Cats - should they be allowed to roam?

[aidualk]

I used to be a cat owner and I want a kitten eventually. Lately I came across this page on facebook and it made me think. Should cats really be allowed to roam free wherever they want?
They kill wildlife, crap in people's gardens and anger dogs/animals that are peacefully chilling in their houses/gardens.
Really think about it. And let me know! I want to really take in both sides before I adopt a fur baby!

Mine do not crap in gardens, they come in on purpose to use the litter trays.
All they have killed this year is a nest of rats so not bothered about that. They rarely leave the house when it's cold and generally stay in the back garden when warm.

“Wild animals pooing is totally different. There is no need to have anything like the number of cats we have in the Uk, they are bred because people want them as pets, I don’t wish any species extinct but I don’t believe there is any environmental need for the vast majority of cats. They are there purely because of the demand for pets.“

Cats are by definition half wild as they are not fully domesticated and can live in the wild if they need/want to. There is an environmental need for cats because cats exist in the wild (bobcats, polecats, coon cats, etc). They keep down the rodent population.

I’ve had feral/wild cats that are not pets living on my property before. You can’t touch them or pet them. They don’t belong to anyone. I leave food out for them in the winter like I leave bird seed out.

^ I live rurally on a former farm.

Well, the law disagrees with you all.

I love all cats. Mine come from shelters. Cats don't choose to be here. They have the right to roam, as they should by law, which their species needs.

I will protect the right of cats to roam.

@Biscuitbiscuits and if it’s all the same to you, I’ll argue for my right to have my private property kept free of faeces left by a privately owned pet that the owner is probably insisting only poos on their own garden. Yeah...ok.

Well, with the current cat situation in the UK your choice is "neutered, healthy cats owned by people using your garden as a litter tray" or "feral cats reproducing and using your garden as a litter tray".
You choose.

Yes. Yes they should.

I think cats should be allowed to roam depending on where people live. My cats roam. They killed wildlife yes but a lit of what they kill is vermin. Unfortunately they bring the rats home as a gift. As for shitting in peoples gardens the foxes and badgers do it far more. If i lived in a busy street then I would not like them to roam.

I don't think so. I'm biased though as every day I have to clear cat poop from my garden, and it's in an area where my kids play so I'm not happy! If you have a pet you should clear up after it, so if it's impossible, ie they've gone and done it in somewhere you don't know about, then they should somehow be kept in. My sister in australia has a huge run in her garden and cat flap into the house so they have a huge amount of space but they can't get out, they're very happy cats.

If every cat had access to a litter tray it would be a lot nicer for everyone else.
^^ This! My brother keeps a litter tray in the garden so they go there and not his or other people's gardens.

The ones beside me are going to come to an unpleasant end

What do you mean? Do you intend to kill them? Nice....

I hate that cats can do what they want. My neighbours cats live in my garden. They shit in my flower bed. Flea ridden bastards curl up on our furniture. I can't open my kitchen window because one of the Toms comes inside my bloody house. I'm a cat lover but I don't want to be lifting shit or cleaning my bench every time I want to sit down.