Ruddy inconsiderate cat owners...

ci_newman · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:10

Baz said:
So how are you supposed to control where your cat poops if it stays out of the house for several days, which all cats that my parents or we have had do. You can't follow a cat for 2 days incase it poops on someones immaculate lawn!

I understand that it is a pet owners responsibility, especially with dogs, I never leave the house with our dog unless I have several poo-bags in my pocket, but cats are natural roaming creatures and can roam for quite some distances... Keeping an eye on their pooping is nigh on impossible imho!

But why is your social responsibility different if you own a cat or a dog?

[TW]Fox · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:15

Obviously though the cats have more rights than you becuase they dont claim benefits?

VIRII · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:15

Baz said:
So how are you supposed to control where your cat poops if it stays out of the house for several days, which all cats that my parents or we have had do. You can't follow a cat for 2 days incase it poops on someones immaculate lawn!

I understand that it is a pet owners responsibility, especially with dogs, I never leave the house with our dog unless I have several poo-bags in my pocket, but cats are natural roaming creatures and can roam for quite some distances... Keeping an eye on their pooping is nigh on impossible imho!

So don't have a cat then. If it is impossible to ensure that your cat doesn't cause issues for other people then why do you have one?
How is your "right" to have a cat greater than your neighbours "right" not to have your cat in his garden?

Baz · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:16

ci_newman said:
But why is your social responsibility different if you own a cat or a dog?

I didn't say it was different, it isn't. The praticality of it is. A dog by law should always be on a lead when out (though we let our dog off when in the park, beach, river etc!) which makes it easy to poop-a-scoop. A cat can roam where it likes. So if you had a cat, you would follow it for three days whilst it was out and clean up all of its poop??

I think not!

VIRII · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:17

Baz said:
I didn't say it was different, it isn't. The praticality of it is. A dog by law should always be on a lead when out (though we let our dog off when in the park, beach, river etc!) which makes it easy to poop-a-scoop. A cat can roam where it likes. So if you had a cat, you would follow it for three days whilst it was out and clean up all of its poop??

I think not!

Which brings us back to don't have a cat unless you can give it a large free roaming area such as a farm where it doesn't bother your neighbours.
Or take every measure you can to ensure that it only poops in the litter tray.
Or ask your neighbours if they are all ok with your cat pooping in their garden.

squiffy · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:17

And you're forgetting a cat can jump over fences, a dog cannot.

Baz · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:19

VIRII said:
So don't have a cat then. If it is impossible to ensure that your cat doesn't cause issues for other people then why do you have one?
How is your "right" to have a cat greater than your neighbours "right" not to have your cat in his garden?

It isn't, I have been around cats my whole life, and have never had any neighbour complain about our cats or their "droppings!"

If I want to have a cat, I don't and wouldn't consult my neighbours, to be honest with the neighbours I have, I hope our new kittens fill up their garden with poo when they are older. The only problem is that the response would be in some foreign tongue!! :confused:

In your argument then, you shouldn't have a car as it may offend or cause issue to your tree hugging hippy neighbour, but you still have one, no?

ci_newman · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:19

squiffy said:
And you're forgetting a cat can jump over fences, a dog cannot.

Build bigger fences

Baz · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:19

squiffy said:
And you're forgetting a cat can jump over fences, a dog cannot.

and a dog is on a lead when out

iCraig · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:20

VIRII said:
So then the only option is don't have a cat.

Is that a feasible solution? What about other things that crap in the garden? Eliminate the sources of those too? Should people not be allowed to keep pigeons?

VIRII said:
How does your right to have a cat outweigh your neighbours right to a cat poop free garden?

You can turn that question right back around though. How does them having a very minor inconvenience in their life outweigh my right to have a cat?

VIRII said:
You can have a cat but it is your responsibility to ensure that it doesn't upset your neighbours. If you can't do that then why should you have a cat?

It isn't a prerequisite to owning a cat. You say you can have a cat, but realistically, you can't. Nobody can ideally. If we followed your viewpoint and banned cats from having their freedom, what do you think would happen?

Firstly, the number of cat droppings would fall. However feral cats would still continue to do their business so the problem won't be solved.

Secondly, what part do you think cats play in an eco-system containing rodents and birds. Do you think slashing their numbers will have any effect on rodent and bird population?

Thirdly, is it right to deny an animal it's freedom because they cause minor consideration to some people? Why does flicking a bit of poo on your lawn trump an animals right to behave naturally?

bloodiedathame · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:21

VIRII said:
I don't disagree, I'd be furious of someone shot my cat. However the fact of the matter is that the OP is correct. Cat owners show zero consideration to their neighbours and simply roll out tired excuses about how the cat is a semi wild animal.
Like I said if someone made a complaint about my cat pooping in their garden I am not sure what I would do. I guess I'd have to keep it in and only let it out after it had used the litter tray. Failing that get rid of it.

It's not really an issue taken into consideration when cats/kittens are bought, but obviously is an issue with some people. I'm happy for my cats to go in our own garden, hell they do. Doesn't bother me. Fact of the matter is, no one can train or watch their cat 24/7 so as to avoid their cats crapping in wrong places. I get on well with all my neighbours and I'm quite happy for them to chase my cats out of their gardens, even get them with the hose if they are being a nuisance.

VIRII · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:23

Baz said:
It isn't, I have been around cats my whole life, and have never had any neighbour complain about our cats or their "droppings!"

If I want to have a cat, I don't and wouldn't consult my neighbours, to be honest with the neighbours I have, I hope our new kittens fill up their garden with poo when they are older. The only problem is that the response would be in some foreign tongue!!

In your argument then, you shouldn't have a car as it may offend or cause issue to your tree hugging hippy neighbour, but you still have one, no?

You only have to go to a garden centre to see just how many devices are on the market to keep neighbours cats out of peoples gardens.
It is hardly a new issue.

If you want to have a cat then it is your responsibility. That means that you have to ensure it doesn't poop on your neighbours lawn.

I can have a car because my car doesn't scale my neighbours fences and crap all over their flower beds. If it ever does then I'll shoot it myself.

I also have a cat and can see how it could annoy other people and that having a cat is a rather selfish thing to do. Given that I had never given much thought to how it could bother other people by defecating on their prized geraniums it makes me rather inconsiderate whichis precisely what the OP suggested.

WoZZeR · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:23

I admire your consideration VIRII but there are limits, I do think if folk are bothered by cat poop then they could just buy a deterent, as they would if pigeons kept eating their newly germinated peas. Cats are pretty much part of our culture now, at least we look after them, they don't here in France.

If we based our entire lives on inconveniencing others we wouldn't do anything at all.

SunaseIPs · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:23

ci_newman said:
Build bigger fences

What about razer wire around the aroundside?

ci_newman · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:29

SunaseIPs said:
What about razer wire around the aroundside?

Or some wall mounted motion detecting laser guiding machine guns?

VIRII · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:30

iCraig said:
Is that a feasible solution? What about other things that crap in the garden? Eliminate the sources of those too? Should people not be allowed to keep pigeons?

If they cause problems and mess for other people then perhaps not.

iCraig said:
You can turn that question right back around though. How does them having a very minor inconvenience in their life outweigh my right to have a cat?

Or you could try and answer the question instead....
In response to your question: It is not a "minor" inconvenience. They are not stopping you having a cat merely asking you to take responsibility for your pet. Their right to a cat free garden is not stopping you having a cat. Your ownership style is stopping them have a cat free garden. You are creating a problem for them not the other way round.

iCraig said:
It isn't a prerequisite to owning a cat. You say you can have a cat, but realistically, you can't. Nobody can ideally. If we followed your viewpoint and banned cats from having their freedom, what do you think would happen?

People would have no cat crap in their gardens?

iCraig said:
Firstly, the number of cat droppings would fall. However feral cats would still continue to do their business so the problem won't be solved.

Feral cats can be put down by the local councils, they are a problem in some areas.

iCraig said:
Secondly, what part do you think cats play in an eco-system containing rodents and birds. Do you think slashing their numbers will have any effect on rodent and bird population?

LOL. Rodents can again be dealt with by councils and pest killers.

iCraig said:
Thirdly, is it right to deny an animal it's freedom because they cause minor consideration to some people? Why does flicking a bit of poo on your lawn trump an animals right to behave naturally?

You don't have to have the animal in the first place. You bought it, brought it home, call it your cat and so on. You feed it, you encourage it, you somehow derive pleasure from it. That makes its actions your responsibility.

You can have a cat but it doesn't infer some right for you to let it crap all over other peoples gardens. If you can't accept responsibility for the actions of your cat then you should not own one.

VIRII · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:31

WoZZeR said:
I admire your consideration VIRII but there are limits, I do think if folk are bothered by cat poop then they could just buy a deterent, as they would if pigeons kept eating their newly germinated peas. Cats are pretty much part of our culture now, at least we look after them, they don't here in France.

If we based our entire lives on inconveniencing others we wouldn't do anything at all.

Not everyone owns a cat. A minority of people own cats and that minority selfishly spoil other peoples gardens.
Why should a non cat owner buy a deterrent? Perhaps cat owners should buy all their neighbours deterrents? If not then why not?

cleanbluesky · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:32

VIRII said:
Not everyone owns a cat. A minority of people own cats and that minority selfishly spoil other peoples gardens.
Why should a non cat owner buy a deterrent? Perhaps cat owners should buy all their neighbours deterrents? If not then why not?

Aawww, but they're cute little puffy-tats...

/argument over

SunaseIPs · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:33

ci_newman said:
Or some wall mounted motion detecting laser guiding machine guns?

Like the sentry guns from Aliens.

VIRII · 28 Jun 2007 at 15:34

SunaseIPs said:
What about razer wire around the aroundside?

I bought prikkastrip. It is spiky plastic fence topping, it won't cause any injury but is very uncomfortable to walk on. Hopefully it'll keep them out of my garden.