Neighborhood Cats

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Should cats be allowed to roam free?

  • Yes

    Votes: 65 39.4%
  • No

    Votes: 100 60.6%

  • Total voters
    165

AgronAlum

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2014
5,392
7,028
113
Should house cats in urban/suburban areas be allowed to roam free outside of the owners property?
 

Rabbuk

Well-Known Member
Mar 1, 2011
55,030
42,337
113
I feel like if they come onto my property I can take them to the pound.
 

SpokaneCY

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
13,294
8,484
113
Spokane, WA
Cat lover and all my babies have been in-door only. Life span of outdoor cats is shorter with the potential for disease and raccoon attacks.
 
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Gunnerclone

Well-Known Member
Jul 16, 2010
68,593
68,505
113
DSM
I like them when they just travel through. They keep the chipmunk population down. Scare the crap out of me though when I go outside to pee at night and it’s just sitting there in my back steps.
 

AgronAlum

Well-Known Member
Jul 12, 2014
5,392
7,028
113
We’ve got 5 or 6 that roam our neighborhood (all owned and cared for by neighbors) and they drive our dog insane. They’ll wander up on the front porch or in the garage with no care that there’s a 100 lb dog on the other side of the glass going crazy. Our dog almost managed to jump a 6 ft privacy fence because one made it into in our backyard one night when letting him out.

I know of one that walked through a neighbors freshly poured patio.

Another neighbor called animal control one day and the rest of the neighborhood was up in arms. I’m surprised they didn’t start a mob and go after the person that called them in.
 

Sigmapolis

Minister of Economy
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Aug 10, 2011
24,875
36,692
113
Waukee
I wonder if the people yucking it up in here about hurting other people's pets would feel the same way if somebody did the same to their dog if it got loose.
 
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Clonehomer

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
21,970
17,695
113
I wonder if the people yucking it up in here about hurting other people's pets would feel the same way if somebody did the same to their dog if it got loose.

Dog getting loose by mistake is different than just allowing your cat to roam.
 

awd4cy

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2010
26,222
17,769
113
Central Iowa
Cat lover and all my babies have been in-door only. Life span of outdoor cats is shorter with the potential for disease and raccoon attacks.
If they are out doors all their life, it is shorter. I don’t think letting them out a couple hours a day shortens their life and is probably healthy for them.
 

Macloney

Well-Known Member
Feb 28, 2014
5,194
5,667
113
Up Nort
Cats can accidentally get outside, too. You don't know which it was when you pull out a firearm and open up on a defenseless animal somebody loves.

I was actually joking and voted yes. I think the few problems outdoor cats cause are way over-hyped. My neighbor's dog **** in my yard bothers me way more than anything any cats have ever done in my hood.
 

Fishhead

Well-Known Member
Oct 6, 2010
1,354
850
113
52
Outdoor cats are completely devastating to wildlife and no way they should be allowed outdoors. They are non native and kill millions of native animals each year. Our native wildlife have a hard enough time as it is with habitat loss.

Anyone in favor of cats outdoors needs to read up on the subject. There are plenty of articles online about it
 
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HFCS

Well-Known Member
Aug 13, 2010
67,145
54,198
113
LA LA Land
If you have excessive urban mockingbird noise (mine mimic emergency vehicle sirens at similar volume) neighborhood cats are the only legal way to keep them under control.

I'm allergic to cats but have considered trying to raise some outside in an urban area specifically for this.
 

Sigmapolis

Minister of Economy
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Aug 10, 2011
24,875
36,692
113
Waukee
I was actually joking and voted yes. I think the few problems outdoor cats cause are way over-hyped. My neighbor's dog **** in my yard bothers me way more than anything any cats have ever done in my hood.

I think you should keep your pet cat inside, too, for the cat's sake and for the sake of the cat not murdering its way through the local bird population for fun.

But saying you saw a cat so you can do harm to it is absurd and sadistic.

Dogs. The barking. Shut the **** up at 4:30 AM already.
 
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Clonehomer

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
21,970
17,695
113
I was actually joking and voted yes. I think the few problems outdoor cats cause are way over-hyped. My neighbor's dog **** in my yard bothers me way more than anything any cats have ever done in my hood.

Cats tend to **** in my kids sandbox instead of the yard. Much worse in my mind.

But as with any pets, are the owners just letting them wander around without trying to contain them, or are they just occasionally getting out? I just think that there should be a reasonable attempt by the owner to keep their pet in their own yard, regardless of what kind of animal it is. Whether that's a fence, physical or invisible, or some sort of tie out.
 

BoxsterCy

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 14, 2009
43,613
40,121
113
Minnesota
There's a whole herd of them here. Several of the neighbors let their's run loose and a few half feral cats live under a neighbors garage. They've killed enough song birds in my yard that the finches won't come to my nyger seed feeder. They've also made a portion of my garden their personal latrine. I ******* hate em but not enough to shoot them in town. The owners are typical pet owners, and by typical I mean irresponsible ass-holes who don't give **** about anybody but themselves. I did screen off my lower deck so they can't hang out there and **** all over as easily.
 

JM4CY

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
SuperFanatic T2
Aug 23, 2012
33,366
64,268
113
America
Saw my neighbor pin a stray to the ground in his backyard with his compound bow in his boxers at 530AM with no warning whatsoever. Pretty damn awesome to watch.