Indoors or Outdoors?

[Fran]

Originally Posted by Julie84

But not everyone likes cats. Just because we love them and enjoy being around them doesn't mean someone else has to. Just because you have a garden doesn't mean you have to welcome the neighbourhood's cats round does it? Cats can be a nuisance - they can poo in gardens, dig in flower beds, lay on flowers, kill animals and leave bits/feathers around. Cats can also be charming to have round, a pleasure to spend time with, and a visitor you look forward to - but that all depends on how the person in questions feels. Just because you have a garden doesn't mean you have to love cats though, surely? Why should someone have to put up with that just because they have a garden and someone else has a free roaming cat?

I'm not sure that added anything to the the original topic, sorry!

In all fairness, I don't like foxes visiting my garden but they do and I have to be very careful at night to ensure my rabbits are well locked away. But I accept it as part and parcel of life. I think a lot of wildlife animals are much more destructive and nuisances than any cat - Just my opinion though

[Julie84]

Originally Posted by Emm

how many small animals and large ones for that matter do we kill each year on the roads, pesticides etc?
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so do many animals - what about birds they poo all over do we stop them from being outside - sand boxes should be covered up. Every weekend how many men are peeing up against a wall or shop window?
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so do many children (and some adults!) some even write obscenities on walls.

Again, I'm not adding to to the debate particularly here but just wanted to say, just because others (humans or animals) do something it doesn't make it right or socially acceptable.

I wouldn't want a tom cat spraying up the wall of my house anymore than I would want a man doing it at the weekend. I'd have problems if a cat was scratching my car, just as much as if I child did it - and in both cases would have a word with the owner/parent.

I personally have no problems with outside cats (as long as they don't cause any problems). I always bend down to stroke them or talk to them and never shoo them away - but that is because I love cats and enjoy fussing them. I think generally cats outside don't cause too many problems but I do think everyone should have a choice - if you choose to not have pets I don't think you should have to put up with the actions of someone else's - if that makes sense?

I don't think badly of anyone that lets their cat out. As Snoof said, caring for a cat is not just about providing food and water and shelter, their mental health is of just as much importance and I do believe this can be affected by outside access. My boys seem afraid of the outside world and will run and hide - which fits well with the fact that I want to keep them inside. If, however, they tried to get out and were unhappy being confined, I'd have to reevaluate my decisions.

I'm not sure any of that makes much sense at all though.

[Julie84]

Originally Posted by Fran

In all fairness, I don't like foxes visiting my garden but they do and I have to be very careful at night to ensure my rabbits are well locked away. But I accept it as part and parcel of life. I think a lot of wildlife animals are much more destructive and nuisances than any cat - Just my opinion though

Oh I agree, I think cats rarely cause many actual problems (I think many non pet owner issues are 'perceived' problems rather than the cat actually causing a nuisance).

But I do feel there is a difference between wild and domesticated animals. I have chosen to have a cat and I feel because I have been a fundamental part in the 'demand' for domesticated animals and am sole provider for those animals in my care I have a responsibilty to that animal and to anyone it may have an effect on.

Foxes will look for food in highly populated areas because they generally they have a grater chance of finding/catching food and are opportunistic - going for caged animals or poultry, going through rubbish bins etc. All domesticated cats in someway have been born due to human intervention (whether it was planned or the animals was simply not neutered and allowed to do as they pleased) and so should not need to hunt for food or shelter. We are responsible for them (for which the fox has nobody) and so I think should intervene (as many people do - making sure their cats are kept in at night, at dawn and dusk to discourage hunting, are fed to try and avoid scavenging etc). Many foxes are caught, shot or poisoned because of their natutral instincts/activites also.