Letting cats free Roam outside

Xandra · Jun 1, 2013

I find it strange that so many people have so many problems with cats. I'm not at all saying you're exaggerating or fibbing, just not something I've experienced here (don't think the neighbors have either or they would've mentioned it when we had a cat). We have some neighborhood cats, but I'm pretty sure they're all fixed (most people fix their pets here), never had any problems with them destroying our belongings, spraying, crapping on the porch or any of that.

Sometimes they **** in the planters out front, and I imagine they hunt on the property, and sometimes they get into fights (no mating, and I never hear females in heat or anything). But very rarely do you see much of them. They never come close to the house, you just see them skulking around the edges of things, and they scurry off when you're about.

Equinox · Jun 1, 2013

Xandra said:

Same here. Back home and here on campus, we have quite a few cats that hang around. I can't even make it from my house to campus (about a mile away) without running into at least 4 - 6 cats.

Never had a problem. No spraying, no vegetation damage (my grandmother gardens, and it's the birds that give her the most trouble), no loud noises, no poop being left on our yard, etc. I don't think anyone is lying about their experience either, but I'm surprised to hear how much trouble outside cats give to people here. They only annoy me because they are always hiding in thorn bushes and Trent's a cat chaser when he's outside.

Whisper · Jun 2, 2013

crazedACD said:

One of the cows here got past the cattle guards in the roads, and the person who had his car totaled by hitting the cow got sued, rather than being the one to sue.

I'm not talking to anyone in particular and in general this has been very civil

)), but I've seen people bordering on arguments that I see a lot and IMO should really stay out of these discussions:

From the person who lets their cats roam: "Your cats must be sooo miserable inside all day, you obviously don't care about their mental health."
From the person with indoor cats: "Your cats are going to get killed and you obviously don't care about their well being."

Sass, if a cat was so disturbed and miserable that it was harming itself constantly, I would consider euthanasia.

Romy · Jun 2, 2013

Whisper said:

Smellycat is like that. But seeing how happy and normal-ish she can be when she's outdoors, I could never have her killed simply because being indoors is so detrimental. It's almost like she has some sensory issues or something. In the house she'd get really frenzied, almost like she'd overstimulate and just Flip. Out. People would get hurt, she'd get hurt, stuff would get soiled from every orifice possible to soil something with and with every thinkable body fluid (yes, really. It is disgusting).

Whereas, outside she gets all wild eyed and just kind of scampers around for a while and then flops on the hood of my car for several hours and sleeps in the sun looking really content.

She never leaves a half block radius of our house and the neighbors have never complained (but they complain about "my dogs" barking, in their fenced yard. When in reality it's the dogs in the hobo camp behind our house

) so I know they're not shy about speaking up if something is bugging them.

And I know she never goes farther than that because of her weirdness. If I start walking away from the house she goes half a block to her invisible boundary, making these noises and slurping her tongue:
[YOUTUBE]7tRWRSfcDuQ[/YOUTUBE]

If I keep walking, she just stands there screaming and making those weird tongue flappy noises, in great distress, but she never ever ever has followed. The only time she went further from the house than that was when we buried Charlie out in the pasture.

There are some things that are generally true, but hardly anything is as black and white as people make them out to be. I don't think Smellycat deserves to die for her mental problems, especially when she can be happy running around the yard, is not a nuisance to our close neighbors, and we're able to protect the birds nesting on our property from her.

ACooper · Jun 2, 2013

Xandra and Equinox, up until a couple years ago I could also say I'd never had an issue with loose cats. You could probably dig back in my posts here and find where I've said the roaming cats around here stay out our yard 'cause of the dogs.........well not any more!

If I seriously added up the damages in monitary terms, I'd have a small claims case........probably in the region of $1500.00 this year alone. Of course that doesn't begin to address all the other annoyances.

I'm also sad to say these last couple years dealing with this and the lousy ahole owners have turned me against cats, and I'd say thats true for many many people!

LindaJD · Jun 2, 2013

I'm surprised too that people have problems with cats. I've never had a problem and the only time I heard of a neighbor having a problem was when another neighbors cat kept stealing her fish out of her pond. For some reason the cat left them on MY walkway for me, but she just put a screen over the pond and stopped the cat. I never see cat poop or anything. My cats don't go out and don't even try to go out.

sassafras · Jun 2, 2013

Whisper said:

Rather than letting it outside? This has been expressed a couple of times and it kind of astounds me.

Depending on where I lived, I'd rather let a cat like that happily be an outdoor/indoor cat where it might have a shorter lifespan rather than make sure it did.

BostonBanker · Jun 2, 2013

We've been lucky to not be bothered by the pretty numerous outdoor cats in our neighborhood as well. I actually assumed, given the frequency of the complaints I see on the board and other places, that we just don't notice it because we don't really garden. And maybe that's the case. I see probably one or two cats loose a day (I think there are probably five or so in our area), but they are generally walking in the grass next to the sidewalk, laying on porches, or wandering around yards. I've never heard any complaints from neighbors about them either.

The very neutered barn cat where I keep Tristan sometimes sprays car tires, but either he's never done mine or it just isn't noticeable.

CaliTerp07 · Jun 2, 2013

I've never heard the noises others have spoken of, but the poop has always been a huge problem.

In elementary school, they had to close the sandbox several times because the neighborhood cats would use it as their litterbox. Growing up, our garden was the chosen location, and there'd be poop amongst our carrots and corn. In my current neighborhood, there are two neighbor cats loose. 1 poops in the flower planter on my deck (which Lucy then digs up and eats, gross). Several times it has decided to poop on the rug just outside the door instead. The other one likes to sit on the front walkway, staring in our front window tormenting Lucy. She has destroyed the wood trellis things inside the window as well as the back of my sofa trying to get to the cat. It also likes to sleep on/under my car. I will be quite upset if I one day run over it or find scratches all over my hood.

If you live in the boonies and want to risk your cat's life, more power to you. But when your cat is impacting my daily life and making me change what I can/cannot do in my own house (I cannot let the dog into the backyard without checking first for cat poop), then that's not fair, imo.

I want to set up animal traps to catch the ones on my deck (and take them to the shelter), but I'm afraid I'd attract/catch raccoons or squirrels instead.

Dekka · Jun 2, 2013

sassafras said:

You are choosing the life of one cat over many of wildlife.

As I posted earlier, cats are having a serious impact on the ecosystem. Even well pamperd house cats.

Why is it ok to let your cat go out and kill small creatures day in day out, yet the euthanasia (killing) of the cat is so astounding?

My JRTs would love to be allowed to roam the neighbourhood killing and harrasing squirrels, killing cats etc. But if that is what it took to make my dog happy and liveable.. should I do that?

I think in the OP's case all this talk of your cats bothering others is moot. She is right, they are highly unlikely to bother others .. but to me the significance of an outdoor cat in the country is the havock they wreak on native species.

These are some canadian links:
http://www.hww.ca/en/things-you-can-do/action-awareness/curb-cat-predation.html

http://www.rithetsbog.org/catvideos/cat.htm

There are loads more if you google Canada: (or ontario

and domestic cat predation or impact of outdoor cats.

Laurelin · Jun 2, 2013

We had some minor problems. Cat poop mostly in the flower beds and Nikki would go out there and eat the cat poop (gross). We'd get footprints of them walking all over the cars but never any big damage.

We have found a dead cat in our yard too. No idea who it belonged to and no idea how long the body had been there as it was a skeleton when we found it. One of our neighbor's about a year earlier had a cat that just never came home so I wonder if the skeleton belonged to that. I have no idea how it died but it crawled up under a canoe that was propped up next to a brick pile.

My friend's cat though recently ended up locked inside their neighbor's car that was inside their neighbor's garage for two days. 1. She was worried sick about the cat thinking it had gotten run over and was lying in the ditch somewhere 2. The cat tore the crap out of the interior of the car and pooped and peed all in it. I don't know how they settled it but sheesh...

Brattina88 · Jun 2, 2013

Add me to the annoyed neighbor, list

I hate to come off as a b**** but the problems I've had have REALLY turned me off to cats. The spraying (it STINKS), the late night YOWLING and the distruction. My neighbors fence has been used as a scratching post, and I run off every cat I see chilling on the hood of my car. The dogs find cat feces everywhere, and I hate it. And some of them have worms. I worry about my dogs, but if I had children I would really worry about the cleanliness of my yard, I hate it. It smells. And I'm always cussing, cleaning it out if my flower pots

lol
I let Bailey chase them out of our yard (I can call her back no problem) frequently. One time at the trailer I found I dead cat in our yard, it was young. I posted a found ad but no one ever called. Here at the house now, I found a cat in my driveway I thought it was dead. It had a can stuck on its head. Upon closer inspection, the thing was alive, but barely. Suffocating. I kept my cool and got it off with some baby oil.... The thing took a few minutes, dazed, to catch its breath and then it took off. I've seen it once or twice since then, but I don't know who's it is. Looks well fed.

smkie · Jun 2, 2013

Problem with loose cats here. Seriously sick of loose cats here. I made a promise to the lady that gave us Sancho. She asked he never go outside. He was a a stray that showed up and was living feral. He adjusted and has not been out in 3 years. he accepted it. I have lots of little stations for him to entertain himself, and change them around. I hope you can work out something too. Its just not safe out there and not fair to your nieghbors or the wild birds.

Beanie · Jun 2, 2013

We've only ever had one problem with loose/feral cats around here. A female in heat that ran around yowling underneath our windows for a few weeks. That's a seriously disturbing sound when you're sound asleep at 2AM because at first it sounds like somebody screaming or crying RIGHT OUTSIDE YOUR WINDOW.

Otherwise I enjoy them for keeping the rabbit population down. I think there has been a reduction in the feral cat population because I rarely see them anymore and used to see them frequently, and there seem to be plenty of rabbits around lately...

Romy · Jun 2, 2013

My opinion of Smellycat being outside just went up this morning.

She left three LARGE dead moles on the sidewalk next to the vegetable garden. These are the moles we'd been battling for the past three weeks because they kept tunneling up and down the corn rows and knocking my corn over and uprooting my squash plant (which may or may not recover).

They do have a purpose in being outdoors. Especially in more rural areas.

And especially in states where body gripping traps are outlawed, because that was the only thing that worked to control the moles in the past.

Personally I've never had a problem with cats except in Tucson where the neighborhood had a very large stray colony. Those weren't pets living outside though. They were sickly, parasite infested strays and they did destroy a lot of stuff. Most times you aren't going to have people's pet cats screaming and mating loudly in the middle of the night because most people alter their cats or their cats come already altered from the shelter.

Whisper · Jun 2, 2013

sassafras said:

I understand your viewpoint, I really do. Though it's also concerning to me that a cat would be so disturbed. My heart would just break for the poor thing. I'd think of medication as well.
I would absolutely try everything I could think of if I had a cat like that (leashes, enclosures, and if I lived in a safer area, I would probably let it out! As long as I could get feedback from neighbors and all to see if it was being a nuisance).
I just have so much traumatic experience with outdoor cats. We had several cats when I was little. Only one made it. She is also that cat that I didn't take back from temporary indoor/outdoor home, even though I really wanted to, because she would have been miserable being an indoor cat. Really, I do understand that.
It's. . .just awfully hard to put my cats at risk now when I've already had the experience of being 8 years old and finding my cat dead in the street, completely crushed with her eyeballs no longer connected to her head.
I've seen a hawk carry away a kitten I found living under a trailer. I've seen a cat lose its tail to a coyote, and that cat is so lucky it lived through that, though he didn't live much longer.

I guess my thought is- passing humanely in my arms or dying a possibly horribly painful death?
Again, I know that there are a lot of places where cats have a better chance of living with no incident. But based on my experiences where I live, outside = 100% death sentence.

GoingNowhere · Jun 2, 2013

:hail:

]I've never personally had an issue with outdoor cats. I should also mention that I do understand that cats and dogs are different species with different temperaments and behavioral issues. That said, roaming cats kill wildlife, clearly they do disturb some people, and they lead much riskier lives than contained cats. I don't get my panties in a wad when I see a roaming cat. I've looked after indoor/outdoor cats before. I won't go off on a tangent if I know that you let your cat out without containing it or supervising it. But it does concern me.

Here's a little scenario: Let's say I told you all that I got a dog a few months ago and he has started chewing on his paws, casing his tail, barking incessantly, and chewing my rugs. If I crate him during the day he chews on the bars so much that his mouth gets bloody and he scratches his paws raw. If I leave him loose in the house, he's a holy terror and it doesn't stop the barking or the paw chewing. I walk him once in the morning around the block and once when I get home from work so he can do his business. He is clearly not happy and I'm starting to think that his self-mutilation is from boredom and anxiety of being stuck inside. So I decided to go buy a dog door and let him come and go as he pleases while I work. I installed it last week and although I really can't afford a fence, I don't think he goes too far! After all, he's back for dinner every night. I do worry about him getting hit by a car, but well, what else can I do!?

You know this forum. If this had been posted, it probably would have exploded into a largely homogenous number of replies all saying roughly the same 2 things: A) don't let him loose unsupervised all day with no barriers to contain him & B) find other outlets/ways to deal with his stress and boredom.

Why are cats and dogs so different in that regard then? I see no reason why one couldn't build a cat proof fence, buy a cheap harness and leash and take the cat walking or hiking, spend more time training the cat, use an invisible fence, take the cat on trips in the car or a carry bag, build a cat enclosure, use a tie out, or otherwise engage the cat in physical and mental activities... might need to go about it a bit differently than you would with a dog - but cats are intelligent and I don't doubt it's doable.

Romy · Jun 2, 2013

GoingNowhere said:

:hail:

]I've never personally had an issue with outdoor cats. I should also mention that I do understand that cats and dogs are different species with different temperaments and behavioral issues. That said, roaming cats kill wildlife, clearly they do disturb some people, and they lead much riskier lives than contained cats. I don't get my panties in a wad when I see a roaming cat. I've looked after indoor/outdoor cats before. I won't go off on a tangent if I know that you let your cat out without containing it or supervising it. But it does concern me.

Here's a little scenario: Let's say I told you all that I got a dog a few months ago and he has started chewing on his paws, casing his tail, barking incessantly, and chewing my rugs. If I crate him during the day he chews on the bars so much that his mouth gets bloody and he scratches his paws raw. If I leave him loose in the house, he's a holy terror and it doesn't stop the barking or the paw chewing. I walk him once in the morning around the block and once when I get home from work so he can do his business. He is clearly not happy and I'm starting to think that his self-mutilation is from boredom and anxiety of being stuck inside. So I decided to go buy a dog door and let him come and go as he pleases while I work. I installed it last week and although I really can't afford a fence, I don't think he goes too far! After all, he's back for dinner every night. I do worry about him getting hit by a car, but well, what else can I do!?

You know this forum. If this had been posted, it probably would have exploded into a largely homogenous number of replies all saying roughly the same 2 things: A) don't let him loose unsupervised all day with no barriers to contain him & B) find other outlets/ways to deal with his stress and boredom.

Why are cats and dogs so different in that regard then? I see no reason why one couldn't build a cat proof fence, buy a cheap harness and leash and take the cat walking or hiking, spend more time training the cat, use an invisible fence, take the cat on trips in the car or a carry bag, build a cat enclosure, use a tie out, or otherwise engage the cat in physical and mental activities... might need to go about it a bit differently than you would with a dog - but cats are intelligent and I don't doubt it's doable.

My offer stands if anybody thinks they can rehabilitate Smellycat...

Southpaw · Jun 2, 2013

We don't have a cat issue here. That I've noticed anyway. But I'm in the suburbs... if your cat is wandering around, chances are someone is going to call animal control to pick it up, especially if it's a nuisance.

I guess I just wouldn't feel bad keeping a cat indoors even if it wants to go outside. You can be inside or you can be safely contained outside and those are just the only options you get.

Adjecyca1 · Jun 2, 2013

Dekka said:

You are choosing the life of one cat over many of wildlife.

As I posted earlier, cats are having a serious impact on the ecosystem. Even well pamperd house cats.

Why is it ok to let your cat go out and kill small creatures day in day out, yet the euthanasia (killing) of the cat is so astounding?

My JRTs would love to be allowed to roam the neighbourhood killing and harrasing squirrels, killing cats etc. But if that is what it took to make my dog happy and liveable.. should I do that?

I think in the OP's case all this talk of your cats bothering others is moot. She is right, they are highly unlikely to bother others .. but to me the significance of an outdoor cat in the country is the havock they wreak on native species.

These are some canadian links:
http://www.hww.ca/en/things-you-can-do/action-awareness/curb-cat-predation.html

http://www.rithetsbog.org/catvideos/cat.htm

There are loads more if you google Canada: (or ontario

and domestic cat predation or impact of outdoor cats.

I agree with you, I don't see how people cannot see the impact that cats do to the enviroment..

Letting cats free Roam outside

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