Amen. Until owners have a legal duty of care for their cats and their consquences, act as if owners have a legal duty of care for their cats and their consquences. Dogs cannot come on to my property and shit and kill anything they fancy. Cats are no different.
Actually, one of our neighbours has a dog who sometimes does his thing on our drive. Awesome to go out to the bins at night and step into it. It isn't bad enough or often enough to talk about it with them. Just a minor inconvenience resulting from people living close to each other. Not too different from other stuff like hearing neighbours' noises, being overlooked or shaded, debris from their plants, seeds from their weeds... Cats are similar. I would hate to see my cat cause a significant inconvenience to someone (or even a minor one, like the dog). But I am pretty sure she doesn't. She's in our garden 90% of the time. She goes to the neighbouring gardens at night but she's shy and no one notices her. I originally wanted to have an indoor cat but I respect what she wants as long as it is safe and as long as it doesn't cause any harm to anyone. I would be ok with legal consequences. I am already willing to accept moral ones if it ever comes to her causing any problem. Neighbourly relationships are a complex thing, they are a lot about tolerance, kindness, empathy and compromises. Words like "legal consequences" come to play only when everything else fails.
I have quite a few toxic plants and a 16 yr old cat. Never had a problem. My inclination would be to walk away every time she starts complaining. I certainly wouldn't give in to her and remove plants, If she is so worried she should either keep them indoors or build a large pen outside
The argument that cats need to roam other peoples' properties has never been valid to anyone but lazy cat owners.
Tell it to RSPCA who requires that all new owners rehoming cats from shelters have a cat flap and let them go outside.
No they don't. RSPCA guidance offers a lot of tips for keeping cats happy and healthy indoors. The only time they will insist you let your rescue cat outside is if it is already used to spending a lot of time outside and will struggle to adapt to indoor life. Also the RSPCA have a terrible reputation as an animal welfare organisation and you'll find that a lot of other charities have to pick up the slack by treating the wild animals that outdoor cats attack but don't kill.
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
The argument that cats need to roam other peoples' properties has never been valid to anyone but lazy cat owners.
Tell it to RSPCA who requires that all new owners rehoming cats from shelters have a cat flap and let them go outside.
No they don't. RSPCA guidance offers a lot of tips for keeping cats happy and healthy indoors. The only time they will insist you let your rescue cat outside is if it is already used to spending a lot of time outside and will struggle to adapt to indoor life. Also the RSPCA have a terrible reputation as an animal welfare organisation and you'll find that a lot of other charities have to pick up the slack by treating the wild animals that outdoor cats attack but don't kill.
Personally I'd welcome the legislation that Australia are hoping to/have introduced regarding cats. In other words free roaming is banned. The only ' guests ' I want in my garden are native wild animals. Too many cats and dogs are owned by people who don't care about the impact that they have on others.
I've just realised that this thread has been trawled back up by a 'first time poster' complaining about 'so many hateful comments' on the thread ... I've had a quick scan through and to be quite honest I can't find any 'hateful comments' ... I think this thread is an example of kindness and tolerance about a difficult problem and someone who, it appears may well have some over-developed anxiety issues, to put it mildly.
I suspect that the forum had a visitor in the middle of the night who just wanted to 'stir things up' ... aka a WUM.
Can I suggest we don't play her game ...
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I've just realised that this thread has been trawled back up by a 'first time poster' complaining about 'so many hateful comments' on the thread ... I've had a quick scan through and to be quite honest I can't find any 'hateful comments' ... I think this thread is an example of kindness and tolerance about a difficult problem and someone who, it appears may well have some over-developed anxiety issues, to put it mildly.
I suspect that the forum had a visitor in the middle of the night who just wanted to 'stir things up' ... aka a WUM.
Can I suggest we don't play her game ...
perhaps an over consumption of " falling down water " ?
... I suspect that the forum had a visitor in the middle of the night who just wanted to 'stir things up' ... aka a WUM.
Can I suggest we don't play her game ...
perhaps an over consumption of " falling down water " ?
Or a lack of a meaningful social life ... I mean, most folk have better things to do on a Saturday night than trawl t'internet looking for gardeners to annoy ... even at our age ... there's always a book to read ...
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Posts
It isn't bad enough or often enough to talk about it with them. Just a minor inconvenience resulting from people living close to each other. Not too different from other stuff like hearing neighbours' noises, being overlooked or shaded, debris from their plants, seeds from their weeds... Cats are similar.
I would hate to see my cat cause a significant inconvenience to someone (or even a minor one, like the dog). But I am pretty sure she doesn't. She's in our garden 90% of the time. She goes to the neighbouring gardens at night but she's shy and no one notices her.
I originally wanted to have an indoor cat but I respect what she wants as long as it is safe and as long as it doesn't cause any harm to anyone.
I would be ok with legal consequences. I am already willing to accept moral ones if it ever comes to her causing any problem. Neighbourly relationships are a complex thing, they are a lot about tolerance, kindness, empathy and compromises. Words like "legal consequences" come to play only when everything else fails.
Tell it to RSPCA who requires that all new owners rehoming cats from shelters have a cat flap and let them go outside.
The only ' guests ' I want in my garden are native wild animals.
Too many cats and dogs are owned by people who don't care about the impact that they have on others.
I suspect that the forum had a visitor in the middle of the night who just wanted to 'stir things up' ... aka a WUM.
Can I suggest we don't play her game ...
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.