Submission-wise, it’s been a slow week. So, hey, why not open the can of worms that is The Great Outdoor Cat Debate? (Eeek.)
Amy says her Atlanta neighborhood is constantly plastered with “missing cat” signs. This one, though, was a little different.
related: Barking Mad
240 responses so far ↓
#1
DNH
A fair enough warning I’d say, but I’d like to see this cat test his/her “pretty good aim”.
Jul 25, 2013 at 1:06 am rating: 90
#2
pissed
If you say you are going to commit a violent act against an animal be prepared for the consequences of said action. Fee’s and Jail time. I hope you rot in hell for merely mention animal abuse. The cat …is simply being a cat. If it is so aggravating call animal control. That’s what they are there for.
Jul 25, 2013 at 1:09 am rating: 90
#3
CountSmackula
Lead poisoning is always an option. :/
Jul 25, 2013 at 1:11 am rating: 90
#4
Olivia
I think the note writer is simply pissed off for having been outwitted by a gray cat with a collar.
Jul 25, 2013 at 1:25 am rating: 90
#5
Nobody'sMoggy
Cats kill more native species in this country (Australia) than all the other feral and introduced species combined, including humans. If they are roaming the neighbourhood, they should be put down, as it is irresponsible pet ownership. If that was a dog that was acting aggressively it would already have been destroyed. Cats get away with murder, literally. The old excuse, aww but it’s just a little kitty, doing what kitty does, doesn’t fly. Declaw it, spay or neuter it and keep the bloody thing inside if you have to have a cat. They are not cute little fluffy toys, they are evil man made death machines with a licence to kill. Don’t give them the option in future, just knock it on the head and chuck it in the bin. AND THAT GOES FOR THE REST OF YOU CAT LOVING HIPPIES TOO, ferals the lot of you, and your cats are not welcome.
Jul 25, 2013 at 1:30 am rating: 90
#6
D.C.
(1) The cat obviously knows the person doesn’t like it when the writer “tr[ies] to be nice”.
(2) Yes, this is just a cat being a cat, but if you live in an area where your cat is a problem for others on their property, it should be an indoor-only cat. (Poor cats used to outdoors don’t adapt well to being shut in, though. Best to raise a cat as indoor-only from the time it is a kitten.)
Jul 25, 2013 at 1:31 am rating: 90
#7
jodie
@Nobody’sMoggy – I was kind of with you until you went batshit nutballs.
Being a responsible cat owner means not letting them roam around outdoors doing whatever they please. Install a cat run outdoors if you want your cat to get some fresh air. That way it won’t kill wildlife or annoy your neighbours.
Jul 25, 2013 at 1:42 am rating: 90
#8
L
My cat has never, ever killed anything and brought it home. I’m actually pretty sure he thinks he’s a dog. We have a lot of cats in the neighborhood that sometimes get in the house and steal stuff, but using violence to solve that problem would never be acceptable. That’s something children do.
Why do people insist on treating cats and dogs the same? They’re completely different animals.
The comparison is flawed and illogical.
Jul 25, 2013 at 2:00 am rating: 90
#9
Ben Lippa Melbourne
Its a friggin cat, just kill the damn thing! They are useless pests that do nothing but destroy our wild life.
PS.
Make it painful!
Jul 25, 2013 at 2:53 am rating: 90
#10
Jayne
Backing the note poster 100% here. If your cat is in my yard over and over again because you can’t be bothered to keep it in your house, I’m going to treat it the same way I would any other vermin. My neighbor’s cat used to love to sit on my porch, scratch at my window screens, and torment my dog who was inside where the pet should be. I didn’t feel badly at all when that cat was hit by a car. Pets belong in your house or on a leash — not in my yard, not on my porch or deck, and not in my flower beds.
Jul 25, 2013 at 4:16 am rating: 90
#11
rachel monforton
DUH—-Cats have 9 lives.
Jul 25, 2013 at 4:17 am rating: 90
#12
Cooper
To be honest, I think the indoor-outdoor cat thing is all about location. Around here, there are 6 indoor-outdoor domestic cats, and one feral cat. (The feral cat has hilariously failed to make friends with every single cat.)
I think the best example of how this doesn’t turn out to be evil is my cat, one of the indoor-outdoor ones. She follows me out the door when I head to work. If it is going to be an acceptable temperature all day (60-85 F) I leave the door open a crack so she can get in and out.
Neighbors report that she has waited at the end of my sidewalk, or on my porch, for about an hour, before going back inside. When I come home, she will run out and meow at me until I pet her.
She used to hunt when she was younger, but she’s 15-16 years old now, and is pretty content to just relax. It doesn’t hurt that I also have had several rabbits during her lifetime.
The cats built a territory that worked fairly well. Sure, it was a little weird when the neighbor’s cat dropped in and took some of my cat’s food. I wrote it off as the cat probably having locked itself out, put it back in the neighbor’s house, and left it at that.
The cats don’t cross the road, and are stopped by what they consider dog territory. (On my street, 3 out of 5 houses have dogs.)
They’re also remarkably good about my rabbits. The neighbor’s cat would stick her paw through their outdoor pen, and prod them, but didn’t make too big of an effort to get in.
So yes, in Australia, it sounds like a real problem. But it doesn’t have to be. Know the cat. Know the area. Know your neighbors, their temperaments, and their pets.
Jul 25, 2013 at 4:52 am rating: 90
#13
Red Delicious
As someone who owns two cats, I’m responsible enough to know that letting them wander around outside means they will contract more illnesses (Yes, even with yearly vaccinations), be in danger of being hit by cars or get into fights with other animals, and annoy the piss out of other people. The fact of the matter is that if you have an outdoor cat, that cat is not going to be solely on your property 24/7, and you won’t be able to watch over that animal 24/7 either. Therefore, that animal is susceptible to plenty of known and a plethora of unknown risk factors. THAT’S WHY I DON’T LET MY CATS RUN AROUND OUTSIDE.
Jul 25, 2013 at 5:07 am rating: 90
#14
misspiggy
It’s specious to pretend that birds feeding in your garden are ‘wild’ animals. You’re feeding them. Adding a cat into the mix is destructive, but humans have used animals in all sorts of ways for a long time and there’s no clear line between domestic and wild in most places.
Cats were originally for keeping down mice and rats; still are in many places. If your local fauna are so fragile that they can’t sustain a bit of loss from hunting, campaign to outlaw cats full stop and don’t get one yourself.
Maybe there should be maximum numbers of pet cats licensed in each urban area. But let’s not pretend that keeping a cat indoors is anything but cruel and selfish. It’s not a cuddly toy.
Jul 25, 2013 at 5:29 am rating: 90
#15
PlanZero
Jonathan Franzen?
Jul 25, 2013 at 6:03 am rating: 90
#16
Rm545
Outdoor cats should have electric fences to keep them in their yards, just like when dogs are outdoors. I hate finding dead birds and other animals in my yard, especially with my 5 year old nephew running around. Cats shouldn’t have special roaming privileges just because they are cats instead of dogs.
Jul 25, 2013 at 6:04 am rating: 90
#17
Lorri
I wonder if the note writer is aware that not every cat with a collar is currently under the care of guardian? Lost and abandoned cats prowl around wearing the collar their former owners gave them as well…
Jul 25, 2013 at 7:39 am rating: 90
#18
Windsor Grace
I had a neighbor call me and say basically the same thing about my cat. I told her to watch out and I’d have the police over there
Jul 25, 2013 at 8:09 am rating: 90
#19
Stefan
I live in Atlanta and I know this neighborhood. It is stupid to let one’s cats roam outdoors in the city of Atlanta period. We have coyotes everywhere in the summer for one thing, plus our traffic is some of the worst in the country and plenty of infectious diseases running around. I myself have two cats but when I still lived in the city they never left my condo, and even now that I am in the suburbs in a neighborhood where everyone has a half acre they are still indoor cats. I don’t trust that they’d make the adjustment to being outdoor cats well, plus cats can “be cats” and be just as happy and intrigued by nature from the other side of a window. A nice bonus: the vet bills are a hell of a lot lower.
Jul 25, 2013 at 8:35 am rating: 90
#20
CG
If you throw something heavy at a cat, it’ll probably just jump, do a backflip, land on it’s feet and walk away with that “whatever” look on it’s face. Now THAT is passive aggressive!
Jul 25, 2013 at 8:41 am rating: 90
#21
Ely North
You want to get rid of the cat? Get a dog!
Jul 25, 2013 at 9:00 am rating: 90
#22
BillyBoyWonderAustralia
I love the way all the cat lovers come out from their unmarried hole. NO ANIMAL that is not mine, shoould be sleeping on my car, on my porch or in my garden! CATS are the main culprit.
I now sit on my porch with my air rifle when Im free taking care of the issue.
Jul 25, 2013 at 9:13 am rating: 90
#23
havingfitz
My cat is fixed and is an indoor cat. However, she is also mischievous, and if I don’t watch when I’m bringing in groceries she will slip outside because she thinks it’s a game for me to chase her and try and bring her back in. Which I do. For those of you advocating instant death to any cat you see outside, please keep in mind that some of are are TRYING to be responsible. I hardly think I deserve to have my cat shot for managing to sneak past me a few times a year.
Jul 25, 2013 at 10:16 am rating: 90
#24
Fatesmom
Couldn’t you aim with a water hose or a water gun to scare away the cat? Cats hate water and it won’t hurt them- plus you could practice your theory on having a good aim.
Jul 25, 2013 at 10:28 am rating: 90
#25
sunshynegrll
Comments can be categorized by:
People who hate cats,
People who hate people who hate cats,
People who hate songbirds,
People who think animals can do no wrong,
People who think animals only hurt bad people,
People who have never tried to give medication to a feral cat,
People who hate everyone.
Jul 25, 2013 at 11:06 am rating: 90
#26
R. May
Pet cats belong inside. Allowing a cat to wander outside where they are exposed to disease and danger from other animals and humans is cruel.
Throwing something at it not so much, but all for having someone catch it and take it to animal control.
Jul 25, 2013 at 11:11 am rating: 90
#27
jj
So they hurt/kill the cat, and the owner will then poison the birdseed of the cat hater? So uncivil of them. I don’t think most areas allow cats to roam neighborhoods to rid them of mice. Taking to animal control would be the most logical thing to do if the cat ‘lives’ in this person’s yard all day. Me, I would just hose it down with water until if found a better yard to laze around in.
Jul 25, 2013 at 11:15 am rating: 90
#28
redheadwglasses
I love animals — usually more than people — and I love my cats. But I’m on the note writer’s side. Keep your damn cats indoors where they are safe and can’t destroy other people’s property, poop in their flower beds, kill the birds they feed.
Jul 25, 2013 at 11:15 am rating: 90
#29
Helen without the H
I think I’m in love with Nobody’sMoggy…
Jul 25, 2013 at 11:21 am rating: 90
#30
Eileen
Best weapon against a wandering cat? Another cat. One night, I came home from work and this strange cat was just sitting there in my driveway. I reached out to her to look for a collar or a tag . . . and suddenly, my cat (who’s fifteen years old) comes tearing out of the garage and chases the other cat right into the street. Very protective of her territory.
Jul 25, 2013 at 11:55 am rating: 90
#31
Name249
What is it with this site and cat arguments. Seriously.
Jul 25, 2013 at 12:06 pm rating: 90
#32
Boo Boo Kitty F*ck
I would never let my cat run around outside unattended. I fear what people would do to it more than what cars or other wild life could. Many dog people tend to hate cats and turn their dogs loose on them – I’ve witnessed that one too many times. People are nasty but should be responsible with ALL pets, no matter the species. Cats can be quite violent, the same as dogs – it usually takes a very frightened cat to attack. It’s extremely easy to get a lost or feral cat to come to you – they sure as hell won’t if they know you’re a douche bag.
Jul 25, 2013 at 12:11 pm rating: 90
#33
Ethel
Before violence hazing is perfectly acceptable to use against cats, this means loud noises, shaking things and water are perfectly acceptable to chase a cat out of your yard. Black pepper in the soil is irritating and works to prevent them from using it as a restroom, and in my town you need to put the pepper on the grass too. Some people use water sprayers that detect movement, developed to get rid of deer, to do the same thing too.
But in the US, where pets are not something you can just destroy or damage unless they are harming you or other people (people, people means human, not pets), you are not allowed to commit physical violence. Moreover, to be violent to an animal when it is unwarranted is a hallmark of sociopathy and tendency to be violent to humans as well.
So folks, use your larger brains and be creative – cats may be stupid but they can learn. I am fine if you scare the snot out of my cat to get him out of your yard, but if you harm him you will deal with the police and a lawsuit.
Jul 25, 2013 at 12:41 pm rating: 90
#34
H for Toy
Fun story, that will cause the indoor-only crowd to say “I told you so!”
My parents live in the country, and have a semi-outdoor cat. They leave a window open for her on nice days, and she comes and goes as she pleases, as long as they’re home and awake. She has occasionally brought home small snakes and field mice and left them on the doorstep. A couple years ago, my dad was packing a bag to join my mom and I on vacation for a couple weeks. He leaned under the bed to grab his shoes, and thought “holy crap, I gotta get some odor eaters!” He reached further under the bed, and suddenly felt something slimy. Turns out, the cat had brought in a full-grown rabbit, and stuffed it under their bed for safe keeping. As unhappy as Dad was to find the rabbit, he was still glad it was before he left, and not after he got home.
Jul 25, 2013 at 2:58 pm rating: 90
#35
Jami
Anyone can buy a feral cat trap. I have one. Bait it with some bacon or other pork products. Catch the kitty without hurting them. Take the cat to the shelter. End of cat problem. Honestly, you don’t have to hurt the cat.
Jul 25, 2013 at 3:14 pm rating: 90
#36
Jess
I’d be on team note writer if not for the threat of hurting the cat. F*** YOU, note writer. The owner of the animal is an idiot but how the hell does that entitle you to hurt an innocent creature who is not aware of concepts like private property?!
I hope the cat scratches the crap out of them when they attempt to throw something at it.
Jul 25, 2013 at 4:12 pm rating: 90
#37
Bubba
@Jess, then they shouldn’t let their cat roam free. Cat or dog comes on my property I will catch it, not hard to do with a little food and then turn it over to animal control. If it come back, I may put it down myself.
Jul 25, 2013 at 4:19 pm rating: 90
#38
Madrias
I’ve taken a few pot-shots at the neighborhood cats around here. Nothing lethal, just a wad of damp paper towels out of an air-powered potato cannon.
The bang usually scares ‘em off. If they don’t move fast enough, they get hit with a soggy clump of paper towels.
Why paper towels? They’re biodegradeable. I don’t have to worry when I miss the cat and they go flying in all directions. They hold water well, too, so the cat gets a good soaking when they get walloped. And they’re not hard enough, even when wet, to inflict serious injury.
I’ve also taken pot-shots at them with potatoes, but only when they’re tearing up the trash can. It won’t go through the can, but it will knock the trash can airborne, and there’s nothing more hilarious than watching a cat rushing to get out of the can before the trash bag lands on them.
Jul 25, 2013 at 5:13 pm rating: 90
#39
Isa
“I’m going to injure your pet so that it doesn’t injure the animals in MY yard!” OK buddy, that makes sense and you’re not an awful person at all…
Jul 25, 2013 at 6:56 pm rating: 90
#40
Courtney H
Cats are not evil. They are not innocent. They are cats. When they go after wildlife, they are relying on instinct. It’s not a freaking conspiracy. Reading so much into a cat’s motive is kind of insane.
If your response to trespassing cats is violence , rather than, I don’t know, catching the cat, calling animal control, or spraying it with a hose, you are are a far bigger threat to society/civilization/whatever than the cat.
Jul 25, 2013 at 9:28 pm rating: 90
#41
Tard
I’m not a cat person but think its funny how they rule the neighborhood at night while people sleep.
I always had cat prints on my car, never owned a cat!
Jul 25, 2013 at 11:55 pm rating: 90
#42
Morg
I’ve had cats all my life and, short of keeping them inside for the entirety of their lives, there is nothing YOU can do to stop them venturing out past your garden. Some cats are just very keen explorers. Cats are naturally territorial, and natural predators.
Why try to harm a cat in retaliation when it only showed aggression when you approached it? Cats barely show their owners any attention at the best of times, let alone be comfortable with strangers.
If the cat is already wearing a collar, the least the owners could do is put a bell on it and solve everybody’s problems.
Jul 26, 2013 at 5:59 am rating: 90
#43
kaetra
Team Note Writer
Jul 26, 2013 at 10:17 am rating: 90
#44
redheadwglasses
I took my cats outside last night on harnesses and leashes. They were happy (I can’t wait to come home to find the partially digested grass horked up onto my hardwood floor), I was happy. One was so happy, she came to bed to sleep with me, for the first time in a weeks.
Jul 26, 2013 at 12:15 pm rating: 90
#45
sunshynegrll
That cat was fucking delicious.
Jul 26, 2013 at 1:33 pm rating: 90
#46
warns
Wow. How sad this note is. If your pet kills a wild animal, I’m gonna hurt it. Also way to not leave any contact info, I guess a threat of animal abuse should be left anonymously. If this were my neighborhood I’d knock on every door with a copy of this note asking for a conversation instead of a threat of violence.
Jul 26, 2013 at 1:44 pm rating: 90
#47
Not Sure
This person has obviously never heard of Google Earth. I would find the backyard with all the bird feeders and sue the occupant for his last shred of flesh.
Jul 26, 2013 at 4:42 pm rating: 90
#48
Quite Contrary
You had to open this can of worms? My lord, Israeli/Palestine peace would be easier to achieve than resolution of the great indoor or outdoor cat debate.
Jul 26, 2013 at 5:00 pm rating: 90
#49
RODGD
Animal control told me to either call them and they’d come trap the stray cats or I could do it and take them to a shelter. I take them to the kill shelter.
Jul 26, 2013 at 9:15 pm rating: 90
#50
Science for all
Not to side with the cat-killers (I’ve had several much-loved cats during my life), but they are documented wildlife-killers in the US, not just in Australia. And I have references! The BBC did a nice summary on the issue; on islands, cats “have been blamed for the global extinction of 33 species,” and on the mainland they “are responsible for the deaths of between 1.4 and 3.7 billion birds and 6.9-20.7 billion mammals annually.” Conveniently, the article is titled “Cats killing billions of animals in the US,” and summarizes results published in Nature Communications, doi:10.1038/ncomms2380. Of course, I wouldn’t advocate cruelty to specific cats (i.e. the ones in your personal garden) as some sort of “solution” to a global problem. Ideally I suppose people would attempt to police their own pets with bells and claw covers at a minimum, TNR programs would work everywhere, and humans would also voluntarily stop using fossil fuels and eating cow every night for dinner. I’m not volunteering to go first on the fossil fuels.
Jul 26, 2013 at 11:09 pm rating: 90
#51
Simon
I grew up in a Small village in Kent, England with at least 6 cats who would occasionally bring us presents.
One day, one of our cats was sitting next to our neighbours precious greenhouse. He decided to threw a brick at the cat, which jumped out of the way and smashed a large piece of glass. I laughed so hard I wet myself.
He would also throw small lumps of earth at any cat in his garden. So I started throwing similar pieces of earth at him and my aim is better.
Jul 27, 2013 at 12:00 pm rating: 90
#52
VM
“Documented wildlife-killers.” “Responsible for the deaths of ___ birds and mammals.” How those statements tremble with murderous accusation! Problem is, that’s what predatory species DO. They’ve evolved to kill to eat. And that’s just as much a part of “nature” as the fluttering wings and quivering whiskers of their prey.
Barn owls can dispatch a hella lot of native rodents (over 2,000 pocket gophers a year per nesting family of owls), but nobody’s treating them like serial killers — on the contrary, people go out of their way to build them nest boxes and encourage the “rodent-eating machines” (as one owl booster site calls them).
Now of course all those cats (unlike the owls) weren’t naturally occurring in the areas they’re predating on. That is a legitimate problem that needs addressing. But the same can be said for non-native birds — they outcompete the native species and can do as much damage to their numbers as predation can accomplish. Yet I’d bet that person in Atlanta doesn’t look out at the birdfeeder and view the house sparrows and starlings and all the other introduced species with the same animosity as the cat inspires.
Yes, cats can be a problem for wildlife. But don’t vilify the cat. It doesn’t make sense to me to declare you love animals but hate specific ones.
Jul 27, 2013 at 12:22 pm rating: 90
#53
Smog
I live in the UK. Every time I see the Great Indoor/Outdoor Cat Internet Debate, I get a bit bewildered. It’s like, pre-internet, I’d never even realised some people keep their cats indoors all the time. The concept just seems weird, like as if you woke up one day and everyone’s going “Omigod you let your kids play in the PARK???” and you don’t even know where to begin because there’s such a gulf in basic expectations that you can’t identify any common ground.
Do you know what a cat-flap is? Do they sell them in the US & Australia? Do cat-haters go and smash up the cat-flap displays in pet shops? Not challenging, just curious.
Around here, cats are just… cats. They come and go, wander around, sit on walls, roll in the dust at the roadside, climb on sheds, occasionally dart across roads, and sometimes grumpy gardeners spray them with water pistols or install high-frequency gadgets to keep them away.
We still appear to have birds, also.
Disclosure: I have a cat. He can go outside, but doesn’t bother much any more, as he’s old. He used to occasionally kill things. He has of course been de-bollocked, de-flea’d, de-wormed, vaccinated, and in 16 years has never caught any of these exciting diseases that are presented as guaranteed. I changed the litter tray whilst pregnant and somehow missed out on toxoplasmosis. Lucky me. Maybe the basic hygiene helped.
Jul 27, 2013 at 1:09 pm rating: 90
#54
Dr.Chalkwitheringlicktacklefeff
Oh, not this again!
Jul 27, 2013 at 11:38 pm rating: 90
#55
Vodalus
What boggles my mind is all the people saying “don’t throw something heavy! Call animal control!”
Do you actually understand how they achieve the control in animal control? It’s a lot more permanent than lobbing a football* at the cat. To be even more clear: calling animal control is basically a death sentence.
* a regulation-sized American football weighs just under 1 lb; some would consider that to be heavy
Jul 28, 2013 at 12:02 am rating: 90
#56
Jess
Nobody’s Moggy should be glad it’s not my neighbor. My neighbor got shot and thrown in prison for trying to shoot another neighbor’s cat. Defending a friend’s property, you know…
Jul 28, 2013 at 4:55 pm rating: 90
#57
Dan
Hurt my cat and I’ll throw something heavy at you.
Jul 28, 2013 at 5:12 pm rating: 90
#58
Raichu
The amount of vitriol that appears in the thread of any post containing both of the words “cat” and “yard” is mind-blowing.
Notewriter: I find it odd that you threaten to hurt the cat (wrong thing) for merely existing, but will call animal control (right thing) if it actually becomes destructive.
How about you call them, they catch the cat and see whose it is, and then they act accordingly (return it to mommy, or take it to a shelter)? Yay, everybody wins.
(I think perhaps the most ridiculous part of this is that they put a sign up and seem to have a 100% expectation that it will be read by the right person, even though they don’t know who that is.)
Jul 28, 2013 at 7:44 pm rating: 90
#59
Holly
Surely it’s not a matter of either/or? Dogs manage perfectly well being kept indoors/in a yard most of the day then being taken out/walked periodically. Why do cat owners find this concept so difficult? I’m pretty sure that if someone’s dog leapt into your garden and starting doing its business on your property you wouldn’t be thrilled, so why do some people think it’s perfectly acceptable for their cats to do the same thing?
Also, it depends entirely on where you live. If you’re in a city then having an indoor cat is going to be by far the safest lifestyle for it. If you live in the middle of nowhere with no neighbours nearby then what’s the problem with having an outdoor cat? The problems arise, it seems, when people live near to others but in a relatively safe area. Then some inconsiderate cat people (I say some because I know many lovely, considerate people who are owned by cats!) assume that because they love their felines and put up with the occasional dead mouse/bird, that everyone else will. It’s not impossible to train cats to stay within a certain territory, and if they won’t then take them out on leads or see if you can come to some compromise with any cat-hating neighbours who will have a problem with your cat running around on their property.
For those of you saying that all cats in the UK are outdoor cats – not true. My best friend owns a cat that would be mortified at stepping a foot outside her flat. Also, growing up we would on an almost annual basis have cats break into our chicken run and kill our chickens. My father was too soft-hearted to call the police on the owners of the cat responsible, so it kept doing it despite us asking its owners to put something on its claws or to confine it to their property.
Jul 29, 2013 at 6:49 pm rating: 90
#60
Flibbers
I agree with Smog and her voice of reason. I live in the UK too and I think maybe we’re a tad more relaxed towards the felines. Cats around my way are allowed to wander as they please and there has never been any problem. No reported injuries, no collapse of the ecosytem and no plague. My parents have bird feeders and boxes in their garden, which of course does attract curious moggies, but we find a little squirt with the hose or a water pistol will send them on their way for a while. There is a gorgeous fluffy tortoiseshell who quite often uses my garden as a through-road to wherever she is going, but of course if my dog is outside in his run she has to make her way over the fence pretty sharpish!
I’m always a bit baffled when people say they have an indoor cat, what is the point of an indoor cat? It makes me think of those odd folk who keep budgies in cages as pets.
I don’t really get what all the hoo-ha is about, you guys know that birds can fly away from cats…right? Well-fed domestic cats love to chase stuff, but I think their primary goal in life is probably more along the lines of laying in the sunshine or having their belly rubbed. Some of you seem a bit frantic and terrified, like you think all domestic cats are bird and rodent terminators, programmed only to kill everything in sight.
Jul 30, 2013 at 7:32 am rating: 90
#61
Flibbers
I don’t see the appeal of keeping an animal that can fly in a cage, they have wings for a reason. It would be like having a fish but keeping it in sand instead of water, you’re not allowing them to live normally.
Aug 1, 2013 at 4:10 am rating: 90
#62
Flibbers
I was making the point that it would be as pointless and cruel to keep a fish in sand as it is to keep a bird in a cage, but duly noted.
How about this one, keeping a pet bird is a bit like having a pet dog but never taking it for a walk or playing fetch with it. It wouldn’t die, but it wouldn’t be happy.
Aug 5, 2013 at 5:52 am rating: 90
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