People walking cats and rabbits on leads in parks

[AvocadosBeforeMortgages]

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

@MrMeSeeks

What a pleasant person you are. ‘Utter half wits’

I'm not convinced cats or rabbits enjoy being walked

You do realise that of they do not like it, they will simply sit and REFUSE to do anything.

You do realise that maybe these animals cannot be out the house alone? Thos may be their only exercise? Can you get your head around that?

If you can't offer your pet a safe stress-free opportunity to exercise then you probably should consider whether keeping it is in its best interests and whether you're meeting your duty of care under the animal welfare act.

@Veterinari

I agree *@AvocadosBeforeMortgages* It seems to be a trend.

Firstly rabbits and cats are prey species with a strong flight instinct so being walked through a park smelling of dogs and surrounded by dogs (even on leads) is incredibly stressful for them, especially when they cannot run away. In rabbits stress can lead to gut stasis which can be fatal. In cats it can lead to a whole host of medical issues.

Secondly cats and especially rabbits have fragile spines. A rabbit can easily break its own back if it kicks/struggles. Now imagine that rabbit or cat in a lead/harness as a dog moved towards them and they instinctively dart away, only to be forcefully yanked back by their restraint. The pressure involved presents a very real risk of a significant spinal injury. And that can happen even with well controlled dogs on leads - they are still shit scary for cats/rabbits who will try and run away. It would be nice if people could perhaps actually consider the welfare of their pets rather than their next Instagram photo opportunity.

@ArseInTheCoOpWindow
And rabbits need lots of space too. Why do dog owners have superiority? I wanted to take my rabbits out, but they wouldn’t wear leads.

Because animal welfare is about meeting the animal's needs not doing what you want. Restricting a prey animal's flight ability whilst forcing it to share space with predators benefits no one, least of all the cats/rabbits.

The open space is there for all animal lovers not just dog lovers. And l love dogs!

Again you seem focussed on your feelings. Animal welfare is not about what you want. It's about what is best for the animal.

All of this

[quote Expectingsomethingwonderful]@tabulahrasa

That’s where my friend met a rabbit being walked www.visitscotland.com/info/see-do/beecraigs-country-park-p252471

Interestingly that link says 'Pets welcome' not just dogs![/quote]
And that trumps common sense or the welfare of the pet?

I’ve had dogs I don’t take there... because they can’t cope with the amount of other dogs there, or the play park or the farm animal attraction....never mind a poor rabbit.

There is no God given right for dogs to be off lead.

Cats/rabbits etc on leads are rare. There are probably specific reasons for it. (Perhaps an animal not yet neutered who needs some fresh air? I don’t know.)

If the cat or rabbit is on a lead s as NC the dog is not, then any accident is on the dog owner.

Regardless of dog behaviour, I can't comprehend why anyone would take a rabbit out for a walk in a public area. You are responsible for the welfare of any animal in your care, this comes across as incredibly foolish. It would be very stressful for the poor animal.

I have guinea pigs as well as a dog, I'd never take the guinea pigs out as they are prey animals, small and it would be horrible for them.

If you don't have the space for an animal like a rabbit then I question if you should have it.

As others say, owners train recall and are aware of normal things to look out for. A rabbit on a lead is unexpected and dogs aren't robots, it's the responsibility of every owner of any animal to be responsible for their pet. Taking a rabbit to a park is not responsible and it's unfair to blame dog owners for very poor judgment.

@AvocadosBeforeMortgages I don’t think that it’s arrogant to walk a well trained dog through a park, but if I was in your situation I would have put the well trained dog on a lead in a busy park anyway. This is because I know too many people/kids that find parks really quite scary due to off lead dogs and panic a bit when they see any off lead dog. They can’t tell whether your dog is well trained or whether it will run up and scare them/steal their food. So I think it’s polite to put your dog on a lead in busy areas to signal to others it’s under control. I do understand that it’s annoying that areas that are normally quiet and excellent places for off lead exercise suddenly become packed in summer. But I don’t think parks with lots of picnic goers and dogs on lead (and even catsrabbits) are appropriate places for any dog to be off lead even if it’s well trained as it does make people uneasy.

Rabbits are fairly expected in most areas as are cats, I would argue and again, why should your dog trump the rabbits right to be there? I’m pretty sure the owner could grab it fairly quickly if it’s in a leash.

Personally I think dogs that can’t be recalled from cats off lead should be on a lead or long line at all times unless you are 100% sure there is no chance there could be a cat.

PP have said they've encountered cats and rabbits being walked on leads in country parks. Would you really expect to keep your dog on lead in a place like that, just in case?

@missymoomoomoomoomoo

Whilst I agree that cats really shouldn't be walked near dogs and some cats may be stressed by it, I am chuckling at the "cats are flight animals", only because I saw a cat massively antagonising and bushing up at a dog yesterday. Proper going for it

I know. There was a spate of people letting their dogs attacks around by me a few years ago. One of my cats despised dogs and would go for them. It was quite impressive! Totally the dog owners fault, not the dogs. I think the biggest she went for was a Great Dane. She always came out on top.

It's not about the dog deserving to be there. It's animal welfare. Any animal like a rabbit is going to be stressed and uncomfortable being on a lead and unable to escape danger. It's the being trapped that's an issue.

Someone putting a rabbit on a lead and taking it to a park is ignoring their animals welfare and in my opinion, it borders on animal abuse.

@Poorlykitten

Rabbits are fairly expected in most areas as are cats, I would argue and again, why should your dog trump the rabbits right to be there? I’m pretty sure the owner could grab it fairly quickly if it’s in a leash.

Wild rabbits/free-roaming cats are NOT the same as pet ones who are on a lead.

If you insist on walking your prey animal on a lead where dogs are, then you need to accept you're taking a risk with your pets' welfare. Just as people who let their cats out to roam take the risk that they could be shut in somewhere or hit by a car.

The owner may be able to grab the animal, but would a rabbit or cat be happy in someone's arms while a dog barked and lunged at it? Surely the rabbit would be absolutely terrified, and the cat would likely scratch and bite in an attempt to escape.

So again, why is it in the rabbits' best interests to take them into an environment like that? Prey animals are designed to run from predators, not to be held and restricted while said predator jumps, barks and tries to eat them.

Whilst I agree that cats really shouldn't be walked near dogs and some cats may be stressed by it, I am chuckling at the "cats are flight animals", only because I saw a cat massively antagonising and bushing up at a dog yesterday. Proper going for it

I think the idea is that if a cat is off-lead, it has the choice. It can run and escape up a tree, over a wall or under a fence if it chooses to. On a lead, it doesn't have that choice and is forced to sit there and be barked and lunged at.

@Poorlykitten

Rabbits are fairly expected in most areas as are cats, I would argue and again, why should your dog trump the rabbits right to be there? I’m pretty sure the owner could grab it fairly quickly if it’s in a leash.

Because it's not about 'rights' (and even if it were animals have no rights under law )

It's about meeting the species specific needs of your animal and providing good welfare.

Why bother having a pet if you can't meet its needs and want to expose it to stress fear and danger ?

I don't know where to start with this entitled, aggressive OP. The use of the disablist insult 'halfwit' tells me all I need to know. It is my responsibility to ensure that all other users of shared open space - be it children, adults, people using a guide or assistance dog, people walking with difficulty using sticks, picnickers, wildlife and yes rabbit and cat walkers - can do so safe from harm or nuisance from our hounds. Even in our rural area places get much busier at this time of year. We adapt to this as we understand the needs of others to get out and about more in April to October. Exercising dogs early or late in the day can usually give the space they need and we are accustomed to.

@Poorlykitten do you understand about animal welfare? It isn't about dogs 'trumping' other animals.

As an owner you are responsible for your pets wellbeing. Putting a rabbit on a lead so it can't run away and taking it to an open area is animal abuse in my opinion. You are not meeting the needs of that animal and causing it severe and unnecessary stress.

@MrsMackesy

I don't know where to start with this entitled, aggressive OP. The use of the disablist insult 'halfwit' tells me all I need to know. It is my responsibility to ensure that all other users of shared open space - be it children, adults, people using a guide or assistance dog, people walking with difficulty using sticks, picnickers, wildlife and yes rabbit and cat walkers - can do so safe from harm or nuisance from our hounds. Even in our rural area places get much busier at this time of year. We adapt to this as we understand the needs of others to get out and about more in April to October. Exercising dogs early or late in the day can usually give the space they need and we are accustomed to.

'Halfwit' is no more a disablist insult than 'idiot'. That's a reach

And it's not about being considerate or inconsiderate of others. It's about not exposing vulnerable animals to stressful and dangerous situations.

Wouldn't it be nice if people were just decent and took responsibility for educating themselves and safeguarding their pet's welfare rather than taking the stance of 'well there's no law against it so I'll do what I want

We'd see many fewer animal welfare problems if people were less self-absorbed

This works both ways though. I think this thread shows that there are dog owners who believe it's the responsibility of others not to put other animals in the vicinity of their dog as 'they might not be able to curb their natural instincts and chase it'. But why should someone else's lack of responsibility (for not keeping their dog on a lead) mean that someone else should not be allowed to walk their cat? While I wouldn't personally take a cat to a park where I knew there were dogs off lead, I should be allowed to take a cat to a normal park and expect it not to get mauled by 'a sighthound who wasn't expecting to see a cat'.

And if we're talking about responsible pet owners, the number of people who'll let their off-lead dogs come bounding up to my child who has ASD and is scared of dogs and just shout over cheerily 'oh it's fine, he's friendly!' like that should make it ok...

And my final point (!), you linked to an RSPCA site saying about not taking cats for walks on leads - we adopted our Fiv cat from the RSPCA who specifically told us to take him out for walks on a harness to exercise him. We have quite a big garden, so we do stay in there, but not everyone has that. Catios (I looked into them) are generally tiny and wouldn't provide him.with much exercise, so a harness it is (or I make him miserable by staying inside all the time).

So I am looking after my animal's welfare in the best way I can. I really don't think the majority of people who walk their other pets are doing it as some kind of status symbol or are 'half-wits' as someone so nicely said.

@sunflowersandbuttercups I don’t think I’ve ever actually been to a country park so I don’t know what I’d do. I walked a previous dog in a busy city park but he was a companion breed with very low prey drive and very good recall and ignored all animals and people-I was as sure as I could be that he wouldn’t attack anything so I took the very small risk that he would act completely out of character and let him off this lead.
Both dogs I’ve had since then have been larger rescues with a bit of prey drive and dog reactivity issues and I live rurally so I walk them on a long line and in remote areas where cats are unlikely. I still call them to heel when going round blind corners. If I had a dog that was good with other dogs but chased animals I think I would keep them on a long line in a country park-but that would be for my own peace of mind and I accept that people make their own judgement/risk assessment about when to let their dogs off.

Yes, I understand.They are two entirely different points though I’m afraid. It doesn’t detract from the point that the owner with the rabbit has just as much right to be their with their pet, as you do with your dog. I’m sorry it may annoy , upset or even piss you off but it’s a fact. Just because you have a dog, it’s not an automatic god- given right that you get to dictate what else happens in that park.Yes, the bunny may be scared shitless or it may be having the best day of its furry little life, but rightly or wrongly there’s nothing stopping this occurring.

We walked our cat a good decade ago when he was much younger, he took to it much more easily than our dog actually.

I wouldn't walk in a park full of dogs because an astonishing number of dog owners have no control over their dogs.

But I wouldn't blame others for doing so, same as wouldn't blame people choosing to have a picnic or walk with small dc.

Dog owners need to control their dogs. We used to sometimes get people telling us that their dog didn't like cats. Our cat was perfectly friendly with dogs so it was really their job to manage their pet and my job to manage mine.
If you can't control your dog safely do more training and keep in on a shorter lead.

*there!

Do carry on banging your usually knowledgeable drum about animals loudly on this thread, Veterinari but I won't be taking any lessons from you about what is or is not a disablist term.

@MrsMackesy 👏

I'm not annoyed because I have a dog who uses that space.

I'm concerned because that animal is going to be extremely stressed and scared in the situations owners put them in.

Parks are public space and there for everyone, not just dog owners.

I think hatred of dogs is getting in the way of properly understanding pets needs, and that's concerning.

As a pp said, if a rabbit gets the sudden urge to run away (whatever the cause, there could be no dogs around) it could result in serious spinal injuries.

@Poorlykitten

Yes, I understand.They are two entirely different points though I’m afraid. It doesn’t detract from the point that the owner with the rabbit has just as much right to be their with their pet, as you do with your dog. I’m sorry it may annoy , upset or even piss you off but it’s a fact. Just because you have a dog, it’s not an automatic god- given right that you get to dictate what else happens in that park.Yes, the bunny may be scared shitless or it may be having the best day of its furry little life, but rightly or wrongly there’s nothing stopping this occurring.

@Poorlykitten Doesn't believe in decency or thoughtfulness or consideration of animal welfare. Only in people doing what they want as long as it's legal.

It's why she's such a big supporter of off-lead dogs - after all it's legal so dog owners are free to let their dogs off are they? Isn't that right?