To wonder what you would say to a neighbour complaining about your cat weeing and pooing their prize vegetable garden?

[Upthepong]

Just that really. I'm a bit non-plussed about it all

Then they moan when cats get run over and killed on the roads. or accidentally poisoned. Keep the fuckers inside. Problem solved

Cats, like dogs, are family members. Their loss is often traumatic for the owner. Ask anyone whose dog/cat died. People shouldn't be allowed by law to ignore a cat they hit by a car as they are not allowed to ignore a dog they injured. It's ok for cats to roam just as it's ok for dogs to be allowed off lead for a good exercise. Dogs cause nuisance to some people, cats - to others. This is life and, apart from some offer of help from owners, one just has to deal with it. If there has been an insurgence of pro-cat people here, it's because some people don't dig a simple thing: a cat is not worse than a dog in terms of shit. Yet everyone is ok with dogs taken outside for a poop and be at a mercy of an owner to pick it up (which they often miss)

KissingInTheRain
But they want to get of rats and other vermin. Why shouldn’t they do that to the risk of cats or dogs?

Because of them being decent caring people? Surely there's a legal and safe way to get rid of rats available from councils, instead of just spreading killing chemicals around?

Ahh, you're both cat owners. That explains it then

No it doesn't. Both my opinion and the research could have been offered by anyone.

And please read on about habitat. They dug up the plants that I have put in to encourage wildlife. So the cats are actively destroying habitat

Then you need to protect your habitat while it grows. I do this by shielding plants against my dog, cat and possums.

DrWhy
More to the point why should I have to put up defenses in my own property against an animal owned by somebody else??!

I am sorry they bother you, but you'd be better off to put some protection. If I were growing some soft fruit, I'd put up nets against the fucking birds which eat everything. It;s about [safely, in anon-cruel manner] protecting your garden from whatever is its main bother.

Pest controllers, council or private, will use poison. You cannot seriously be suggesting we stop killing vermin?

Similarly, people drive cars knowing that cats may well run out in front. Plenty have done that to me. You’re not supposed to swerve in case you hurt someone - though the natural reaction is to avoid the animal. Cats are unfortunate but inevitable casualties of roads.

What possesses you to think the world should adapt to your cat?

People have cats because they can't be arsed to clean up after them, so you can add damned lazy too. Keep your animals to yourself

Whaaat?? People have cats because - shock! horror! - they love cats. Just like people keep dogs because they love them.
And given the universal advice from a narrow personal perspective so well demonstrated here I'd say: my cats are indoor ones, they are safe this way from criminals who can damage them (like some poster boasted her husband shooting a cat with a metal from a sling), or morons who knock a cat by a car and don't take it to the vet as they would a dog, and I'd be very very happy if litter training for dogs became a thing.

Surely there's a legal and safe way to get rid of rats available from councils, instead of just spreading killing chemicals around?

The council put down the poison.

KissingInTheRain
Similarly, people drive cars knowing that cats may well run out in front. Plenty have done that to me. You’re not supposed to swerve in case you hurt someone - though the natural reaction is to avoid the animal. Cats are unfortunate but inevitable casualties of roads

They are given less protection by law than dogs. You are supposed to take the dog you injured to the vet by law, but not a cat. That angers me.

What possesses you to think the world should adapt to your cat?
Nothing. I don't think "the world should adapt" to my cat anymore than it already adapts to millions of dogs. My cats don't bother anyone as they are indoors ones. Plenty of dogs run around scaring small children, cats, adults who are weary of dogs, I've seen them off lead in the countryside and owners ignoring signs "Please keep the dog on lead", they are taken out for shit with well accepted casuality that not every shit will be picked up, they cause much more bother even when controlled - yet it's a dog loving world! And cats are just "shitting and killing birds", and "why should I worry about some cat when I need to poison rats?" Do you not see the double standard?
I don't suggest to start hating dogs. I don't. But they are shown a lot of lenience, and the same should be extended to cats - that's all I'm saying. Each inconveniences humans in their own way, but is also a valuable part of life.

Damntheman,the metal was rounded so no, it could not injure the cat in any manner and in fact, he wasn’t injured

Yes, so are BB gun pellets but you'll find those still do significant damage when hitting things fast enough. Firing a metal projectile at an animal is despicable, rounded or not. I'm glad the cat in this instance was not (visibly) injured.

I'm quite happy to adapt to the constant yapping and occasional escape by my neighbours dogs and they don't mind my cats who chose to shit elsewhere than in people's gardens (mostly in their litter tray). Doesn't stop my cats going for a wander outside. They are allowed to go outside under law and because I think it's a safe area to let them. Can't see why this makes me 'entitled'.
Some really nasty unbalanced people on this thread being trollish and deliberately goady. You're a disgrace.

Because cats are a nuisance to many people and in some cases are causing damage to property.

Do you think it's ok for your pet to damage someone else's property?

Bloody

I don’t think you understand why dogs hit by cars have to be reported. It’s got nothing to with vets and care. It’s because the dog owner is liable. There’s been a potential crime - an out of control dog. A driver has no obligation to look after the injured dog.

I agree that cat owners should be liable too if their cat is run over and anyone or anything is damaged because of the collision. But that won’t help with the cat’s welfare, and there’s no reason why it should.

I think dogs are a bigger nuisance than cats. But that doesn’t excuse cats’ nuisance. In neither case should anyone else suffer because of a pet.

And given the universal advice from a narrow personal perspective so well demonstrated here I'd say: my cats are indoor ones, they are safe this way from criminals who can damage them (like some poster boasted her husband shooting a cat with a metal from a sling), or morons who knock a cat by a car and don't take it to the vet as they would a dog, and I'd be very very happy if litter training for dogs became a thing.

@BloodyDisgrace so we agree then? Responsible cat owners should keep their cats indoors to avoid any injury or disappearance to the cat (and understandable upset to the family). This would also avoid the cat causing nuisance to other people.

So glad the cat people and non-cat people have an agreement.

Rhubarb do you have a dog? And if so, have you trained it to use a litter tray at home? If yes, excellent job, you are just like me now as my pets are indoors ones.

Kissing thank you for clarification as to why hit dogs have to be reported. I read now that owners can be fined for their dog. Reporting a hit dog does help with its welfare though, and refusing to stop and report is rightly fined.
Although I'm not sure it can be possible to hold a cat's owner responsible and financially liable for a collision with their cat, I do believe that not stopping and reporting a hit cat should be an offence against Animal welfare law, with the same fine as in case of a injured dog.
There is every reason why a welfare of a hit domestic animal should be improved.

There is every reason why a welfare of a hit domestic animal should be improved.

Well yes I agree. But other posters are saying cats are wild animals and therefore allowed to roam.

How can they be both wild and domestic?

...offence against Animal welfare law, with the same fine as in case of a injured dog.

Not reporting running down a dog is not an offence against animal welfare law. It’s an offence under the Road Traffic Act. If you hit a dog and tell the police, you do not also have to take the dog to a vet or call a vet.

LittleChristmasMouse
I personally don't know how classing a cat as wild animal, or not, helps. For me it doesn't matter. It's more helpful to see it as a domesticated animal, a pet, and equally oblige drivers to report a hit cat as they would a dog, and equally fine them for not doing so. This way more hit cats could be saved by timely intervention of a vet.

If you hit a dog and tell the police, you do not also have to take the dog to a vet or call a vet
what then happens if a dog is injured? report filed, the law observed, everyone leaves and the dog is lying there? somehow can't imagine it happening.

This way more hit cats could be saved by timely intervention of a vet.

How would the vet know? And even if they did know, who would pay?

what then happens if a dog is injured?

If the motorist or police want to try to find the owner they can. But they don’t have to.

I suspect the police probably have arrangements with vets to come and destroy injured dogs.

Sorry, to be more precise, the police have to try to find the owner in due course so they can charge them with the offence of not controlling their dog.

But the police don’t have to find the owner because the dog’s been injured or killed.

BloodyDisgrace

Well if it's a wild animal then we have to accept any damage, trespass etc that it causes.

If it is a domestic animal, with an owner, then it's not unreasonable for the owner to be responsible for damage caused to a 3rd party surely?

Letting your cats wander is all very well, but remember, if he gets a dog and that dog kills your cat in his garden, then the dog is not to blame because your cat was uncontrolled. Cat poo (and dog poo, and human poo) is not great for helping plants grow because it's mainly meat derived. Maybe volunteer to get him some proper horse manure to make up for it.

But other posters are saying cats are wild animals and therefore allowed to roam

Here's the law:

www.cats.org.uk/uploads/documents/block/EG13_Cats_and_the_law.pdf