Recently, I have noticed an increasing number of people with cats on leads in my local park and I do have to wonder what they’re thinking.
Firstly, cats are not dogs. They are territorial animals and when they go out will follow a set route they have marked by their scent. This is the whole point of going out for a cat - to check it’s territory and sniff about. They don’t need ‘exercise’ in the way dogs do. Being in a place with unfamiliar smells will be overwhelming for them.
Secondly, dogs in this park are meant to be on leads, but often are not and could attack the poor cat at any second.
Finally, cats will climb when scared or run in bushes and surely they will get strangled or wound up in the collar or lead. For instance, yesterday, there was a woman with a ginger cat which ran up a tree after a crow ((but also because it was freaked out, I think). This cat was on a long, extendable lead, but obviously this got entangled in the twigs and branches in the tree and the cat was stuck. A man has to climb up to untangle the lead. Loads of people gathering around the tree and the cat was scared. The woman was going, “Ohhh ha ha, it’s the first time he’s been out!”
AIBU to think this is irresponsible cat-owner behaviour and these people clearly do not understand the basic nature of a cat?
This is in Hyde Park, by the way. Don’t know if it’s similar in other parks?