no longer find cat shit when we are tending to the garden. It's wonderful. The birds are safe as well.

I live in the country and hereabouts the farmers consider they are vermin .

ADarkandStormyKnight · 17/12/2018 08:31

In general it would probably be better for the planet if we had fewer pets all round. Not no pets, but fewer. But get rid of cats altogether and I think we’d soon have more vermin. Cats were domesticated because they kept the mouse population under control.

Moominfan · 17/12/2018 08:32

My cat annoyingly goes in a corner of the garden, I planned to turn into a bee sanctuary. She decided it's the perfect toilet. I'm on good terms with all my neighbors luckily after having awful ones. If this was a problem to them, I'd go clean it up. Responsible pet owner and all.

Original poster
PengAly · 17/12/2018 08:33

@Edendal I couldn't agree more! So many people saying "cats are a free spirit" makes me wonder if that's just an excuse for lazy pet ownership? I do have seen people say they got a cat flap INSTEAD of a litter box!
My point for bringing dogs up was NOT about debating which is better, it was simply to point out how people get annoyed at dog owners for the tiniest things ( such as having to gasp walk past on on a lead in the park) but yet the fact that cats dig up my raised flower pets and shit in them. However, according to some cat owners on this thread this is apparently not an issue and I'm being unreasonable and according to one poster "psychotic" to complain about that

OP posts:
Yidette86 · 17/12/2018 08:34

Come on OP... you knew what you were doing...

I can't stop birds shitting on my windows, and someone has already given you a great example of why cats can roam, there's safe precautions people can take if they don't want cats in their gardens but people would just rather moan about the animal itself, and normally they are the same people who in the same breath say they prefer dogs... Of course this set a divide Hmm

Original poster
PengAly · 17/12/2018 08:35

Can I say, I respect those on this thread who are being responsible pet owners and I do not group you with the ones who choose not to care what their cat does when out. Same as I would be expected to not be grouped in the same category as all bad dog owners when I clean up after mine and ensure they are in control when out

OP posts:
Original poster
PengAly · 17/12/2018 08:38

@Yidette86 Come on now, why are we STILL comparing animals in the WILD to a domesticated pet cat? This is the problem. We shouldn't have it both ways, if you own a cat you should be responsible for that cats actions. If that means keeping it as a house cat and taking it out while in your control then so be it. For those saying cats cant be house cats, plenty of posters on here have suggested otherwise. I've known cats who have been house cats since being a kitten and they are happy as they don't know anything better

OP posts:
MysweetAudrina · 17/12/2018 08:40

I love my dog so much he is so sweet and follows me around. He doesn't like me to give any attention to the cat which is fine by the cat as the cat just wants to be fed and have somewhere warm to sleep and sometimes trap the dog from getting upstairs or in the cat flap.

I have no control over my cat, he comes and goes as he pleases. As a species I prefer cats, as individuals I prefer my dog.

I love the fact that cats chose humans and domesticated themselves for an easy life. I love the fact that they are independent and have such different personalities. I love that they are not needy and take more than the give. I love their sense of entitlement and disdain for lesser creatures such as humans and dogs.

It's easy to love a dog as they give so much back. Cats demand respect and are not as emotionally connected as dogs.

Yidette86 · 17/12/2018 08:43

Because cats aren't as domestic and you started the thread with comparisons, you don't like cats that's fine but you can't dictate that they should be indoor pets like dogs, there's a reason dogs need to be more domesticated, I have an indoor cat myself but for our cats safety.

Someone above gave an excellent example as to why cats can roam.

VeganCow · 17/12/2018 08:46

I have 4 cats and provide 2 litter trays which they use. If they also go in other gardens I am not aware of it but if a neighbour caught mine shitting in their garden and told me, I would go round and dispose of it. Unfortunately what I don't know about I can't help.

Hofuckingho · 17/12/2018 08:47

Cats don’t cause serious damage

A cat bite can be very nasty. My friend was bitten on her hand by a cat. She was in hospital for a week on intravenous antibiotics and she had to have an operation to remove dying tissue from her hand and arm.

Yidette86 · 17/12/2018 08:52

Any animal bite can be nasty... I think the PP was stating in general, any animal can cause harm... Hamsters can be vicious little things too, let's not forget they are all animals at the end of the day.

ArfArfBarf · 17/12/2018 08:52

I think because cats are territorial, cat poo in certain gardens can be a big issue whilst not at all in their own gardens. In our last house we were the only non-cat owning house in the neighbourhood and our garden was constantly being marked by cats with big poos on the grass not being buried. I did bring it up with the neighbours who told me it was probably foxes but I kept catching the cats doing it from my upstairs windows. It really did ruin our enjoyment of the garden because I had to check it every time I let my toddlers play out and I got sick of having to pick up the poo every couple of days. It was much more like picking up after several small dogs than badger/hedgehog/mouse poo etc.

My current house now has cats next door and I’ve never found any poo in our garden but since they moved in I haven’t seen a single red squirrel and last year they were a constant presence in our garden (not UK).

But I’ve been on these threads before and I know cat owners hate to hear anything negative about their pets so I can anticipate exactly how this will go.

ghostyslovesheets · 17/12/2018 08:55

any bite - left un treated can become infected though - dog, cat, toddler …

I wish my cats would crap in the neighbours garden but they are far to lazy - they prefer my flower beds the fury little shits

oh and one weed on my handbag today which was nice

Yidette86 · 17/12/2018 08:55

Exactly Vegan... What more can you do? Follow your cats when they are out and scoop their poo? I'm not sure what posts like these are suggesting other than trying to dictate they be kept inside which isn't really up to them.

Iggity · 17/12/2018 08:57

I have a new fondness for cats after having mice. While I don’t own a cat, they are welcome to my garden if it keeps one curious mouse away. Neighbours have a bird feeder and although it’s nice and all to feed birds, they shit down my fence so horrible to look at. The cats and the visiting sparrow hawk attempt to keep them on alert.

Dariosa · 17/12/2018 08:57

My neighbours on the left have a cat who roams into my garden. He shits in the flower bed and always buries it neatly. He’s always friendly and no trouble whatsoever.

My neighbours on the right, on the other hand, have a dog that never stops barking, and is yapping all through the night. Haven’t had a decent night sleep since they got the dog.

I know which one I’d rather get rid of.

Hofuckingho · 17/12/2018 08:58

When a cat bites, its sharp canine teeth easily puncture the skin, leaving small, but deep, wounds in the skin.

These punctures rapidly seal over, trapping bacteria from the cat's mouth under the skin of the victim, where they can readily multiply. A similar type of injury happens with cat scratches - the extremely sharp, curved nails penetrate deep into the skin, essentially injecting bacteria deep into the puncture wound.

Yidette86 · 17/12/2018 08:58

Haha Ghosty... I spat my tea out while reading your comment, little sods!

Yidette86 · 17/12/2018 08:59

And dog bites can kill.... Your point Ho?

Yidette86 · 17/12/2018 09:01

"canine teeth" hmmm what could they possibly be named after? Xmas Wink