i hate people "saving" dogs graphic warning

No, I'm surmizing by your posts that English cats don't do the things American cats do...the distasteful behaviors quoted above. It must be true since there is no possibility that the loose, wandering cats in your culture don't ever do those nasty things. They are afterall very evolved and know which country they're in and what they represent. I bet all the English cats sound the alarm to each other and come in for tea promptly at 4:00 in the afternoon too.

That still does not address the question (tho it does highlight the issues nicely)

I do have another question. How do you know your cat doesnt' do anything. That cat who attacked me when I was 14... He was wearing a collar and a tag.. but I didn't exactly get to check it. No one knew who he belonged too. People saw him around, he tried leaping at another kid but didn't scratch him. Because we didn't know who he belonged too we couldn't tell.

My cat who opened screens and ran in doors. All our immediate neighbours knew he was ours. We never thought he wandered much (was almost always sleeping on one of the patio chairs when we looked out, or laying on the stones by the pond) The only reason we found out is I was talking to my mom on the front yard and people stopped their car when they saw Cricket. They told us they thought he was a stray and had been feeding him for 6 months! They told us of what he had been up too the next street over.

If he hadn't been standing with us, or they hadn't gone past at that time it could have take a lot longer to figure out. They could have taken him to the shelter or called AC.

So just how DO you know your cat doesn't go anywhere. Does he have a GPS tracking system built in? Now that would be a handy device.

Dizzy, it's quite telling that you can belittle folks for taking place in this conversation. They call that invalidation. "Invalidation is a defensive method one uses when one feels the need to take one's opposition down a peg in order to 'win,' and it often denotes a certain insecurity in one's own stance."

Ahem.

To answer the question that was posed about Fluffy the pooch, you probably already know my answer. No way in Hades. Fluffy may be the most demure and non-threatening dog ever, and if he comes on my property with nothing but good intentions, I don't care if he's just stepping up to bring me my mail or drag my trash can in, he's going to be APBT fodder. And I shouldn't have to worry about Fluffy's well-being when I was not the one who signed up to have and to hold (the leash).

You can't make a dog not act like a dog. You can't make a cat not act like a cat. The natural things that these animals do which we accept as their owners should not be assumed to be accepted by our neighbors, who made no choice to live with our pets. As a good neighbor, it is my responsibility to ensure that my pets do not negatively impact my neighbors' enjoyment of their own homes. In addition, it should not be a neighbor's responsibility to locate the owner of a loose cat and calmly state to them their dissatisfaction over whatever it is the cat is doing. Unless your cat wears a license plate on its ass, how are people going to know who's animal it is anyway?

There again. The local phenomenon. "It doesn't happen here, EVAR! So your hood must just be weirdz."

Oh my life.

Let's just say this.

You have your opinion, you're listening to my experiences and filling in the blanks for yourselves.

Actually Doberluv, your post about the "come in for tea promptly at 4:00 in the afternoon" made me chuckle.

Come 4.30 all you can hear in our house is the loudest yodelling in your face, mostly in your face, coupled up with paw prods. Not sure if you have ever owned a Bengal, but they tell you what they want and when they want it.

Anyway - by me saying "I have never experienced it" you are all promptly pulling from thin air "Dizzy is saying it is not true!!!". Right. Ok.... Yes, please feel free to fill in any gaps yourselves.

Just like some irresponsible owners take no responsibility for their dogs, some irresponsible owners take no responsibility for their cats.

Bahamutt I do not feel the need to "win" or take people down a peg or two. But I can tell you, a few people would like to take me down a peg or two. I was not born in a cave despite common belief. I have no need to take anyone down a peg or two, as I don't think they're high enough up to begin with (hahaha, can you take a joke I wonder).

I am not going to sit here and say no cats do any wrong anymore than I think dogs sh1t dimonds and humans are all perfect and angellic. I am not defending myself. I am telling you my experience. You seem to be confusing that with me telling you I am right and you are wrong.

I have no idea what next doors cat does (apart from sleep on the shed). I can only be responsible for MY animals and my OWN property and OWN safety.

I am going by my own countries laws and by-laws, cultural views on pet ownership, a large dollop of my own common sense (oh you'd be suprised), and what experiences I have had and gleaned of other human beings in my life.

And you, are going to go by yours.

I am not in the minority here, I am in the majority. And I am MORE than happy with my choices.

When my cat comes and takes a dump in your garden, feel free to mail it to me.

Dizzy no one is 'trying to take you down a peg'. What possible purpose would that have. I know I have told you I hold no malice towards you and in most cases like you and what you have to say... I don't think anyone else here wants to dis value you either.

I can strongly disagree with someone, and think they are very misguided and still be their friend. Disagreeing with someone DOES not mean you necessarily think less of them.



Another post and still no answer........ ( and you didn't answer my question in my last post..)

If you have issue with cats in YOUR area, take it up with those owners. "Oh but I shouldn't HAVE to" you cry.

Well, I shouldn't have to have dealt with many things in my time, but that's life, and you do it.

Dekka, everything I have to say on MY cats is in the previous post.

I can't answer your questions on other peoples cats.

I just re read you posts.. an no no where did you answer my question about YOUR cats.... if you have I humbly apologize and could you please point it out?

Which Q?

If you are going to argue and say that I am mean and just don't get what you are going on about.. at least have the courtesy to read my posts before you dis them.

I even told you what post it was in. I said it was about YOUR cat.


But really I think you should answer about Fluffy first as that question was asked first (and not by me)

Haha.

Ok, I have owned my cat for 7 years. I know her very well. She goes out in the day sporadically, but spends most of it sleeping.

Yes, I know my cats area and where she wanders. I know MY area well. I could tell you where she'll be if you asked. I can tell you where she is right now.

No, she doesn't stick JUST to my garden. Nor do the neighbours cats stick to theirs. They come in mine. Just the way we work round here.

Maybe it doesn't work for you.

So you DON'T really know where she is.. you have good guesses. Ok... Fine

But what about Fluffy.

I think you misread me, I DO know where my cat goes.

You'll have to remind me who the hell fluffy is, with three (plus) people addressing posts to me in a 20 odd something page thread, and inbetweem actually DOING things I have no idea who fluffy is or how I would know anything about them.

LOL no you don't. You can't know for certain.. unless you have a tracking device or are watching all the time. You know your cat well so you have a good 'idea' of where your cat is. But you can't be sure.

If you have read the thread you would know of Fluffy. the post is by CompassionateGirl.

Fluffy the dog, the Q was addressed to Punky actually.

No, I would never let my dog roam. Because my dog is not a cat, does not have cat behaviours or needs or the ability to roam as my cats do.

Like the answer or not, it's mine.

I don't see cats and dogs as the same thing WHAT so ever. It's like lumping pigs and chinchillas as one if you think like that.

And for the record, I DID answer this, before she even asked it.

Umm that isn't an answer.... But what ever.

Why aren't they the same? If a dog was not going to harm anything or anyone .. why isn't it ok for Fluffy to be free.

I never really expected you to answer.. but it was fun anyway...

Oh right, so now not only do you have issue with my cat, you are telling me what is and isn't an answer?

It isn't ok for fluffy to wander because

A) it is illegal

B) dogs are not independent like cats

C) if I was to open the door for my dog, I would not know where she went as she does not define a territory like my cat does

D) Fluffy is NOT a cat

E) Fluffy does not have the skills to live outdoors - my cats could live outdoors if they had to - they don't luckily.

And so on.

Most people in the country or small towns in my area, allow their cats outside.
But as Dekka stated, its is VERY common to see them dead on the side of the road.
They are also at a high risk of being eaten by coyotes, foxes and fishers, if someones dog doesn't get it.
There are no laws in my area about keeping cats indoors, they are allowed to be out and unsupervised.
I don't think many of us that have allowed our cats to go outside (especially when living in the country) think that they are disposable, its just because that is the way it has always been.
So, I guess my point is that it depends on the area and the general beliefs, the laws or lack of them as to whether how responsible or irresponsible it is to allow them out.
At this point in time, two of my neighbors cats come to my barn while I am doing chores, for a free meal when I fill up the cat dish, all of them are house cats and I don't care, nor do I complain to the neighbors............
Personally I gave up having a house cat after the last one died of old age, especially with a houseful of terriers. I just continue to feed the strays in my barn as they come and go.
I also believe that many cats can roam great distances, without the owner knowing.........

How do you know fluffy isn't independant? I know of dogs who are more independant and aloof than many cats...

How do you know fluffy couldn't live out doors? My dogs can hunt and find food for themselves if they need too.

(Did you say your cat doesn't do those things anyway.. )

Heheh . . . one of the most attractive things to me about Bimmer and Kharma is that they are both perfectly capable of living without human interference. They CHOOSE to live with me. They don't need me in any way other than the same way I need them.

Truthfully, Tallulah probably could as well.