Community Chat

[goldensrbest]

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@SahmIam wrote:

because I find it very difficult to feel bad for those who allow their dogs or cats out to run around (while the human stays indoors) for... whatever reason and then are pleading with people to help them find their animal.

I FEEL for the poor animal but not the human. 

Yes, that situation is currently happening in my community.

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Hey ,i am with you!!!!

[QueenDanceALot]

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@CelticCrafter wrote:

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@QueenDanceALot wrote:

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@CelticCrafter wrote:

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@sidsmom wrote:

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@CelticCrafter wrote:

We have a crazy cat lady in the neighborhood that feeds the strays and those that are allowed out to roam.

My cat is indoor only and if any of them happen to sashay across the lawn or the driveway mine will go BSC to the point that I cannot open the front windows anymore.  She must be able to smell them invading her territory.

One day one of the strays flung themself into the storm door, sending mine into a frenzy - she found me two rooms away and went ballistic - scratched me and it got infected...  

If there were a way for me to trap them and take them over to the shelter I would.

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@CelticCrafter

Is your cat neutered?  

That behavior from both cats are indications of un-neutered animals.

(i.e. Why the outside cat wanted inside so badly)

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@sidsmom She is - as far as those out roaming, I don't know and I'm not getting close enough to find out!

@Mz iMac & @Buck-i-Nana I'm going to look for the Feliway when I'm out.

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You did not address me, but as I have been the recipient of violent cat attacks (which I posted about) I must say one more time to be VERY VERY CAREFUL.

I tried the Feliway.  It did not take care of the problem.

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I'm sorry @QueenDanceALot - didn't mean to snub you.  I am careful when she gets like that, I've learned to just stay put, not call her or try to get her to calm down.  

It's happened twice in the last 2 1/2 years, both times it was a cat and I'm actually afraid of her.

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This worries me, CelticCrafter.  I didn't feel snubbed so much as I felt like maybe you were in some denial as I was when my cat started this behavior.  And I just would feel remiss if I didn't share my experience with you (which, now that it happened I find is not that uncommon). 

My (attack) cat was fairly aggressive when I first got him (he was a stray, living out in the cold winter near a friend's house).  I took him in and he was not really happy about being inside all the time, but I was determined to make him an indoor cat.  I had another cat at the time and he seemed to defer to that one.  But he was still kind of "crazy" and would act in a rather aggressive manner to the point where one day I just opened the door and said, "OK, GO THEN!"  I felt awful about it immediately after doing that, and the details are very vague to me now.  Well, he was back in a few hours or so and ate and slept and was acting normal and happy.  Fast forward a few years (my older cat died - I still miss him terribly) and I tried to bring another cat into the house (twice).  I know how to introduce them (have done it several times over the years) but he wanted NO PART OF IT and screamed that hair raising cat scream (not growling but that horrible SCREAM) and since he couldn't go in the other room where the other cat was he flung himself at me, scratching me up pretty well, but I chalked that up to just him being upset and maybe not being the right time to bring in another cat.  He did NOT get used to the idea and I did fear him.  So he stayed a single cat in my house.  It happened again and I resigned myself to him being an only cat.

A year or maybe two later he became crazy every time he saw a cat outside my window.  He would do that hair raising SCREAM and run from room to room.  One evening I was making dinner and I heard that scream and around the corner he came, screaming and with a wild look and he FLUNG himself on me while he was screaming and climbed up my legs, tearing at them and when I tried to swat him away (and I was screaming too!!!) he tore at my arms and hands.  He just kept coming at me.  I was terrified.  And I was bleeding all over my kitchen.  I don't know how long it lasted (I think I was in shock) but he eventually stopped but I was torn up and had to go to the drugstore to get bandages and ointment and antibacterial stuff to doctor myself.  I probably should have gone to a doctor, but I didn't.  I couldn't use my hand for a week.  I looked like I'd been slashed.  And, in fact, I had.

I decided to get spray bottles to spritz water on him if he did it again.  I thought I'd be prepared.  A spray bottle in each room.  At the ready.  It worked a few times, when he would see a cat outside and scream and start to come at me. 

One night I was about to fall asleep in my bedroom and I heard that horrible SCREAM and then heard him running from room to room.  I was terrified, I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move, I was afraid he might come in after me.  But after awhile he got quiet and I started to breathe again.  I think I got put another water bottle at my bedside.

But one day he was at the window and he saw a cat and he started to growl and climb into the window blinds.  I was afraid he was going to ruin my blinds and without thinking I tried to push him away.  Oh, boy, well, he came at me and just tore the heck out of my arm. 

I took him to the vet to see what might be wrong and was reminded of his early aggressive behavior and the vet talked to me for a long time about how this escalates - I really was terrified of him now, even though I couldn't admit it to myself until I was there in the vet's office and heard stories of cats who attacked their owners, some of them climbing up their bodies and getting them in the eyes and landing them in the hospital, on I.V.s.  He wanted me to understand how serious this was.  He saw how scared I was.  I've never been scared of a cat in my entire life.  I've grown up with them.

I just want you to be safe.  Any remedies may not work for awhile, and they may not work at all.  The vet told me that even with "remedies" I would still have to remove the stimulus (i.e. his being able to see out the window).  I could not live that way, covering all of my windows, and my cat would have not forgotten that he could once actually see out the window and now I was preventing him from doing so.

I repeat again that I am telling you this story just to impress upon you that this is very serious and I want you to be aware of what can very well happen.

I wish you only the best.

[Noel7]

Luckily we don't have dogs running around here, open to danger, but we do have a lot of cats and that breaks my heart.

Outdoor cats aren't safe around here.  Twisted people, raccoons, cars and foxes. 

[151949]

When we were having some remodeling done on our home I had to go to work. Of course the dog was at home with the contractors. I had asked the contractor what to do about the dog and he assured me that his guys would not let her out. Well, the day comes and when I got home from work there were 2 weimarners in my living room lounging on the sofa - both very dirty and tired. I asked the contractor where the second dog came from and he shrugged. Well, it turns out the contractor did let the dog out and she was running wild in the neighborhood so our next door neighbor was a policeman and he caught her and brought her home, then she got right back out and was running again and he brought her home & ripped the contractor a new one about closing the back door.Then our neighbor saw her running again and brought her home a third time BUT the last weimarner he brought home was not our dog. We kept her for 2 days until the owners reported her missing to the police and we found out where to return her home. From then on I kept our dog closed in our bedroom so she didn't get back out while the contractors were there. It was interesting having 2 dogs for those couple days, especially since they both  answered to the name Gretchen.

[Golden_Oldie]

"I FEEL for the poor animal but not the human."

@SahmIam That one sentence says it all.  You sound like a person with a good heart.  

People who have pets should realize they depend on humans for their safety and health. Pets if taken care of properly, take time, not just food and water.

[truffle]

Animals mistakenly get out all the time - whether it's from the front door or from an unsecured gate latch.  I have herded many dogs back into their yards as well as knocked on the door where they reside to tell the owner.  Am happy to help.  

[pattypeep]

I understand your feelings. We live in a small community near the water and have eagles and owls everywhere. You cannot believe how many signs I see posted all around for lost cats. People even know of the dangers and still let their cats out. There was an eagle's nest in a northern community discovered in a large tree. Within the nest were 16 pet collars. My cat never, ever goes outside. He knows it and doesn't even try.

[Shorty2U]

I agree, I think its terrible how people dont watch their pets. When I was a kid in the 60s,(about 9) I remember back then people let their cats out a lot. Well our cat was run over by a car. I cried for months! When I had dogs (many moons ago- cant have them now my 2nd husband is allergic), they were fenced in, and of course we walked them on a leash. And the cats I had as a grown up including our 3 cats now never set one paw outside!

[Lipstickdiva]

There is a difference between pets accidentally getting out and ones that are let out just to roam.

My dog is a runner. She is a rescue and was picked up by the dog warden running the streets. 

I've had a friend not know she'd take off and come in but leave the door open as he was talking and she took off.  I also had the lawn service leave my gate open, I didn't know it and put her outside and she took off.

If I see a dog roaming, I do what I can to help as well.  Sometimes, accidents happen.  But sometimes, owners are just irresponsible.      

[Mominohio]

I haven't read all the replies, but I will say, many of us have rescued wild or feral cats, and while they live indoors sometimes, they must go out. If we don't let them out for a portion of each day, they will tear the house up! They were born outside, are avid hunters, and want to explore and be outdoors. Keeping them locked inside would actually be cruel.

Now, I'd be a little put off if people were angry or uncaring if my kitties came up missing and I was out looking/posting/asking people to call if seen. 

I also have had times in my life, when a dog that was chained outside (only long enough to use the bathroom, and lived indoors always) broke the chain and ran away. It wasn't negligence or uncaring or bad pet parenting, it just happened. 

Sometimes things happen. Some cats and dogs prefer to be outdoors part of the time. My last dog was very well trained, and would stay outside and not leave our property by himself, but anything can happen, and they can take off even if you are with them. 

I'm always sad to see someone is searching for a lost pet. But I do understand some people are simply neglectful and should never have pets.