To really not understand why people are OK with cats

[Duvetstay]

Full disclosure, I'm allergic to cats and also very much a dog person but I really don't understand how it's acceptable for cats to go round decimating local wildlife and crapping in gardens.

I've lost count of how many times I've had to pick cat poo off the lawn and my daughter came in yesterday with cat sick all over her feet as a local moggie had vommed on our patio. I'm sick of it. It's a health hazard and you shouldn't have to wear a hazmat suit to go in your own garden.

We have tadpoles outside which are about to froglet and I've just seen a fat cat with its head in the water. I'm fuming, a few of the tadpoles are injured and this is the same cat I had to get off a terrified bird last week.

I'm not remotely sentimental about nature, if a hungry creature kills another then that's how life works. However I cannot understand how people can let these cats out knowing that they're injuring animals for no reason and causing health hazards to other people in their own home.

I couldn't take my dog for a shit in your garden so why can your cat do that in mine? They're not even natural predators as they just trot home to get their whiskers.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND!

God I wish my life was so problem free I could be bothered by cat shit 🤣🙈

You can believe that, but I’ve seen cats catch young fit, but inexperienced birds. My BIL sprayed his cat when he caught him with a baby magpie in its mouth. That bird did survive. They now have a magpie that taunts and swoops down at the cat every time he’s in the yard. BIL thinks it’s the same magpie.

Incidentally, I live in Canada, and many people here don’t let their cats out. I have heard the death screams of cats caught by coyotes. It’s very disturbing, and were I a cat owner, that alone would dissuade me from allowing mine to roam.

@LST, you must be a cat owner whose cat is using the neighbour’s garden as a toilet.

My cats eat what they catch (they struggle to finish a whole pigeon though) and come in to poo in the litter tray. 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Winterlife I have cats yes. Both use the litter tray and my gravel in the garden, so if they do use the neighbours gardens it would not be a lot. Neither leave to house a lot. I am also someone who has a neighbours dog shit in my front. Foxes, shit in my garden and badger shit too! It literally has no impact on my life whatsoever!

I love cats, and have been thinking about getting either one or a pair so our children can experience having a pet. However I do sympathise with the affect of wildlife. Cats do kill birds if they can get them. Mice too - but that is less of a worry. Also the issue of poo in the garden (and neighbours garden) and potential fighting with other suburban cats round here. We also have a lot of foxes so that might be 'fun'.

Alternate option is a rabbit, but they don't seem as much fun as a pet. Cute, but so much less interaction.

I don’t have anything but cats crapping in my yard, and I hate it. We have a lot of birds, who never crap here.

I agree OP. Neighbouring cats have made the garden unpleasant to use over the last few weeks, their droppings stink and while we’ve picked up what we can see, we obviously can’t find all of it as it still wafts. The cat owners wouldn’t know how gross it is as their cats don’t do it in their own territory. And we know it’s definitely cats and not foxes as we have seen them in the garden. Despite shooing them off back they come to ours as we have flower beds and the neighbours have mostly decking and patio. The kids have also stepped in it often and trod it in the house. Absolutely disgusting.

I’ve read cats don’t like certain flowers, such as marigolds, geraniums, and lavender.

I was listening to a radio gardening show, and a woman called in. She stopped the neighbour’s cat from defecating in her garden by putting catnip in her garden, covered by wire netting. The cat became so engrossed in trying to get to the catnip (which it never did), it didn’t wander anywhere else.

@MrsRoyCropper wrong! Mine shit in my garden

My partner has 2 dogs and 1 cat...i love them all but the dogs slobber over me..have awful breath....put dirty paws all over my pristine white dress...cover me in hairs etc ....the cat however just climbs onto my lap and purrs loudly....

My beautiful cat is a housecat by her choice as is my mum's cat. In fact, many people have indoor cats now. However, cats who do go outside are generally clean, burying their poo. It's much less messy than dog dirt. I hardly think they 'decimate' wildlife... I've got images of then now strolling around with their little mini rifles at the ready!

All of these people saying, essentially, "but dogs are worse!!!" - this is pretty irrelevant. We're allowed to dislike both, for a start. And dogs aren't allowed to roam freely in my garden, and their owners are required to pick up their shit. And dogs have never come into my garden overnight and shat in it, unlike cats. So while dogs may also be disgusting and smelly and whatever else, they're not roaming freely leaving shit everywhere, with its toxoplasmosis risk, and expecting us all to be fine with it. Unlike cats/cat owners.

I've never known nor heard of a cat not burying it's poo. Unlike dogs who will poo anywhere and there's some disgusting dog owners who don't pick up and bin it. Cats are very clean adorable wee things and unlike dogs if you encounter a cat in the street they don't jump all over you like dogs do. Dogs seem to believe that everyone welcomes their affection and attention, we'll I don't. Give me cats anyday🐈🐱😻🐆

@pamsy123 It's common in kittens removed from their mother too young

My cat is a working animal - she is most defininitely my emotional support. Many times she has helped me thro a difficult patch.

Because cats are better than people especially those who hate cats

Just regarding toxoplasmosis, it's very rare for humans to get it from cats. The overwhelming majority of cases come from eating undercooked meat and unwashed produce. If you're practising good hygiene (avoid meat cross-contamination, wash raw fruits/vegetables, wash your hands before eating or touching your face), you don't need to be overly worried.

Cannot believe it took 10 pages for someone to mention how bad cats smell

Cats are disgusting creatures and so are people who have boxes of cat shit in their house and let them walk around on their beds and countertops and sofas but I also think dogs are bloody unhygienic too. I can't imagine the stuff that must be on their paws when they're snuggled up next to you in bed 🤮

Because cats are better than people especially those who hate cats
What a load of shit. So many posts on here explaining all the way in which cats are nasty and mean how the fcuk would that make them "better than people" what shite.

My cats don’t smell... to me! But of course they smell, usually of their environments and just general cat smell, but I can’t think of any mammal that doesn’t smell to some degree.

Whether you like cats or not OP doesn’t bother me in the slightest (or any others on this thread who don’t like them) - your prerogative and all that. I love my cats, dislike some others in the neighbourhood because their owners have obviously no inclination of keeping them in check to some degree (like the big ginger Tom cat that shits in my back garden, sprays in my back garden and bullies all the other cats in the area! Never spayed and left outside pretty much all the time).

My cats are mostly indoors at the moment and I made sure to speak to my neighbours when I moved in, said that if mine are a nuisance and if they poop in anybody’s garden to let me know and I’ll come and clean up - none of them minded and I do think that’s partly because I acknowledged that cats can be a pain in the arse to people/property and I will always take responsibility for my 4.

As for the myth that cats always bury their poop, not true. Females are more likely to bury as it is a way of protecting themselves. Males less likely, especially if they are marking territory or protecting kittens/other young cats/pregnant females etc.

My oldest male will poop in our garden to challenge the Tomcat who poops there... it’s gross and annoying, but he’s a loving cat who is very good for my MH so I’ll sort it... bully cat gets sprayed with water every time!

Also @Bloomburger if the pet is kept clean probably not much more bacteria than gets on a humans fingertips on any given day! My toddlers probably spread more germs than my cats - that’s why we use disinfectant on surfaces when preparing meals!

OP until recently I would have disagreed with you, but our garden is now the favoured toilet for FIVE different local cats. I hate it. We have no pets and yet before I can let the toddler into her own garden I have to do a sweep for about three dumps a day. And we don't even have any pets ourselves.

YABU.
They are so cute and furry.

Cannot believe it took 10 pages for someone to mention how bad cats smell

They don't smell anywhere near as bad as dogs.