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Indoor cats
First let me say I'm not being antagonistic, I'm just interested in the
(apparent) culture difference between the US & the UK as regards our feline friends. With regard to letting cats out: All the cats I know go outside, they (usually) learn their way back home from their local neighbourhood, they don't go too far but suss out gardens, wildlife, other cats and people, and hopefully realise that traffic isn't for playing with. There's not too many birds in London and no-one seems to care about the pigeon population anyway. Some get lost, some get hit by traffic (mine for example isn't allowed out the front to the road, only the back garden where he doesn't seem to want to climb the fence to escape from but if he did I'd let him). It seems natural for a cat to want to venture outside, and to me it's cruel to keep them inside (unless they're not interested). It seems that in the US people are much more likely to force cats to stay indoors, or take them out on a leash (something I've NEVER heard of over here and to be honest I think people would laugh over here if they saw a cat on a lead, but fair play for succeeding in training a cat to do it), or build these enclosure thingies for them, to protect the wildlife, also I've never seen one over here. It's interesting, do you think it's a cultural thing? How long have people in the US been doing these things? Perhaps it's not the general population, just people in cat groups As I say, I wasn't saying that either way is right, it's just interesting how people do things differently. Marcia Lord Otis's slave and minder |
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wrote in message oups.com... First let me say I'm not being antagonistic, I'm just interested in the (apparent) culture difference between the US & the UK as regards our feline friends. With regard to letting cats out: All the cats I know go outside, they (usually) learn their way back home from their local neighbourhood, they don't go too far but suss out gardens, wildlife, other cats and people, and hopefully realise that traffic isn't for playing with. There's not too many birds in London and no-one seems to care about the pigeon population anyway. Some get lost, some get hit by traffic (mine for example isn't allowed out the front to the road, only the back garden where he doesn't seem to want to climb the fence to escape from but if he did I'd let him). It seems natural for a cat to want to venture outside, and to me it's cruel to keep them inside (unless they're not interested). It seems that in the US people are much more likely to force cats to stay indoors, or take them out on a leash (something I've NEVER heard of over here and to be honest I think people would laugh over here if they saw a cat on a lead, but fair play for succeeding in training a cat to do it), or build these enclosure thingies for them, to protect the wildlife, also I've never seen one over here. It's interesting, do you think it's a cultural thing? How long have people in the US been doing these things? Perhaps it's not the general population, just people in cat groups As I say, I wasn't saying that either way is right, it's just interesting how people do things differently. Marcia Lord Otis's slave and minder It just isn't the same in the USA as it is here. Yes, there is a huge cultural difference, like declawing being offered at the same time as speutering presumably because of an assumption that most cats will stay inside and furniture is king.. BUT. They have the most awful predators there. Cat-eating ones, which, apart from the renegade fox, we don't have here. Mountain lions, coyotes, bears are just waiting to snap up your cat. And big bad traffic like we have never experienced. At least I think this is the reason that I've learned from this group why cats are mainly kept inside in the USA. Yes? Or is it really just cultural? and some of it not necessary, because this made me think hard. Tweed |
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"Christina Websell" wrote in message ... wrote in message oups.com... First let me say I'm not being antagonistic, I'm just interested in the (apparent) culture difference between the US & the UK as regards our feline friends. With regard to letting cats out: All the cats I know go outside, they (usually) learn their way back home from their local neighbourhood, they don't go too far but suss out gardens, wildlife, other cats and people, and hopefully realise that traffic isn't for playing with. There's not too many birds in London and no-one seems to care about the pigeon population anyway. Some get lost, some get hit by traffic (mine for example isn't allowed out the front to the road, only the back garden where he doesn't seem to want to climb the fence to escape from but if he did I'd let him). It seems natural for a cat to want to venture outside, and to me it's cruel to keep them inside (unless they're not interested). It seems that in the US people are much more likely to force cats to stay indoors, or take them out on a leash (something I've NEVER heard of over here and to be honest I think people would laugh over here if they saw a cat on a lead, but fair play for succeeding in training a cat to do it), or build these enclosure thingies for them, to protect the wildlife, also I've never seen one over here. It's interesting, do you think it's a cultural thing? How long have people in the US been doing these things? Perhaps it's not the general population, just people in cat groups As I say, I wasn't saying that either way is right, it's just interesting how people do things differently. Marcia Lord Otis's slave and minder It just isn't the same in the USA as it is here. Yes, there is a huge cultural difference, like declawing being offered at the same time as speutering presumably because of an assumption that most cats will stay inside and furniture is king.. BUT. They have the most awful predators there. Cat-eating ones, which, apart from the renegade fox, we don't have here. Mountain lions, coyotes, bears are just waiting to snap up your cat. And big bad traffic like we have never experienced. At least I think this is the reason that I've learned from this group why cats are mainly kept inside in the USA. Yes? Or is it really just cultural? and some of it not necessary, because this made me think hard. Tweed I don't want my cats outside because cars don't stop for them, we have raccoons (rabid), possums (rabid), rats (rabid) not to mention the fleas, ear mites, feline leukemia, feline aids.........why WOULD you let your cat out? Seriously? Do you like paying for vet visits? My female cat, Chloe is very happy to be where she is; she's SUCH the sweetheart, my male cat is a devil in cat's clothing. I'd love to let him out just to get the dickens out of him, but at what cost? You can't have an indoor/outdoor cat without infesting your house with fleas, mites and ticks or whatever. I just don't see the point. kili |
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Christina Websell wrote: wrote in message oups.com... First let me say I'm not being antagonistic, I'm just interested in the (apparent) culture difference between the US & the UK as regards our feline friends. With regard to letting cats out: All the cats I know go outside, they (usually) learn their way back home from their local neighbourhood, they don't go too far but suss out gardens, wildlife, other cats and people, and hopefully realise that traffic isn't for playing with. There's not too many birds in London and no-one seems to care about the pigeon population anyway. Some get lost, some get hit by traffic (mine for example isn't allowed out the front to the road, only the back garden where he doesn't seem to want to climb the fence to escape from but if he did I'd let him). It seems natural for a cat to want to venture outside, and to me it's cruel to keep them inside (unless they're not interested). It seems that in the US people are much more likely to force cats to stay indoors, or take them out on a leash (something I've NEVER heard of over here and to be honest I think people would laugh over here if they saw a cat on a lead, but fair play for succeeding in training a cat to do it), or build these enclosure thingies for them, to protect the wildlife, also I've never seen one over here. It's interesting, do you think it's a cultural thing? How long have people in the US been doing these things? Perhaps it's not the general population, just people in cat groups As I say, I wasn't saying that either way is right, it's just interesting how people do things differently. Marcia Lord Otis's slave and minder It just isn't the same in the USA as it is here. Yes, there is a huge cultural difference, like declawing being offered at the same time as speutering presumably because of an assumption that most cats will stay inside and furniture is king.. BUT. They have the most awful predators there. Cat-eating ones, which, apart from the renegade fox, we don't have here. Mountain lions, coyotes, bears are just waiting to snap up your cat. And big bad traffic like we have never experienced. At least I think this is the reason that I've learned from this group why cats are mainly kept inside in the USA. Yes? Or is it really just cultural? and some of it not necessary, because this made me think hard. Tweed Piggy-backing on Tweed (lightly, dear, wouldn't want to hurt you): Another thing, at least in my area... I've seen (and reported) people who swerve their vehicle in order TO hit a cat, I've seen them drive onto people's lawns (or sidewalks, or the other side of the road) in order to run over a cat. Then we've got the ones (in my neighbo(u)rhood) who enjoy poisoning animals (they've been reported as well) or shooting them (not just cats). Where I live the predators are as Tweed listed, then there are the feral dogs, who do not know how to "kill" correctly, and that is the worst thing to find (they don't do a kill bite at the throat or spine - they just rip that animal apart while it's still fighting) and/or hear. I've seen this, and gotten bitten trying to stop an attack on a little kid (I managed, baseball bats are wonderful things) with several other people. Some of the predators here aren't just interested in cats, they like to get dogs, ponies, and children too. One is only allowed to kill a predator if it's attacking a child (or adult), and even then one gets to deal with fines and punishment for killing "protected" species (punishment seems to be community service in the few cases I know about). Smokie Darling (Annie) - all of my masters and mistresses now prefer the "great" indoors, so long as they can look outside. |
#9
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wrote It seems that in the US people are much more likely to force cats to stay indoors, or take them out on a leash (something I've NEVER heard of over here and to be honest I think people would laugh over here if they saw a cat on a lead, but fair play for succeeding in training a cat to do it), or build these enclosure thingies for them, to protect the wildlife, also I've never seen one over here. I'm in quiet rural Cornwall (UK). Having lost my beloved Kensey to beheading by a farm implement towed behind a tractor (so much wider than a car so could catch him waiting in the hedgerow) on the quietest of country lanes, despite his 8 years of traffic experience including the occasional very near miss/brush, I swore "never again". Bandit, whom I got from CP aged around 2 and was experienced in the "out" isn't very confident and lurks within yards of the house, so moves freely during the day. Pericles (RB from the FIP virus), Snowball and soon Claudius was/is/will be harness & flexilead trained and did/does/will go "walkies" around the garden and even the village as & when they want. Big red Pericles was a talking point in our community as he led me for miles around the local footpaths etc. With our local keen gardeners all being hostile to cats (digging & pooping) & using lethal slug pellets etc. it isn't only traffic & foxes that can kill, even in the most peaceful rural area. So I've adopted the safety-first American approach. Nearly everyone I talk to knows _someone_ who leash-walks a cat, esp. in towns etc. so it seems to be getting more common. If I could resolve border issues with my neighbours I'd try to instal a cat-proof fence around the whole (small) back garden, but with dividing lines being theirs & consisting of sheds etc. it's practically impossible. My "boys" thus get a quieter life than they might like ideally, but certainly a longer one. Purrs Gordon, Bandit, Snowball, Claudius & Raki |
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