Cats and bad owners

[Paulottie]

All cats should be fitted with collars and bells. To protect the birds and establish that they have a home and are licensed. The licence fee could then fund all ferals being trapped, neutered and homed, or destroyed. As long as they are fat, fed and spayed they don't cause too much trouble.

I have to admit a while back I checked the legality of shooting a cat (it isn't) as one has been bothering our chickens. I kept finding it on the run trying to get in. Whilst I don't think it would take one on in the open... if it were to get them in a confined space? Lately, It seems to have got the message- as I was forever shouting and throwning what was to hand in its direction. If someone's dog were to worry a farmers sheep that's ok to shoot but then its perfectly acceptable for cats to worry my livestock and I have no protection.

As far as sh*tting in your garden goes...They do go for empty beds-a bit of gorse and a waterpistol are handy in your armoury..didn't find lion poo that easy to come by round here!

I did used to have cats in London -because it got to the stage when the mice were getting bolder. 1/2 moons in the buiscuits and didn't even move till you went for them! They didn't catch many mice but the mice just moved out because of the smell of cats.

So I don't mind cats but it is important that people take responsibility for their pets, It is simply not good enough to say "Oh, their independant creatures"

[SarzWix]

I live in the country, and I have a choice of owning a cat & accepting that he'll sometimes kill things I don't want him to or not having a cat & constantly battling to keep rodents out. As we have drystone wall round the garden, there are plenty of rodents trying to move in over winter when it gets cold.
I did try putting a collar on him when he was little, but he just kept coming back in without it, so I've given up!
If you want to stop cats messing in your garden, try not to leave bare patches of soil - cover with chicken wire or something - I use the wire shelves off my old mini greenhouse.

[jackie j]

I have 2 cats both rescued from Blue cross one male 13yrs old one female 8 years old now. Older one sleeps all day both can come and go day and night via cat flap. They both use our garden as toilets we keep other cats out by having fencing so they find it hard to find the way in. What i object to is the people who let their dogs roam the street and do not pick up poo that is often right outside our door, we have complained many times to local dog warden and they put up signs saying it was an offence etc most at dog eye level, does this mean dogs can read ? !!! We also have a church opposite and at any time of day you can see people walking their dogs on the small path that surrounds it. The vicar put up signs saying no dog fouling and also banned children from riding bikes etc, he would rather they played in the road, the children stopped but not the dog owners. They are the worst offenders and I love all animals.

[The Doctor]

The old "cat" chestnut rises again so I'll add my tuppence!

I don't dislike cats per se - I like most animals. I do hate what they do to my garden! **** all over the place, birds stalked etc. I have owned dogs in the past, and cats have owned me. Also been host to all sorts of other pets when the kids were small. One thing all my animals had in common was that they lived in our house and garden, had their own litter trays or toilet areas, and we cleaned up after them. Why do people say the "own" a cat and see it for maybe twenty minutes a day when it comes in for food? There are around six or eight cats using my garden as a toilet at the moment and I am sick of it. I am at work most of the time, and they scarper as soon as they see me though I've never harmed them or threatened them. Cat owners should be made responsible for them as dog owners are.

I couldn't agree more.

We have recently had new neighbours move in next door and they have a young cat, which has taken to using my garden as a pleasure park, my window sill as it's observation post and my tree as it's sunning spot. Funnily enough, all the assorted small tits and finches that used to visit my bird table have stopped! This is even more annoying because their garden is completely bare and has been untended by the previous occupier for years! (Guess the excuse about them using bare land doesn't hold!)

Personally, I do not get the mentality that seems to be prevailant among cats owners. "Oh they're cats, it's what they do!" just doesn't wash. You have made that choice, but what right do you have to make it for me?

I do not want other people's cats in my garden, or the damage or deposits they leave behind. I am not interested in excuses, so as a cat owner, if you are not prepared to prevent this, don't go bleating when I stop it myself.

This does not include being prepared to spend a fortune on some concoction or gizmo that is supposed to keep them out of my garden. If you want me to use it, to keep your precious pest out of my garden rather than the methods I prefer, you buy it!

It is at last slowly becoming socially unacceptable for dog owners to be completely blase (can't find an accented "e"!) about their animal's mess and behaviour.

Sooner or later cats will hopefully follow.

[lainey lou]

Poo update: 3 fresh ones this morning, almost steaming, must get some more of that lion poo.

[Two_Sheds]

Personally, I do not get the mentality that seems to be prevailant among cats owners. "Oh they're cats, it's what they do!" just doesn't wash. You have made that choice, but what right do you have to make it for me?

I do not want other people's cats in my garden, or the damage or deposits they leave behind. I am not interested in excuses, so as a cat owner, if you are not prepared to prevent this, don't go bleating when I stop it myself.

This does not include being prepared to spend a fortune on some concoction or gizmo that is supposed to keep them out of my garden. If you want me to use it, to keep your precious pest out of my garden rather than the methods I prefer, you buy it!

It is at last slowly becoming socially unacceptable for dog owners to be completely blase (can't find an accented "e"!) about their animal's mess and behaviour.

Sooner or later cats will hopefully follow.

*** round of applause from me ***
I am an animal lover and I'd never harm one.
I do like cats, but in their place, ie their home, not mine. I visit my brother and I love his cats, which are mainly indoors (they're elderly beasts now and don't roam far)

I do not appreciate the half dozen cats who frequent my garden, crapping on the lawn, the gravel, the beds, and digging up seedlings. They scare off the wild birds that I love to feed, and they torment my guinea pigs which are in a run on the lawn.
We have tried everything to keep them out of the garden (they even try to come in the house in the summer, looking for the budgie), short of getting our own dog/cat, which we don't want. They seem to have 3 second memories - a blast of cold water shooes them off, but they soon come back.
Why should we have to put up with all this because our neighbours want their pets to be free ranging? Sorry, but it's not on.

[Madasafish]

Cats are Ok for mice but traps are better and cheaper.

[Matt.]

Agree with The Doctor and Two Sheds. If you own a cat you've got to keep it on your property and that includes everything including its faeces. Nobody would find it acceptable for a neighbours dog to crap in their garden so why is a cat any different? There are several cats owned by my neighbours and unfortunately as there are so many I can't identify which are the culprits and whcih neighbours to speak to. I've tried so many things but again I'm loathed to spend good money on a problem I shouldn't have.

The aspect that irritaes me the most is the supposed danger of cat faeces. Dangerous for pregenant women and children. Its absolutly not on that I feel worried about my friends when they visit my house and question if we should use the garden because of my neighbours cats.

I've tried several things and for me the most effective has been prickly bushes. If you can throw the cat into the bush it....only joking I've tried tying clippings to the tops of fences and where they have stayed it has worked. Looks unsightly though when the branches die. Chemicals like "cat off", "scat a cat" are just plain useless. I can't use water pistols as the garden is too big and I'm not there during the day. I have a catapult which I can use to fire pebbles at the fence. The loud bang in close proximity always scares them but they do come back. Theres no chance of me hitting them other than sheer fluke, not that I'm aiming. Although eliminating a few wouldn't be a bad idea...

They just shouldn't be so damn good at climbing. Most of my fences are 6' high some 8' yet all the cats just breeze up them. I think cat owners should be forced to clip their claws. Problem solved (for me at least!).

Finally thanks for advice on lion 'manure'. Will look into getting some of this.

[TracyP]

Had to laugh re the air rifle (assuming it was a joke?...)

I have the same problem. I actually love cats but not their little presents in my soil. Am going to get the spray repellant this year and see if that works.

anyway, no solutions but sympathies

[kevin jenkins]

what i have heard put clear bottles of water round your plants also hang some old cds out cats dont like this.and it dont harm them

[Derek]

I don't like cats!

There are lots around us and my next door neighbour has two, she goes top work early in the morning and arrives home late...that's being a pet lover?.

The cats gain entry to her house when ever they feel like it via a bedroom window....We have subsequently had to resort to keeping our windows closed at all times to keep out the neighbours perishing cats.... beds covered in cat hair (happened on several occasions) ...no thank you

We have had to resort to replacing our front lawn with paving to prevent said cats from using it as a cat convenience.

I really don't like cats ... As far as I am concerned the minus's far outweigh any plus's

[Alison]

We have had to resort to replacing our front lawn with paving to prevent said cats from using it as a cat convenience.

Cat's don't dig up grass to use it as a toilet, they use loose soil, gravel or grit therefore it's not likely that a cat was responsible for damaging your front lawn. I do know of people who have had problems with cats using fine gravel and for that reason I would recommend anybody putting a gravel path down to make sure that it's quite large sized.

[lainey lou]

Cat's don't dig up grass to use it as a toilet, they use loose soil, gravel or grit therefore it's not likely that a cat was responsible for damaging your front lawn. I do know of people who have had problems with cats using fine gravel and for that reason I would recommend anybody putting a gravel path down to make sure that it's quite large sized.

I have cat poo on my lawn most days Alison.

[Alison]

I have cat poo on my lawn most days Alison.

Very strange , have had several cats and they have all been almost obsessive about burying their waste and asking round here all cat owners say the same. Ours tend to always use the same part of the garden which I can then sort out now and then so it doesn't get too manky.

[lainey lou]

The cats round here don't seem to make any attempt the bury their mess!