I was in our local pet shop at the end of last summer (what there was of it) and heard a guy moaning at the owner about the lack of birds that had visited his garden and blamed it on the local cats. The pet shop owner asked him how many caterpillars he'd seen during the summer and he answered "very few, it's been too wet". The owner said "well there's your answer, if it's too wet for insects to breed, there ain't going to be any food for the birds, so why should they visit your garden?"

I've absolutely nothing against people keeping cats, but like any pets they should be kept under control - If they are unable to do this then they should not moan if their pets are treated as the pests that they are.

Personally, I've always found that a plate of catfood laced with fish hooks is a handy way of seeing the little buggers off....

Yeah, who wants cats eating the catfood you've left in your garden for no reason.

Washed down with anti freeze.

Or my wife. She's seen many a cat out of our garden. These days they tend to scoot through and not hang around. Sensible of them.

I actually love cats. And dogs. All animals really. Except horses. Horses are evil.

Oh and in reference to earlier posts, there is actually a mad old woman round here who walks her cat on a leash. The poor downtrodden thing looks seriously p ssed off, and she lets it crap everywhere.

so, not only do we have religious fundamentalists, bigots, racists, homophobes and xenophobes, but also people who would be cruel and generally inhumane . What wonderful people some RLFans are.

Standee in pseudo-socialist mode.

I have nothing against cats, but I am more of a dog person. I have nothing against cats chasing and killing birds and mice, thats what they do, thats their instinct and millions of years of that behavior is not going to change no matter how much they have been domesticated and I would never hurt any animal no matter what they did.

I do everything I possibly can not to allow my dogs to chase cats. I use head collars so they don't pull me over and I can be in full control. If I see a cat before they do I use the distraction technique (lots of treats and "look at me's"icon_wink.gif but if they chase a cat while on our field off lead then I can't do anything about that and to be honest the cat always "wins" by jumping a wall, running faster etc



The thing that really bothers me though is that cats are allowed to roam, wander nonchalantly across busy roads and do their business in other peoples gardens without consequence. I am required by law to be in full control of my dogs, have them on a lead on or near a road and always pick up their business and dispose. We have a cat down our close who goes in my garden in the same spot and to be honest, its business is no different in shape or size to what my dogs do, yet if I let my dog "go" in a neighbours garden without picking up I could potentially be prosecuted and fined upto £1000. Poo is poo and still can be potentially lethal no matter if from cat or dog if ingested into the stomach so why are cat owners totally exoneriated from picking up?

Valid point.
My garden is frequented by cats from a nearby street where none of the houses have gardens ... hence we can deduce that the owners have acquired cats presuming that a litter tray will suffice.
Any cat that is let out at night will revert to natural behaviour.

I don't mind that much if they bury their waste, it soons degrades under the soil, but one little bugger doesn't bury it.
I hate that little sod.
And it knows me now too, it pushes off sharpish whenever and wherever it sees me.

Not a cat or a dog person.
Never had them, never will.

I appreciate greyhounds because they give me an occasional night out and a flutter.

I've given up on replacing plants that have been ripped up by cats and had to slate most of the front garden to try and stop them using it as a toilet. Now they've started using the lawn at the back !!.

I used to have a next door neighbour whose cat would come into my back garden for a poo. I let me dog out to it a couple of times (knowing there's no way he'd catch it), and it sorted the problem virtually overnight. Dunno what you do if you don't have a large, noisy dog though.

Isn't Rugby League a bit rough for you?

nope, just has some idiots following the game (and playing it)

AND ... we have a small number who are all those things rolled-up into one.

I wonder what the new archbish makes of catophobia?
All god's creatures and all that etc etc.
I just hope that, whatever his views, people won't be bashing the bishop.
That would be sinful.

Indeed, and it is, thankfully, a very small number, the rest of us just argue about opinion, as opposed to any deep seated intolerance.

Just thinking some pastime involving cuddly bears, prancing lambs, fluffy clouds and generous splashes of pastel colours might be more your thing?

The harsh realities of life seem to be a bit much for you at times.

What, killing domestic animals is a bit harsh?

Tell you what, you keep to your standards and I'll keep to mine, no need to cross paths.

That's kind of what happens on a public forum. Tell you what, don't want a reply? Don't post.

I doubt anyone on here's dog has actually ever caught a cat (and probably wouldn't know what to do if it did) and I've not seen anyone [iseriously[/i advocating killing domesticated cats. Scaring them off so they think twice before spending too long in your garden is fair enough. I don't want cat sh*t all over the place.

Yes, and who wants a cat leaving its e all over their garden?

As I said, I don't have anything against folk keeping pets, but if they come and leave their filth on my property, then I will eliminate them...

Wouldn't leaving food out for them encourage them even more to come into your garden?

If you speak to a cat owner you'd find out how to discourage them, a bit of pepper is all that is needed.

Not really practical that is?,they crap all over the lawn and in the borders plus soon as it rains its usefulness has worn off.

As pointed out earlier, cats aren't stupid, we have a few around here but they aren't seen in our garden.

I've never deliverately let the dog (big dog) out when there's a cat in the garden but there have been occasions when he thinks he's seen one and gets all in a huff when he can't find it five seconds later - maybe thats put them off but its also probably because the whole garden will stink of dogs now to a cat - and they aren't stupid.

As I said before I love cats so am probably biased, but I would say dog poo is a far bigger problem than cat poo, can't say I ever remember standing in cat poo on the public pathways. But as for killing wildlife I'm sure cats do have an effect on the bird population. Maybe a cat license would be a good idea? Cats should also have to be neutered and spayed unless you are a registered breeder IMO. Or keep em indoors, my two are perfectly healthy and happy and don't go out so cause no bother.