Why do Cat-owners not take care of their animals?

Duis, not all cat owners are like this- only the irresponsible ones. I have been a cat owner all my life but I agree with you completely. Not only do these outdoor cats cause damage to gardens and wildlife and spread disease, many become sick or injured or die when allowed to roam outdoors. The majority of these irresponsible owners also do not vaccinate or spay and neuter their cats thus promoting thousands more cats running in the street as their cats breed and their offspring breed.

I would call animal control whenever you see a stray cat in your yard and tell them you are concerned about the potential for damage and disease and ask that they come pick it up. If this does not work, buy a live trap and take all of the cats roaming in your yard to a local shelter or humane society.

Perhaps you could become active in trying to facilitate a licensing or leash law (there are places in the U.S that have cat leash laws) or other legislation that might help control the roaming, stray, or feral problem in your area.

Unfortunately, as long as there are irresponsible owners (TONS of them on this very forum that promote such behavior), we will have these problems. Of course the problem never seems to impact the neglectful owner who simply tosses their cat outdoors, it impacts the neighbors, property of others, other cats, wildlife, and the unfortunate animals owned by these irresponsible people.

edit: "They descended from wild animals, same as dogs. They are used to being outside."

So the reasoning here is to allow dogs to roam freely as well? lol

If you believe in evolution, everything has evolved from something once considered 'wild' but what does this have to do with thousands of years of domestication? Everyone cites the fact that cats original evolved from desert areas yet they fail to take into consideration thousands of years of evolution and domestication or that many of the breeds we have today could not survive the harsh environment in states like Texas or Arizona let along the Middle East.

If owners that allow their cats to roam unsecured outdoors are so responsible, why is it that we have thousands of deaths each day due to hazardous outdoor perils? (Rhetorical question). A responsible owner vaccinates, alters, provides for a high quality diet and vet care AND takes all measures to prevent harm from coming to their animal. Outdoor time is beneficial but only if the owner invests the time to provide a SECURE location or enclosure which means that their animal has no access outside this area and no other animal has access in. Anything less than this is irresponsible as the injury and death rate for their cat is doubled that of an indoor cat. I would suggest that those who believe that allowing a cat to roam outdoors is responsible behavior that they go page back through a couple weeks of posts on this forum looking at all of the disappearances, injuries and deaths that have occurred with cats that were allowed to roam outdoors but those with this mindset are so biased, they are immune to reasoning. None of this would every apply to 'their' outdoor cat, well, not until it disappears or it's dead body is scooped off the road.

Gotta love those proclaiming a certain number of owned outdoor cats as if this lends credibility. As far as most of the responsible cat owners are concerned, you really do not 'own' these animals you allow to freely roam. You simply feed them and sometimes spend a bit of time with them when they do decide to come around.

I own several cats. They are all kept inside the house where they are safe from other cats (fights or diseases), loose dogs, cars, etc.

And I too get angry when *other* cats stroll onto my property to either tease my cats and dogs or leave their smelly messes, or occasionally have a scream-fest in my yard. The irresponsible attitude of some of the previous posters doesn't surprise me in the least....

"My dogs will do away with the creatures if i let them out but then i will be the one getting into trouble for my dogs killing the cat."

No you won't, as long as your dogs remain on your property. (If the cat-owners complained, you could just tell them "well, that's what dogs do", lol.) But seriously, why not contact Animal Control or the Humane Society in your area to borrow a cat trap? Make sure you follow all the proper precautions so the cat won't be harmed (don't use the trap when it's too hot or cold out, make sure you check it often, etc.: try to keep in mind it isn't the cat's fault he is allowed to be a nuisance). When the owners have to bail Fluffy out of cat jail, they might think twice before letting him run again.

You cant really blame the cats now can you. To a part I agree with you, people should neuter their cats to curb their population yes. I have owned cats all my life and they are neutered which is a blessing. My cats dont really stray and if I looked outside now I can assure you Carson will be at his usual spot and Peaches on the window. As for Benjamin probably in an old car somewhere.. Also you dont need a license to have cats so that means people dont care about them and let them go wild. It is all down to humans in the end.. I also collect for my local cat rescue centre and have taken in many strays and got them neutered and released back into the wild.. Cats keep the vermin away also so be grateful you dont have vermin!

You're generalising. I've has several cats, over 31 years. (I have 3 now). NEVER have any of my cats stayed out all day or night - they have all had litter trays, and have been kept in all night. Two of the cats I've got now (females) use MY garden as a toilet during the day -much to my husband's annoyance - but I clean it up. They catch mice and voles, but never bother with birds (too much effort involved). They sit and watch the birds and squirrels in our garden, and make no attempt to go near them at all.

You've got dogs- the ones round my way crap on the pavement, bark early in the morning and late at night, and piss up the fence as they go by. But I'm not saying that I hate dogs!

Some these answers saying Its nature is funny. So if the dog killls the cat it's nature right? At least he ISn't letting his dog go after it. My advice is trap and return it first. Start documenting damages also helps if you have a cam watching the backyard. if they don't have tags call the animal humaine society saying you got a stray and they'll come pick it up. just cause it's a cat doesn't mean it's not a pet which someone is responsible for .

You should buy a chemical that cats don't like the smell of from a garden centre. Don't feed the cats as they will come back for more. Also cold water will scare them off and they will learn not to come back

They could be stray cats as well. I've found that the best solution is to use some organic cat repellent around your property. That will keep them from hanging around. Plus it won't hurt the animals or upset your neighbors.

You are ignorant when it comes to cats. They descended from wild animals, same as dogs. They are used to being outside. I once adopted a male 2 year old cat and I couldn't keep him in for even a day. He was jumping about, and trying to get out. You cannot force cats to stay inside.

Me and mum absolutely love wildlife, but we don't attract birds or any animals into the garden so our cats have less chance of attacking and chasing them. And when ever they do bring in wildlife. If it's still alive we nurse it back to health and let it go away from our cats.

You cannot keep them in one yard, they like exploring. How would you like it if we decided to shove you in a room and not letting you out at all. You wouldn't like it at all..

Cats will be cats, deal with it.

**I am a very responsible cat owner, I spay and neuter all my cats as soon as it is possible (between 5 and 6 months of age). I get them vaccinated, I am no way a irresponsible cat owner. I work at a cattery as well and my boss loves my way of thinking and agrees that cats should be allowed outside if they want. I have a timid cat who barely strays outside and keeps to our garden.

One more thing.. just cause a cat doesn't have a collar doesn't mean it is a stray. Most of my cats have collars but atm I have one that doesn't and I used to have a cat who didn't wear one. And my cats live a long happy life even though they are allowed outside.

You really do dislike cats. My cat is looked after and he has a cat flap in my kitchen door so he can go in and out of the back garden as he pleases. He stays in his own garden as the neighbours on either side of me have dogs and he doesn't want to tangle with them. My neighbours dogs bark loudly at times, often in the early hours of the morning, but I live with it as that is what dogs do.

As for other people's cats, it is not possible to stop them going where they please short of locking them up indoors and you are showing your ignorance by believing otherwise. Cats exist and they roam, that may be tough for you to live with but that is how it is.

Een kat is een vrij dier.

Daarom zullen vele eigenaars onvoldoende zorg dragen voor hun

viervoeter. Dat is heel spijtig. Als men een dier houdt moet men

het wel degelijk verzorgen.

vele groetjes !!!