Cats

In defence of cats...I like them. I have one, he's curled up beside me now, so are the dogs.

Thankyou "OurMonty" for your OP....shall I let the cat out of the bag?

Imagine the out roar if dogs were allowed to roam freely through neighbours gardens, chasing cats and other wildlife ?

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Write your comments here...That used to be the case many years ago Richard ,  but fortunately Dog owners have seen how  antisocial and inconsiderate that outmoded attitude is and now keep their pets under control. 

All we need no is for cat owners to join the 21st century and adopt the same measures to ensure that ther cats don't roam through neighbours property, peeing, pooing, causing damage and killing other wildlife.

K 

We don't have a dog so cats feel 'safe' in our garden. They can sit and sunbathe if they want to but it does annoy me when they leave 'little presents' and chase the birds. Have tried several deterrent methods, none completely successful. I love using 'stealth' mode to creep up on them and scare the life out of them

Before we lost our Bella the next door moggy sat on our shed roof annoying her terribly, now it blatently strolls the garden doing whatever.

I'm going to get another dog, one capable of climbing sheds!

K, the only way anyone could ensure a cat didn't roam would to either never let it out, which does happen, poor cats, or to totally enclose their own garden in a chicken wire box! Not pretty and not really practical. Cats climb, hence they are escape artists par excellence! Dogs can manage a few feet, providing they are not too fat, but don't have the claws for clinging to get overly high.

we keep a squeeze bottle/ water pistol and blast any alien cat that isn't scooted by the dogs. All the cat gets is wet, no permanent damage, but they hate water. But best deterrent? Get a cat! They are very territorial. 

But they do kill birds just because they enjoy doing it......not just for food.

I do not believe for one moment they do it because they enjoy it!

Humans do that!

Domestication of cats is thousands of years behind dogs and is why they are more independant. They still retain much of their wild instincts and is the reason they are still great hunters. It is annoying to find their deposits in your garden but at least you know the likelihood of its existance and its whereabouts, unlike its rivals where the minute you step off of your property you are in danger of stepping in something. Cats are were they are today because of human intervention and if you can be patient they will become as soppy as dogs and probably just as controllable. At the moment though they are still wild animals just like hedgehogs, foxes and birds ( they do it on your washing).

Domestication of cats is thousands of years behind dogs and is why they are more independant. They still retain much of their wild instincts and is the reason they are still great hunters. It is annoying to find their deposits in your garden but at least you know the likelihood of its existance and its whereabouts, unlike its rivals where the minute you step off of your property you are in danger of stepping in something. Cats are were they are today because of human intervention and if you can be patient they will become as soppy as dogs and probably just as controllable. At the moment though they are still wild animals just like hedgehogs, foxes and birds ( they do it on your washing).

to be honest P, I'm questioning if it's cats that have 'domesticated' us unlike we domesticating wolves!

I am not keen on cats, due to them catching birds. However, five years ago we 'inherited' one. She is just like a dog, she jumps up to greet us if we have been away too long. She loves to garden with me, keeping her nose to the dirt while I weed. Follows us around the house and onto our lap as soon as we sit down. She is not at all independent and always wants company. Sadly she only has one eye but this does stop her catching birds. She doesn't roam and only poops in our garden. However, the two cats next door are always trying to catch birds in our garden. I find manic arm waving and shooing scares them off, with the help of a large water pistol. The front garden is protected by a high pitched sound machine. Why people don't put loud bells on their cats to protect wildlife I will never understand! Doing this would save so many little creatures, is it just laziness or don't they care about the birds. Especially sad in the springtime with so many young ones about.

Animal charities are advising NOT to put collars on cats as it endangers their lives. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3268803/How-sparkly-collar-cat-kill-RSPCA-warn-owners-strangle-seriously-injure-pets.html

We are new to cat ownership and as far as I know she doesn't catch birds, although she has caught a couple of mice to give me as a present!