letting kitty out

[Epona]

The main difference between the US and the UK is that in the US, cat owners are legally liable should their cat damage another person's property or run into the road causing an accident. In the UK, cats are excempt from liability laws, and owners cannot be prosecuted. Therefore different cultures have arisen citing 'cruelty' and 'nature' to back up what is seen as the norm in each country.

Keeping cats in is not cruel, I have pedigree cats that are indoor only, they've never been outside in their lives, and they are perfectly well adjusted individuals - the reason the RSPCA rehomes only where they can go outdoors is because the cats they are rehoming are used to going outdoors - nowhere do they say that keeping a cat indoors is cruel per se, just that those that are used to outdoors should be allowed to continue to do so. To try to pin this view on the RSPCA is misleading.

Letting cats out is also fine, we don't have the wild predators that are a danger to outdoor cats in the US, and FeLV is not as prevalent. It's rubbish that UK indoor/outdoor cats live short lives, absolute rubbish, yet many people in the US take their own cat mortality figures and try to browbeat people in other countries with them. If I wanted to generalise I could mutter something about US parochialism and lack of understanding of other cultures, but I won't stoop to it.

It's a personal decision, and no-one should be given abuse for choosing one option over the other.

 

[Dovydaitis]

ive tried to get my cat to go out, but she just aint interested! she darts back in and runs straight for the settee.

 

[Detroit City]

Yay! Now you can tell us all sorts of unsubstantiated facts about Fiji

yes, i am sitting on a beach with my wireless laptop. its 80 degrees and sunny and all i can see for miles are native women wearing only halved coconuts over their breasts

i love this place

 

[toggle]

ive tried to get my cat to go out, but she just aint interested! she darts back in and runs straight for the settee.

if i try to stop one of mine going out she runs into the sitting room and craps just in front of the French windows we let her out through.

 

[story]

yes he has, well i had to break up the party actually as the bigger cat was pinnign FInn to the floor using the clamp jaws around throat method. i though that ws enough excitement for the day

although we've had differing opinions, broad sweeping statements, popcorn and hilarity at one anothers expense this thread feels hollow. theres something missing, something i cant quite put my finger on......
oh i know, pics

Aw, look at the kittehs!

See the way Finn is standing sideways on to the bigger fella? That's him saying " I iz bigga than I look". So he's a feisty fella!

 

[Detroit City]

See the way Finn is standing sideways on to the bigger fella? That's him saying " I iz bigga than I look". So he's a feisty fella!

I don't think the bigger cat is fooled

 

[Cribynkle]

if i try to stop one of mine going out she runs into the sitting room and craps just in front of the French windows we let her out through.

Clever kitteh!

 

[Chairman Meow]

Ginger cats are fab. Finn is really gorgeous. I nearly called my sprog Finn.

 

[izz]

Aw, look at the kittehs!

See the way Finn is standing sideways on to the bigger fella? That's him saying " I iz bigga than I look". So he's a feisty fella!

I was thinking the very same thing- good confident kitteh Finn !

 

[toggle]

Clever kitteh!

bloody nuisance kitty

 

[Superape]

Jesus who comes up with this stuff?

OK, so, cats are predators. They hunt and kill stuff. The stuff they hunt and kill are prey. It's what they are for. For all the hysterical ranting I hear about cats wiping out wildlife my cat never has any problem bringing in about a score of mice and voles every year. Roughly 3 litters worth of prey species. About 1 & a half rodent families' output. The local owls are also at it, killing off all the prey species. Should I go get them imprisoned? An ecosystem needs predators or it will break down. In the vast majority of areas cats are the only predators in the food chain because we've killed off all the other ones. I'm off to Africa later to have a word with all the lions to see if we can put an end to all that horridness with the antelopes & wildebeest.

If anyone would like to live in a country over run with mice & rats they are welcome to it. I'll be living somewhere that doesn't have ridiculous legislation dictating to me whether or not my animals can live the lives they are supposed to lead.

Shifty - hope the kitteh enjoyed his time outside - they do love it.

 

[tarannau]

Why is it remotely silly!? Millions of cats are completely fine being allowed to go where they please, and there are still millions of birds and millions of vermin.

The world keeps turning, there are other things to get on your high horse about... Vista, Subway, McDonalds!

Calling cat owners silly, lazy and irresponsible is basically superior, sneering trolling as you know everyone does it.

Oh please. What high horse - I'm not the one reacting in horror because someone's actually suggested that they supervise the pet they chose or to - shock horror - keep them indoors. I'm not the one claiming that it's 'cruel' to keep house cats, nor suggesting that there's some natural right and entitlement for them to be able to roam 'free' whilst still being nominally owned by someone who pays their vet and food bills.

Love the last post as well btw - cats kills stuff, that's agreed. But if the same logic was applied to dogs, would you be so happy to see Fido and friends 'live the life that he's meant to lead' and hunt in packs, ripping apart cat after cat?

 

[ChrisFilter]

Can't be arsed, to be honest. You may have been making a valid point, but it was done in such a condescending way that I bit! I hate the thought of keeping cats restricted to the house. That's my priority.

 

[tarannau]

Pish. And you don't think your first post on this thread was aggressive and more than slightly condescending? One rule for all...

Where the fuck do you get your 'facts' from?! That one's just fucking offensive

It's cruel as fuck not to let cats out. In fact, the RSPCA won't let you rehouse a cat from one of their shelters if you can't provide it with outside access (unless they have FIV).

Load of made up wank

 

[ChrisFilter]

Pish. And you don't think your first post on this thread was aggressive and more than slightly condescending? One rule for all...

It was completely aggressive, but this was in response to DC claiming cats that are let outside live for only 3 years on average.