AIBU to think cats should not roam unsupervised like dogs?

[estrogone]

AIBU to think that if you dont leave your dog to roam streets unsupervised, then you shouldn't let other pets (cats), for the same reasons.

It blows my mind that people let their cats out because their sleep is disrupted and I wonder why they think its OK, when its highly unlikely they would put Fido outside if he kept the family up.

I love this…good on your princess for knowing just how important a service she is providing. I hope she is adequately paid in dreamies and strokes

Then don’t complain when they get knocked down! We have a catio! Especially because I want cats to live!!

A tracker collar will give you an idea of where the cat is. We used Apple AirTags. That is how we found out that one of our cats was killed by a car. The tag said the cat's location was the local animal shelter, so we knew something was wrong.

I would much rather have a cat shitting in my garden than deal.with a cavapoo in a cafe.

Don’t all cats have their chosen places to go to the toilet? Ours will actually come in to go in his litter tray or has a particular place in our garden and is always very dedicated about covering it up.

Cats don’t tend to attack people or damage property. I have two and they have access to a cat flap 24/7. I don’t let them upstairs overnight because they like company but at 4.30am I don’t. One of my cats is out most of the time, hail rain or shine. She doesn’t wander far - I can call her in and 95% of the time she’s there within a minute.

Guinea pigs and rabbits are kept caged because if let loose they would run away and never be seen again. Cats who are settled in a family home and let out nearly always come back home of their own accord because they are territorial animals and the home is their territory.

We had two cats for 15 years. They would have been utterly miserable if we had kept them locked indoors. And one in particular would have tried to dash out any time a window or door was opened. Do you suggest cat owners never open windows or leave the patio door open in summer?

One rarely left the back garden or immediate vicinity of the surrounding grassland. The other roamed more and sometimes would be away for hours but would always return. Our road is very quiet and they rarely went out the front of the house.

We tried every type of collar for ages and they would manage to break or get out of then so eventually we gave up. Unfortunately one ocassionally caught small rodents, lizards or small birds but I hardly think she was causing a huge cull of wildlife.

Dogs generally cannot be trusted to return home of their own accord so of course they need to be on a lead. They are not the same type of creature.

If you are going to let them roam get them neutered, especially the male cats!!!
We have two rescue cats and the amount of strays and feral colonies having kittens is out of control!!
Both are ex feral and they are very happy in their catio!! The hours of entertainment they got from watching the birds fledgling was amazing. Plus the fledgling were completely safe!!

And get them chipped, it’s the law!!!

Because cats are not dogs and you can't compare them

Exactly, @CandidRaven cats cat & dogs dog. It's been that way always, so I'm not sure how people expect it to change now! It's just nature.

"🙄 at posters saying that because their cats don’t roam, cats don’t need to roam."
Surely this can go both ways. Just because your cat needs to doesnt mean every cat needs to. My cat does not desperately try to get outside.

You actually can buy large wheels for cats to run on, mine loves his. And you can also lead train cats, same as a dog you make them comfortable with it from a young age. Just as you would with anything, brushing for example.

My cats are indoor cats, I keep them in for their safety and my peace of mind.
its a big bonus that it also means they’re not a nuisance by peeing and pooing on other people’s gardens, they don’t cause road accidents or kill lots of wildlife.
Not sure our reasons are the same but I don’t think it’s unreasonable at all as I do it too.

Exactly, there is a lot less wildlife around cos of people letting their cats out!
Cats don’t need to hunt for food if they’re pets and are fed, so it’s totally unnecessary.

Your vet is talking rubbish. According to the RVC the average life expectancy is 11.7 years.

Because you can...

My cats go out during the day with trackers on, and are kept in at night.
I tried to keep them in during the heatwave and they went mental.

We lost our young cat a few years back - he was knocked over and killed instantly. We live in a village but of course it still happens.
We now have a rescue and we let her outside. I asked our incredibly experienced vet what she personally does with her cats. She said hers all go out, despite losing a young one in a similar way to us through an RTA. She said their quality of life is so much better when they are allowed out.
It was a very reassuring conversation.

What a strange opinion OP. It's not cats that attack and kill people, attack livestock, shit all over the place, disturb countless neighbours with their endless barking. Some of us would love to see dogs kept indoors and away from public spaces, just as you think cats should be.

You need to apply some common sense.

Cats are just better than dogs. They are not likely to attack humans or form packs if left to roam at night.

Dogs have to be supervised because they’re stupid; cats can look after themselves.