Please let your cat be a cat!

[Anonymous]

Our cat is scared to go outside. Maybe she can smell or sense that there are dangerous feral cats in our area

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Cats are domesticated.

Watched a fascinating documentary a while back and cats are not as domesticated as dogs. Dogs have developed a natural dependency and tendency to look toward humans for help. There is an experiment with dogs and wolves that has the animal try to access food that is in a box that they can't open. The dog will stop and go to the human to help get the food. The wolf will continue to ignore the human and keep trying to get the food or give up. Cats have a similar as wolves. A domesticated cat has lost its fear of humans and is less aggressive but it never developed the consistent dependency that dogs do.

Cats are just too stupid to figure out how to ask for help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our cat is scared to go outside. Maybe she can smell or sense that there are dangerous feral cats in our area

Or maybe your cat is scared to go outside because you've kept her trapped inside her whole life. And indoor/outdoor cat does not equal dangerous feral cat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I was a kid, my family had a couple of cats, both were indoor/outdoor cats. They lived long lives and died in the house. The only problem I would have now with having indoor/outdoor cats is that I wouldn't like them to be pooping on the neighbors property.

Yes, I do believe that a cat that's locked up in a house 24/7 will likely live longer than an outdoor cat but it's natural instincts have been suppressed.

Cats are domesticated.

Really? I've seen "domesticated" cats when they see a bird in the street. They crouch down and slowly move towards its prey just like a lion does in the jungle when it sees dinner. It's amazing that their actions are so similar.

Yes, dogs do that as well. They, too, are domesticated.

I think the point that was being made, is that the "domesticated" cat even though it hasn't been anywhere near the jungle, shares the same instincts as a wild big cat in the jungle.

How does that translate to it being ok for cats to roam suburban neighborhoods, killing native bird species, pooping in gardens and sandboxes, developing worm issues from eating rodents, being prey for coyotes and foxes, and being hit by cars?

It doesn't.

The cats my family had when I was a child never had any of the problems that you have mentioned and they were outdoor cats.

Yes, I am sure you followed them around to keep them from pooping in other people’s yards and killing wildlife.

Cats are animals. When you stop them from killing wildlife, you're interfering with what they're bred to do. But if you feel that bad about fluffy eating a bird, you can put a bell on her neck. But keeping an animal indoors all day is sad and cruel, especially if you have only one cat.

They are not "bred" to kill wildlife. They evolved to kill wildlife.

It's not that I "feel bad" about cats killing birds; it's that it is an environmental problem because cats are not native predators. Therefore, birds are not wired, evolutionarily speaking, to protect themselves from cats.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/outdoor-cats-kill-between-14-billion-and-37-billion-birds-a-year-study-says/2013/01/31/2504f744-6bbe-11e2-ada0-5ca5fa7ebe79_story.html?utm_term=.5bfc06a78c97

Keeping a cat indoors is not cruel. If that is all the cat knows, the cat is fine with it.

Maybe we should kill roaming cats.

[Anonymous]

Our 100% indoor cat caught a bird on the patio. (Enclosed patio).

Hasn’t ever caught a mouse bc we don’t have them. But if she did, it would be awesome.

I’m not worried about her. She seems happy.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:humans aren't supposed to live indoors either...

Yes we are. Before we had houses we lived in caves.

What caves are on the savannah?

[Anonymous]

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?

Must be hard for you to go on airplanes. I always see cats in carriers being carried onboard. Also, just because someone has an indoor/outdoor cat, doesn't mean they are unspayed/neutered and eating squirrels. I had an indoor/outdoor cat my whole life growing up. It was adopted from a shelter, spayed and neutered and , and we fed it 2x a day and it wandered in and out of our house at will. It led a long and happy life, socializing outdoors as animals are meant to do. I don't have a cat now, because I would fear that a neighbor might report us for keeping it as an indoor/outdoor cat, and it wouldn't be ethical to me to keep a cat shut inside all day.

[Anonymous]

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?

[Anonymous]

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 have their purpose as a pet and fine if you don't like them but you must realize we all don't want the same thing but things in life. Downside of a dog is you have to walk them. And I have both.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

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.