Paddy Gower's Issue With Feral Cats

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#3101316 8-Jul-2023 14:14

Gurezaemon:

There's some weird double standard in play here. Most people accept that cats wander all over the neighbourhood, but will raise all sorts of fuss the moment a dog does it. Why is that? It is just as much in a dog's 'nature' to explore things.

1) Dogs bite.
2) Dogs poop all over the place. Cats, unless they are sick, are generally very clean animals.
3) Dogs are subject to rules that cats aren't.

I'd ban dogs in an instant, but I'm not giving up my cat.

Gurezaemon

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#3101319 8-Jul-2023 14:32

SirHumphreyAppleby:

Gurezaemon:

There's some weird double standard in play here. Most people accept that cats wander all over the neighbourhood, but will raise all sorts of fuss the moment a dog does it. Why is that? It is just as much in a dog's 'nature' to explore things.

1) Dogs bite.
2) Dogs poop all over the place. Cats, unless they are sick, are generally very clean animals.
3) Dogs are subject to rules that cats aren't.

I'd ban dogs in an instant, but I'm not giving up my cat.

1) True, for the most part.
2) The piles of cat poop in my wife's vege garden, and dug up seedlings indicate otherwise. Let's not even talk about toxoplasmosis.
3) That sounds like a legislative problem more than anything else. Owning dogs didn't used to be governed by rules. Until it was.

No one is really asking for all cats to be got rid of. Just a bit of responsibility by owners in keeping them under control to the same extent as other pets.

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sir1963

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#3101329 8-Jul-2023 15:33

Wombat1:

"not right" is law where I live. For good reason. Its a Kiwi thing that people seem to think its OK to let cats roam.

My niece has her back yard cat proof fenced so her cats can go outside into the yard, but can not go further than that.

Basically the same thing as I have to do with my Dogs.

I have had cats, had them for over 40 years, but we will not have any more.

Bung

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#3101393 8-Jul-2023 16:16

Gurezaemon: That sounds like a legislative problem more than anything else. Owning dogs didn't used to be governed by rules. Until it was.

I doubt that there's many here that are older than dog legislation. Dog registration followed in 1880.

"In 1865 the New Zealand Parliament passed its first statute relating to dogs in New
Zealand.
The Injuries by Dogs Act had a very narrow scope and was principally confined to
apportioning strict liability on owners of dogs that injured people or livestock. A notable
feature of the statute, which ran to only six sections, was the provision that any dog running
at large amongst sheep or cattle could be destroyed by the land owner."

University of Otago

HOWLING AT THE MOON: DOES THE LAW PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO THE PUBLIC FROM THE DANGERS POSED BY DOGS NOT UNDER EFFECTIVE CONTROL - Stephen Parry

rugrat

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#3101397 8-Jul-2023 16:43

I have a few cats visit my property. I’m glad they do. They looked well kept, so would guess they’re pets. Don’t have any problems with their droppings.

I spotted a Rat once on my out door cam. It’s only been once, but if it wasn’t for the cats I’m sure I’d see them a lot more.

We don’t have snakes in New Zealand as a predator to rats and mice like Australia.

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#3101398 8-Jul-2023 16:51

Cat droppings are more of a problem if you have a dog. For all their wonderful properties dogs seem to like eating cat poo. Then you cop real dog breath.

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Paul1977

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#3101399 8-Jul-2023 16:53

Gurezaemon:
There's some weird double standard in play here. Most people accept that cats wander all over the neighbourhood, but will raise all sorts of fuss the moment a dog does it. Why is that? It is just as much in a dog's 'nature' to explore things.

If I were to spray the hose at next door's cat stalking the fantails or annoying the pukekos, I'd get yelled at.

I don’t have a problem with someone spraying my cat with a garden hose to discourage them from entering their property. As long as they aren’t doing anything that will harm him. I’d have objections to a water-blaster though!

gzt

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#3101404 8-Jul-2023 17:05

Rikkitic: I've got a pretty good idea what it is killing because it proudly brings all its victims to the door.

I'm not sure you may be mistaken. I suspect some prey are brought home to share and the smaller one-crunch prey are not.

The mice it eliminates no longer compete with geckos, lizards, weta and baby birds for resources.

This may be true. On the other hand there's a good chance there's less of those in reach.

Imo your cat is not a feral cat and is not really the subject of this topic.

michaelmurfy

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#3101418 8-Jul-2023 17:43

@Paul1977 Totally fine to disagree but my information comes out of fact based on my wife having worked at the SPCA and having experienced some horrific things. Our cats are super happy and out of harms way and that’s all that matters. If you ask most vets and the SPCA the advice most will give is to keep cats indoors and there isn’t any need for them to roam given they don’t need to hunt or anything. They’re happy just chilling. Same argument comes in with big cats like Cheetahs with people thinking they need to run but in captivity or if they’re fed they’ll never run as they simply don’t need to. If it were cruel to keep a cat indoors despite having everything it needs to stay happy then you’ll note the SPCA (and other animal welfare places worldwide) wouldn’t recommend this as they’re all for the welfare for animals. It is a new concept in NZ but elsewhere in the world it is super common to keep them as indoor only.

That’s the last I speak of it. Unfortunately your statements especially around cats missing out on anything is not at all true. They’re not missing out if you provide them the enrichment they require. I’m speaking on an animal welfare point of view of which my wife (who is even a vegetarian due to it) is all for.

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Rikkitic

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#3101427 8-Jul-2023 18:09

gzt:

Imo your cat is not a feral cat and is not really the subject of this topic.

My cat is definitely not feral. He is old and fat and lazy and very well-fed. I did not bring him into this discussion, someone else did, but that was probably my fault. People were talking about cats and I just wanted to tell my cat story. I agree I wandered off the subject by doing so. Sorry about that.

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gzt

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#3101430 8-Jul-2023 18:14

No need. It's good to have some stories.

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neb

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#3101554 8-Jul-2023 20:51

Wombat1:
Its not right allowing a cat to roam into other peoples yards.

Depends on the cat and the people. We live in a quiet cul-de-sac off a larger cul-de-sac where everyone knows everyone else, and their cats and dogs. People feed each other's cats when they're away, the cats visit each other, and in the afternoons they congregate on the warmest driveway to exchange top-secret intelligence or whatever it is cats do when they get together. No-one minds, in fact it's nice to have visitors from time to time.

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#3101555 8-Jul-2023 21:03

Gurezaemon:
If I were to spray the hose at next door's cat stalking the fantails or annoying the pukekos, I'd get yelled at.

If my cat wanders onto your property and you want to spray it with a hose, you're more than welcome to. I have no problems with discouraging animals from wandering onto your property as long as it's not in a way that harms them.

neb

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#3101556 8-Jul-2023 21:08

rugrat:
I have a few cats visit my property. I’m glad they do. They looked well kept, so would guess they’re pets.

I have a friend who lives alone who gets regular visits from a neighbour's cat, he begs for tummy rubs, goes to sleep on the couch next to her for awhile, and then leaves again. She's never complained about his presence.

It really varies an awful lot from person to person.

SepticSceptic

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#3101583 9-Jul-2023 00:56

neb:
rugrat:
I have a few cats visit my property. I’m glad they do. They looked well kept, so would guess they’re pets.

I have a friend who lives alone who gets regular visits from a neighbour's cat, he begs for tummy rubs, goes to sleep on the couch next to her for awhile, and then leaves again. She's never complained about his presence.

And how about the cat? Gets tummy rubs too, ?
:-)

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