Is this irresponsible behavior?

[Skyesrocket]

"Yes. It is very irresponsible. I get tired of having to hunt down & shoot the neighbors cats just for them to go get more to come run my place. "
Kingmt, were you serious when you said that?

 

[gypsy2621]

is it any less irrisponsible to free range poultry under the same condiotions and terms?

 

[Skyesrocket]

I have barn cats that live outside. They have jobs, which is to keep the mice population down. They are well cared for and seem to be happy with their lives outside.
I agree that their lifespan probably is cut shorter because they are outside and subject to dangers a house cat wouldn't be. You couldn't prove that by my old male bobtail. He is 12 years old and still going strong. His sister is too. I have had a couple dissappear over the years.
I don't think it is cruel to have outside cats if they have good shelter and care. I don't have any nearby neighbors and have never had anyone complain about them. This is farmland here. And these cats are well adapted to outdoor living.

 

[chooniecat]

let me say that a feral cat IS a domestic cat. and ANY cat in your care should be neutered(as is the original word for removing reproductive organs from males/females)after that-yeah-it probably IS irresponsible if you live near traffic/neighbors(that could possibly not care for cats. there aren't leash laws for cats in most areas and people feel they have no recourse if a cat is bugging them(?) so they will remove the offending kitty. fortunately I live on acerage and and only have one cat in my barn currently(neutered,of course!)

 

[Marie66]

Quote:
That is a super cool kitty run.
i bet my neighbor's parrot would like a big run like that!

 

[redhen]

If you really and truely care about your cat...then yes, it is irresponsible IMO. I cant STAND strays in my yard...why should i have to deal with your animal? I have enough of my own.

 

[AngieChick]

Yes, it can be irresponsible. However, it's not just the cat who is at stake. Cats have decimated many of our wild bird populations. The popular collars with bells on don't help, birds don't associate bells with danger and aren't wary. All they do is make the cat owner feel better. If you have an old cat who is no longer a killer, it's probably fine. But if you have a cat who you know loves to chase and kill birds, you are impacting more than just yourself with your choice to let it stay out.

If it's strictly a barn cat and only killing rodents, that's fine too. But really, how many outdoor cats are? Most are suburban.

I can't garden without finding cat poop every day, yes, right next to the tomatoes. I have plants die regularly from cat urine. There are loud cat fights every night outside my window. I love cats, but to think that they aren't ever a nuisance to others is wishful thinking.

My Charlie is an indoor cat, he started out as an indoor/outdoor cat. When we kept him in, it took a couple of months for him to get used to it. It's been years now and he's perfectly happy.

 

[dtimms]

I agree with the last post as well. If your cat is a working barn cat and is provided with good shelter, food, and vet care, I could understand it being outdoor only. (Kind of like the difference between keeping pet chickens and broilers I suppose.) A lot of people I know with barn cats still have a nice cool or warm place for them to be closed up at night and out of harm's way.

However, if this is an indoor/outdoor pet cat, I believe that it is irresponsible. They have a huge environmental impact on birds and small animals. They damage neighbors' property. They become prey for all kinds of predators, including some you may not want to attract to your property. They are subject to horrible deaths in auto accidents. And they pick up all kinds of diseases from the soil or eating small animals that you do not want them--or you and your kids--to be exposed to. Plus, if someone saw a loose cat around, they might assume it to be a stray and bring it to an animal shelter where you might never see it again.

I have 3 indoor cats that are perfectly satisfied to lie in the sunshine or sit on the windowsill. They do not cry to go out (partially since they've never been out much). The one perhaps happiest about his life was a stray and he has NO desire to go back out onto the streets! They have toys and me and each other and I believe they live a full and safe life. Having pets, to me, is more about having fuzzy members of the family and I would do anything I could to protect them.

 

[beak]

Quote:
You should try Zyrtec. I absolutely loved dogs as a kid but would get terrible eye swelling around them. I had to stay away from them and now I don't care too much for dogs. My Dr prescribed Zyrtec when it was still prescription and it really helped. Now I can touch any animal and then rub my eye and it's okay. Unfortunately I still don't care for dogs much. That might be because our dogs are useless. I like well trained dogs though. Love cats.