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Cats do the Ilogical thing of wagging their tales when they are angry, about to attack or just claiming their turf.
Second reason: some idiotic cat scratched my dog over the summer.
Add your reasons:
I love cats, They taste like chicken! :-)
So would be in the same side of the fence as a mate of mine, the "Give me a cat and you'll get a curry" side! ;)
The same applies to girls
I have to disagree! ;)
[edited by: FlexAjaxSEO at 3:38 pm (utc) on Dec. 17, 2007]
Incidentally, my cat doesn't.
Ann
They always attack me.
Hmmm.
I don't have any myself, but have made friends with five neighborhood cats. One day, I was trying to leave the house and three of them converged on me all at once from different directions in what appeared to be a coordinated effort (which is odd, since they don't ordinarily like each other much). One even lodged itself under my (running) car and tried hard to stay there.
A neighbor across the street noticed what was going on and shouted that it looked like they were trying to herd me - and asked if I needed him to call the police. ;)
It kind of put me in mind of that classic Hitchcock movie 'The Birds'.
So, I still like cats - but now I carefully look both ways before locking the door to leave. (And I bark as I walk to the car.)
AWA
I don't have any myself, but have made friends with five neighborhood cats
I have a similar situation and I regualarly have several cats try and follow me into the house. I recently found out that they all live in the same flat (7 of them!) so I reckon I'm doing the owner a favour by letting them visit me every once in a while.
I don't feed them or anything, they just come for the attention and cuddles.
The first time was about 40 years ago in Andover Hampshire when I was about 18 and taking the dog for his late walk at around 1:00am. There was a full moon.
The second was about 10 years ago in Totton, Hampshire again during a late night dog walk. Again there was a full moon.
First you hear several cats talking in that horrible wailing voice that sounds like a young child crying. When you get near to them (usually far away from any houses or street lights- probably in a field) you see a number of cats (in my cases 10 or 12) sitting in a large perfect circle facing inwards towards one cat who is in the dead centre of the circle. Then you realise that they are engaged in what seems like some sort of ceremonial chant, the centre cat leads then the rest respond simultaneously. Like a church service. It is really weird, and as soon as you let them know you are watching they disperse into the night. The first time this happened quickly as my dog was running free. The second time I had my dog on the lead so we watched them for over 5 minutes.
Both time the centre cat was staring up at the moon, the other cats were staring at the centre cat.
Why do you think they do it? Is it a sign of intelligence, or do cats have their own religion?
Why do you think they do it?
Maybe they have a secret moon worship thing going on? Maybe cats are really aliens and they're signalling their comrades?
Although there are quite a few cats in my street, and every now and again they all sit under their owners' cars and yowl loudly at each other across the road for no apparent reason. All the neighbours' cats then join in and they keep on until someone gets annoyed enough to shout at them out of a window.
[edited by: Dabrowski at 3:03 pm (utc) on Dec. 20, 2007]
You nailed it. Cats are not from this planet. We are still trying to determine which galaxy they migrated from, but they did indeed land here eons ago.
After all, what other animal can levitate? A cat can very effortlessly defy gravity in a single deft move. And the purr? that is something that defies explanation. It causes humans to become trance-like and worship them with petting and grooming.
They also have a kryptonite-like problem with catnip... and they have an obsession with laser beams.
I actually like cats but I wish more cat owners would make an effort to keep their cats either inside or on their own property. I'd like to see leash laws should apply to cats as well as dogs.
You must have a wuss for a dog. My dog terrorizes cats for blocks around!
I used to have a 20+ pound tabby that would shred dogs just for giggles. A german shepherd stepped onto our porch one day and in seconds the cat was on him and sliced his nose up - the dog took off screaming and was never seen again.
I also used to have a dalmatian that was a street fighter that could take down any cat or dog he came across.
Wonder who would win if I'd had them at the same time as they were both top notch fighters.
They seem to think our beloved, chubby little pets are some kind of feline hors d'oeuvres tray
Cats are natural hunters. They will stalk, and will kill anything that takes their interest. The smaller and faster the animal is the more the cat will take interest.
My next door neighbours decided to get some poultry as pets - 4 chickens and 2 ducks. Luckily the birds are big enough now that the cats just sit and watch.
When the rodents aren't out then the cats stalk the native birds and resident squirrels
Yep. Many a cat owner has been presented by a gift of a decapitated rodent.
Cats also used to poop also all over our kids play area
Sorry about that. They won't foul their own property, I imagine you had sand or bark chippings on your play area? Make it easy to dig a hole and they will.
I wish more cat owners would make an effort to keep their cats either inside or on their own property
Cats are wild animals, to keep them confined would be cruel. As for leash laws, cats can be trusted to behave themselves while not on a leash. Dogs regularly attack people/children often with devastating and even fatal results, as you may read every now and again in the news. That's why dogs need to be kept under control - because they have none of their own.
As for leash laws, cats can be trusted to behave themselves while not on a leash.
We have had a cat attack our dogs while our dogs were out on a walk on leashes. Plus, I don't think any of the items mentioned above would be called behaving themselves - like coming into our home from an upstairs window to try to kill our pets or pooping on other people's property.
Plus I also see cats run over in our neighborhood fairly regularly. So unless a cat knows how to look both ways before crossing the street, it isn't kind to the cat to let it roam free where it is in danger. Many people hate cats and will turn the hose on them. Some ethnic groups will eat cats. Where we live their are coyotes. So it is safer for the cat not to be let to roam where it can get in harms way.
When we had dogs we would never think of letting our dog poop in someone else's yard without cleaning it up or let them on someone else's property to possibly harm their pets. I suspect if you asked your neighbors who don't own cats, especially those with sandboxes, play areas for kids or anyone who likes birds, that they would appreciate it you didn't let your cat free to roam in their yard. Some cities do have leash laws that apply to both cats and dogs. In one forum I read on the web, there was a question about whether it was okay to shoot a cat who pooped in your kids play area. The answer was that it would most likely be illegal to discharge a firearm - get a bow and arrow instead! So if you don't want your cat to meet a fate like that, it might be safer for the cat to be kept on your own property. Because many people do hate cats.
[edited by: Jane_Doe at 4:58 pm (utc) on Dec. 24, 2007]
[wildlife-museum.org...]
Plus I also see cats run over in our neighborhood fairly regularly.
Those are a delicacy known as 'Flat Cat Cakes: Served single or stacked.' served every Wednesday at the Roadkill Cafe. [road-kill-cafe.com]
Plus I also see cats run over in our neighborhood fairly regularly
Yes, I was unfortunate to witness one run over in my street this year. I rushed it to the vet but it was already too late. I accept this risk, and I live in a cul-de-sac on a quiet street, on a quiet residential estate. If I lived next to a busy road, or anywhere unsuitable, I wouldn't keep them.
So unless a cat knows how to look both ways
It did. It was sat in the gutter, unfortunately the driver decided to chose that particular spot to park her car on the pavement (which incidentally is against the law). It being dark she didn't see the tabby.
Many people hate cats and will turn the hose on them
I would recommend it. One of the best ways to train cats, and I've heard dogs too, is to use a water pistol, which I have used on my 2 cats very effectively.
letting our dog poop in someone else's yard without cleaning it up
But you would allow your dogs onto someone else's property to take a dump? And you consider this completely normal and acceptable? I'm sure you always get the owners permission first.
okay to shoot a cat who pooped in your kids play area. The answer was that it would most likely be illegal to discharge a firearm - get a bow and arrow instead
Which would still be illegal and in the UK they could be arrested for animal cruelty.
In the news today: 13 month old baby mauled to death by the family dog. 7 year old sister forced to watch as she couldn't prevent it.
No cats apparently have committed any offences.
No cats apparently have committed any offences.
Well, if you think your cats rights to roam, hunt, and poop where ever he pleases is more important than your neighbors' rights to enjoy song birds, take small pets outside in their own yard or have their kids play in their own back yards in areas uncontaminated by cat feces then I guess that is your choice. Personally I would never have let a pet roam free outside that would inconvenience neighbors or jeopardize its own safety.
