Cats as pets in the 21st Century

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Wiggum

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#2031942 8-Jun-2018 10:16

Geektastic:
Wiggum:

If you live on a lifestyle block or something similar then nothing wrong with having a cat. IMO its just cruel to keep cats in suburbia, let alone locked up behind closed doors all day/night. The ones that do go out are certainly going to be a menace to your neighbors.

What about a bunny or two? Our kids have 2 bunnies. I built a nice large hutch for them so they stay outside. They are actually very good pets for kids. Many people in the UK even keep them inside and apparently have them house trained.

What size cats would you need to menace the neighbours?!

I don't think size really counts. Anything that eats meat and comes into my yard and poops is a menace. Its hard to be the good neighbor sometimes, best to just live with it and try not react. But I must admit it is sometimes very tempting to throw the stuff over the wall.

Fred99

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#2032033 8-Jun-2018 12:04

The best cats are kittens - looped in a gif - so they never grow into cruel killers:

kryptonjohn

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#2032468 9-Jun-2018 12:15

Keeping them in at night doesn't completely resolve fighting issues. Our one has just come in from a mid morning scrap... off to the vet we go...

(May have to think about "resolving" this issue with a particular neighbourhood cat)

pctek

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#2032606 9-Jun-2018 16:17

I have 3.

One is mostly indoors these days by choice and old age.

Two is new, he does the rounds of the section twice a day peeing on things.

Cat 3, also old, does live inside at night in winter now but goes mad if you confine her.

She was also the odd one, roamed around hunting, never in, not even to eat often.

I had the drive asphalted one time, had to lock her in. As soon as she discovered she was, she went nuts, screaming (not miaowing), running back, forth, round, round, she wouldn't stop, trying to find a window, door, anything.

Crazy cat....

Yes it would be horrible to lock her in.

The biggest threat to wildlife on this planet isn't cats, stoats, whatever....it's humans.

We concrete it over, we take more and more available land, the animals are pushed into smaller areas....everywhere.

Picking on a predator with this happening is hypocritical and passing the buck.

MikeAqua

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#2034818 13-Jun-2018 09:14

Generally a core concept in animal welfare is enabling animals to engage in natural behaviour. Obviously there are limits to that due to safety, hygiene, conservation and property.

For cats natural behaviour might include climbing, exploring and hunting.

So I don't think there is a problem per se with domestic cats living indoors if they have a chance to engage in those behaviours (or proxies for them).

I would say an indoor cat (especially a younger one) needs to have it's life enriched by things to explore and climb and fake prey to hunt. That might mean leaving a box/bag out every now and then, hiding treats in the house, getting it something to climb or prey-toys to find/'kill'.

A scratching post makes sense too. Cats like to scratch trees and in the absence of trees, better a scratching post than the couch.

Mike

empacher48

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#2034831 13-Jun-2018 09:31

Our cat is allowed to come and go as he pleases, however he prefers to spend his time either on our bed or on the couch, but heads outside to his favourite spot occasionally.

As for being a keen hunter, I think we got the laziest cat in the world. We had a mouse run across the floor right in front of his nose and all he did was watch it, then went back to sleep.

I guess there isn't any point in hunting when twice a day food magically appears in a bowl freshly killed and ready to eat.

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kryptonjohn

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#2034887 13-Jun-2018 10:58

MikeAqua:

Generally a core concept in animal welfare is enabling animals to engage in natural behaviour. Obviously there are limits to that due to safety, hygiene, conservation and property.

For cats natural behaviour might include climbing, exploring and hunting.

So I don't think there is a problem per se with domestic cats living indoors if they have a chance to engage in those behaviours (or proxies for them).

I would say an indoor cat (especially a younger one) needs to have it's life enriched by things to explore and climb and fake prey to hunt. That might mean leaving a box/bag out every now and then, hiding treats in the house, getting it something to climb or prey-toys to find/'kill'.

A scratching post makes sense too. Cats like to scratch trees and in the absence of trees, better a scratching post than the couch.

You ever watch Jackson Galaxy on TV? He attempts to fix 90% of cat behavioural issues by a) getting the owners to play with the cat (especially getting it to chase toys) and b) setting up an indoor environment where they not only have a scratching post but also structures to climb and nest in.

IOW wot u sed

MikeAqua

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#2035903 13-Jun-2018 11:25

kryptonjohn:

You ever watch Jackson Galaxy on TV? He attempts to fix 90% of cat behavioural issues by a) getting the owners to play with the cat (especially getting it to chase toys) and b) setting up an indoor environment where they not only have a scratching post but also structures to climb and nest in.

IOW wot u sed

I haven't seen it and TBH I'm a dog person. Cat's make me sneeze but may partner came with two of them (down to one old cat now). But principles of animal welfare are reasonably consistent. Animals need stimulation. I'm sure playing with cats would be helpful in that way.

Mike

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