Don’t let your cats roam, it’s a dick move in so so many ways. Be responsible and keep and eye on your pet on your property, if you don’t think cats are indoor animals, don’t get one
There are cats that definitely come with pre-conditions. For example our last cat was abandoned and he chose us next. But first he spent about 4 months learning to like being outside. So until we moved* he wouldn’t let us keep him inside. He’d literally climb out the window, up the wood framing, to the roof, get into the pine trees and work his way down from there. Eventually we’d just get a meow at the front door when we thought he was still chilling in the living room.
If you’re adopting a shelter cat or bringing up a kitten you should absolutely keep them inside. But some cats will let you know they have terms and conditions to your relationship.
Note - Once we moved he no longer wanted to roam so much and was content with being a balcony cat. Which strongly suggests it was tied to some idea of territory or familiarity with that area.
All excuses as far as I’m concerned.
I found a cat leg the other day, victim to a coyote. But I guess the owners can be comforted that their kitty got fresh air.
But as a neighbour who deals with this issue and property damage from neighbours cats , if your pet becomes my pest i will deal with it as such, and you’ll never know about it
I mean yeah that sucks that can happen with coyotes, but dude if cats are damaging your stuff it’s because you’re a dick to them. They are smart enough to know and to take it out on you. Also that’s a great way to turn a minor dispute into a violent confrontation. Don’t escalate shit just because you want to feel superior. It’s not a rational response to kill your neighbor’s cat.
If cats are damaging your stuff it’s because you’re a dick to them.
I’ve worked professionally with cats for over 7 years. I can confirm that cats will fuck with your shit no matter how you treat them lmao
See I’ve had the opposite experience. As long as there’s a cat box in neutral territory, food, and water, and you let the cat lead on socializing with you, it’s fine. People run into problems when they treat cats like accessories instead of animals that have their own thoughts, agency, and borders.
Of course there will always be exceptions but if a cat is fucking with you and only you then you made it angry at you.
You seem to be imagining these cats harassing But_my_mom_says_im_cool directly. He’s complaining about property damage, not socialization problems. Cats are not crows. They do not remember when you’re rude to them, and then decide to destroy your garden. They’ll simply destroy your garden if it seems like fun
Yeah but so will any animal. As to the not crows thing I disagree. They absolutely remember and spray and poop your area.
Be a little piece of shit, and one day you’ll find out that you aren’t the only one who can kill, as you learn your brakes aren’t functional on the highway.
Sincerely, Your neighbors <3
You mean like the cat that kills all manner of wildlife for no reason?
Do you react the same way to people using pesticides or mole traps? A pest is a pest is a pest. If you want the moles to stay safe, don’t let them into your neighbor’s yards. Same goes for cats. That’s why I keep mine inside.
Yeah, sure, I’m not like “crash through their backyard wall and encourage the behavior” but also fuck people who act entitled as fuck and macho, just out to harm other living beings because they entered an imaginary zone next to their assumed home.
fuck people who act entitled as fuck and macho, just out to harm other living beings because they entered an imaginary zone next to their assumed home.
That’s not why people kill pests. If you find that your house is infested with cockroaches, do you just let them be because you don’t want to seem entitled?
Edit: also
Be a little piece of shit, and one day you’ll find out that you aren’t the only one who can kill, as you learn your brakes aren’t functional on the highway.
But you’re making fun of people for acting “macho” for defending their property from destructive animals. Lol
I will bet my left testicle that someone is gonna read this comment, and think I’m calling cats cockroaches. 100% guaranteed.
Intentionally missing the point, are we? Poor bait fam. Troll elsewhere.
You… You think somebody let’s moles onto people’s yards? A pest is just an animal doing it’s animal thing. It’s humans that think their thought up idea of property gives them the right to kill another beeing.
You… You think somebody let’s moles onto people’s yards?
How do you misunderstand my comment this badly? No, but people are letting cats into people’s yards. Cats, like moles, are pests, and homeowners can deal with them like any other pests.
If you want to protect a mole, don’t let it into someone’s yard. If you want to protect a cat, don’t let it into someone’s yard.
A pest is just an animal doing it’s animal thing.
Yes, and cats doing cat things makes them pests.
It’s humans that think their thought up idea of property gives them the right to kill another beeing.
I just watched my cat torture a mouse the other day. Bit down on its head and popped it’s eye, opened its gut, and left it twitching on the floor. Why do you think humans have a monopoly on killing animals? At least we have some justification for it, and typically try to do it quickly and painlessly.
Don’t get me wrong—I’m not in favor of killing cats. I’m actually in favor of their survival, which is why I’m saying that you shouldn’t let it wander off unsupervised into a place where it’s likely to get killed.
Woah, is lemmy pro letting cats outside? It’s so terrible for the cats and local wildlife why would you be in favor of it?
How is it terrible for the cat? Their natural habitat is outside!
Cats do not have cars in their natural habitat.
How do you know?
cat, in line at the drive thru to grab a whopper
time to get rid of cars then
also, you let your children play outside? how terrible!!! they might be hit by a car! be a responsible parent and lock your child up so they are not exposed to any danger ever
If the child is not old enough to understand what a car is and that it’s dangerous and moves fast and what roads are and to keep off them then yes, don’t let the kid outside unless supervised.
Cats don’t and can’t understand any of that.
Cats are smarter than you think. Sure, they won’t be looking both ways before crossing the street. But they will know which streets are too dangerous to cross and they can usually hear incoming vehicles using those pointy things on top of their heads called ‘ears’.
Now if you live close to a very busy street I can understand you want to keep your cat inside. However, I live in a more rural area where people drive more cautiously and it’s really fine to let cats roam freely.
Do you let your 3-year-old toddler outside on supervised for hours at a time???
a cat is way smarter than a toddler
I’ve seen a lot more cats flattened on the roads than I have toddlers. In either case, I keep mine inside.
Mostly cars, but it’s also how they end up getting lost or grabbed by people thinking they are lost, and also wildlife like coyotes or owls and raccoons often can kill them because they don’t have a natural sense of fear for predators anymore. As well as transfer of disease from mingling with other outdoors cats. Or getting pregnant by meeting up with other outdoor cats while not being fixed themselves.
“fixing” is such a weird way to describe breaking something
It’s fixing a problem.
That we created in the first place.
No it isn’t. Cats are domesticated. They have no natural habitat because they aren’t wild animals.
The house cat’s natural habitat is a door jamb.
My cat’s natural habitat is on my shoulder
Their natural habitat is outside!
A cat’s natural habitat is not North America. They are very destructive to our local ecology.
Yup. The hard truth is that we shouldn’t have pet cats at all over here.
I get that they can harm the environment (especially when there is an overpopulation); that’s not what I’m asking. The question was how is it bad for the cat?
cats can easily get FIV and other viruses, and outdoor cats live shorter lifespans
After they domesticated themselves I am pretty sure their natural habitat is whatever we decide it should be. We already are deciding if they can breed at all so…
All the cats in my neighborhood that were outdoor cats have been killed within a week. Coyote has had some good eats this week.
Their natural habitat is outside in the near-east and egypt, not anywhere else. That’s not to mention, most people live in urbanized areas with a lot of hazards that aren’t natural.
This is why I think that people shouldn’t get pet cats.
This is why vegans think that people shouldn’t get pets.
I disagree with that. As long as they aren’t harming the environment they aren’t an issue. Keep them indoors and they’re fine.
No, it isn’t. Domestic cats do not belong outside. The exposure to numerous hazards literally cuts their average life expectancy by half.
Lots of animals live longer in captivity. That doesn’t mean it’s right to restrict their freedom.
If you think it’s wrong to keep a cat inside then you shouldn’t have a cat. They’re an invasive species in most of the world and it’s unethical to put them outside regardless of what justifications you come up with
I agree. I don’t you should have a pet cat in places where they aren’t native.
Sounds perfectly reasonable to me
As moral agents that understand the impacts of letting species go extinct due to human activity ruining native habitats and transplanting invasive species, we need to weigh the odds of reducing their freedom for the sake of conserving the population. Think how the California Condor was revived after being declared extinct in the wild in the late 1980s.
What ends up happening with zoos however is that capitalism sinks it’s claws in and influences these zoos to prefer profit over the well being of the animals, even going so far as to ignore scientist/veterinarian advice in favor of their trainers.
So long as it remains profitable to restrict the freedoms of animals (and humans), it will happen. At least until we do something about capitalism
How many animals live longer in a zoo compared to the wilderness? Is that a valid reason for keeping them enclosed?
I’m not pro letting cats outside (in urban areas, anyway), but your argument is a bit lacking. Maybe mention that the hazards are things like cars and people actively trying to kill cats, because otherwise it’ll seem like you’re just against animals being animals (I.e dying because other predators)
Your rebuttal is worse. We shouldn’t let cats wander outside for the same reasons we shouldn’t let zoo animals wander outside the zoo. They are not wild animals and they are not native to the environments we keep them in. It is bad for them and it is bad for the rest of the ecology. If someone thinks cats should be treated like wild animals they have no business keeping a cat in their home at all.
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America-centrist I see
The hell does America-centrism have to do with this?
Because cats do not disturb ecosystems in most parts of the world, most notably not in the Americas
Australia - https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/nov/12/from-beloved-pet-to-biodiversity-villain-what-now-for-australias-cats France - https://www.lemonde.fr/en/our-times/article/2023/02/18/the-common-cat-has-become-an-environmental-scourge_6016379_39.html A paper that lists other locations besides United States, like United Kingdom - https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pan3.10073
Bruh I’ve lived in Japan, Germany, and Qatar, and all those places had birds.
You fool, those are government spy drones!
Fuck! They fooled me AGAIN!
Cats are native to Northern Africa. They’re an invasive species literally everywhere else.
How do the cats know which country they’re in?
Sure they don’t.
This a thousand times. Allowing a cat outdoors is the single worst thing for the environment the average person is capable of doing.
Not particularly great for the cat, either.
Instead of a catio I installed fences around my property so my cats could enjoy the outside without roaming outside. It wouldn’t work for everyone because my property is half walled to (not the regular american layout) but it works like a charm.
I’m always amazed cat owners let them roam. You’re putting a LOT of trust in both the animal as well as your greater environment. Just the other week I read a message from our local animal shelter. They had found a cat which had gotten poisoned. Either intentionally or unintentionally, that couldn’t be determined.
They had to put it down before the owner was found, it was that sick. I’d feel pretty guilty if that was my cat.
Cats can get run over, abducted, get hurt, etc. Even ignoring the fact that it’s a living creature, it’s also an expensive piece of property and vet bills aren’t cheap either.
Sharing is caring
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If you care about your pet or neighbours keep it inside. Don’t make your pet other peoples pests. Can you imagine if dog owners just opened their doors at night to let them roam? Why do cast people think they’re special?
P.s. i found a cat leg in my yard the other day, since we have coyotes and birds of prey in my area. So there’s some consequences for you
Not to mention how much damage cats do to wildlife populations.
I’ve had closer to 9 cats (all either strays or fostered/adopted), and the two that stayed inside their entire life managed to outlive the others by like 6 years and counting. The smart reply is absolutely to keep your pets inside.
Y’all really can’t wait to see your own cats flattened on the road, huh? “But my cat is smart enough to avoid cars!” No, your cat is lucky enough to have avoided cars so far.
let
Lmao
Your cat has more control over you? Who is whose owner there? People who let their cats roam are entitled and irresponsible.
I had a beagle who always wanted out and roam. But my pet doesn’t make the rules so I kept him inside
Cats do whatever they want. Get one and you’ll know.
They do what you allow
Yeah, no. Cats are black hats. They’ll keep looking for exploits.
First, I have two.
Second, why should anyone listen to you when you admit that any cat can outsmart you? Lol
I used to work at an animal shelter. I must have met thousands of cats in my time there. I never met a single cat that didn’t get used to being inside 24/7. They could be sitting just feet away from a door leading straight outside, and they would not try to escape.
If your home is so hostile to cats that they’re desperate to escape no matter what you do, you should probably not have a cat.
Nah
Outdoor cats have a far shorter life expectancy and damage the local ecosystem. Why don’t you care?
Not every place in the world is America, there are many places where cats are native, and dont get driven over as much because all is full of cars, i got mine to specifically damage the sorounding mice ecosystem because having the pest control there every six months is expensive.
“Many Places” umm no, not domesticated house cats.
And if you live in a place with native and wild small felines it’s even more important to keep domesticated cats inside since they will compete for food or mix genetics by trying to interbreed and put the native wild population of cats in danger of diseases.
Cats originated in Egypt and spread across the world basically by humans. So unless you’re in Egypt, cats aren’t native to your ecosystem.
Your right humans spread them as semi wild pets to protect they food stock from rodents but for Europe that where the romans over 2000 year ago, so i would not say that they are a new emerging existencial thread for the eco system here, if that was the case it would have long colapsed lol.
This is completely faulty logic not backed by reality or even a single source.
Here is some further reading:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cats-kill-a-staggering-number-of-species-across-the-world/Do you think 2,000 years is a long time? About how long do you think extinction events usually take?
This isnt an extinction event caused by a slow climatic change or something, in some places on earth its an invasive species and if you look up how fast/slow they cause damage than its in the range of tens to hundreds, not thousands of years.
Long enough for ecosystems to change, adapt and form as well as for animals to evolve based on their new environment. Considering that there are already rats & cockroaches adapting to pesticides, both birds & pests are most certainly adapting to cats to some degree after the passage of thousands of years.
Obviously there may be a point in restricting cats in more insular habitats such as small islands, but for anybody on a major continent it is rather pointless. Furthermore, cats serve an important purpose in hunting pests that spread alongside humans, primarily rats and mice, both of which can have an even more disastrous effect on local ecosystems.
There’s plenty parts of America that are like that as well. A lot of areas, having an outdoor cat is almost necessary you want an outdoor garden, since otherwise the local rodents will just eat it all.
I found a chewed up cat leg the other day, a coyotes dinner, hope it was yours
you lock your cat up inside all the time? fuck you
oh they’re a threat to local wildlife? our cat is too lazy to get off his ass and hunt anything, it will be fine. also there are many roaming cats in the neighborhood so it won’t be a difference
Can you imagine if dog people let their dogs fuck off at night? They’d rightly be charged and have their pets taken away, what makes you special.
If your pet becomes my pest, I will deal with it as such. Not to mention all the dangers you’re risking your cat die to.
Really it’s a big case of entitlement, you think you’re entitled to use everyone’s property to entertain your cat, cause you’re too irresponsible of an owner to entertain and enrich your cat’s life at home
How to “deal” with a cat is by running outside screaming at and chasing it like a madman. That thing will disappear and never dare be seen in your garden again.
newsflash: a cat is not a dog
a pest? what do they do? they’re just cats? i suppose you just hate animals? do you blame birds for “using your property” too?
Cats have caused dozens of extinctions in the new world alone. I’m not as familiar with old world regions, but I understand they’re not exactly friendly to local wildlife there either. They’re not “just cats,” they’re an apex predator that no ecosystem outside of Northern Africa evolved to deal with. You don’t let zebra mussels into your local lake. You don’t plant kudzu in your yard. Don’t let your cats outside unsupervised.
idk where you live but where I live, all there is for a cat to hunt is a mouse or maybe a pigeon, and those animals are so abundant that they are a pest themselves
even then, many cats are too lazy to hunt anything, as they know their owner will feed them something way more delicious
I’m very curious where you live. It seems more likely that you’re simply unaware of your ecosystem than that you live in a place with only to animals that cats prey on
Well there are more animals in the forests but it’s too far away. Idk about other cats but our cat doesn’t stray far from our garden so all it can hunt is things I see in my garden. Which is pigeons, bugs, maybe a rat, more pigeons and some other birds. I’m also pretty confident our cat never took the effort to even try to hunt any of those.
Newsflash: birds aren’t cats either
If you’re going to be an ass about it, at least have SOME logical consistency.
birds do more harm than cats: they poop everywhere
Adorable little asshole!
Don’t feed any cats that are not yours. not even once.
yeah, feeding the wrong food wil give them liver disease in the long run, and they cant handle suddenly switching food sources. They’ll also get way to fat which gives them depression and also kills them. being ‘nice’ to a cat that has an owner by feeding it shortens their life by ~3 years.
If your animal will die from eating a small piece of cooked chicken after eating several raw freshly hunted birds in my garden by it’s own volition, then don’t let it out of the house.
If your cat is in my house (yes, somebody’s cat just waltzed into my house once and sat on our sofa) then he is my guest. If I want to offer my distinguished guests a healthy snack and they don’t refuse, there’s nothing wrong with that.
Nah
Better yet, do feed them, take them inside, and save them from an owner who doesn’t care if they get run over
shitty cat owners downvoting you. most place around me won’t even let you adopt a cat if you don’t say you’ll keep it inside. its bad for your local ecosystem and its bad for the cat. I’ve seen way too many cats die because they were kept outside.
most place around me won’t even let you adopt a cat if you don’t say you’ll keep it inside.
I’ve yet to see an animal shelter in my entire country that doesn’t have this claws in its adoption contract. I haven’t run an exhaustive search (there are over 4,000 shelters), but I’ve checked dozens.
You would think that every single animal welfare group agreeing that cats should be kept inside would be enough to convince people that maybe cats should be kept inside, but alas
I assumed it’d be pretty much all of them, but didn’t feel like researching to be sure. It’s really surprising how so many lemmy users, who are generally very much on the side of science and research, will completely ignore the people who are experts in this subject and assume they know better from their own experiences.
I’m always surprised by how divisive of a topic this is.
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Try it on yourself first
Is this a joke?
Cat moment
One of my friends had a cat named Little Shit. Named that way because one day we came back from the bar at 3am and found he had let himself in and taken a little shit on the couch.
