Castanet

So some twit who is an irresponsible pet owner causes me, or any gardener for that matter, to incur a fairly large chunk of change to protect our gardens from these wandering pets - and that is right and proper because ... ?

(And I already agreed with you about it not being right to hurt the animal.)

I know I am at risk here, they could have poisened it , they just duct taped. get the message and keep your cats indoors.I shouldnt have gone here cause, but boy is it ever a frustation!!

Yep, cats should be indoors. Nope, its not cruel.

If you have an animal you are responsible for it, and its actions.

Too many things can hurt an outdoor animal. If someone starts harassing your animal its common sense to protect it.

I write this as a cat owner who used to let my cats go outside but turned them indoor cats. Yes, its annoying listen to them whine to go out but they get used to it and quit complaining. And they can live a long happy life this way. Get them toys and pay attention to them. And if you insist on letting them out use a leash and go with them. They won't get harassed or killed that way.

LOL - I am actually more annoyed and frustrated by the large number of deer that roam the streets and yards here than I am anyone's cats or dogs. Wish someone would talk to their gawd about letting his pets run loose.

Graphite wrote:Yep, cats should be indoors. Nope, its not cruel.

If you have an animal you are responsible for it, and its actions.

Too many things can hurt an outdoor animal. If someone starts harassing your animal its common sense to protect it.

I write this as a cat owner who used to let my cats go outside but turned them indoor cats. Yes, its annoying listen to them whine to go out but they get used to it and quit complaining. And they can live a long happy life this way. Get them toys and pay attention to them. And if you insist on letting them out use a leash and go with them. They won't get harassed or killed that way.

Or build a cattery.

kgcayenne wrote:Imagine a pregnant woman blissfully digging away in her flower beds on a warm summer day. Now picture the sadness and permanent effects if she were to contract and pass toxoplasmosis to her unborn child.

Please keep your cats indoors. No one wants their poop and the parasites they just might be carrying.

There are worse things than duct tape.

Oh please. Wear gloves and wash your hands.
Seriously, now neighborhood cats are killing babies? Sheesh.
That's right up there with the old wives' tale about cats smothering babies.

gardengirl wrote:

kgcayenne wrote:Imagine a pregnant woman blissfully digging away in her flower beds on a warm summer day. Now picture the sadness and permanent effects if she were to contract and pass toxoplasmosis to her unborn child.

Please keep your cats indoors. No one wants their poop and the parasites they just might be carrying.

There are worse things than duct tape.

Oh please. Wear gloves and wash your hands.
Seriously, now neighborhood cats are killing babies? Sheesh.
That's right up there with the old wives' tale about cats smothering babies.

Exactly, there's all kinds of nasty things outdoors and few come from cats.

I dont condone taping a cat either but the real problem is how do you find the owners? Cats roam where ever they like,,, I have three yard cats that arent mine and one inside... These cats are here day and night. Some nights we hear the most terrible cat screams in the night as they fight for territory in our back yard and we have woken up to great big tufts of cat hair on the lawn,,, meaning one of them cats didnt do so well in the fight. I am seriously considering buying a cat cage and dropping these cats off at the pound. And ya know what will happen,,, the light posts around here will be covered in Lost cat posters because these people think they really cared about their cat after he goes missing.

I hope this lady was charged for letting her cat roam after she reported his encounter with the duct tape freak. Bets are its someone who has had enough. Possibly even someone who doesnt have cats but has to clean up after them or has found them on the hood of his car scratching up the paint job.

If I ever found the oners of the cats who think they own my yard I would chuck locker eggs at their windows.

You can't compare deer and coyotes with cats. Cats are not wild, they belong to human owners that need to take care of them. Go to any upscale campsite in the states in summer and all cats are on a leash or in the motorhome, why? It is enforced. I know exactly where my pet is.

Graphite wrote:Get them toys and pay attention to them.

That's the problem. Irresponsible owners get these animals as pets, the novelty wears off when kitty grows into a cat, and then these people let their cats roam because they don't want to pay attention to them. Let the cat amuse itself crapping and *bleep* on someone else's property, they figure. People that do this are 100% responsible for the ill that befalls their "pets." Unless you can commit a lifetime to a pet, don't bloody well get one!

well its still time the canadian government took animal abuse serious.
i would like the dirtbag caught and a very very lengthy prison term,
to consider this proper action to protect flowers is crazy.
abuse is never a option.

Fisher-Dude wrote:

Graphite wrote:Get them toys and pay attention to them.

That's the problem. Irresponsible owners get these animals as pets, the novelty wears off when kitty grows into a cat, and then these people let their cats roam because they don't want to pay attention to them. Let the cat amuse itself crapping and *bleep* on someone else's property, they figure. People that do this are 100% responsible for the ill that befalls their "pets." Unless you can commit a lifetime to a pet, don't bloody well get one!

I agree, rabbits too. We get our pets as adults because we usually get them from SPCA or from where their home is not going to be available to them any longer because of the family moving or other reasons. We dont get kittens and puppies. No novelty here to get worn off. Ours ar usually those who's novelty wore off on someone else and now they becomr ours as they are, fully grow and with an attitude and charactor built in already that we saw and liked.
I know where my animals are too. Many years ago my mom would let the cat out around ten pm when he would whine at the door every night. Till one night shortly after she let him out the neighbors heard a commotion in their back yard. Turned out a couple dogs caught the cat and killed him. The next morning he was found dead. After that all cats were indoor. Mine have always been indoor. Sure you cant help it if they slip out but the cats that roam around here are out every day. There owners dont care about them.
And I agree, cats dont compare with wild life, cats and dogs are members of the human family and should be kept from roaming other peoples properties. Should be heavy fines for dogs and cats running lose.

There is a way to stop cats from going into a neighbor's yard if they object to the cat being there.

My cat kept going in a neighbor's flower bed, so I borrowed a live trap from the SPCA (don't know if they do that here). The live trap (cage type) and provided a squirt gun. Stupid cat went straight for the trap, got himself soaked with the squirt gun, and took off like a shot when the cage was opened.

Never went back in that yard again, and no harm done.

For my own flower boxes, I saved popsicle sticks, pointed the ends, and stuck them in the the dirt pointy end up. Not very comfortable for a squatting cat - so they stopped going there.

I also make sure I have an area of dry loose soil in my garden for the cats and now they almost never leave the yard.