cats - a suitable pet?

[demicav]

Originally Posted by overgrownbramble

I agree it's personal choice, but with that choice should come the personal responsibility, if people want a pet like a cat they should have to be responsible about keeping it proper control like all other pet owners have to. If they can't or won't surely a cat is not the right pet for them.

Oh yes I agree with you on that. People should take responsibility of their cats and indeed all pets. The thing is with some cats, they think they're mini Tigers , amusing, but not for the birds, and I love birds, I really do.

[Caitlinbeardmore]

At the end of the day. Humans are responsible for bringing in pets whether they can be controlled or not. Cats cannot be controlled, they have roaming rights purely because other than to inhumanely cage them, how can you control them?

its exactly the same for birds, owls, hawks which people keep as pets, they are controlled by caging them. If this was done to a human there would be an outcry.


Small animals, mammals, snakes, etc etc etc......are all kept by mans choice under the "title" of pet.


The problem is humans!

[Tara]

How many animals are killers? Why has it always been that cats are singled out? Even vegetarian animals can stampede and kill.

I love animals, and cats are one of my favourites.

Who likes to see lambs springing about the fields? When did you last have some lamb on your dinner plate?

I'm veggie by choice, but I still love my meat eating friends.

Tara

[JoeF]

We have a 3 year old dog and six month old kitten. The dog is allowed to run free every evening on a nearby field where he tries to track allsorts of interesting smells, startles pheasants (but never catches them) and occasionally picks up Hedgehogs. He can't hurt the Hedgehogs and usually drops them after a short while.

The kitten is confined to our and our neighbours back gardens and is belled. Known kills are:

Dog, 2 Rabbits and 1 rat (over 3 years).

Kitten 12 shrews and about 17 birds (over 4 months).

Short of keeping the cat indoors (which my wife would not allow) I'm at a loss what to do with it.

Suitable pets? of course they are if you are oblivious to the decimation of your nearby wildlife.

Joe

[stripee]

I would never have chosen to have a cat, he was a stray infiltrated into the house by my daughter, then left to me when she left home. I had him festooned with several bells on his collar. The bells did really help, he couldn't walk without them ringing. The only animals he managed to catch were voles, but I kept a close eye on him when he sat near their holes and he was never allowed out at night. He is very old now and a sweet loyal pussy cat that the squirrels just laugh at.
For me the worst thing is the cat food. I don't like the idea of cattle being slaughtered for pet food. There are veggie dog and cat foods available now but difficult to start with older pets. Pet owners need to know about the impact of cats and dogs on wildlife, many have no idea. One dog or/and cat per owner, neutered and no unofficial breeding, my dream.....

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by Tara

How many animals are killers? Why has it always been that cats are singled out? Even vegetarian animals can stampede and kill.

I love animals, and cats are one of my favourites.

Who likes to see lambs springing about the fields? When did you last have some lamb on your dinner plate?

I'm veggie by choice, but I still love my meat eating friends.

Tara

This is missing the point, its not about animals that kill, a 'charging deer' is not going to wipe out lots a small mammals and birds, its highly rare and highly unlikely in this country of animal stampeding, as well as killing other animals on the scale of causing mass population declines such as song birds.

Lambs come from a sustainable source and cannot be compared with something like a blue tit that is not, cats are killers like alot of animals however in the wild when there are to many predators for their prey the preditors decline but the cats are fed at home so they dont decline but the prey does and continues declining

in my eyes cats are almost like a introduced preditor like a Mink apart from they have very limited negative affects acting on their ever increasing population.

[little-lloyd]

Cats are not welcome in my garden

I would never ever have a cat never have never will, My dogs are my own catpack Please owners of cats fit bells on there collar so wild birds can here them coming.

[Dogrose]

Yes-cats are the perfect pet, less maintenace than caged pets, less input time and energy needed than a dog, they keep all manner of pest down in and around the house and act as a good small natural predator (if a cat kills four of a brood of eight blue tits, its going to get the four weakest/least aware/deformed or whatever individuals- the better ones live, plus none of them might even exist in the first place if humans hadn't put out fat balls all winter for them so its hardly a natural situation all round). Plus they are exquisitely beautiful and adore spending time with humans. They evolved with man and helped, along with dogs, to make us the monsters we are today. This is Man's world and they are here to stay. People who hate cats- to the point of irrationality, are in the exteme minority in my experience, though they do like to brag loud and long about how many cats they have hurt or killed, maybe as a form of bullying, I don't know.
I feel it is an honour to share my life with them and will never change my mind.

[kshotton45]

Originally Posted by Dogrose

Yes-cats are the perfect pet, less maintenace than caged pets, less input time and energy needed than a dog, they keep all manner of pest down in and around the house and act as a good small natural predator (if a cat kills four of a brood of eight blue tits, its going to get the four weakest/least aware/deformed or whatever individuals- the better ones live, plus none of them might even exist in the first place if humans hadn't put out fat balls all winter for them so its hardly a natural situation all round). Plus they are exquisitely beautiful and adore spending time with humans. They evolved with man and helped, along with dogs, to make us the monsters we are today. This is Man's world and they are here to stay. People who hate cats- to the point of irrationality, are in the exteme minority in my experience, though they do like to brag loud and long about how many cats they have hurt or killed, maybe as a form of bullying, I don't know.
I feel it is an honour to share my life with them and will never change my mind.

That seems fair enough!

" if a cat kills four of a brood of eight blue tits, its going to get the four weakest/least aware/deformed "

That one may cause a few comments ...........!

The main point is, are you going to keep your cat in your garden ? I don't want your cat in my garden. Simple !!

Keith.

[nightshade]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Our two cats have gone now (one was about 20 and the other well into her teens)
The older one was quite happy to sit with me and watch the birds the other was
more of an outdoor cat but did not kill much (that she brought home)
They still tracked with their eyes and jaw-a-quiver but in our company were always
"civilised" but did ambush the lioness when she hung out the washing
I would have another like a shot as long as it was young enough to learn some
restraint (but we had two from a rescue which were almost wild but could not cope)
sorry to ramble

I have mentioned elsewhere that we have aquired another cat ,a 3year old unneutered tom,
William(hence the shortened form Willy) He dosses down under the porch, accepts
food and company with good grace,ignores the wildlife (so far) He lay on his back,legs
in the air,as a frog advanced toward him and later as a wary woodpigeon foraged within a couple of feet seems ok so far

[naturelover]

Originally Posted by brainfarmer

ive had domestic moggies for over 30 years, some have been real killers leaving their 'gifts' on the doorstep. ive belled them to little or no effect on their hunting. they have been great pets for me and its only recently ive been debating with myself if my desire to keep a cat is outweighed by their impact on wildlife considering the creatures they will kill from Rabbits to birds.
i think ive decided i wont keep cats anymore ( i wouldnt even consider having a cat indoors 24/7). what are other peoples views on domestic cats?

i love cats BUT i do not like what they do to our wild life i must be honist,they cant help it,its their nature to hunt,its us thats wrong exspecting them to change and thats not going to happen so its best to not have one in the first place thats how i feel anyway, i have had cats in the past but not any more because of that reason.

[Bushcraft]

Cats - a suitable pet? NO! Yesterday one killed a bird in MY garden and then when I went in my bird house where I keep birds that I rescue until they are well a cat dive bombed it and one of the birds was so frightened it somehow managed to escape. Last week I also found one of my birds dead where the same cat had been frightening the life out of them! I won't be responsible for my actions if I see it near my bird house again. They are not 'domesticated' and should not be allowed to mix with our native and wild animals. Anyone who keeps cats IMO does not truly have a love for wildlife. Cats have their place but NOT here, bells or no bells!

[Bushcraft]

Originally Posted by naturelover

i love cats BUT i do not like what they do to our wild life i must be honist,they cant help it,its their nature to hunt,its us thats wrong exspecting them to change and thats not going to happen so its best to not have one in the first place thats how i feel anyway, i have had cats in the past but not any more because of that reason.

I agree, and im sure IMO any other true nature lover would agree also.

[nightshade]

Cats are classed as wild and are an introduced species just as Grey Squirrels are
Greys are also treated as pets by some people
I know they upset a lot of people but they are here and as mere animals should be,
along with their caring owners,treated with respect and not harmed or persecuted
Many true wildlife lovers do have cats and dogs it is a society after all

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Here's another reason for not keeping a cat.

From The Guardian Thursday August 30 2007

Cat faeces 'may be killing whales'

Pet owners who flush cat faeces down the lavatory may be responsible for the deaths of whales, dolphins and porpoises around Britain's coast, according to academics and public health experts.

They have found evidence of a common parasite in dead marine mammals and say family cats could be be the unwitting source. Cats are essential to the life cycle of toxoplasma gondii, which can infect most mammals and birds but only as part of the food chain.

The possible link to dolphin deaths has been raised by staff from Swansea and Glamorgan universities and the National Public Health Service for Wales in a letter to the Veterinary Record. They say that in California concern that cat faeces have contributed to sea Otter deaths has led to disposal warnings on bags of cat litter. But little is known about infection in marine species around Britain.

Blood samples from dead stranded cetaceans revealed infection in one in 70 harbour porpoises, in six of 21 Common Dolphins and in the only hump-backed whale tested. Nearly one in eight Swansea University and health service employees admitted flushing cat faeces away.

[nightshade]

I think Humans have made greater inroads in the Whale demise stakes

[naturelover]

Originally Posted by Billy Wobble Dagger

Here's another reason for not keeping a cat.

From The Guardian Thursday August 30 2007

Cat faeces 'may be killing whales'

Pet owners who flush cat faeces down the lavatory may be responsible for the deaths of whales, dolphins and porpoises around Britain's coast, according to academics and public health experts.

They have found evidence of a common parasite in dead marine mammals and say family cats could be be the unwitting source. Cats are essential to the life cycle of toxoplasma gondii, which can infect most mammals and birds but only as part of the food chain.

The possible link to dolphin deaths has been raised by staff from Swansea and Glamorgan universities and the National Public Health Service for Wales in a letter to the Veterinary Record. They say that in California concern that cat faeces have contributed to sea Otter deaths has led to disposal warnings on bags of cat litter. But little is known about infection in marine species around Britain.

Blood samples from dead stranded cetaceans revealed infection in one in 70 harbour porpoises, in six of 21 Common Dolphins and in the only hump-backed whale tested. Nearly one in eight Swansea University and health service employees admitted flushing cat faeces away.

i have never in all my 61 years herd of anyone putting cats doo doos down the toilet,thats digusting i wouldnt fancy going to their loos might catch something.

[Mr Mag00]

no no no no no no no no no and on and on ... to cats.

[James M]

Cats are great pets in my opinion but only if they are kept as a house cat. We have a house cat and she is allowed out in the garden but only for a certain amount of time and she has never caught anything apart from crane flies.
Also Im' not denying that cats don't have an impact on the wildlife but we have lots of cats around this area (with one house with about 10 of them) but we still have a lot of birds and amphibians here.

[Thizle]

Where ever man has introduced domestic cats, it has been at the expense of the indigenous wild life, at times completely wiping out some species, they are the only carnivorous felines we do let run loose we cage all others so why not your domestic moggy. no they are not a favourite of mine, they make the simple pleasure of gardening a real health hazard. regards Jon

[salukiwhippet]

There's no point in saying "it's natural for a cat to hunt and kill" Maybe so, but they dont understand biodiversity and the impact they're having. It's natural for my lurcher, terrier and ferrets to hunt and kill too, but I dont let them do it in an uncontrolled way, as is the case with cats. I'm no longer allowed to send my lurcher to catch a hare ( a locally abundant game/pest species) for the table, yet cat owners are allowed to let their pets catch and kill any number of birds and mammals, rare, protected or not, all year round, with no consequences. I know that people are attatched to their cats, so we should ban the breeding of them, so that as cats die naturally, they're not replaced, phasing them out.

Just My Opinion, as always.

James

[GriGGerS]

Hmmmm

"Man" one of the worlds most destructive species complaining about cats.....

For every thing we do.. i.e. introduce the domestic cat, grey squirrels we persecute it for being itself...

Its get rid of it or kill it….

[Ukwildlifeo]

Originally Posted by Dogrose

Yes-cats are the perfect pet, less maintenace than caged pets, less input time and energy needed than a dog, they keep all manner of pest down in and around the house and act as a good small natural predator (if a cat kills four of a brood of eight blue tits, its going to get the four weakest/least aware/deformed or whatever individuals- the better ones live, plus none of them might even exist in the first place if humans hadn't put out fat balls all winter for them so its hardly a natural situation all round). Plus they are exquisitely beautiful and adore spending time with humans. They evolved with man and helped, along with dogs, to make us the monsters we are today. This is Man's world and they are here to stay. People who hate cats- to the point of irrationality, are in the exteme minority in my experience, though they do like to brag loud and long about how many cats they have hurt or killed, maybe as a form of bullying, I don't know.
I feel it is an honour to share my life with them and will never change my mind.

I dont think 'Good natural predator' really applies to a cat. A good natural predators numbers are limited by the numbers of prey around. A cat is fed by its owners so in a residential area there can 10s or hundreds of pet cats in an area that would be occupied by 1 or 2 natural predators of birds and mice. Therefore the small birds mammals amphibians and reptiles being preyed upon reduce in number, which in natural predators would cause a decrease in their population as they can't all get enough food. But cats, being fed by their owners are unaffected and carry on killing the prey species, so the numbers cant recover. Basically bad news for the local wildlife

[Dogghound]

Yep spot on ukwildlifeo thats what i stated, its the key reason here. Regarding dogrose and the blue tit chicks in the nest thats totally baffling anyone could think that.