Pet Rat

[Less]

If I owned a pet rat, and allowed it to roam free around my neighbourhood expecting it to come home when it wants (rather than me taking responsibility and building a run for it), I would soon (quite rightly), have my neighbours and the environment officials up in arms.

Similarly with a dog if I take it out it should be on a lead and I am expected to pooper scooper after it as well as a responsible owner.

Yet the same people that would object most strongly think nothing of letting their cats out to mix with ferile cats (which carry more diseases of greater danger to fluffykins than to his owner), and the same 'responsible' owners don't care that the beast will go for the nice freshly dug over part of their neighbours garden and leave their calling card.

I and many others object to you not taking responsibility.

Please don't tell me it's in it's nature, that is one of the reasons I won't keep one.

[Basher]

Whilst I wholeheartedly concur with what you're saying Less, might I ask what has brought about this outburst?

[Gayle]

One of the reasons why cat owners have cats is because dogs are simply too much responsibility so they go for the easier option.

Whilst I accept the point about pooping in my neighbours garden I don't accept the point about bringing diseases home from other cats.

Cats are solitary creatures and they do not mix with other cats, they won't even mix with cats that live in the same house as them unless they were brought up together. So the chance of them mixing with any feral cats is slim to nonexistent. They don't go out and party everynight with the neighbours pussykins. Not like dogs, who when they see another dog always like to say hello to its bottom.

Back to the poop question though - cats may poop in the garden but they do (on the whole) try to cover it up afterwards. Plus, if you don't want cats in your garden try spraying pepper all over your flower beds. Another good alternative is to be armed with a water pistol, that will deter them from coming in to your garden.

[Less]

To answer you Gayle,

(Gayle)-One of the reasons why cat owners have cats is because dogs are simply too much responsibility so they go for the easier option.

The easier option shouldn't come into it whatever is kept the owner should take complete responsibility for it

(Gayle)-Whilst I accept the point about pooping in my neighbours garden I don't accept the point about bringing diseases home from other cats.

There are some common feline diseases to which all cats are susceptible. Like feline leukemia, feline Panleukopenia, feline infectious peritonitis, and feline respiratory disease. These viral organisms cause a wide range of disease symptoms, from sneezing to bloody diarrhea and death.

(Gayle)-Cats are solitary creatures and they do not mix with other cats, they won't even mix with cats that live in the same house as them unless they were brought up together. So the chance of them mixing with any feral cats is slim to nonexistent. They don't go out and party everynight with the neighbours pussykins. Not like dogs, who when they see another dog always like to say hello to its bottom.

If cats were solitary animals and never mixed there would not be any cats! Of course they mix with ferile cats, when it's breeding time they don't exchange addresses or ask to check the pedigree.

(Gayle)-Back to the poop question though - cats may poop in the garden but they do (on the whole) try to cover it up afterwards. Plus, if you don't want cats in your garden try spraying pepper all over your flower beds. Another good alternative is to be armed with a water pistol, that will deter them from coming in to your garden.

They will also make a bee-line for your childrens sand box, what a nice surprise that is when junior digs it up! (there are cat to human diseases that shouldn't be allowed to spread to children in this fashion). I don't want to be transplanting plants and find a gift from a stranger! No matter how cute.

As for me putting pepper down it's not my cat, it's not my responsibility to keep it out of my garden it's the owners! If you think I'm going to patrol a garden 24/7 with a water pistol you've another think coming.

[chav1]

i think everyone knows my thoughts on cats..

but for the ones that dont ...

if a cat is on your property for that crime alone you should be legaly allowed to execute it and if it dare poop , pee or use your property as a scratch pad then a slower death by the use of a coal shovel should be allowed

if i wanted my yard covered in crap i would either buy a cat or do it myself

edit:

infact karma awarded to the sickest most painfull way thought up of kiling a cat

fireworks tied to its tail is ameuteur stuff , every one has done that , lets get creative people

[Gayle]

All right, let's say for the minute that you have a point there is a far bigger threat to health and safety out there that people are forgetting - horses.

The odd tiny bit of poop in my back garden is absolutely nothing compared to the huge dolloping wadges of manure that I find outside my front door most days. Shouldn't responsible owners of horses be getting of their mounts and scooping up when their pet does the deed?

Once cats have been neutered they don't mix with other cats. I think a responsible cat owner should ensure that they have their cat neutered so that it can't go off breeding with any other cat that it so chooses.

[Less]

Originally Posted by Gayle

All right, let's say for the minute that you have a point there is a far bigger threat to health and safety out there that people are forgetting - horses.

The odd tiny bit of poop in my back garden is absolutely nothing compared to the huge dolloping wadges of manure that I find outside my front door most days. Shouldn't responsible owners of horses be getting of their mounts and scooping up when their pet does the deed?

Once cats have been neutered they don't mix with other cats. I think a responsible cat owner should ensure that they have their cat neutered so that it can't go off breeding with any other cat that it so chooses.

Gayle stop doing the politician on me (I can't win this disussion so I'll change the subject), although the title is Pet Rat It's about them damn*d cat's

I would rather have what a horse does on my rhubarb than what a cat does!

A responsible cat owner not only has it neutered, but should not allow it to roam.

By the way if Horse owners did what cat owners do and just let them out to wander hither and thither, I would be one of the first to start a thread about it, but they don't.

[chav1]

i am still undecided if i am happy or not that less is allowed to roam freely

[AccyMad]

I consider myself a responsible cat owner, yes I had him neutered at 6 months old and he has a litter tray so that he does not go and pee or poo in my neighbours gardens (in fact he won't do it outside and cries to come in when he needs to go). But as for stopping him roaming - how am I suposed to do that - keep him indoors 24/7, that would surely be cruelty.

[Mick]

I thought i would let Chloe answer this one

[Gayle]

My cat has a regular yearly check up at the vets to ensure that it is healthy and not carrying any of these diseases that you mention - I am a responsible pet owner.

Perhaps a licence would be a good idea, do dog owners still need them? I wouldn't object to a licence but I don't think it would make a huge amount of difference, it would just mean that the irresponsible owners would continue to be irresponsible and that someone somewhere would have to enforce it - which they wouldn't.

It's not changing subject to talk about horse manure. I live on a road that doesn't have a pavement and every week I am faced with the dratted stuff in the road. If the horse owner could nicely guide his pet over my rhubarb I perhaps wouldn't object so much!

[Less]

Originally Posted by AccyMad

But as for stopping him roaming - how am I suposed to do that - keep him indoors 24/7, that would surely be cruelty.

Only as cruel as keeping a rat in a cage they want to roam too! As to the answer of how, you own it you are responsible for it, therefore you work out the solution, but to be completley responsible for it that is something that should be considered before you share it with your neighbours whom (or is it who?) don't want anything to do with it.

[pendy]

I had cats for years. I had one cat which would not go out at all, he was too frightened (when we got him he was a stray and had been badly burned, the vet thought deliberately). All of my cats had litter trays, which they will always use in preference to outdoors if they are kept clean. There's nothing wrong with cats, it's the owners. And I think Chloe is gorgeous.

[AccyMad]

Originally Posted by Less

Only as cruel as keeping a rat in a cage they want to roam too! As to the answer of how, you own it you are responsible for it, therefore you work out the solution, but to be completley responsible for it that is something that should be considered before you share it with your neighbours whom (or is it who?) don't want anything to do with it.

Now you're just being completely ridiculous! As I said before I've done everything possible to make sure my cat does not go and do anything he shouldn't in my neighbours yards or gardens but as for denying him his morning and evening constitutional by keeping him permanently indoors, get real. You're obviously a cat hater and it's everyone to his or her own but at least my cat is not vermine unlike your 'pet' rat

[Less]

Originally Posted by AccyMad

Now you're just being completely ridiculous! As I said before I've done everything possible to make sure my cat does not go and do anything he shouldn't in my neighbours yards or gardens but as for denying him his morning and evening constitutional by keeping him permanently indoors, get real. You're obviously a cat hater and it's everyone to his or her own but at least my cat is not vermine unlike your 'pet' rat

Calm down dear it's only a thread!

I said right at the beginning 'If I had a pet rat', I will now state this, (only once), I am not a cat hater, cat's are very attractive looking and pleasant animals, Cat owners that blindly continue to allow their pets to roam, claiming 'it's in their nature' are irresponsible and it is they, that I dislike, (hate is too strong a word) if in Australia the 'responsible' owners of cats can keep them from roaming, ( this is now law in some states because of the animals they prey on), it is just as possible for 'responsible' owners in this country do do the same.
I am often 'completly ridiculous', however I am not blind to to what is plainly in front of my nose, which is usually, steaming, brown and comes from a cat! I don't want it, I don't want to have to clear it away, if perhaps the cat owners were willing to call around on a voluntary basis say once a week and clean it up, I would not be upsetting you now.