Neighborhood Cats

Should cats be allowed to roam free?

  • Yes

    Votes: 65 39.4%
  • No

    Votes: 100 60.6%

  • Total voters
    165

BoxsterCy

Moderator
Staff member
Sep 14, 2009
43,864
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Minnesota
Posted this in another thread, should have posted it here.

Was walking though my shade garden and felt I was being watched. Heard a meow. Looked around, didn't see anything. Heard another meow. Looked up and saw it. Vulture cat!

black-cat-cf-scale-jpg.72757
 

madguy30

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2011
50,204
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Agree on the tagging comments. She should spray a big orange spot on their backs so when she traps them again she doesn't count them again.

I've shot or trapped a couple particularity troublesome squirrels, mostly leaders of either the Northside Gang and the Soutside Gang that battle over my yard. Any mass trapping is futile though. I live next to a black hole with a direct connection to the Squirrel and Oak Tree Universe. Nothing else explains the endless supply of gray squirrels or the enormous quantity of oak leaves.

giphy.gif
 

Stormin

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
44,479
12,749
113
Cats kill more birds than anything. For those who oppose Wind Generators because they kill birds, they surely must support the elimination of Cats that are outdoors. If a cat owner lets their cat outside unleashed they should supervise them. Keep them in their own yard. Same with dogs.
 
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chuckd4735

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Mar 29, 2006
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Indianola
Did some work under my front porch this weekend.

This weekend I also realized that the area under my front porch is a litter box.
 
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CRcyclone6

Well-Known Member
Bookie
Dec 27, 2007
11,825
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Cedar Rapids
My neighbor has 3 cats that come outside. We are a cat and dog family too. One of the neighbor cats pisses on our basement windows. Not sure if he senses our cats or not. We have some spray to deter him. It's almost time for the pellet gun.
 

Chitowncy

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
Jan 14, 2009
2,105
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Ames
I'm late to the neighborhood cat thread, but also want to voice my displeasure with people who let their cats roam the neighborhood. Wildlife do not exist in the numbers they once did and as a previous poster said need every bit of help we can give them. I have seen cats hide about 6 to 8 feet away from a bird feeder and pounce and kill birds. It is remarkable. They also kill a lot of rabbits, ground squirrels, etc. that make for prey for your owls, hawks, (maybe bobcats or foxes for our more rural readers), etc. No prey in large quantities, no fun predators to watch around your neighborhood.

Just my two cents. I hope people reading this will read up on the mass predation and killing neighborhood cats have on native wildlife. Count me in the boat that hates to see cats patrolling my neighborhood and property and I would love to know who those cats belong to. I haven't gotten to the point of trying to live trap those cats, but I've thought about it.
 
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SpokaneCY

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
13,294
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Spokane, WA
Did some work under my front porch this weekend.

This weekend I also realized that the area under my front porch is a litter box.

When it comes down to it, everyone's yard is little more than a toilet for things that live there. I'm including me if you ever invite me to a BBQ.
 

awd4cy

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2010
26,291
17,880
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Central Iowa
I'm late to the neighborhood cat thread, but also want to voice my displeasure with people who let their cats roam the neighborhood. Wildlife do not exist in the numbers they once did and as a previous poster said need every bit of help we can give them. I have seen cats hide about 6 to 8 feet away from a bird feeder and pounce and kill birds. It is remarkable. They also kill a lot of rabbits, ground squirrels, etc. that make for prey for your owls, hawks, (maybe bobcats or foxes for our more rural readers), etc. No prey in large quantities, no fun predators to watch around your neighborhood.

Just my two cents. I hope people reading this will read up on the mass predation and killing neighborhood cats have on native wildlife. Count me in the boat that hates to see cats patrolling my neighborhood and property and I would love to know who those cats belong to. I haven't gotten to the point of trying to live trap those cats, but I've thought about it.
Lol, there is no shortage of Rabbits, ground squirrels, or squirrels in Iowa. I’ve never seen a domesticated cat grab a bird. Not saying it doesn’t happen, but probably not all that common. With Ferrel cats probably does happen all the time. I don’t have a cat now, but grew up with 3 in a span of 18 years and when they encountered a mouse they wouldn’t even kill them.
 
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madguy30

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2011
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When it comes down to it, everyone's yard is little more than a toilet for things that live there. I'm including me if you ever invite me to a BBQ.

Everyone's all cordial and respectful like upon arrival, eating, catching up, 'How's the job?' etc.

Come nightfall though and you start down the memory rabbit holes and you're drinking whatever someone else brought in their cooler because your 'a six pack is plenty' plan fell through once again, that darkest shadowy spot in the yard is basically a ground level trough.
 

SECyclone

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SuperFanatic T2
Sep 29, 2011
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Pella
I think my neighbor feeds her cats hot sauce and then sends them over to my yard to relieve themselves. I’m all for keeping them indoors lol
 

mustangcy

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
3,829
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Bloomfield
We have an outdoor cat, Earl, he's ******* awesome. He kills mice, hangs out...stops in the house when it get's real cold and just chills out 24/7. If it's too cold he'll sit on the deck looking in through the door window...it's his way of saying open the damn garage door and let me in. He was fixed before we got him so that's taken care of. I can see people not wanting a cat breeding factory in the neighborhood. But anybody that don't like cats can **** off.
 
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Doc

This is it Morty
Aug 6, 2006
37,437
21,963
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Denver
Some neighborhood animal must have eaten two of the shrooms I put outside to dry today. Rookie move on my part, but at least they just ate the two gross looking ones that had gone to spore.

Probably a cat since I’ve had a couple wandering around after having a couple rodents show up. I found a dead squirrel today. Honestly thought that squirrel was stupid the first time I saw it so no surprise.

Hopefully that cat is getting it’s mind expanded so it realizes I’m not impressed when it leaves a dead squirrel by my car.