To think cats shouldn’t be allowed out without owners

[DoBeDoBeDooo]

The other thread about cats vs dogs has made me realise I’m not alone in my feelings about cats being allowed to roam freely, kill wildlife, and crap all over the place.

Why is it one rule for dogs and another for cats? It’s doesn’t make any sense really, when you think about it.

Shouldn’t the same rules apply: cats can be walked on leads and owners must pick up after them or risk fines etc?

The RSPB beg to differ, and I think they know a little more about the state of Britain's bird population than random Google.

The RSPB say the birds killed by cats each year are the"doomed suplus" - those not strong or fast or healthy or well-fed enough to survive anyway, plus those who are old. The impact on bird numbers is negligible.

Your insistence that cats are a problem for wildlife is at best ill-informed and just a spurious claim to justify dislike of cats.

I have so many worms in my garden I can barely believe it. Its a proper worm sanctuary.
I thank my cats.

Couldn't find a global number but in the USA the estimated number of babies born with congenital toxoplasmosis annually could be as low as 300 and no more than a few thousand. Of those in the USA the majority are caused by contaminated food, such as eating undercooked meat or unwashed fruits and vegetables, not by cat poo. The number in the UK caused by cats is so low as to not be recorded and in fact the study I found said "contact with cats was not a significant risk factor for infection" - it's basically all from food. So the threat of cats to pregnant women seems to be a little overstated in this thread...

If you want to save nature, (never mind the animals, apparently) stop buying meat

cats are obligate carnivores.
they can't live on birds, mice & worms alone.

I meant meat for us. Cat diet can't be helped

It saddens me that the majority of votes think it's 'cruel' to have indoor cats. I can't help but think they believe this because it's so much easier to give in and let cats wander outside to meet their fate rather than taking the time to enrich their indoor space or make an outdoor space with boundaries. We don't let our kids do that no matter how much they yearn, what's so different?

Something that wasn't discussed is that cats aren't "roaming" animals. Roaming is the term for animals that move their dens to another area. Cats don't do that, they establish territory. So all you have to do is limit the area where cats wander. It might take a little work but your cat will live longer and better.

Tell me you know nothing about cats without telling me you know nothing about cats.

I am in my 70s. Not that long ago, in many areas dogs did get let out. I remember having to work in a housing estate in Coventry in the mid 80s and there was always a good size pack of dogs running round the estate, probably a dozen dogs of all sizes. I don't mind dogs, but I was worried, so it must have been frightening for anyone timid. People complain about dogs crap now, but the situation is miles better than it was then. It was everywhere. Dogs need to be kept under control. Now, how about keeping cats in? Yes it can be done. Our daughter has a house cat, in fact it's living with us fir a few months as DD is between houses. It's a lovely cat, but it should be out. It watches others outside in the garden with a sad look on its face. Before DD inherited the car, when her flat mate abandoned it when he moved out, I wasn't keen, but I do like their 'I own you' attitude. I decided instead of moaning about the crap in the garden from other cars, I would just accept it. Makes life a lot less stressful. I did buy a couple of ultra sonic animal deterrers, and fir about £30 I have had no crap on my front lawn since. A.new neighbour moved in with 2 labs, that spend all day in her back garden, and they stopped the cats coming in our garden. Guess what? We now have to put down rat poison to keep the rats down. Give me cats anyway to rats.

What would happen if we let our kids roam free? Have you read 'Lord of the Rings?' There would be rival gangs fighting for supremacy in every town.

Cats bury their poo.
It’s probably a fox.

Cats are in important part of the ecosystem. If they are not around to kill rats, rats start to spread disease and human illness increases. It’s an important lesson in system thinking.

Wrong book! You mean Lord of the Flies.

And as exam question after exam question on it had hinted, the boys did not have the calming influence of girls.

And cats are far more civilised on the outside than dogs.

If cats shouldn’t roam free, then I say that blatant wronguns like Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage shouldn’t roam free, spreading their hate: the former should most certainly be kept in prison, as we have lost count of the number of times he has shit in the flower bed.

Rival gangs of Hobbits fighting to the death on the mean streets of the Shire 🤣

My cat goes out when he likes. He doesn’t crap in our garden 😉 must be yours OP

Mind you, my impression of the first Lord of the Rings film was… a lot of battle scenes.

It’s not as black & white as that. Please tell that to the shelter I adopted my cat from. Part of the adoption criteria was he had to have unfettered access to the outside including not using a catio.

Difficult subject with pros and cons for both sides of the argument. I grew up with cats and they’ve all been rescues or kittens being given away. They all came and went as they pleased in and out of the house except I managed to teach the last two not to go out of the front door which led to a busy main road and they never did, they stayed around the back. They had their toilet area and both used it. One of my cats always got the blame for pooing in a neighbours garden where they grew veg. He did go into their garden sometimes but they chased him out with water pistols and threw stones. They put rubber spikes on top of their fence. One evening they chased him and he was so frightened that he landed awkwardly from the spiked fence and collapsed and had a heart attack, had to be taken to an emergency vet and they put him to sleep. I’ve never recovered from this. We have a five year old rescue now and we live in a quiet road where at least four other cats wander through our garden. One always poos in the grass front and back and we clear it up. Once it had blood in it and we wanted to tell her owner to get her checked out. Our cat uses two indoor trays and doesn’t defecate outside and if nothing else, this does help us to keep an eye on his health. For the first years of his life he was an indoor cat, living in a flat. He goes outside into our garden with me for as long as he wants to. I tried a harness on him and persevered with it for a few weeks. At first there’s the struggle to get it on, then he would just roll around or go backwards, but the reward of the door being open did persuade him to go outside. He bounced up and down like a ping pong ball in the harness. We no longer use the harness. I am still unable to get a collar on him with his name tag. I don’t want to lose him or anyone to be upset about him being on their property so I’m trying my best to find a balance. We play with him indoors and out, so he is not bored. I think he would be a fighter if he had the chance and having dealt with torn ears from my other cats in the past, I’m wary of that too. He is neutered but I am not sure about all the other male cats in the area. For the first time in my life I am not working for anybody else or raising young children, so I am able to devote my time like this.

I find catio's or people who walk cats on a lead much less cruel, because at least then the cat can experience being outside. It's the thought of a creature never going outside to me which is really unnatural. You could have the best set up indoors but could never replicate what it's like to feel sunshine, wind and rain.

Haha my cats won't go out in the garden if it's raining or too windy 😂

Catios are awful, like being kept in a cage. The RSPCA advice against having cats on leads as they find them stressful due to not being able to control their environment.
I totally agree though about cats or any animal being kept indoors

Yeah don't get me wrong, mine is allowed outside whenever she wants. I just think any outdoor time is better than nothing.

I could tell you how many cats have been killed in my small village since I moved here 6 years ago! Guess what ? None of them were mine as we have a cat proofed garden.

Tell me you know nothing about making a thoughtful comment without telling me you know nothing about making a thoughtful comment.