Z
z107
Guest
Sherman - All the links you posted with regard to keeping cats indoors are American. Don't they still allow cats to be declawed over there?
After moving house, we tried to keep our cat indoors for a couple of weeks so that he'd adjust. He started going crazy! - if we'd open the top of a window just a crack, he'd be climbing the glass to try to get out. This behaviour indicated to us that he'd prefer to be outside.
I read a few of the links you posted, and what they seem to say is that a cat is safer indoors. Well of course they are. However, I'd prefer to take the risk and let it live its life the way it obviously wants to.
I'd have to disagree with this! - My cat loves to climb and get up to all sorts of dangerous mischief. It's sanitised American nonsense.
After moving house, we tried to keep our cat indoors for a couple of weeks so that he'd adjust. He started going crazy! - if we'd open the top of a window just a crack, he'd be climbing the glass to try to get out. This behaviour indicated to us that he'd prefer to be outside.
I read a few of the links you posted, and what they seem to say is that a cat is safer indoors. Well of course they are. However, I'd prefer to take the risk and let it live its life the way it obviously wants to.
I'd have to disagree with this! - My cat loves to climb and get up to all sorts of dangerous mischief. It's sanitised American nonsense.
The majority view here (if you take away a cats balls, claws and natural instincts and lock it in a blockwork box ('the home') it won't get hit by passing cars and won't be a source of accidents for motorists) is TRUE!!
Question then is - is that a cat? One of my cats of long ago (called Keegan after Kevin Keegan) did not settle in his new (south-east London) home so made his way back to the area he knew (north-east London)...........a journey of some 6 miles through dense centre-city traffic and lived happily ever after, ferral, in gardens adjacent to my old home. Cats are very able and independent. It would be interesting to have some statistics on just how many road traffic accidents are caused by domestic pets, and of those what proportion involve cats.
Question then is - is that a cat? One of my cats of long ago (called Keegan after Kevin Keegan) did not settle in his new (south-east London) home so made his way back to the area he knew (north-east London)...........a journey of some 6 miles through dense centre-city traffic and lived happily ever after, ferral, in gardens adjacent to my old home. Cats are very able and independent. It would be interesting to have some statistics on just how many road traffic accidents are caused by domestic pets, and of those what proportion involve cats.
I know this is a little off the topic but anyway- did any of you hear Pat Kenny this morning (and last week) talking about vegetarian cat and dog owners who want to feed their pets a veggie diet? I for one think it's madness! I understand dogs as omnivores can adapt to a vegetarian diet but cats are true carnivores and must have a meat content in their food. The idea that a vegetarian pet owner would inflict their dietary preferance on a cat seems ludicrous, or am I politically incorrect. No offence to vegetarians or vegans by the way, my wife has a cat and the cat has TWO bells on her collar
I do get upset everytime she brings home dead birds (last week it was a young pigeon) quite apart from the bloody mess it creates with blood, guts and feathers all over the utility room! And to contradict Miss Ribena our cat probably wouldn't bring home a qaurter of the amount of rodents as birds each year, much to my disappointment.
I do get upset everytime she brings home dead birds (last week it was a young pigeon) quite apart from the bloody mess it creates with blood, guts and feathers all over the utility room! And to contradict Miss Ribena our cat probably wouldn't bring home a qaurter of the amount of rodents as birds each year, much to my disappointment.On the question of unnatural cat owners, I remember visiting a friend in Boston who shared a house with a cat owner. The cat was the biggest cat I have ever seen- to say it was obese would be a vast understatement. Anyway the cat spent all day everyday under a side table and at night in her owners bedroom. It never came out voluntarily. When I questioned it, the cat owner told me the cat was on anti-depressants, and had been for a number of years. A depressed cat. If it had been mine, I would have had it put down, poor miserable animal. What kind of quality of life was that?
Our cat ( and I say that reluctantly as he has forcably adopted us) brings all sorts of lovely presents. This morning it was a rat, two days ago a magpie, at the weekend I saw him toying with yet another mouse. He comes up with much more field mice than anything else, a few small birds, but they are few and far between. Hate seeing them, but hate seeing pygmy shrews even more. He doesnt eat anything except the mice. But thats nature, isn't it? He's a real hunting cat. If I kept him indoors, I am sure he would be miserable. My neighbour has several cats and they all have very distinct personalities- she has two that would happily laze around her house all day, and a couple more that spend most of their time outdoors, coming in only to feed. As she is a farmer, they are working farm cats, keeping the rodent population down.
Our cat ( and I say that reluctantly as he has forcably adopted us) brings all sorts of lovely presents. This morning it was a rat, two days ago a magpie, at the weekend I saw him toying with yet another mouse. He comes up with much more field mice than anything else, a few small birds, but they are few and far between. Hate seeing them, but hate seeing pygmy shrews even more. He doesnt eat anything except the mice. But thats nature, isn't it? He's a real hunting cat. If I kept him indoors, I am sure he would be miserable. My neighbour has several cats and they all have very distinct personalities- she has two that would happily laze around her house all day, and a couple more that spend most of their time outdoors, coming in only to feed. As she is a farmer, they are working farm cats, keeping the rodent population down.
Miss Ribena
>> But people's dislike and distrust of them is often unfounded and not based on anything other than a personal preference. <<
As the person who originally posted about the bell around a cat's neck, I am not one of those people who don't like cats etc I love cats. I am not anti cat.
It's just that I love birds too and if I had a cat I would do anything I could to avoid it predating on little birds, especially at time of year when they've just come out of the nest.
Any cats I've seen with bells around their necks didn't seem overly bothered by it, otherwise I wouldn't suggest that.
>> But people's dislike and distrust of them is often unfounded and not based on anything other than a personal preference. <<
As the person who originally posted about the bell around a cat's neck, I am not one of those people who don't like cats etc I love cats. I am not anti cat.
It's just that I love birds too and if I had a cat I would do anything I could to avoid it predating on little birds, especially at time of year when they've just come out of the nest.
Any cats I've seen with bells around their necks didn't seem overly bothered by it, otherwise I wouldn't suggest that.
Talking about unnatural things done to cats, I think the declawing, as I believe is quite common in the US where cats are often kept indoors, is just horrible. A cat without claws, unless done for a serious medical, etc. problem, is totally going again nature. No wonder they become depressed! Two of mine wear collars and bells no problem at all. The other two rip off any collar we try to put on, never mind a bell! Very individual each cat is!
Vanilla, Does this resemble your Bostonian cat?
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A lady I worked for in London had a cat who never went out. They lived over a shop along a very busy road. The cat was nervous of people because it never seen anyone only the owner. Anyway the owner died suddenly and a friend had to come and catch the cat to take it away to the cats home. His two arms were destroyed with scratches and he had to have hospital treatment.
We were told to take the cat to the nearest cat home and as I had to go home first to look in phone directory to find one we took the cat indoors. We decided to let her out of the basket to have a drink. When she got out she had her drink and was the quietest cat you ever saw.
We decided to keep her and then had to train her to go out in the garden. You should have seen how happy she was to go out and lie in the sun. She would stay out there for ages. The poor thing was locked up in that house for six years.She could only sit in the window and look out. Please do not do this to a cat. If you are near a busy road dont keep an animal.
This cat travelled here with us to Ireland and lived to be sixteen years old.But at least she got out of her prison.
We were told to take the cat to the nearest cat home and as I had to go home first to look in phone directory to find one we took the cat indoors. We decided to let her out of the basket to have a drink. When she got out she had her drink and was the quietest cat you ever saw.
We decided to keep her and then had to train her to go out in the garden. You should have seen how happy she was to go out and lie in the sun. She would stay out there for ages. The poor thing was locked up in that house for six years.She could only sit in the window and look out. Please do not do this to a cat. If you are near a busy road dont keep an animal.
This cat travelled here with us to Ireland and lived to be sixteen years old.But at least she got out of her prison.
Having been without internet for a few days, it was interesting catching up with the debate. Judging by the recent posts, I seem to have persuaded no one.
Just a small observation - while I have offered myriad authoritative veterinary and animal welfare sources to support my argument, the best that those who disagree with me can offer is either their projection of human emotions onto cats, or anecdotal examples of 'I once saw this really fat/lonely cat'...
If you can actually back up your assertions with reliable sources I will take them more seriously. But whatever you do don't use American sources . As it appears this discussion has run its course I'll leave it at that.
Just a small observation - while I have offered myriad authoritative veterinary and animal welfare sources to support my argument, the best that those who disagree with me can offer is either their projection of human emotions onto cats, or anecdotal examples of 'I once saw this really fat/lonely cat'...
If you can actually back up your assertions with reliable sources I will take them more seriously. But whatever you do don't use American sources
. As it appears this discussion has run its course I'll leave it at that.Cats are natural hunters who like to roam around (particularly at night) killing little animals. That is its nature; I don't think anyone here is disputing that. So the question is do cat owners allow their pets to go out on their killing sprees or do they keep them in the garden and/or house?
The cat lovers seem to think it's ok to let them out to kill and c**p with impunity. Personally I wouldn't keep a cat, even if I did like them, as I think it is socially irresponsible to let them roam around the place, killing wild animals and neighbours smaller pets and pooing in other people’s gardens, and unfair to what is essentially a wild animal to keep it locked up.
I saw a woman in Biarritz with a cat on a lead a few years back. It was a comical sight (both cat and owner).
The cat lovers seem to think it's ok to let them out to kill and c**p with impunity. Personally I wouldn't keep a cat, even if I did like them, as I think it is socially irresponsible to let them roam around the place, killing wild animals and neighbours smaller pets and pooing in other people’s gardens, and unfair to what is essentially a wild animal to keep it locked up.
I saw a woman in Biarritz with a cat on a lead a few years back. It was a comical sight (both cat and owner).
Well, while cats are cats yes they will go out and kill because that is nature, and the animals they are killing will also be out killing. Birds also kill one another. I dont think we can change that. If they are eating then they will be out c**p***g. I dont have any answers.
This argument could go on and on and we wont get anywhere for the simple reason is that a cat is an animal not a human. Owners have to consider their neighbours and act responsibly and if that means not keeping a cat then that is what they must do. I am not saying anymore on the subject. MEOW.
This argument could go on and on and we wont get anywhere for the simple reason is that a cat is an animal not a human. Owners have to consider their neighbours and act responsibly and if that means not keeping a cat then that is what they must do. I am not saying anymore on the subject. MEOW.