Why can't cat owners keep their cat INSIDE?

[i-need-a-martini]

I am so over all the cats roaming through our backyard.

Not only does it mean our pet rabbit can't be outside in his own backyard or that I have to watch out where I put my hands when I am gardening because there is cat c*ap every where or that we get woken up at night because of cat fights.

But today I have spent the afternoon washing down with bleach all the entrances to my house, the perimetre walls and garden pots because the stench of their spraying is unbearable. They are even spraying the cars in the driveway.

And whilst I know that every cat owner on here will say they are responsible cat owners or that their cat is always inside or that they have cat runs so their cats never leave their property, I have yet to meet a cat owner in Sydney that has any of the above.

If you can't keep a cat on YOUR property then you have no business owning a cat in the first place.

[lionrose.7]

When I lived in QLD my neighbours dog killed about 10 native birds, I caught the neighbour throwing a pidgeon with a broken wing over my fence, I took it to the vet, it did not survive.

So not just cats that kill birds, this dog was healer type dog.

In New Zealand it is mainly dogs that kill native kiwi's

[fourandsixpants]

....Beagles are hunter type dogs.....I saw the result of one of these dogs whose owners allowed it to roam the neighbourhood for a 'walkies' every day.....gate crashed a yard and then broke into an aviary and got hold of a poor pet Galah. The Galah had to be put down. The Beagle was chased and followed home and the dog owners made to pay for a replacemnt pet galah.

I love both cats and dogs-all animals actually.

I loathe irresponsible, uncaring, selfish pet owners though.

[lionrose.7]

Gee Paints, I agree with you 🙂

[mainecoon1]

I live in a bush area where most of my neighbours and myself don't have front fences and I have never had a problem with other peoples cats, the only problem we have is with barking dogs and dogs roaming around on their own. Two weeks ago I was walking to the station to go to work and a dog that looked like some poodle breed ran out of the bush with a whipbird in its mouth, it ran past me and then proceeded to s---t on the footpath. The only poo I have found in my garden is possum and dog poo and I know people in my street have cats. I have 2 cats and they are both indoor cats, the only time I let them out is in the back garden (only during day time never at night) when I am out there to supervise them, even though they can't get out as the back garden has high fencing on 3 sides and the rear boundary line is a huge bush rock which they can't climb. I love all animals and have owned a few dogs in my time which were never allowed to roam free, the thing that irritates me is the dog owner that allows their dog to roam free and them blame cats for the destruction of the local wildlife when their dogs are just as much to blame. In my opinion no matter how much you love your own pet, both dogs and cats are a nuisance to other people and the wildlife and should not be allowed to roam around, all pet owners should respect their neighbours and neighbourhood.

[cherry*135]

I have never had a cat. Have had a mouse in the houses I have lived in twice in over 30 years. A mousetrap solved that problem quickly.

If you don't own a cat, you shouldn't have to put up with other peoples or stray cats in your own yard.

[cherry*135]

" I live in NZ and dont have any native birds in my area"

That is what the article I posted covered.. were their native birds in that area before domestic/stray cats took over?

[mainecoon1]

Even if you do own a cat or dog you should not have to put up with other peoples animals in your garden. As I live in the bush I am happy to have the possums, bandicots and wallabies in my garden . I also get brush turkeys which are a huge pain but as they are wild I have learnt to put up with them.

[lionrose.7]

Am I live close to the beach so no Forest birds here.

The sea birds are so big they may eat your cat 🙂

May have been birds before humans built houses, it was farm land.

Can you buy human traps hahaha

[bluecat*dancing]

I have four indoor cats.

[ten*teeny*tiny*toes]

Hi jenni. I wasn't one who said it was cruel btw. (I may have said unnatural). I am genuinely curious as to how owners manage to keep them indoors. Do indoors cats have to be stopped from going outside or are they trained as kittens to have no interest or desire. We used a cattery once and it had double doors purely because cats are that fast and agile. If you take it out for a bit of supervised sunshine what stops it jumping and sitting on the fence. Does it depend on the cat?

I agree with all you have said and it is for that very reason I will never ever own a cat again. Too big a responsibility and I am most definitely a responsible pet owner.