Please let your cat be a cat!

[Anonymous]

My first cat as an adult was supposed to be an indoor cat, but I was single and living in an apartment then and by the time I was in a house the kid was 4 years old and had friends and kids didn't shut the door. Well into my adult life, there was a prevailing belief that a cat's nature precluded cat leash laws, but this has certainly changed. Between animal welfare movements and anti-cat forces (allergies, overbreeding, birds, etc) letting your cat outside, OP, is rather like smoking. Yes, people still do it (including an environmental scientist quoted in an article I read in some high-brow magazine about cats and birds generally, threatened species, and incidentally New Zealand). You just don't get to talk about it in society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your cat wandered into my neighbor's yard their huskies would make short work of it. Be careful what you wish for.

Having an outdoor long lived cat only works well in areas with strict lease laws for dogs. In my old state, my neighbor kept on adopting new "outdoor cats" that would only last for a few months to a year.

The neighborhood dogs, also wandering around, would kill them. Along with the bobcats. They finally gave up and got a pit bull, which lived a long time, mostly outdoors.

Here, I've seen a number of dead cats on the roads. And, if I left it up to my dh, the "outdoor" cats who like to hang out in our yard and kill the birds would be dead too.

Leash laws don't apply inside your own yards. My dogs are free to run on my property.

That is correct. And if a neighbors outdoor cat goes into a fenced yard with dogs, it's the cat's problem.

Right.

And if the neighbor's outdoor cat roams into my yard, I will put it in a cat carrier and take it to the shelter.

So if you know the tabby cat is your neighbors (bob and joel) you would take the cat to the shelter? First off it is very hard to get cats inside a carrier and it is obvious you don't have a cat. Do you know how traumatizing it I'd for the cat to go to a shelter? How would you explain yo the neighbors that you gave away their pet?

PP here. I have a neighbor with an orange cat that roams and that killed a bird at my bird feeder. It's a friendly cat that is easily petted and picked up.

That day, I marched that cat down the street to its owners' house and returned it. I told them that it killed a bird at my feeder, and that if it shows up in my yard again, I will put it in a carrier and take it to the shelter. And I meant it, I will do just that.

It would be extremely easy to put that cat in a carrier. I own a cat-size carrier, because I used to have cats (indoor cats, they never killed anything), and now have a dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate cats and I am allergic to them. I also dislike all the cats that just roam the neighborhood. Unlike a dog, you can’t kwwp them in a fenced yard. I hate seeing cats that have been hit by cars or mangled by fox on my street. The beheaded cat presumably attacked by a fox was then devoured by buzzards!!! In my neighbor’s front yard and scared the crap out of my 4yr old. This is in a dense part of N. Arlington, not some rural location.

I hate seeing cats stalking my neighbor’s bird feeder. I hate seeing them sunbathing on my deck and shitting in my sandbox and planters. I hate finding dead mice, moles, baby squirrels killed by feral or roaming cats. I hate the additional feral cats that are conceived with help from roaming pet cats.

Why not just don’t have cats at all? What purpose do they serve that a dog cannot?

Cats are great pets for many, that's not the point. But I question where PPs who claim to have long-living indoor/outdoor cats actually live. I live in Bethesda and in the last few months there have been a number of missing cats posted on the list-servs. Fewer than half were found alive. Dense traffic-y close-in suburban neighborhoods? Not remotely safe for cats to roam outside.

I live in Chevy Chase, and there are some indoor/outdoor cats in the neighborhood. Cats aren't stupid. It's not like they're hurling themselves into oncoming traffic. Obviously, there will be incidents, but I've seen dead raccoons in my neighborhood but never a dead cat.

And what say you about the estimated 5 millions cats hit and killed by cars each year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate cats and I am allergic to them. I also dislike all the cats that just roam the neighborhood. Unlike a dog, you can’t kwwp them in a fenced yard. I hate seeing cats that have been hit by cars or mangled by fox on my street. The beheaded cat presumably attacked by a fox was then devoured by buzzards!!! In my neighbor’s front yard and scared the crap out of my 4yr old. This is in a dense part of N. Arlington, not some rural location.

I hate seeing cats stalking my neighbor’s bird feeder. I hate seeing them sunbathing on my deck and shitting in my sandbox and planters. I hate finding dead mice, moles, baby squirrels killed by feral or roaming cats. I hate the additional feral cats that are conceived with help from roaming pet cats.

Why not just don’t have cats at all? What purpose do they serve that a dog cannot?

Cats are great pets for many, that's not the point. But I question where PPs who claim to have long-living indoor/outdoor cats actually live. I live in Bethesda and in the last few months there have been a number of missing cats posted on the list-servs. Fewer than half were found alive. Dense traffic-y close-in suburban neighborhoods? Not remotely safe for cats to roam outside.

I live in Chevy Chase, and there are some indoor/outdoor cats in the neighborhood. Cats aren't stupid. It's not like they're hurling themselves into oncoming traffic. Obviously, there will be incidents, but I've seen dead raccoons in my neighborhood but never a dead cat.

And what say you about the estimated 5 millions cats hit and killed by cars each year?

People are driving too fast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate cats and I am allergic to them. I also dislike all the cats that just roam the neighborhood. Unlike a dog, you can’t kwwp them in a fenced yard. I hate seeing cats that have been hit by cars or mangled by fox on my street. The beheaded cat presumably attacked by a fox was then devoured by buzzards!!! In my neighbor’s front yard and scared the crap out of my 4yr old. This is in a dense part of N. Arlington, not some rural location.

I hate seeing cats stalking my neighbor’s bird feeder. I hate seeing them sunbathing on my deck and shitting in my sandbox and planters. I hate finding dead mice, moles, baby squirrels killed by feral or roaming cats. I hate the additional feral cats that are conceived with help from roaming pet cats.

Why not just don’t have cats at all? What purpose do they serve that a dog cannot?

Cats are great pets for many, that's not the point. But I question where PPs who claim to have long-living indoor/outdoor cats actually live. I live in Bethesda and in the last few months there have been a number of missing cats posted on the list-servs. Fewer than half were found alive. Dense traffic-y close-in suburban neighborhoods? Not remotely safe for cats to roam outside.

I live in Chevy Chase, and there are some indoor/outdoor cats in the neighborhood. Cats aren't stupid. It's not like they're hurling themselves into oncoming traffic. Obviously, there will be incidents, but I've seen dead raccoons in my neighborhood but never a dead cat.

And what say you about the estimated 5 millions cats hit and killed by cars each year?

People are driving too fast.

Where's the data that says that 5 million cats are hit and killed by cars each year. In the United States? In the world?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate cats and I am allergic to them. I also dislike all the cats that just roam the neighborhood. Unlike a dog, you can’t kwwp them in a fenced yard. I hate seeing cats that have been hit by cars or mangled by fox on my street. The beheaded cat presumably attacked by a fox was then devoured by buzzards!!! In my neighbor’s front yard and scared the crap out of my 4yr old. This is in a dense part of N. Arlington, not some rural location.

I hate seeing cats stalking my neighbor’s bird feeder. I hate seeing them sunbathing on my deck and shitting in my sandbox and planters. I hate finding dead mice, moles, baby squirrels killed by feral or roaming cats. I hate the additional feral cats that are conceived with help from roaming pet cats.

Why not just don’t have cats at all? What purpose do they serve that a dog cannot?

Cats are great pets for many, that's not the point. But I question where PPs who claim to have long-living indoor/outdoor cats actually live. I live in Bethesda and in the last few months there have been a number of missing cats posted on the list-servs. Fewer than half were found alive. Dense traffic-y close-in suburban neighborhoods? Not remotely safe for cats to roam outside.

I live in Chevy Chase, and there are some indoor/outdoor cats in the neighborhood. Cats aren't stupid. It's not like they're hurling themselves into oncoming traffic. Obviously, there will be incidents, but I've seen dead raccoons in my neighborhood but never a dead cat.

And what say you about the estimated 5 millions cats hit and killed by cars each year?

People are driving too fast.

Where's the data that says that 5 million cats are hit and killed by cars each year. In the United States? In the world?

Google it. There are similar estimates for annual cat fatalities due to car hits in the US and worldwide, depending on the source and its methodology.

[Anonymous]

PP here. I have a neighbor with an orange cat that roams and that killed a bird at my bird feeder. It's a friendly cat that is easily petted and picked up.

That day, I marched that cat down the street to its owners' house and returned it. I told them that it killed a bird at my feeder, and that if it shows up in my yard again, I will put it in a carrier and take it to the shelter. And I meant it, I will do just that.

It would be extremely easy to put that cat in a carrier. I own a cat-size carrier, because I used to have cats (indoor cats, they never killed anything), and now have a dog.

You are an absolute loon. Who the heck cares about a bird in their backyard? How stupid. Its a bird.

I personally don't like cats but capturing a neighbors pet really put you on the list of houses most likely to be covered in toilet paper by neighborhood kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate cats and I am allergic to them. I also dislike all the cats that just roam the neighborhood. Unlike a dog, you can’t kwwp them in a fenced yard. I hate seeing cats that have been hit by cars or mangled by fox on my street. The beheaded cat presumably attacked by a fox was then devoured by buzzards!!! In my neighbor’s front yard and scared the crap out of my 4yr old. This is in a dense part of N. Arlington, not some rural location.

I hate seeing cats stalking my neighbor’s bird feeder. I hate seeing them sunbathing on my deck and shitting in my sandbox and planters. I hate finding dead mice, moles, baby squirrels killed by feral or roaming cats. I hate the additional feral cats that are conceived with help from roaming pet cats.

Why not just don’t have cats at all? What purpose do they serve that a dog cannot?

Cats are great pets for many, that's not the point. But I question where PPs who claim to have long-living indoor/outdoor cats actually live. I live in Bethesda and in the last few months there have been a number of missing cats posted on the list-servs. Fewer than half were found alive. Dense traffic-y close-in suburban neighborhoods? Not remotely safe for cats to roam outside.

I live in Chevy Chase, and there are some indoor/outdoor cats in the neighborhood. Cats aren't stupid. It's not like they're hurling themselves into oncoming traffic. Obviously, there will be incidents, but I've seen dead raccoons in my neighborhood but never a dead cat.

And what say you about the estimated 5 millions cats hit and killed by cars each year?

People are driving too fast.

Where's the data that says that 5 million cats are hit and killed by cars each year. In the United States? In the world?

Google it. There are similar estimates for annual cat fatalities due to car hits in the US and worldwide, depending on the source and its methodology.

I did and couldn't find it. If you're citing it, it's on you to show your data's legitimacy. I'm curious to see the assumption's made, since it's not like the county/state does any verification of cat dead bodies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

PP here. I have a neighbor with an orange cat that roams and that killed a bird at my bird feeder. It's a friendly cat that is easily petted and picked up.

That day, I marched that cat down the street to its owners' house and returned it. I told them that it killed a bird at my feeder, and that if it shows up in my yard again, I will put it in a carrier and take it to the shelter. And I meant it, I will do just that.

It would be extremely easy to put that cat in a carrier. I own a cat-size carrier, because I used to have cats (indoor cats, they never killed anything), and now have a dog.

You are an absolute loon. Who the heck cares about a bird in their backyard? How stupid. Its a bird.

I personally don't like cats but capturing a neighbors pet really put you on the list of houses most likely to be covered in toilet paper by neighborhood kids.

NP. Keep your cats inside if you are a responsible owner. Simple. I don't want them defecating all over my yard and killing birds at the feeder. If you choose to let your cat roam then you expose them to risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

PP here. I have a neighbor with an orange cat that roams and that killed a bird at my bird feeder. It's a friendly cat that is easily petted and picked up.

That day, I marched that cat down the street to its owners' house and returned it. I told them that it killed a bird at my feeder, and that if it shows up in my yard again, I will put it in a carrier and take it to the shelter. And I meant it, I will do just that.

It would be extremely easy to put that cat in a carrier. I own a cat-size carrier, because I used to have cats (indoor cats, they never killed anything), and now have a dog.

You are an absolute loon. Who the heck cares about a bird in their backyard? How stupid. Its a bird.

I personally don't like cats but capturing a neighbors pet really put you on the list of houses most likely to be covered in toilet paper by neighborhood kids.

Who the heck cares about a strange roaming cat in their backyard? How stupid. It's a stray cat.