Kats inc Posted September 13, 2007 Report Share Posted September 13, 2007 I have 3 dogs and 4 cats. My cats go out unsupervised to goodness knows where. If something happens to one or all of them thats my fault. [though I would hate it obviously]It is not a dog owners responsibility to ensure other peoples cats can't get into the garden. I don't think any one is disagreeing with that. I'm sure people think I think you should all protect my cats from your dogs but I keep saying over and over my view was in response to Fee's problem and it was about compromising in the short term to find a solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godin Posted September 14, 2007 Report Share Posted September 14, 2007 I've alway found that most cats will outrun a dog, never had a pointy though House before this one the next door neighbour had a cat and we didn't know about it til one day said cat and my rottie came face to face in my garden, they both stopped dead with a type expression then belted up the garden like their butts were alight, this activity continued for the next 4.5yrs Here I've never seen a cat in the back garden but they sit under the cars at the front most evenings Molly insist on removing them on her way in every evening after walkies 'cause she can see under the cars from the top of the drive, shes never caught one, don't think she'd know what to do with it if she did and TBH most cats are bigger than her I would be most upset if my dogs hurt a local cat, but I'd also be very unhappy if the local cats killed the fish and frogs in my pond, its a risk I take to keep a pond, a cat owners risk is that they could be hurt whilst exploring, I wouldn't restrict my dogs in the garden, same as I wouldn't expect a cat owner to restrict their cat/s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staffymad Posted September 14, 2007 Report Share Posted September 14, 2007 I don't think cat owners whos cat stray into dog owners gardens are bad owners. However as with everything, they have to accept the responsibility if something happens to their cat. Example: My neighbours to the left have 2 male tom cat brothers. They tend (or should i say used to tend) to sit on top of a 6.5 m high fence dangling tale and annoy Snatch who was making a prat of himself jumping, growling, snarling and trying to catch said cats. Then one of the cats lost balance and fell, yes right in front of Snatch. Snatch grabbed it by the tail and shoke it a bit. Brother cat jumps on snatch and nearly takes his eye out. Result: Snatch at the vet, cat at the vet. I went to the neighbours asking how the cat was (a few scratches and a shock so not nearly as bad as Snatch with 2 stitches and anti biotics) and they had the odosity to A) suggest I had a dangerous dog that should be PTS and B) wanted me to pay for vet fees As far as i am concerned by raising my existing fences and spraying 'anti cat stuff' on top of it i have done all I can as a responsible dog owner, but they have done nothing as cat owners. Should I muzzle my dogs because of the cat owners indifference? Never Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kats inc Posted September 14, 2007 Report Share Posted September 14, 2007 Can I just say again short term solution as a compromise for this particular problem. I am not suggesting everyone muzzles their dog,please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacobean Posted September 14, 2007 Report Share Posted September 14, 2007 Jules I don't think anyone thinks you are suggesting this. I've never had a cat because I'm allergic to them. I'm lucky in that my hubby has lived in our house for 20 odd years and has always had a dog throughout that time. We have loads of cats in our close but thankfully they never come in our back garden where we do allow our dogs to run loose. If cats were that daft I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to muzzle all of my dogs, even as a short term solution. One of them is scared of muzzles straight. Another one is a vicious little git that would have my hand off if I dared to try to do such a thing to her. For some I can see yes a short term muzzle arrangement would work fine. Depends on the individual circumstances. I do have cats wandering through my front and side gardens on a daily basis, vomiting and pooping which gets on my nerves. They do kill the odd wild bird in my garden which upsets me. However this is nature. It's very cruel and there's nothing I can do about it. Must admit the cats in our area are scared of me and will steer clear if they see me. I haven't done anything nasty to them but have been deliberately not pleasant, noisy etc in an effort to keep them away incase they do happen along when one of my dogs are around. Everyone in my close knows I have 4 dogs because I have spoken to them all. I talk about my dogs all the time to anyone who will listen and waffle about dog rescue at any opportunity. If one of their cats did come into my garden then it is very unfortunate but the neighbours know the score and take the risk. To be honest the greater risk is from being run over as cars speed along the main road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staffymad Posted September 14, 2007 Report Share Posted September 14, 2007 Can I just say again short term solution as a compromise for this particular problem. I am not suggesting everyone muzzles their dog,please. I know Only sometimes cats just don't learn, same as some dogs will never learn not to chase 6 years have made no difference to the cats to the left, they still come into my garden, so they are either stoopid or suicidal or just know they will always be faster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melp Posted September 14, 2007 Report Share Posted September 14, 2007 Can I just say again short term solution as a compromise for this particular problem. I am not suggesting everyone muzzles their dog,please. I know Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fee Posted September 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 14, 2007 Can I just say again short term solution as a compromise for this particular problem. I am not suggesting everyone muzzles their dog,please. I quite understand that, and totally agree with you that it could be a good way to tackle the problem in some circumstances I finally managed to speak to the owners today. They seem completely unbothered by any possible danger to their cats - very much an attitude of "if they're stupid enough to go in your garden they deserve what's coming to them". I suppose in a way that's fair enough, but tbh I was a bit that I've been worrying, supervising and shutting dogs in and they don't seem to give a monkeys. More fool me, I suppose I think I'm going to try some of the 'Silent Roar' stuff anyway, I'd still much rather keep the cats away than see them get hurt. I just hope Taz doesn't eat it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fee4 Posted September 15, 2007 Report Share Posted September 15, 2007 this is something i unfotunately know a bit about. i have had cats-they have always been free roaming-and have all lived long happy & healthy lives- i have 2 pointies-one was worked, 1 is just very very keen. they have caught and killed 2 cats in the garden. the first time the cat jumped over the fence wthin 4 foot of Moo...she broke its neck. she started her career as scarface the second time-cat had enjoyed taunting the dogs from the fence for a few weeks.....it wasnt quick enough to make the fence and was brutally killed by my 2 getting it together....... Moo once again became scarface. i am now in the position where my neighbour has a lovely ginger tom...who likes my garden...he sees me and runs (water and cats!).....but despite all efforts he still comes into the garden..and in fact has come into my kitchen when the door was open-my neighbour rang me to say please get him out before the dogs see him...... i have ensured via planting that there are escape routes for him so he wont get trapped-unless he really is stuiped i make plenty of noise opening the back door i chase the poor blighter every time i see him i dont want my 2 or Joe the cat to get hurt...but my neighbour and i have talked it through and it is a possibility..... she wants Joe to have a poper cat life...which means he takes a risk if/when he wants too-and that risk may bring him into conflict with my dogs. i wil do what i can to reduce it...but i cant negate the fact that life is dangerous fee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EGAR Posted September 15, 2007 Report Share Posted September 15, 2007 I haven't read all 5 pages, so my apologies if I should repeat what someone else might have already posted. I have had the nightmare scenario here: 2 of my dogs killed a cat on my land. There was nothing I could have done and the dogs (Lurchers with hunting backround) were as fast as lightening. I had seen the cat a few days prior and approached the guy who I thought owned him. He told me to shoot the f***ing thing as he hates him anyway... I felt SO sorry for the poor creature, being hates at home and then having to come to such a horrible albeit quick end.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PennyB Posted September 15, 2007 Report Share Posted September 15, 2007 (edited) I don't think cat owners whos cat stray into dog owners gardens are bad owners. However as with everything, they have to accept the responsibility if something happens to their cat. Sadly some (probably more than some really) owners encourage their dogs to chase or go for cats though Thankfully my cats do go to the loo in my own garden and all the dogs round here are cat freindly but its the eeejits who have latchkey dogs Im afraid of who I know aren't cat friendly --- so I guess we can't win really, you do sort of fell victimised as a whole if you have cats sometimes. While it is hard work to keep the cats in its also difficult to build a cat run for them --- I have neither the space or the money Edited September 15, 2007 by PennyB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Canis-Equus~ Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 I am coming to the conclusion that until I have a house where building a run or keeping them inside is practical, i wont have another cat. Technically i do have a cat now... i havent seen him now for approx 2 weeks and consider him officiall AWOL. Ive searched the roads, nothing, rung highways/council no tabbies with mucho scars noted lately, ive called and shaken biscuits andwalked the dogs in his favourite hidey places..... nada, nothing. He may reappear, fat as butter as he did last time.... and the time before and the time before that. Or he may not, and thats something I have to live with, because he WONT be an indoor cat, he made the decision to be an outdoor cat some 6 years ago when he jumped out of my first floor flat window, he can dematerialise and pass through locked doors. As someone else said, to keep him in would require keeping all windows closed and doors closed permanently. Well as a soon to be five dog household and 2 out of three adults here smoke...... that just isnt practical. So as long as he lives here (IF he still lives here and hasnt decided the old lady with the tuna is nicer ), I have to accept he is an outdoor cat. If he is not smart enough to avoid the road, horrible vicious kids with stones, other peoples free range dogs, my OWN dogs in the garden, etc. Sad as it is, heartless as it may sound, so be it. I wont do this again, no way, I cannot stand any more the constant thought that he may be dead somewhere and I dont know, so when he is gone for good and i know that for a fact, there will be no more cats Chez Ems. As the muzzling issue has been raised... forgive me if someone else has raised this point but... If i muzzle my four and they corner a cat in my garden, they will kill it anyway, just instead of biting it they would bash it to death attempting to. So no, I wouldnt muzzle my dogs, if a cat isnt smart enough to avoid the garden with the dogs in it, tis probably 'deserving' of the Darwin Award (Feline). Of course if i saw a cat in my garden i would make sure it was gone before the dogs went out, if i saw them chasing a cat i would attempt to stop it/remove cat. But no i dont routinely check and i wont start leaving the doors all closed on the off chance a cat is out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurel n Hardy Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 I had cats all my life and wasn't aware you could cat proof a garden unless there is something in it that they will avoid (catnip ??) hope the cats stop roaming into your garden and you can relax with the dogs out there Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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