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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

People walking cats and rabbits on leads in parks

497 replies

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 05/04/2021 08:50

Utter fools. Do they not like their pets?

I've come across this at least 4 times now - people (all different!) walking cats and, in one case, a rabbit, on a lead.

In all cases, these are parks where dogs are allowed off lead and the vast majority are off lead. Including everything from ex-racing greyhounds to terriers.

I spoke to rabbit woman and pointed out the dangers. She said she'd just pick the rabbit up - while seemingly failing to account for the fact greyhounds can travel at 40mph and jump higher than she could possibly lift the rabbit.

Yesterday I saw this on-lead cat before my own dog did (a small miracle - from a distance I thought it was a puppy), and warned them my dog wasn't cat friendly. They then decided to stop sitting down in the park and instead FOLLOW US through the park.

Presumably when it goes wrong they'll be whining that the dog was out of control - but presumably they'd also be whining if they wandered out blindfolded onto a 70mph road and got run over. It's asking for trouble.

I'm not convinced cats or rabbits enjoy being walked - and surely the much safer / more pragmatic option would be to walk them somewhere where dogs aren't allowed to be off lead?

Let's pray this doesn't catch on as a trend Gin

OP posts:
Veterinari · 05/04/2021 19:21

@MiddlesexGirl

And both cats used to come with me and my dog to the park. All off lead.
The fact that the cats are off lead means they have choice and control over their own actions and escape routes.

I'm surprised it has to be pointed out that is entirely different

Stellaris22 · 05/04/2021 19:25

PIL have a cat and he often follows them home when they are walking their dogs.

The cat has a choice of where it goes and can run away if it needs to. That's very important.

Poorlykitten · 05/04/2021 19:30

Surely a cat is more likely to be chased if running? The dogs I have had would ignore a cat facing them off but not if it got up and bolted, they’d be after it like a shot. A cat in a lead, I think they would just have ignored it. It’s the chase they wanted.

LST · 05/04/2021 19:33

@Poorlykitten

Surely a cat is more likely to be chased if running? The dogs I have had would ignore a cat facing them off but not if it got up and bolted, they’d be after it like a shot. A cat in a lead, I think they would just have ignored it. It’s the chase they wanted.
Mine hides in the undergrowth before a dog even sees him
tabulahrasa · 05/04/2021 19:34

@Poorlykitten

Surely a cat is more likely to be chased if running? The dogs I have had would ignore a cat facing them off but not if it got up and bolted, they’d be after it like a shot. A cat in a lead, I think they would just have ignored it. It’s the chase they wanted.
Depends why they’re trying to get to it...

Mine is currently being restrained so the cat can go upstairs because he’s in a bratty mood and adamant that the swiping is some sort of game Hmm (it’s a puppy)

Stellaris22 · 05/04/2021 19:37

I only ever see cats when on roads walking places, never free roaming in park areas. Obviously the cats choice to not be there before people start claiming I'm prioritising dogs in parks!

When we see cats it's always when mine is on lead, as it's safer. Dog never chases or tries to, my dog is on lead and cat has the choice to move freely.

But I feel we dog owners can't win as people don't understand that off lead does not equal out of control.

MiddlesexGirl · 05/04/2021 19:40

Nothing so obvious has to be pointed out @Veterinari.
On some occasions my cats just followed us over offload.
When one cat was not fit enough to do that I took her on a lead. I picked her up when other dogs came anywhere near and she was perfectly happy with this. To be fair, she's quite a feisty, confident little cat and not averse to staring down dogs and foxes.
It's not a busy park so it was easy to spot any issues quickly. My cat was very happy and it served her well until she was fit enough to be out and about on her own again.

MiddlesexGirl · 05/04/2021 19:41

*offlead (not offload!)

sunflowersandbuttercups · 05/04/2021 19:43

Surely a cat is more likely to be chased if running?

Not necessarily, no.

But if the cat can run, it has a much higher chance of escaping over a wall or up a tree to safety.

Poorlykitten · 05/04/2021 19:58

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Stellaris22 · 05/04/2021 20:03

Surely an unhappy cat isn't going to be the easiest thing to pick up/hold. I can't see a stressed cat being calm, so then there's the added risk of the owner dropping the cat because it's scratching. There's the danger of a scared cat then getting the leash tangled as it's trying to escape.

Long winded post, but I just can't see how being on a lead is safer for the cat.

Poorlykitten · 05/04/2021 20:10

Maybe it’s not unhappy? I mean we can speculate wildly if you like, I’m here all night.

LST · 05/04/2021 20:13

@Poorlykitten

Maybe it’s not unhappy? I mean we can speculate wildly if you like, I’m here all night.
Christ almighty. Is it not enough that you want all dogs on leads at all times, you now want to leash cats too!
sunflowersandbuttercups · 05/04/2021 20:16

@Poorlykitten

Or if the cat is right next to the owner and can be scooped up quickly???
Well, I don't know about you, but when my cats are scared they hiss, lash out and would easily try and bite if someone "scooped them up".

I wouldn't fancy my chances at picking them up safely if a strange dog was barking, lunging and leaping towards them.

Veterinari · 05/04/2021 20:19

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Veterinari · 05/04/2021 20:20

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Stellaris22 · 05/04/2021 20:22

There's a lot to contend with veterinari. But then people seem to think just because they can leash a rabbit and take it to the park they should without a thought for the animals welfare.

WiganNorthWest · 05/04/2021 20:22

I’m not sure cats on leads are less safe than free roaming cats when you consider the risks of getting stolen or being hit by cars.

Cats on leads are probably more stressed if they are in a park around dogs though, so I don’t think a busy park is the right place to walk a cat. I think a cat that is taken out on a lead to an appropriate place is probably happier than a cat that is kept inside (provided its happy with a harness and is not on a lead around dogs). And I would guess that this is safer than allowing them to free roam near busy roads/face the risk of being stolen if it’s a breed cat. I bet a free roaming cat has a higher chance of being killed than a cat that is walked does.

Poorlykitten · 05/04/2021 20:49

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Veterinari · 05/04/2021 21:01

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MrsMackesy · 05/04/2021 22:06

Thank you for editing the OP, MNHQ Flowers

BurbageBrook · 05/04/2021 22:53

@LST my own cats come and go freely via a cat flap but for many people they have now become indoor pets who are only walked via a lead, which I do find cruel unless a particularly 'chilled' breed or a cat with an illness.

anyoldtime · 05/04/2021 23:39

Put your bloody dog on a lead around people at ALL TIMES. No dogs should even be off lead where there are people esp children around ever

This.

I was out walking in a local park with my DC. My DC is terrified of unleashed dogs (following a bad experience). A small dog ran over to us. It was excited and jumped up on us. My DC went to pieces. I called to the owner to call her fog over. She came over huffing and puffing that her fog wouldn’t hurt us. She called the dog numerous times while the dog completely ignored her. My DC was crying, the dog was getting more hyper and the woman was offended although clearly had no control over the dog.
FWIW I don’t think the dog would have hurt us. But we didn’t know that with any certainty.

My DC has not gone back to that area of the park since. So is it more important for dogs or people to be able to use parks?

On another occasion in the same park I saw a dog walk past with their ow er holding a squirrel in its mouth. The owner was unable to get the dog to release the squirrel from its teeth. The squirrel wasn’t fully dead and the dog was shaking it in its mouth. I don’t know how or if she managed to free the squirrel or did she have to kill it fully herself. It was awful to witness and again it was preventable if the dog had been on a lead.

anyoldtime · 05/04/2021 23:39

Fog = dog!

dontcare85 · 06/04/2021 00:09

Poor rabbits and cats being put on a lead to walk in a park where there are dogs. This is cruel. They will be terrified whether a dog is on a lead or not.