Another clueless pet owner

[TJ05]

Cause i let my cat outside make me irresponsible pet owner? I doubt that, and I sure am not the only person either.
Maybe if I live downtown Kelowna I may consider keeping it indoors but other then that it can go outside because I've done the
"Responsible" thing that was getting my beloved fur baby fixed as I should! The one great thing with that is doing my part in helping control the cat population, but also keeps my cat close to home! The only thing I gotta worry about is the coyotes and owls getting her! I sure wouldnt expect out of all the different issues with letting my cat outside would be some idiot setting up a trap that any animal could get trapped in and suffers a slow agonizing death!

Do you think that getting killed by a coyote or owl is a less agonizing death?

[Fancy]

I've said the same thing. Witnessing the aftermath of pets torn up by predators is something I have learned to live with. That people choose the possibility of that death is a little mind boggling to me.

[Silverstarqueen]

Ordinary household cats are no match for coyotes, hawks.Even small dogs are at risk out in the country. But there are cats which know how to survive these risks, some cats are just born smarter, and maybe were taught survival by their mother. My cat is 18, now retired from hunting, but he has survived out on my property.
My neighbor doesn't keep cats, but they do seem to have a lot of mice(not surprising), which then head over to my place. So keep your cats home, and keep your rodents home too please. IF it weren't for outdoor cats, most towns would be over-run with mice and rats.

[Catri]

Ordinary household cats are no match for coyotes, hawks.Even small dogs are at risk out in the country. But there are cats which know how to survive these risks, some cats are just born smarter, and maybe were taught survival by their mother. My cat is 18, now retired from hunting, but he has survived out on my property.
My neighbor doesn't keep cats, but they do seem to have a lot of mice(not surprising), which then head over to my place. So keep your cats home, and keep your rodents home too please. IF it weren't for outdoor cats, most towns would be over-run with mice and rats.

Calgary has a cat bylaw which requires cats be kept enclosed or indoors and yet no rats at all and no more mice than anywhere else. Kelowna has no bylaw, plentiful roaming domestic cats, a longstanding mouse population and growing rat problem. Think about that. Even if you believe that cats are the last line of defence keeping us from being overrun with rodents, you can't ignore that Fluffy does not only kill invading rodents, but is also a prolific and indiscriminate killer of native songbirds, reptiles and amphibians.

[Grandan]

Ordinary household cats are no match for coyotes, hawks.Even small dogs are at risk out in the country. But there are cats which know how to survive these risks, some cats are just born smarter, and maybe were taught survival by their mother. My cat is 18, now retired from hunting, but he has survived out on my property.
My neighbor doesn't keep cats, but they do seem to have a lot of mice(not surprising), which then head over to my place. So keep your cats home, and keep your rodents home too please. IF it weren't for outdoor cats, most towns would be over-run with mice and rats.

Calgary has a cat bylaw which requires cats be kept enclosed or indoors and yet no rats at all and no more mice than anywhere else. Kelowna has no bylaw, plentiful roaming domestic cats, a longstanding mouse population and growing rat problem. Think about that. Even if you believe that cats are the last line of defence keeping us from being overrun with rodents, you can't ignore that Fluffy does not only kill invading rodents, but is also a prolific and indiscriminate killer of native songbirds, reptiles and amphibians.

Calgary does not have a rat problem because Alberta does not yet have rats (except for pack rats) or at least that is the claim.

[Silverstarqueen]

Calgary has a cat bylaw which requires cats be kept enclosed or indoors and yet no rats at all and no more mice than anywhere else. Kelowna has no bylaw, plentiful roaming domestic cats, a longstanding mouse population and growing rat problem. Think about that. Even if you believe that cats are the last line of defence keeping us from being overrun with rodents, you can't ignore that Fluffy does not only kill invading rodents, but is also a prolific and indiscriminate killer of native songbirds, reptiles and amphibians.

I cannot find where the bylaw states that cats must be kept indoors. As I said, keep your cat on your own property, and your rodents as well. In Calgary apparently an owner can be fined thousands of dollars if their rats escape (not sure about the status of mice).
" Under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw, cats must be confined to their owner's property"(does not say indoors)
"Animal & Bylaw Services strongly recommends keeping cats indoors because this leads to longer, healthier and safer lives for cats"
No mention that cat must be kept indoors.

[Buckeye19]

Lots of non-harmful ways to prevent cats from going where you don’t want them to. A responsible gardener would ensure that their flowers are protected from all manor of hazards. Animal litter, bugs, weeds, drying etc.

A responsible cat owner would not let their cat roam free all over other peoples property.

[Queen K]

Lots of non-harmful ways to prevent cats from going where you don’t want them to. A responsible gardener would ensure that their flowers are protected from all manor of hazards. Animal litter, bugs, weeds, drying etc.

A responsible cat owner would not let their cat roam free all over other peoples property.

Since this includes all pets and not just cats, let's talk about clueless dog owners who don't pick up and let their dogs run free off leash on beaches like Cannon Beach where the signs clearly mark it as an "on leash" beach. Oh and the Green trail, and other parks that aren't dog parks.

[Catri]

Calgary does not have a rat problem because Alberta does not yet have rats (except for pack rats) or at least that is the claim.

That's because if rats are found, they are controlled by humans, not domestic cats.

I cannot find where the bylaw states that cats must be kept indoors. As I said, keep your cat on your own property, and your rodents as well. In Calgary apparently an owner can be fined thousands of dollars if their rats escape (not sure about the status of mice).
" Under the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw, cats must be confined to their owner's property"(does not say indoors)
"Animal & Bylaw Services strongly recommends keeping cats indoors because this leads to longer, healthier and safer lives for cats"
No mention that cat must be kept indoors.

As I said, in Calgary cats must be kept indoors or enclosed on the owner's property. The bottom line is cats aren't allowed to roam free under the bylaw.

According to the Responsible Pet Ownership Bylaw, cat owners must ensure their cats:

Have a City of Calg​ary licence.
Remain on the owners property.
Do not disturb the peace by howling or crying.
Do not damage others property.
Do not scatter garbage.
Do not chase, threaten, or attack a person or an animal.

http://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/ABS/Pages/An ... -cats.aspx

[AlienSoldier]

The argument should not be about cat's vs. dogs vs. iguana's vs. etc. It really should be about the responsibility of the pet owners to their pets and to the environment when they make the choice to adopt or purchase a pet.

All pet owners should be loving and caring to the pets and ensure they obey all laws around them. Are there people who don't? For sure, but there needs to be someone in the City you can call to have this handled.

[Osoyoos_Familyof4]

I have a cat, and I've always had at least one or two cats. Our cats are all SPCA cats or strays and have been strictly indoors and NEVER go out.

For this reason, and because I have a passion for my home and my vintage and antique furniture, I declaw my cats. And yes, I have had to lie and promise the SPCA that I wouldn't do it. But I am not convinced that my pampered beasts who never even get beyond a window sill are better off loved and pampered in my home without claws (and yes, I know it's the tips of their toes) over a life of who knows what.

But we have always had other people's cats in our yard, and sometimes I run them off if they are making my cats inside agitated, but mostly I ignore them. I have had some cat poop in my garden, although truthfully I'm not sure I could differentiate between cat poop, or raccoon poop, or even bobcat poop (we have those too).

I garden, I am not a major gardener, but I have some flowers, and some vegetables every year. The amount of poop I come across isn't crazy, and I kinda figure it's just fertilizer and till it into the soil when I'm weeding or picking.

So, is the whole "cat nuisance" thing really more about people just not liking cats? Or is it some kind of thing about your yard, and no beast shall enter because darn it you don't pay the mortgage!

I am just wondering if this is more about that some people don't like cats, versus some people don't like cat poop in their gardens?

[DarkMagna]

Nine pages of this back-and-forth clearly shows that the two sides don't agree and arguing online rarely solves anything.
But I'm surprised after all of this back-and-forth, no one has mentioned another reason to NOT let their pets roam free....

I'm an animal lover myself and when your cat darts out in front of my car and I hit it, it haunts me. If you're not concerned about your pet pooping in someone else's yard, if you're not concerned about coyotes/wolves/owls/pet hating neighbors, then perhaps be concerned about making someone else live with the fact that they just ran over your pet.

[Bsuds]

then perhaps be concerned about making someone else live with the fact that they just ran over your pet.

I hit a Cat many years ago in my early teens. It was at night and all I saw was a blur in my headlights a couple of feet in front of the car and then the proverbial thump, thump.

I love animals but I'm sorry but I don't feel any remorse as there was nothing I could do. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.

[the truth]

https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#226987 HERE WE GO AGAIN another useless Kelowna dog owner.

[Silverstarqueen]

There must be a reason why B.C. veterinarians have banned declawing cats. Here's how it actually feels to have tips of digits amputated, cats have to actually walk on their feet,and dig just to relieve themselves, and lick their paws to keep them clean,so there is no way this is not extremely painful for them. " I had a wood shop accident involving my hand and a planer. The result was that I cut the entire pad off of my index, middle, ring fingers. The ring finger suffered the most injury in that the nerve and 50% of the bone was severed. The pain was severe. I was hospitalized for 3 days and given shots for the pain. Then after being released I was prescribed Percocet (Oxycodone and Ancetaminophen) for about 5 to 7 days to address the pain. That was the end of the pain medicine except for regular Tylenol. I can say that my fingers hurt for a long time and were extremely sensitive."

I like cats, but if they do find a regular spot to relieve themselves it definitely has an odor that I don't think non-cat owners should have to put up with. The solution is the same old, keep cats on own property.