Cat proofing a stereo

[Andrew]

I believe the combination of white, ginger and black is only possible in a female. Or that's what I always thought.

[Andrew]

[Mr Macaw]

I was getting excited there as one of mine was (it ran off) exactly that colouring, but it was a female.

[Mr Macaw]

200 females to 1 male according to genetics: Gingers are less gender specific, but still mostly male (I've got one).

[The Natural Philosopher]

Don't think so.

[T i m]

Sorry, what bit specifically was that in reply to Adam?

But 'best', depends how much you like you meat and if you are expecting everyone to out and kill it themselves?

As a meat eater (although very little these days) I am having animals killed on my behalf (who wouldn't have existed in the first place was it not for our consumption yada yada). However, I don't tend to eat them alive or have them killed slowly as many predatory animals do (often including cats). However, whilst it's what most animals have to do to survive, it's not what most cats (or domestic pets) *have* to do. Just as my dogs don't need to hunt and kill cats to survive (and that was in spite of them mostly being 'Sight / snap hounds', like whippets, and lurchers that probably would, given the need).

Don't get me wrong, I think cats are very clever (by design, physically) it's just not what I would want from something that I might look to as 'a companion'. Dogs have been 'mans best friend' and lived and worked (being a big point) alongside man for thousands of years and whilst cats have also been around for a long time, and outside of keeping down vermin, they have really only been a 'possession'.

That said, what would kill the most rats in an hour, a terrier or a cat?

Anyway, none of that was the point in question ... it was what lengths some people seem to have to go to to stop their 'pet' negatively impacting their lives (overheated amplifiers, making clean sheets dirty, crapping in other people gardens etc) and whilst offering little positive in return (IMHO), both to humanity and many individuals (some of whom possess the things)! ;-)

If I walk into a house that has a cat I find they are so stupid they don't realise I see no point in them and yet they still end up on my lap (uninvited). Not content with assuming they have the right to be there, they then claw me for no reason and at that point they are likely to get drop kicked out of a window. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[Mr Macaw]

It seemed obvious to me. Anywhere you don't like loose animals that eat meat, like "A 'pet' cat is like having a loose pet hawk"

I can't comprehend that sentence, but unless you're a vegetarian, why do you consider yourself more moral than a cat?

Tell that to the dead animal.

Death is one million times more cruel than the torture beforehand. Would you rather I tortured you for a few hours then let you go to live the rest of your entire life, or killed you instantly?

Easy enough to beat the shit out of any cat who does.

Actually, that tail is a very bad design, they seem unaware it's there. They hide under the sofa then wonder how I'm able to pull them back out.

A dog requires maintenance. A cat does not, just feeding. You give iut as much attention as you have time for.

No idea, but mine manage to kill all rats and mice that appear. Before I got them, my neighbour was always complaining about rats coming up a drain in her garden, and on several occasions paid for an exterminator.

Simple (and fun) fix.

I've not observed this with any of my 4.

Not my problem. And when others crap in my garden, I leave it as fertiliser. If I'm digging in the flowerbed, easy enough to shovel it into the bin, just as I'd dig up a weed.

They are company, just like a dog.

I've never had a cat attack me unless I was being nasty to it first. Dogs however are very territorial and like to bite "intruders" who are visiting a house. I've kicked many a dog to prevent that. On one occasion it started a heated argument between the owner, his wife, and their neighbour, after the dog I kicked landed arse over tit in her flowerbed.

[Bob Eager]

About 1 in 3000 can be male (XXY). Often sterile, and I believe they often have physical and mental problems.

[Mr Macaw]

All cats have mental problems.

[whisky-dave]

Some owners are less clean than their pets.

[whisky-dave]

How do people get toxoplasmosis?

A Toxoplasma infection occurs by:

Eating undercooked, contaminated meat (especially pork, lamb, and venison). Accidental ingestion of undercooked, contaminated meat after handling it and not washing hands thoroughly (Toxoplasma cannot be absorbed through intact skin). Eating food that was contaminated by knives, utensils, cutting boards and other foods that have had contact with raw, contaminated meat.How do people get toxoplasmosis?

well my cat doesn't walk across food preparing work surfaces and has never craped in anyone elses garden wel not in the last 4 years anyway.

and it;s better behaved and more inteligent than Wodney too.

Well what isn't you may add :-)

[Andrew]

Did you watch it 24 hours/day ?.

Cats crap everywhere. Years ago they seemed to know how to dig a hole and cover it over afterwards. These days, many of the cats around where I live just seem to do a dump in the middle of a lawn, or on top of a nice border annual. And I don't know what they put in cat food these days, because what comes out the other end pongs for ages.

[Mr Macaw]

If his cat used his neighbour's well, it probably assumed it was a huge toilet, that shows intelligence.

Mine crap, then dig. They know they have to dig, but they don't necessarily cover the shit. They don't know WHY they are digging.

[whisky-dave]

No, But I have a front door which is locked when I leave in the morning and a back door which is also locked, and no windows left open and living on the 1st foor while jumping out would be possibel jumping back in again would not.

Including litter trays when provided.

and dogs don't ?

[Dan S. MacAbre]

You might enjoy this. Or not.

[T i m]

Considering the topic I would have thought you would have at least quoted the rest of the points mentioned on that link (but as I see you are a cat owner I can see why you might not). ;-)

"Accidentally swallowing the parasite through contact with cat feces that contain Toxoplasma. This might happen by

• cleaning a cat's litter box when the cat has shed Toxoplasma in its feces

• touching or ingesting anything that has come into contact with cat feces that contain Toxoplasma

• accidentally ingesting contaminated soil (e.g., not washing hands after gardening or eating unwashed fruits or vegetables from a garden)"

Some seemingly everyday actions ... especially for a 'cat owner'? ;-(

How do you know that, OOI Dave?

As Andrew asks, how do you know? The only way you could would be that your cat never goes outside (excellent), your back garden is 100% covered in or your cat too old / heavy / lazy to climb out?

;-)

Well, I'd say 'most cat's that I'm aware of' but you might be right. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[whisky-dave]

Well there's little point in postingthe whole page just the more important bits.

So we cat owners do clear up then, dogs just leave it in the park. While some owners do clean it up. But if yuor'e clearing up any shit don't eat at teh same time and wash afterwoods.

I would assume the same goes for dogs too.

Not me, I've never found any fruits or vegetables in my garden you'll rarely see them on a plate to eat eather. The last thing I had from my garden was a carrot in 1995, still nothing to write home about. Strange but a lot of farms tend to keep cats.

I've had 3 cats since about 1994 only one attempted to jump up on the kitchen work surface I said no sterly, grabbed hold of him and gentily throw him out.

correct she doen't that's how I know.

and as for my previous cat I had a webcam on the cat flat so knew exactly when heb went out and came in, filmed documented and shown on a pet program in the USA.

She doesn;t want to go out in the garden she was like that with her 2 previous owners too. I leave the back door open she sits at the top of the stairs for 5 mins then goes back and settles down on the sofa.

[T i m]

'Or not'. ;-)

The thing is (as I said elsewhere) all animals poop it just becomes an issue 'where' in some cases and the potential consequences of that when they do.

So, birds poop contains all sorts of bad stuff but not generally an issue unless you keep birds yourself, or live next to someone who 'keeps' racing pigeons.

And that's the thing ... when you have to suffer from something that isn't your choice, like other peoples animals dumping on your property and especially when they demonstrate they CGAF, that's when things can go bad.

So, like with most things that get enough people down, legislation steps in on behalf of an innocent minority. All dogs now have to be chipped because of the actions of what is probably a tiny minority.

And I'm all for that, along with storing the animals DNA on the same file so when the owners allow them to do anything that impacts another person, they (the owners) can be traced and dealt with. The same

*should* apply to cats and hopefully will one day as I believe 'most people' consider cat fouling on their own property (when they don't own a cat) to be unacceptable.

Cheers, T i m

[whisky-dave]

I can understand that but it's not easy to deal with. Dogs and cats are quite diffenrt dogds have been brought up to live amihnst humans for a lot longer than cats have. Dogs tend to do what their owners want, cats do what they want.

I agree but a faur few peole have cats becuse they keep teh mice away, I often wonder what that would be like if there were a cat ban.

I have my cat chipped not because of any law but in case it gets lost and theplan was to use a chipped cat flap.

I feel the same way about people especially kids.

I find the polution put out by other peoples cars unacceptable

[T i m]

No, true, other than by not choosing say a cat as a pet in the first place. Just as you wouldn't say choose a breed of dog that looks like a 'dangerous breed' or one prone to some medical weakness or condition.

I'm not sure what the timelines are but you are probably right.

Yes, so if I wanted something that wasn't going to be a benefit or asset to me then I too could choose a cat (or budgie or goldfish) for a pet. However, I prefer something that I can take out with me, something that get's me outdoors and some fresh air and exercise and at the same time actually want to be with me and have some fun (like retrieving a ball or racing etc). I'm not saying that a more 'indoor' pet isn't good or even better than a dog for anyone else (and there are many instances where a dog is far from the best solution of course) and as a kid I've kept tropical fish, Guinea pigs and a rabbit but none of them compared with a dog as a 'companion'.

I don't think we (in general and certainly not in urban environments) would be overrun with rats or mice and I think you would need far more cats than are realistic to actually control the vermin population effectively, even on a farm.

And good for you for doing so (whatever the reason) ... you are at least demonstrating some responsibility towards the cat. ;-)

('Some kids' ...) Quite ... but that is a different topic. ;-)

Again, agreed and I'm lucky in that I've never had to commute any distance or regularly by car and still only use the car when necessary.

I think vehicle pollution is one of those things that is 'transparent to most of us (apart from the smog of old days in London and still in some big cities around the world). I think they should put some (non toxic) chemical that makes bright smoke (al-la Red Arrows) in car fuel for just one day and it might make people realise just how much 'stuff' is produced by them just driving to the shops (when they could probably do so on foot).

Cheers, T i m