Why are cats allowed to be a pain in the arse??

[sofaprincess]

We recently moved into a new house and we have a dog. She is quite a large dog and I have spent a huge amount of time training her and trying to ensure she is well behaved out of the house and friendly or indifferent (depending on the situation) with other people and dogs. I am always conscious that people might not like dogs and we steer clear of people in the street and always clear up her mess. She loves spending time in the garden and that is supposed to be her safe space.

My issue is this - my husband is picking cat poo up regularly from our front garden and has identified the culprit, but really what can we do (rhetorical)? But worse than that, a different cat likes to come and sunbathe in my garden (on the shed roof or other high up places) which causes my dog to bark continuously until I go out and lure her back inside. I’m starting to feel a bit fed up with nuisance cats - we should be able to enjoy our outside space without dealing with bloody cat issues……right?

YANBU - cats are are pain in the arse and they should be regulated in the same way as dogs are (ie owners need to ensure they have them under control)

YABU - cats will be cats and they should be allowed to free roam and sunbathe/shit where they like

I’ll get rid of my bastard cat when you get rid of your twat of a dog.

you first.

They do seem to dominate the local village community page.
Everything one if the stupid things get knocked over its a driver must have been going too fast fest... however the dumb things literally walk in front of cars even when driving slowly so bound to get run over sometimes 🙄

Sprinkle cats favourite areas with pepper

I thought it had been proved donkey years ago that cats make very little difference to wildlife populations.
Personally my cat is a shit hunter and the one bird he did catch probably was already mortally wounded for him to catch it.
The birds of prey we get are super efficient though and snatch birds out of the garden.

My cat spends 95% of his outdoor time kipping in the garden, I’m not keeping him in. He’s currently on his back warming his tummy in the sunshine.

Ive just been for a walk, dog shit all over the pavements. I find dogs have encroached far more into my life in the last few years, especially their shit!

If my cats make a nuisance of themselves, I am quite happy for my neighbours to spray them with a hose or let their dog bark at them or chase them. Pretty sure most cat owners would agree.

My cat spends 95% of his outdoor time kipping in the garden, I’m not keeping him in. He’s currently on his back warming his tummy in the sunshine.

You don't have to keep them indoors, just on your own property would do.

Unfortunately it seems many MN cat owners take a slightly different view!

I don’t know the answer to this. But we went to a National Trust place yesterday and at the desk on the way in, there was just a cat sitting there next to the till, literally on the counter next to the card machine. It was attacking everyone who came up to the desk.

Talking to the woman at the desk, we learned that no one even knew whose cat it was. Apparently, it shows up nearly everyday from somewhere, sits there next to the till, bites people and then goes home.

I couldn’t not 😂 at the brass neck of this cat and that no one had the nerve after what sounded like months to years to address the situation, so he just carried on like he owned this stately home. 🤣

Cats are selfish, conceited, judgy, lazy, obnoxious little shits.

But I can't help but love them!

I have one now, 2 have died in the past 5 years (from old age.) She is cute and loving sometimes, but other times, she can be a snobby little article. She enjoys a particular food for a day/a few meals, then turns her nose up at it. Even chicken, or salmon, or beef.

Nope we're not loaded, and we don't feed our cat expensive human food all the time. We feed her Purina, Felix, Whiskas, and even Morrisons, Aldi, and Tesco's owns brand. And she is happy with said own brands and the name brands for a few days, then she gets bored. So we get a tin of salmon, or a pack of chicken breast, or a pack of slices of beef, and she loves it. Then 2 days later, she just walks away from it.

Ungrateful little shit. A DOG would never do that. 😆 There are some funny memes of cats! Seems they're all the same!

Sadly it's hard to stop them using your garden as a litter tray .Prickly plants scardy cat plant do help a bit but the visiting cats just moved onto our lawn .
I do think cats can be trained to a certain level none of mine have ever went on benches (can't believe people allow a poo scraping animal to walk across food prep areas).
They come when I whistle and I've always had a litter tray for them . And alway in at night
Likely the best way to stop cats visiting you is either get your own or keep moving them on .

YANBU, cats are a pain.
Their crap is as bad as dogs, carry same/similar diseases, yet we have to pick up dog poo.
Id save it in a bucket and return to cat owner.
Have some bottles of water to hand every time you see the cat, squirt it, after a while they run when they see you. Favourite spot in your garden, buy a tub of tooth picks and stick them in the ground. Lion poo does not work.
I read recently, think was in a part of China cats are walked on a lead and are trained to use a cat litter tray at home. This i would love to see😊

😆

I agree with you, but I also see the other side.

I think it’s strange how we’ve got to a position where it’s socially acceptable
for people to keep cats who piss off so many people, kill wildlife etc. But that’s where we are, and cat owners aren’t doing anything wrong by ‘letting their cats be cats’. But I still don‘t like it.

Birds don’t belong to anyone though. Cats do. I know that some cat owners believe they belong to their cats but…….

Before I got dog we had loads of cats coming into my garden.
They soon learnt when the got chased by the dog.
No cat was hurt but scared enough not to enter.
Squirrels on the other hand...

@Warum "Unfortunately it seems many MN cat owners take a slightly different view!"

Really? I thought it was pretty universally held.

My two boys do great as cat deterrents. No Cat Left Unchased is their motto in life and I salute them.

I ought to be renting them out.

I let my dog bark at them, and chase them, they have soon learnt not to come in the garden

Cats cannot be controlled. They just do as they please.

The cat has probably worked out that as long as it stays on the roof of the shed he can annoy the dog without the dog being able to get to it...basically the cat is enjoying taunting your dog.

My neighbour's cat enjoy running around my garden and has gone into my kitchen a few times.

I really don't mind although I am planning to get a cat too and that's probably when things will get a bit trickier.

I think you have a losing battle on your hands if you try to control the neighbourhood cats... better to continue to work on getting your dog to be less reactive to its environment if possible.

They kill millions of wildlife though - birds, mice, voles, etc some of which will be species under threat/endangered.

And then drag the living/dead poor little creatures back into the house for humans to step in or go rancid under the sofa. While they walk their manky feet over the kitchen worktops and tables. Absolutely gross. 🤮🤮🤮

Cats are just better than people. People destroy the whole planet and no one regulates us.

We have a very naughty squirrel that causes chaos in our garden, not in the slightest bit scared of the cat.
We also have a magpie that cleans our guttering as well - he’s ace.

I must admit my cat has shit in my neighbours gravel before. She’s fine with it though. Another cat shits in her plant pots and she hates him.

Not to ANY extent!

They are not the same!!

I'd let my dog woof (and do) tbh.

My neighbour came around the other day and asked me to lock my dog inside when she lets her cat out!!! Apparently my dog had chased her cat out of my garden and it was somehow my/my dogs fault.

Cat people are beyond entitled but what do you expect from people who get pets and let them run around the countryside and don't train them?

If you know for definite who the owner of the culprit is I'd ask them politely to clear it up.

If it carried on I'd be delivering it back to their garden.