Sell me on cats

[fossyant]

Resistance is Futile

 

[Mike_P]

A neighbours cat has a bell. So used it that when he loses it along with his collar he goes home and "asks" for a new one. That alerts wildlife so the "gifts" he takes home are feathers. His owner keeps complaining over the cost of bells and collars. I have suggested adding a tracker so at least they can find the pair if not the cat. He did disappear briefly the other week. A roofer was quite surprised to open his van back doors a couple of miles to find a cat looking at him.

 

[Psamathe]

So which is it? Has all the wildlife gone, or every time you see a cat it has caught something? Surely both can't be true.

There are no absolutes. Used to be my trailcam overnight would get 100+ clips of small rodents. These days overnight maybe 1 or 2 clips of rodents and 10+ of a peowling cat.

Apparently the cats are now having to range over a much larger area to find their prey. Owner was saying they used to be fine staying is adjacent gardens. Now apparently they frequently more than half a mile away.

Ian

 

[Gunk]

I've never had a cat. What am I missing?

Not much

 

[slowmotion]

If you like watching small birds having their throats ripped out for fun, cats are definitely the pet for you.

 

[Psamathe]

Here we go, cat haters arrive.

Dog's poo everywhere and their owners don't always clean up, also cat's don't attack people - I was attacked twice last year by dogs.

With cats as with dogs, it's all about responsible owners.

Don't confuse trying to protect the environment with "haters". I used to have a cat (when I lived in a city for a time) but had dogs a lot longer yet a thread discussing dogs and I'll be arguing for responsible ownership eg too many dog owners think they don't need to pick-up the poo when on farm fields but dog run on farmland may be infected with Neosporosis which is harmless to the dog but is passed on to farm animals through dog poo and is a major cause if farm animal abortion (and an animal once infected is infected for life). Similarly with Sarcocytosis.

There are lots of ways to lower the damage we do to the environment, just happens this thread is discussing different aspects of cat ownership and environmental impact is one of several considerations.

nb Dog attacks are very unusual. I'm periodically chased by dogs when cycling and it's funny - they don't want to catch you: I slow down, they slow down, I slow more ... I stop and they stop and dog sitting 5 m away on road feeling "err what do I do now". Often in campsites I'll meet unfriendly dogs that growl when you get. close (which is good), so I make friends with them and they stop growling (and caravan owner becomes friendly and offers coffee and biscuits).

Ian

 

[Reynard]

Don't confuse trying to protect the environment with "haters".

No, I'm not. I'm just pointing out that you can't pin the blame onto one particular factor for the decline in wildlife numbers, simply because the matter in hand has far more variables than most people realise, and is far more complex than initially appears.

Don't like cats? That's fine by me. Who am I to force my opinion of cats on anyone?

I like dogs too, and am a cuddle auntie to a pair of miniature schnauzers and a labrador. But no, I wouldn't own a dog, simply because my lifestyle doesn't lend itself to owning one. That's being responsible. As is keeping my cat in between 5pm and 10am and providing her with adequate toileting facilities at home (the recommendation is one litter tray per cat plus one extra) so that she doesn't need to go in the garden.

 

[slowmotion]

I've never had a cat. What am I missing?

Cat piss in your headphones.

 

[Ridgeway]

Cats always find the warmest places (sitting above the dishwasher in this case).

 

[Gunk]

Cats always find the warmest places (sitting above the dishwasher in this case).

View attachment 749289

A cat slouching all over your clean crockery - horrible

 

[lazybloke]

A cat slouching all over your clean crockery - horrible

I often find paw prints adjacent to the washing up.
It's slightly disconcerting, but the cats seem reasonably clean.
Especailly when compared to a friend's dog, who likes to eat poo (not just his own).

I'm sure he's a lovely beast, but his breath breaks the Geneva convention.

 

[Ridgeway]

A cat slouching all over your clean crockery - horrible

There’s nothing clean in our house as we have cats🤭 well except the cats😂

 

[fossyant]

There’s nothing clean in our house as we have cats🤭 well except the cats😂

My brand new, worn once, Humvee trousers seem covered in cat fluff already ! It seems the fabric attracts it. Darn.

 

[Mo1959]

Molly is currently curled up on my lap. She just loves to be close plus I suspect she likes the heat that comes off me. 🐱