Letting cat out or not

[Holdencaulfieldshomeboy]

I have a young cat, not long been going out the house, but is slowly going out more weather depending. All neurted and vaccinated. Concerned she may bring the coronavirus in on her. She jumps on the bins to get out the back garden and then goes off, who knows where. Should I keep her in? I don't want to force my children to stay in if the cat might bring it in anyway. We aren't leaving the house at all apart from the back garden. Should I let her out or am I being neurotic? Thanks.

I have read the link. It describes someone coughing on their hand, stroking a dog, a child stroking the dog next and touching her/his face. There is no suggestion of how long the virus could survive on an animals' fur. Furthermore, there is no evidence of cat or dog to human transmission of the virus. In fact, the NZ advice about keeping animals inside seems to be motivated by the concept that they should be protected like other family members

🤷‍♀️ Well I don’t know, I’m not an expert. I’m just saying what the advice in NZ is. People are taking the lockdown very seriously here, including this advice. No one’s dog is off lead now either, for example.

Ronnie
I don’t have to like cats if I don’t want to.

I don't care whether you like cats or not. But I object to you broadcasting your hatred of cats during a period when irrational fear is causing pets to be abandoned across the globe. You seem to be trying to incite revulsion against an animal millions have as a pet. What a curious way to spend your time.

The main argument in that NZ article seemed to be if someone coughed on their hand then stroked the dog then you stroked the dog it would get transferred to you. Surely with social distancing measures in place the likelihood of this happening is practically non-existent. I suppose it could happen to a cat but I couldn’t see any info on how long it can live in fur.

x post

“Surely with social distancing measures in place the likelihood of this happening is practically non-existent.”

Agreed. But NZ lockdown is next level - people are really taking it seriously and doing everything they can. And no abandoned pets as far as I know - before the lockdown people emptied the animal shelters ... you can’t get a kitten here for love nor money now. Which might come with its own problems later on.

@BovaryX

I don't care whether you like cats or not. But I object to you broadcasting your hatred of cats during a period when irrational fear is causing pets to be abandoned across the globe. You seem to be trying to incite revulsion against an animal millions have as a pet. What a curious way to spend your time.

Yes, inciting revulsion over cats one Mumsnet thread at a time. My World domination in plan: Rid World of Cats, here I come, via sneakily going undercover on Mumsnet threads 🙄.. get a grip why don’t you? I don’t like cats. You will just have to deal with it. You obviously like cats. Like what you like, it doesn’t bother me as I don’t know you or care whether you like things I don’t. I think cats are vile.

@RonnieBarkingMad if your "Yuck! Keep it indoors" was directed at me, the point of my post was that she does not roam around. She stays on a lead in a locked garden, and is transported there in a backpack cat carrier. She waits until she gets home to use her litter tray.

• And to suggest to the OP that it won't harm her young cat to keep him/her indoors.

I have a cat and a dog. It’s amused me that this whole pandemic thing has had no impact on the cat at all. Cats go on their own sweet way. They don’t get involved in human trivialities at all.

The dog is picking up the anxiety, and has had to forgo her walks to the woods, and the beaches because I can’t get there without friends driving us or using public transport.

I am refusing to worry about washing shopping or packaging. I am not in a major at risk group, and multiple gut feeling is if we are all going to get it at some point, then exposing my immune system to the minuscule viral load on a bit of cardboard might not be a bad thing long term.

I don't see you having a go at @MockersxxxxxxxSocialDistancing for bringing up dogs on a thread about cats purely to inciting revulsion of them though @BovaryX