Pet Lovers

[Julie928]

PLEASE NOTE:  THIS POST MAY UPSET SOME PEOPLE.  One of our neighbors has (had) three cats.  They are NEVER allowed in the house.  I know this because they are constantly at our place stalking the birds, yowling outside our windows at all hours of the night, etc.  When I politely asked her to please try to keep the cats away from our property, well, let's just say she wasn't very cooperative.  A couple of weeks ago my next-door neighbor told me that one of this woman's cats was killed by a coyote.  I asked her how she knew this and was told all they found of the cat was it's collar and head in another neighbor's yard.  The very next day I STILL saw her other cats roaming the neighborhood.  Then a week later "Lost Kitty" signs were posted all over.  She found the cat but still refuses to keep them indoors.  Keep in mind, and I repeat, they are NEVER allowed inside the house ~ all types of weather, no matter.  To top it off, our next-door neighbor lets their cat out everyday, knowing full well what could happen.  I don't get it.  We live in the suburbs but it is a fairly busy area.  There isn't only the danger of coyotes but of speeding cars.  I feel bad for the cats.  Unfortunately, there isn't anything that can be done.  The sad thing is if something happens to these cats they will run out and get another one.  As you mentioned, @Moonchilde, it could all be avoided. 

[Moonchilde]

Your sentiments echo mine, @Julie928.

[Moonchilde]

Thanks, @NickNack :-)

[Kachina624]

@Julie928  In my area, if cats become bothersome people borrow traps from animal control, trap the cats then take them to animal control.  The owner has to pay a fine to get them back, or they're put up for adoption. 

We have leash laws that are the same for dogs and cats.  No roaming animals.  Period.  Cats do more damage than dogs when allowed to roam.  I wouldn't put up with it. 

[Samara]

For years I would not consider having a cat as a pet because I thought they could only be happy if they were allowed to roam free; and, I knew that I could not have any pet unless it could be confined and protected.  The loss of something I loved so dearly would be unbearable because of many of the things mentioned on this thread.  If one truly loves their pet(s) whether a dog or cat, it should be protected and not allowed to run free.  

The turning point for me was discovering something I had never known about--which is a Catio.  It is very easily achieved for many types of residences.  There are books and articles on line about the wonderful invention called the Catio.  It is the best of both worlds--an inside and outside world.  The cats have fresh air and sunshine and alleviates boredom.  I cannot understand anyone not protecting something they loved and cared about.  Many do not know about the Catio.  Sure hope all cat lovers spread the word about the Catio and help educate people about this.  I, for one, am glad I found out about this because I have the joy of having cats in my life.  So many years missed not having cats because I did not know that I could have them; and, they would be protected and still be happy.

[wishmoon]

@Moonchilde Sometimes, no matter how close we are to family and friends, we don't understand their rules concerning their pets. We have to accept it as difficult as it is. 

[Julie928]

@Kachina624 ~ I couldn't agree with you more!  One of our neighbors trapped this same cat and brought it to animal control.  The woman paid some joke of a fine, got her cat home and guess what?  Same day and everyday since it's been roaming the neighborhood.  This cat is LOADED with fleas (per animal control) so I really have no interest in trapping it ~ don't need to deal with that as I have dogs.  This woman (and I don't like to say things like this), is really a piece of garbage.  So many of us in the neighborhood have had words with her regarding this.  So many of us live for the day when she moves (we hope).

[beastielove]

---

Moonchilde wrote:

I have a friend who had previously always had indoor-only kitties. After her elderly kitty passed on, they adopted a young cat they decided to make an indoor/outdoor cat. They live in an area that is "rural within urban" with lots of green space. Within the past month, my friend has been told multiple times there were coyotes in her area, but she did not keep kitty inside after dark. Last night a coyote got kitty. She died on the way to the vet.

My city cats were always inside-only.  I now live in the country, not in my own home, with family. The family cat is indoor/outdoor and stays on our property 95% of the time. There are coyotes in our general area. I have mentioned it. I will also mentioned my friend's kitty (not at all in the same area, BTW). I worry about our girl every time she's out after dark, and I try to be sure she's in before bedtime, but ultimately, not my kitty and I have no say.

I feel very bad for my friend, but...she knew, as my family knows. There have already been packs howling and deaths here. So I also feel - they had a good warning, they could have taken extra care, and...they didn't. It's a very sad outcome, but I also know how I ultimately feel about it - it needn't have happened.

Thoughts?

---

Moonchilde..

My heart only aches for that precious,

innocent kitty that had to suffer a

horrible,painful and totally avoidable

death which was due to her owner's

gross ignorance and negligence.

I have 5 kitties (all rescues) and

they NEVER go outside.They also

NEVER show any desire to go outside.

I live in a heavily wooded area where

aside from the occaisional coyotes,there

are other wild animals that could kill them.

They could also get hit by a vehicle.

I am praying with all of my heart

that your family's kitty doesn't

suffer the same heinous fate that

your friend's did.

------------------------------

All of my children have paws =^..^=

[drizzellla]

As I am writing this - my husband is picking up a dead cat. He was mowing the grass this morning and saw the dead cat behind our shed. We have no idea who's cat it is, we used to see it stalking our bird feeder last year. And after cleaning up several mounds of feathers, we no longer feed the birds. We thought it was inhuman to attract birds to our yard and then have cat or cats come and get them.

It is sad that someone's cat - if it was someone's cat - died. But I wish that whoever owned the cat took better care of it. I think some people feel since cats can be so independent they don't have to do as much in the form of caring for the cat as with a dog.

Wish they gave parenting lessons to people when they first got their pets.

[eddyandme]

@Samara

When I first got my Jade, had a good-sized area fenced in off the backdoor to give her a play yard free from worry of predators. I had a trainer come to the house because Jade has extremely strong hunting instincts, as he phrased it. Well, the first lesson - I learned - was that dogs love a fenced-in yard as they can play and relax without being on 'the lookout' for predators.

It makes sense that a kitty have a fenced in area also.

My Eddy when he was first brought to me, perked right up and put a happy grin on his face. I thought to myself, wow!, he likes me though nevr met me! He did like me, but it was the fenced in yard that got his attention and put the joy in his eyes!