Cats everywhere!

[GoldfinchFeather]

Since we have plenty of threads to moan about dogs and dog owners, how about a bit of balance and a thread for the same about cats?

I, for one, am not a fan of the things and think there are too many around. And sure, while the problems they cause may be less obvious than dogs/dog ownership, I personally think they're worse in many ways. Particularly for the terrible effect they have on local wildlife and birds in particular.

On numerous occasions I've had the misfortune to come across birds and animals that have clearly been attacked by cats. One distressing incident occurred just a few weeks ago - on an evening walk I came across a domestic cat that had just attacked a tiny baby wild rabbit. Despite shooing the cat off and it still being alive when I got to it, it didn't survive.

Seeing that made me just want to go and give the bloody thing a boot up the backside.

Yet many cat owners seem to find this behaviour either a mildly amusing part of their cat ownership ("you'll never guess what my Tiddles caught the other day!"), or have no qualms about letting their cats roam freely and slowly kill all wildlife within a several mile radius. When really, they should just be kept indoors.

And if they were, there'd be far less of them that were always going bloody missing or being stupid enough to get themselves run over on the road.

Surely I can't be alone in my hatred of cats?!

There is no such thing as too many cats. I would happily live in a world populated only by cats (and their prey).

I miss my cats. They were indoor cats.

When I was breeding I had 14 at one point. Ragdolls, just like little dogs but fluffier.

I dont miss the litter trays.

I might get another in a year or so but will be indoor only.

I go for a daily evening walk around dusk.

Every single day, without fail, there are several cats throughout my route sat on the pavement silently watching me as I walk past. The same cats. Watching me very carefully.

I actually reckon I'm going to be receiving an invitation to Hogwarts any day now.

It's not though because if none of the domestic cats got fed their tins of fancy food, they wouldn't survive. So, there would be fewer cats killing the wildlife overall.

Golden eagles kill lambs. I've seen crows attacking squirrels. It's not just cats that kill.

Hugo says, what? Well I'm an indoor cat anyway, so will happily stay away from you. We Cats rule the earth and will not be told what to do.

That may be true but wild animals are part of the natural world and have every right to be outdoors. Cats and dogs (and any other pets) have been bred and introduced by humans. So in my book they have no right to be turned loose on an unsuspecting natural world.
I think the only reason they get away with it is because the look pretty and are cute and furry. If i released my pet python and it laid waste to the neighbour's pets and children, there would be an outcry.

We had a plague of mice and rats in our gardens during lockdown summers, and my cat who was an energetic young female then had the life of Riley, she was catching about 5 mice a day, and lugged about five huge dead rats home onto the doormat. 🙄 I realise people don't like these being killed either but if you've ever had mice in the house you'll understand what a misery and worry it is - we had them pre the Verminator and they chewed through a cable between the floorboards. But I'll always be guilty about any bird kills. I try to keep my cat in during daylight hours in June as that's when the fledglings are about, but I wouldn't make a cat an indoor animal, I'd rather not have one.

The number of small birds in my garden has decreased a lot in the last few years. The blame is not aimed at our feral cat who has no interest in birds and spends her time catching rats and mice on the farm. The murderer is Chris Packham. We are now inundated with Jackdaws Crows and Rooks because they are protected. They raid the nests of the smaller birds such as House Martins and Swallows Fewer and fewer of their young are surviving each year. We used to have a few Jackdaws around which was fine but 40 in my garden is ridiculous

I saw a blackbird callously slaughtering a worm in my garden the other day. It was horrific. I was going to go out and give it a kicking but the murderous bastard flew off.

Oh, and another thought. When I'm out riding a horse on a bridle path (right of way) or on common ground, I've never had to shout "get your cat under control/put your cat on a lead, get your snarling cat away from the horse, oh no there's a cat".... just saying! I've been riding when a dog has attacked - not nice and could've ended up worse than it did.

There have always been wild cats in the UK so cats are indigenous, other types of cats did arrive by ship, the ship's cat(s) were there to kill vermin so the food was edible for the crew, they served an important purpose.

Red kites only eat big dead things like lambs (ie, they are not responsible for killing lambs, which they get accused of) they will take rodents and other birds when they are alive or road kill.

Be angry at humans op, instead of cats.

What did Chris Packham do to change the law @user1471505494 ? We have magpies everywhere, even nesting in our garden. They slaughter the thrush chicks in the nests in the tall trees nearby, there was a healthy colony of thrushes a few years ago and now hardly any.

Jealous! I never got one.

Is 40-something to old for wizard school, do you think?

I would much rather a cat killing vermin that some bloody dog off the lead who's owner thinks it's cute that it is slobbering all over you.
Also when they are on leads the are those extendable ones which are a hazard to pedestrians.
Also, people with dogs have bad smelling houses and cars.

theyoungishman · Today 14:45
Cats are the best
Your sentence seems incomplete. Let me finish it for you:
"Cats are the best at killing wildlife and are responsible for killing an estimated 160-270 million animals annually in this country"
An absolute pest on society.

And they crap in my garden.
My neighbour was most upset when I told her that next time my pal's dog comes for his holidays I will be sending him into her garden for a dump.

Then you’re a good cat owner and I would like your cat 🤝

Our local prison has a terrible rat problem, apparently worse since they got rid of the cats who used to keep them at bay.

I have two cats myself, they're ace.

That's a shame. The spiders speak very highly of you lol !

Totally unreasonable.

I adore my cat, and all cats, they’re all much nicer than humans. My cat is strictly indoor, but if I saw you kicking a cat I’d report you to the SSPCA and the police.

No need to abuse a defenceless animal

I have been seriously misled by cat owners. When i agreed to cat sit for my friend i imagined cosy evenings with a coffee and a good book and a cat sitting purring on my lap. Her cat totally ignored me for 4 days despite the fact that i was feedling her !

Just here for the cat photos. 😍 Keep them coming.

I like dogs as well and all others animals. Humans are the issue.

in brief I heard this recently - The plague could have been reduced or even prevented by cat ownership… Women who kept cats to keep down the mice and rat populations were often called witches and some were burnt at the stake - as a consequence ownership of cats went down and the rat population rapidly increased spreading the plague. Of the animals that cats catch it’s a lot of mice. Though on the extremely rare occasion my cat brings in a mouse I often can catch it and release it.

I also heard that, @holidayinuk. Pope Gregory IX ( I think) told the faithful to eradicate black cats, people took this as licence to kill any cats and a hundred years later the rat population was out of control in Europe and the plague was spread by them. Moral - leave the cats alone.