Cats messing on front garden

[Andy Burns]

There's a chap down the road who has a dog and cat, when he takes the dog for a walk (on a lead) the cat follows them about 30' behind.

[T i m]

Ain't that the truth!

I can't see why not (and believe some people do).

1) That doesn't sound like a positive characteristic of a 'companion animal'? Or is it that you want it to be your 'companion animal' when you are there and DGAF where it is (and what it's doing, like crapping in other peoples gardens) when you are at work? 2) Not all cats roam, or are allowed to roam, eg 'Indoor cats'. 3) Do you think it's reasonable, socially to take on an animal that you aren't fully responsible for and that will (when allowed to roam) end up becoming a:

a) Nuisance to the neighbourhood.

b) Be a threat to the native wild animals, when domestic cats weren't native to this country?

If you are a 'cat person', I don't expect you to, or be willing / able to, answer any of the above questions objectively. ;-(

So, in general daughter (when on duty as a local 'Animal Warden'), will carry on collecting lose dogs and returning them to their owners (and charging them for the process) with a van and collecting cats and taking them straight to the freezer in the yard with a shovel, just to be disposed of a while later if not chipped or contacted by an owner of a missing cat who wants it back.

I guess it's like people who litter ... 'It gives someone a job ...'? ;-(

Cheers, T i m

[charles]

That's the cat's free choice.

[Tim Streater]

Chuckling to itself, no doubt.

Dogs have no dignity - who'd want one.

[T i m]

There is no reason that a 'reasonable / indoor cat' (assuming there are such things) wouldn't want to go out for a walk and on a lead, assuming it didn't walk to heel?

Feck, I had a rescued / garden pigeon who would sit on my shoulder like a pirates parrot and was happy to come with me (walking) to local places. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[PeteFJ]

Buy a small plastic spray bottle say half a pint capacity. You pee in it and spray the contents over the flower bed the cats are fouling. Do this every day until nuisance stops.

I assure you it works.

petefj

[T i m]

Yup, pretentious arrogance is their thing.

The blind, mountain / snow / water rescue, customs / border control, sheep farmers, people with limited mobility (helper dogs), care homes (therapy dogs), hunters (gun dogs / retrievers), the Police (K9 units), guard dogs, tracking dogs, firearm / cash / drug sniffer dogs and those used to detect the presence of cancer (to name just a few).

Or those who want a pet to live with them at home, you know, 'a companion animal', not with it wandering the neighbourhood causing all sorts of harm to wildlife, dumping in peoples gardens (where their children play (Toxoplasmosis)) and presenting a risk to motorists. Plus the extra burden on the local council clearing up flattened cats with no traceability (so cost recovery) to their irresponsible owners.

But apart from that, no, no one would want 'Man's best friend'. Maybe it was your wife who got the cat? ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[Mr Pounder Esquire]

[RJH]

They do apparently ward off birds too, if that matters to you. Also, maybe quite nickable in the front garden?

[Nick Odell]

Our neighbour has just installed something like Amazon B004YCUT4W. It's only twenty quid but not very sturdy. You can find better ones but the one my neighbour is using certainly seems to work.

Nick

[T i m]

LOL! (Oh the irony). ;-)

If you know their cat is not an 'indoor cat' (no problem with them, that's someone taking their pet ownership responsibly) *any* (or you might as well make it the nearest) cat owner would do as they all deserve to be responsible for their collective lack of social responsibility. ;-)

If only we could get to the 'owners' before they have their 'Cat lobotomy ... [1]

Cheers, T i m

[1] I'm convinced when people get a cat they are drugged (at the vets, animal rescue, pet shop, pub) and have the lobotomy that makes them irrationally 'soft in the head' where cats are concerned? Either that or there is some form of pheromone on the cats themselves that sends people 'soft' that way?

Traditionally socially responsible and rational people ... people who would themselves be upset if some random domestic animal crapped over their vegetable patch or lawn and especially someone else's, suddenly accept such things as perfectly reasonable and even try to defend it against those who still have their senses? ;-(

They seem to be the sort of pet for people who don't actually want a pet (or certainly don't want one they have to be responsible for) and they can get away with it because it falls into a legal loophole (for now). ;-)

[charles]

This weeks' Private Eye has a cartoon with one cat saying to another: "I don't bother with a newspaper - I just go on-line." in the background is a laptop on which the cat has deposited a load.

[T i m]

Hehe.

And you can predict the reaction of the owner of the cat / laptop when he finds it ... '"Aww, Tiddles, what are you like ... come here for a cuddle ...".

Now if a dog did that (although generally they aren't allowed up on desks, worktops and especially food preparation surfaces [1]) the owner would rub it's nose in it and boot it out in the garden for a few hours. But then there isn't a lobotomy for dog owners. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[1] That 'Come dine with me' prog was on the TV the other day and one of the guests found a hair in their dinner that the host suggested was from her cat. If someone owns a cat I think I would assume it would get on the kitchen worktops and I'd suggest we ate out. ;-(

[T i m]

"Seventy-two per cent admit their cat has a habit of poking its nose into places it does not belong ? with the washing machine and the bath being prime examples among those polled. But despite this, nine in 10 said their lovable fur balls have made them laugh out loud."

Like I said then, 90 percent of cat owners have lost the plot. ;-)

It's like cat owners are (or should be, if they were being responsible) more like carers to an ASBO child?

Maybe the cats should be forced to wear a tracking tag?

Cheers, T i m

[Rob Morley]

Lion shit is supposed to work.