Cat Thread - This is how you do it.

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

[video=youtube;ji0ITz_NPhI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji0ITz_NPhI[/video]
It's a coincidence that this was called in today, as well as a bluetongue, but the bluey was ok.

 

[Jeffa]

Thanks Snakeman for the post, terrible ending but a point that should be posted on a reptile forum.
Question though, how many other species of animal would be injured or killed be that bird or mammal etc that would not be called for a licenced expert to help or remove in your area?

 

[Colin]

as said several times through this thread.. its about responsible pet ownership and to try and come up with solutions that are acceptable to cat owners, non cat owners and to preserve wildlife..

cat haters are no better than snake haters.. we all know how we feel when an ignorant redneck says "the only good snake is a dead snake" and "bash them with a shovel" etc.. put yourself in the shoes of a cat owner and think how you would feel if you replaced the word snake with cat.. some tolerance and respect is needed by some people I think..

basically we are all animal lovers.. and I include in that broad definition reptiles, amphibians, marsupials, birds, dogs, cats, invertebtates etc etc do any have more right to live than others? no.. all life should be respected and usually if an animal is a problem the fault can be traced back to humans eg: cane toads and introduced speces (who brought them here?) and relevant to this thread irresponsible cat owners. its not the animals fault its the people who have interferred with them or irresponsible owners that are to blame..

"hating" an animal doesnt make us a hero or any better than a snake hater so hate posts are unwelcome in this thread and any further nasty comments will be infracted.. be warned. intelligent opinions, suggestions and thoughts on solutions and responsible pet ownership are welcomed. thank you.

Thread Poll.. just added this - Of the members who own cats.. how many have cat runs outside for their cats? Yes or No.

Its meant for cat owners only so if you dont own a cat please dont vote. It would be good to get an honest answer from cat owners to see the situation amomg members. no names of the people who voted will show as its not meant to be a name and shame those members who own a cat without a cat run. I added this to try and guage the cat owners with and without cat runs that are members here. and have the hope they may see the benefit of having a cat run both for the wildlife and the safety of their cat. so lets keep it to cat owners only and honest answers. thanks

 

[Jeannine]

cat haters are no better than snake haters.. we all know how we feel when an ignorant redneck says "the only good snake is a dead snake" and "bash them with a shovel" etc.. put yourself in the shoes of a cat owner and think how you would feel if you replaced the word snake with cat.. some tolerance and respect is needed by some people I think

but Colin i would NEVER EVER DARE come into a site, any site, and say THAT because i respect the fact people out there do like and love snakes.
i understand this is a reptile forum but NOT just for snake owners as was pointed out to me beforehand yet i am repeatedly faced with members posting about giving cats lead injections, putting them in a bag with rocks and tossing them in a river/well/etc and how to poison them

i get upset that it seems ok for the cat haters to post these things knowing members like cats,hey maybe even SNAKE owners have pet moggies ever think of that
i can respect snake owners but it seems that respect doesnt have to go both ways and that is a shame

and ill say it again man DOMESTICATED felines and wild cats still roam some continents, there are wild cats in Africa that hunt and kill native animals should these cats be killed and im not talking about lions, tigers, etc also MAN has killed off more animals then cats have, MAN has destroyed more native habitat then any feral cat has, also might i point out that elephants, rhinos, etc have dropped in numbers due to MAN not feral cats, not one single species can be directly linked to feral cats especially if MAN has been destroying their habitat and encroaching onto their land

 

[Wild~Touch]

Reptile Country = Love it or leave it

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

The damage the cat does to an already collapsing ecosystem can not be ignored, The problems may well be all man made but it is man who is responsible for the clean up. This involves the removal of the ferals, Im not talking about Asia and Africa where cats are a natural part of the environment.
Im talking right here in all our backyards and bushland.

In one day a cat can kill many different animals, and for every cat removed, you are saving animals.

Like i said before, i like cats and can see the attraction for them as they are beautiful animals.
Just dont want someone elses in my yard, scaring and damaging the native birds, lizards snakes and small mammals
I wouldnt kill someones pet if i found it in a trap but i would take it to the pound. .

 

[Ramsayi]

Just dont want someone elses in my yard, scaring and damaging the native birds, lizards snakes and small mammals
I wouldnt kill someones pet if i found it in a trap but i would take it to the pound. .

This^^ I have spent a lot of time,effort and a fair bit of money setting our yard up to attract native animals.As a result we have heaps of different kinds of parrots,3 types of possums,lots of skink species and a few species of snakes living and visiting our yard.Last thing I want to see is some cat coming in and causing havoc.

 

[Colin]

I agree sssnakeman and ramsayi. but how can we stop this situation and turn it around? I feel part of the answer is in educating cat owners to house their animals more responsibly (this is either inside the house and/or an enclosed cat run) so that they can enjoy their animals, they're safe from the neighbors and the wildlife in the area will have less cat predation.. It’s a win win situation for all.

I’m hoping our snake loving members who also have cats may see this as a positive step and if they don’t have a cat run, seriously think about getting one. If we can convince our wildlife and reptile loving members here that own cats then I feel that’s a good start.. maybe as I suggested earlier in this thread wildlife groups or wildlife authorities could speak to cat groups and put the situation and proposal to them (if this has not already been done?)

I’ve said before I’m definitely not a cat lover but I respect others who are and their right to keep them. but as we have to keep other animals responsibly and house them responsibly so they are not a nuisance or a danger to others in the community or to our wildlife, so should cat owners be made to house their pets responsibly in this manner. letting them wander around the neighborhood is totally irresponsible in my opinion and just not on.. maybe we need to lobby our local members and government to amend the animal acts to include cat must be kept restrained to their owners property in a cat run to avoid predation on wildlife and them being a nuisance and problem to others in the community.

 

[snakeluvver]

When we get a cat we may look into a cat run to keep my mum and the cat happy.

 

[Red-Ink]

Thread Poll.. just added this - Of the members who own cats.. how many have cat runs outside for their cats? Yes or No.

Its meant for cat owners only so if you dont own a cat please dont vote. It would be good to get an honest answer from cat owners to see the situation amomg members. no names of the people who voted will show as its not meant to be a name and shame those members who own a cat without a cat run. I added this to try and guage the cat owners with and without cat runs that are members here. and have the hope they may see the benefit of having a cat run both for the wildlife and the safety of their cat. so lets keep it to cat owners only and honest answers. thanks

I own a cat and I voted NO in the spirit of keeping the poll honest...
I will say though the my cat is an indoor cat and very rarely go outside (as said before) and when it does it has a leash around it's neck attach to either my hand or the wifes. So no I do not have a cat run nor am I going to install one as I believe I am a responsible cat owner.

The way I keep my cat has been the main reason why I have been vocal on this thread about some of our members that have a "KILL on site" mentality... If my cat ever ends up in a trap/cage I can assure you it got out accidentally and will never happen again..... DONT KILL IT!

 

[Jeffa]

Good idea about the poll Colin.

I will also add that if anyone has a cat run, I encourage anyone to post a pic of the set up as this may encourage people to consider making/buying one.
If you did make it maybe add some handy hints on here to help other people too.

Cheers

 

[Colin]

thanks Red-Ink and you definitely sound a responsible cat owner.. one other thing that would possibly help with small native birds is if cat owners had a collar with several bells on it around the cats neck the sound might alert birds of the cats presence.. only a small point but anything that saves (or may save) the life of native wildlife is worthwhile.

 

[Snake Catcher Victoria]

Ive heard that belling a cat dosn't help as the cat quickly learns to move in such a way as the bell dosn't ring.
This actually makes the cat a more stealthy hunter as it has to move slower.
I must admit,
i havnt seen any evidence of this
but I have heard of belled cats that have bought home
offerings of baby possum, bird, mouse and snake for their lords.

Using more than one bell might work.

 

[Red-Ink]

For cat owners around Melb I would check with your local councils about laws regarding "free roaming" cats at night time. Some councils in Vic have cat curfews enforced at night and if seen your cat will be taken to the pound by the Rangers and you fill be fined. Whitehorse Council has this enforced.

Seeing that cats are mostly nocturnal hunters this could be an avenue that should be pushed to make it a statewide (even Federal law). I know it does'nt help on what they catch during the day but i think it would be at least a step in getting cat owners to think about what their cats are actually doing to the local environment.

 

[Waterrat]

Irresponsible cat owners are basically ignorant people, often incapable of rational reasoning, so educating them may well be a waste of time. Regional Councils should set up strict rules (no more than 2 cats per household, all desexed, cat run facility, etc.) and enforce these laws. That, in my opinion is the weakest link - e.g. we have laws about barking dogs but the Councils don't enforce them, so the dogs bark their little hearts out day and night. Don't start me on that.

We only have one cat now (desexed male), He stays indoors after dark (no choice given lol) and hangs around the house during the day. He doesn't wonder to the neighbors because they all have dogs. Occasionally, other cats come into our property with the intent to challenge our cat but I find the garden hose very useful to show them the exit. It's not that hard. When Louie (the cat) was young and killed a frog, I minced up the dead frog and mixed it into his food. He walked around the dish, sniffed it, licked it for 2 days but didn't eat it. He never touched frogs again. We have plenty of wildlife in our garden as well as one happy cat and two happy, responsible cat owners.

Colin is absolutely right when comparing the "good snake is a dead one" with the "kill the cat" mentality. Spot on!

 

[Nighthawk]

thanks Red-Ink and you definitely sound a responsible cat owner.. one other thing that would possibly help with small native birds is if cat owners had a collar with several bells on it around the cats neck the sound might alert birds of the cats presence.. only a small point but anything that saves (or may save) the life of native wildlife is worthwhile.

A good idea, but bells rarely work. I've seen cats hunting with bells on (my own, now deceased, in NZ), and a fair few simply adapt to rush closer to the prey. In the end it just makes them better hunters.

Irresponsible cat owners are basically ignorant people, often incapable of rational reasoning, so educating them may well be a waste of time. Regional Councils should set up strict rules (no more than 2 cats per household, all desexed, cat run facility, etc.) and enforce these laws. That, in my opinion is the weakest link - e.g. we have laws about barking dogs but the Councils don't enforce them, so the dogs bark their little hearts out day and night. Don't start me on that.

We only have one cat now (desexed male), He stays indoors after dark (no choice given lol) and hangs around the house during the day. He doesn't wonder to the neighbors because they all have dogs. Occasionally, other cats come into our property with the intent to challenge our cat but I find the garden hose very useful to show them the exit. It's not that hard. When Louie (the cat) was young and killed a frog, I minced up the dead frog and mixed it into his food. He walked around the dish, sniffed it, licked it for 2 days but didn't eat it. He never touched frogs again. We have plenty of wildlife in our garden as well as one happy cat and two happy, responsible cat owners.

Colin is absolutely right when comparing the "good snake is a dead one" with the "kill the cat" mentality. Spot on!

I want to like this more than once. I was trying to phrase this myself just before but gave up, you nailed it much better than my attempts

 

[FAY]

A friend had birds in aviaries. When they get disturbed in the night they freak out and crash into the wire and often kill themselves. He had a cat trap that he put in his yard. When he caught a cat, he put the hose full on for about ten minutes...let the cat go...he would NEVER see the same cat back twice. I thought it was a good solution and pussy finds out that it's backyard is much safer.

I also knew of a man who had a few acres and had chooks etc.. the neighbours two german shepherds used to wander around when they were at work. They would attack his chooks. He three times told them NOT to let them wander onto his property or he would shoot the dogs. He ended up shooting both of them and putting them on top of each other at their front door. The neighbour left and never returned. Thought that was a bit harsh.

 

[littlemay]

Is it possible to alter the poll? I feel that honest answers might result in a biased impression given by the results; i don't have a cat run but my cat stays inside, always. If i answer that i don't have a cat run it sort of gives the impression that i am an irresponsible cat owner, but i am not.

 

[KaotikJezta]

I agree with littlemay, I don't have a cat run either but my cat is an inside cat.

 

[Colin]

Is it possible to alter the poll? I feel that honest answers might result in a biased impression given by the results; i don't have a cat run but my cat stays inside, always. If i answer that i don't have a cat run it sort of gives the impression that i am an irresponsible cat owner, but i am not.

done.. theres a third option "no cat run but kept inside"