Cats- What is wrong with people

[poiuytrewq]

After loosing our cat years ago I am still on a few local missing and found animals pages. The amount of un-neutered and non chipped cats is rediculous. Every one was planning to do it next week, or it was already booked in but cat went missing just days before the appointment... Really? said cats are always fully grown adults, often over 2 years old.
IMO theres no excuse to loose a younger one either- Keep it in until s/he is neutered and chipped, not rocket science.

It always annoys me but a recent post has really made my wee fizz!
Someone has trapped a un neautered tom thats in a bad way (apparently, hard to tell that bit from photos), They think its a stray and planned to take it to be neutered and checked for a chip. People are having a go at her for potentially taking someone elses cat off the street, two claiming it to look just like theirs. I liked the finders reply of "if yours a chipped as is the law then you have nothing to worry about and he will be returned after neutering"

Why are people still not getting the message, Its too late once the cat is missing. Its not expensive, help with costs can often be sought.

CHIP AND NEUTER!!!!

Rant over

 

[smolmaus]

People literally just don't care. They have the message, it isn't too difficult or expensive, they just don't give a shit.

 

[Titchy Reindeer]

After loosing our cat years ago I am still on a few local missing and found animals pages. The amount of un-neutered and non chipped cats is rediculous. Every one was planning to do it next week, or it was already booked in but cat went missing just days before the appointment... Really? said cats are always fully grown adults, often over 2 years old.
IMO theres no excuse to loose a younger one either- Keep it in until s/he is neutered and chipped, not rocket science.

It always annoys me but a recent post has really made my wee fizz!
Someone has trapped a un neautered tom thats in a bad way (apparently, hard to tell that bit from photos), They think its a stray and planned to take it to be neutered and checked for a chip. People are having a go at her for potentially taking someone elses cat off the street, two claiming it to look just like theirs. I liked the finders reply of "if yours a chipped as is the law then you have nothing to worry about and he will be returned after neutering"

Why are people still not getting the message, Its too late once the cat is missing. Its not expensive, help with costs can often be sought.

CHIP AND NEUTER!!!!

Rant over

For the bold bit, it depends who you live with!

I got an adult (neutered) cat off a friend when I was a teenager and the whole household had instructions not to let her out for the time being. Two or three days later, I got up to find a very sheepish dad saying he's let the wrong ginger and white cat out of the house! (yes they were roughly the same colour but one had a short crooked tail and the other had a normal tail - they weren't that easy to mistake). I was furious with dad, but luckily that story had a happy ending in that my sister found the cat in the hay barn 9 months later, so I just picked her up and brought her home. She went on to follow me to uni enjoying a warm flat in winter and freedom at my parents house in summer. When I moved abroad, she moved abroad as well, but to my great aunt's where she ended her days as a indoor/outdoor and very happy cat.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

We had two cats that we were told were spayed by the small 'rescue' we got them from but evidently were not, they were both impregnated at the same time which we only found out once we had kittens in the wardrobe as they were super long haired so didn't see a big belly and we didn't expect it, so to add to the 4 cats we owned, we then had 12 babies to contend with. Less than ideal having 16 cats! Thankfully they all went to friends and people we knew as pairs.

 

[spike123]

This really annoys me too. I have 3 cats. The eldest isn't chipped but at 19 and as an indoor cat who is at the end of her life I'm not putting her through that.
My 2 younger boys are 2 and 3 both microchipped. All are neutered and indoor cats. The elderly for obvious reasons and the younger boys one has a heart murmur and the other is terrified of strangers and panics when anyone even knocks the door. Neither could cope with outdoor life especially as both neighbours have dogs that aren't cat friendly and one dog is a cat killer.

 

[smolmaus]

We have so many outdoor cats on our street. Maybe 30m away from an extremely busy main road. People are insane, in the 5 years we have lived here we have had 3 deaths minimum, only from the cats I know and see regularly. One person just got an identical cat and let him out with his balls intact also, he's just been luckier so far. This week several are having screaming fights, upsetting MY cats, chasing eachother into the road and generally being a nuisance so there must be a queen in heat somewhere.

Mine wouldn't cope outdoors either, too skittish, too many health problems, but I asked for cats that would be happy indoors as I never want to have an outdoor cat again. If you want to take the risk and let them outside, not doing the absolute bare minimum and chipping and neutering makes you a shit person, no excuses.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I totally accept there are circumstances where they get out unexpectedly. Ours is in over night but there have been many times where someone lets him out by accident! They are pretty rapid when they put their mind to it!
These people are actually openly saying mines not chipped or neutered, thet could be mine though. They really don't care.
We've had and trapped and neutered a few strays here over the years. I didnt really relize colonys of stray cats were still a thing but evidently so some places.
Spike123- I wouldn't be wanting to take a very old cat on a stressful vet trip either. I understand your circumstances, that's a good age!

 

[spike123]

I totally accept there are circumstances where they get out unexpectedly. Ours is in over night but there have been many times where someone lets him out by accident! They are pretty rapid when they put their mind to it!
These people are actually openly saying mines not chipped or neutered, thet could be mine though. They really don't care.
We've had and trapped and neutered a few strays here over the years. I didnt really relize colonys of stray cats were still a thing but evidently so some places.
Spike123- I wouldn't be wanting to take a very old cat on a stressful vet trip either. I understand your circumstances, that's a good age!

my poor sister had to involve a local rescue recently as one of her neighbours was adding rapidly to the cat population. I gather they removed several pregnant female cats and neutered her males and remaining cats but some people just should never have them. My cats like our dog and my horses are family and I don't understand people who can't look after them properly. All ours are insured , chipped and have vaccinations and regular worming etc as required and are given what's needed when it's needed. All this oh i can't afford the vet attitude of many pet owners makes me cross. It's not an entitlement. If you want them you full comit to their needs

 

[m1stify]

Yep people don’t care get cute kitten, kitten grows up out the door not bothering to neuter or chip.

 

[smolmaus]

We've had and trapped and neutered a few strays here over the years. I didnt really relize colonys of stray cats were still a thing but evidently so some places.

They absolutely are here. Some people are really resistant to feral colonies being taken away and rehomed, but most will appreciate charities TNR-ing, and then they continue to feed and monitor.

 

[SEL]

Benny the not-at-all feral I adopted for the yard (currently asleep on the chair next to me at home) was probably one of those pets given how docile he is. He was definitely picked up from the streets which is why the rescue assumed feral. They got him neutered and chipped but it was very obvious once he came to the yard that he wasn't cut out for that life!

I have a lot of feral cats crossing my land - the real ones that don't want anything to do with humans. The boys are huge and not around often enough to be trapped and I very much doubt anyone actually owns them.

 

[BurntontheoutsideTurkey]

We had a cat problem locally a few years back and we trapped and neutered several, including one who the local cat producer insisted wasn't hers then got the police involved when she (the cat) came home with a shaved patch. I was so furious that when the local PCSO dropped in to ask if we knew anything about it I said we had done the neutering and that letting your cats reproduce and then giving kittens away for free was a welfare nightmare and condemning many kittens to an unhappy fate. PCSO went away with tail between legs and we never heard another thing about it. Cat now lives with us and a good thing too as she would never have had her various medical needs attended to (expensively) in her previous home. We ended up with three lovely cats from that source (they just moved in - in fact one actually brought her very nervous sister/female relation to be fed) but none have proved very robust so probably some suspect genetics going on. Then someone dumps a kitten at our field. It really pisses me off. Although I have got some great pets out of other people's thoughtlessness.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

See I understand that some cats wouldn't cope with going outside, and that's fair enough - but I also struggle with the notion of indoor cats purely based on risk alone.

Yes I have lost a cat to a road incident, but she also had 10 years of freedom beforehand. I'm not sure why it's seen differently to not turning a horse out due to the potential for field injury, which the forum as a whole disagrees with.

Agree that all should be neutered and chipped etc, I'm not meaning that entire cats should be wandering around reproducing and causing issues!

 

[smolmaus]

See I understand that some cats wouldn't cope with going outside, and that's fair enough - but I also struggle with the notion of indoor cats purely based on risk alone.

Yes I have lost a cat to a road incident, but she also had 10 years of freedom beforehand. I'm not sure why it's seen differently to not turning a horse out due to the potential for field injury, which the forum as a whole disagrees with.

Agree that all should be neutered and chipped etc, I'm not meaning that entire cats should be wandering around reproducing and causing issues!

Personally, I don't think "freedom" is necessarily all positive, it also comes with the stress of having to patrol and maintain territory and keep themselves safe. Some cats might enjoy if they are good at it, but some might not enjoy it at all but will keep doing it out of instinct. They can't really form a stable colony either as they are close but not close enough, so a lot of them will be in confrontation with other neighbouring cats every day. Just a different perspective.

You also need to provide indoor cats with proper enrichment. In my mind the indoor cat is the yard-kept horse. Secure, somewhat restricted and not living "naturally" but the owner has the responsibility of providing appropriate enrichment and exercise. The outdoor cat (in my mind) is the equivalent of Icelandic ponies turned loose on the hills who largely manage themselves and get brought in to work, get an extra feed or have maintenance care. Free roaming ponies usually have a safer and more species appropriate environment than a cat who lives on a housing estate though.

40 years ago if you'd told my Granda to keep his dog from wandering the streets in a loose pack and just coming home for dinner, he would have had concerns for her freedom also! She was a frequent flier with the dog warden until Granda passed and we convinced Nanny to keep her inside!

 

[Boulty]

I work in veterinary, work reasonably closely with some local rescues & it drives me mad too!

I’m a big advocate of neutering & chipping at 4-5 months as that way they tend to get done before people are tempted to start letting them out (& I anecdotally I actually think they bounce back even quicker at that age). It’s what a lot of the charities & cat welfare organisations recommend & I really wish it was better publicised that you can get them done at that age and you do NOT have to wait until 6 months (dogs on the other hand I absolutely WOULD wait until they’re older and fully mature)

We get a fair number of strays in and it is so so frustrating how rare it is for them to be both chipped AND have up to date details (& I include dogs in this too as a shockingly high no are either not chipped or have been rehomed umpteen times since with nobody bothering to update the details and nobody able to prove who actually currently owns them)

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Personally, I don't think "freedom" is necessarily all positive, it also comes with the stress of having to patrol and maintain territory and keep themselves safe. Some cats might enjoy if they are good at it, but some might not enjoy it at all but will keep doing it out of instinct. They can't really form a stable colony either as they are close but not close enough, so a lot of them will be in confrontation with other neighbouring cats every day. Just a different perspective.

You also need to provide indoor cats with proper enrichment. In my mind the indoor cat is the yard-kept horse. Secure, somewhat restricted and not living "naturally" but the owner has the responsibility of providing appropriate enrichment and exercise. The outdoor cat (in my mind) is the equivalent of Icelandic ponies turned loose on the hills who largely manage themselves and get brought in to work, get an extra feed or have maintenance care. Free roaming ponies usually have a safer and more species appropriate environment than a cat who lives on a housing estate though.

40 years ago if you'd told my Granda to keep his dog from wandering the streets in a loose pack and just coming home for dinner, he would have had concerns for her freedom also! She was a frequent flier with the dog warden until Granda passed and we convinced Nanny to keep her inside!

Yes I see your point re: yard living. My cats aren't ones to roam, we don't let them out the front due to a busy road but they could get that way if they went 8 terraced houses in either direction, as it is the shed roof 2 doors down is the extent of the 'feedom' they desire and otherwise they choose largely to be around the house, or within sight of it. Our last two cats we had for 20 years were the same, but the cat we had when I was a child and when we lived on a farm in a tiny village would often be gone for 3-4 days at a time and presumably went miles.

I think if you could walk a cat like you can a dog (I know some do, but they largely don't) then it would sit better with me, but as it is indoor cats usually don't ever leave the house and something about that would cause me to struggle having one, much like I am struggling with the idea of 5 weeks box rest for Dex. I suppose it's what your used to, my next door neighbours think nothing of having a dog they walk once in a blue moon.

 

[Peglo]

See I understand that some cats wouldn't cope with going outside, and that's fair enough - but I also struggle with the notion of indoor cats purely based on risk alone.

Yes I have lost a cat to a road incident, but she also had 10 years of freedom beforehand. I'm not sure why it's seen differently to not turning a horse out due to the potential for field injury, which the forum as a whole disagrees with.

Agree that all should be neutered and chipped etc, I'm not meaning that entire cats should be wandering around reproducing and causing issues!

I’ve also lost cats on the road and it’s been the worst but I haven’t had a single cat that would’ve had such a full and happy life if they’d been shut indoors. Especially since we both work full time and can’t give them attention and enrichment for so much of the day.
Ours get the choice to be in or out with the cat flap they all spend a decent amount of time out. One chooses the stables far more often than our house to sleep in.

All of mine have started as outdoor cats one way or another though and that might determine their want to be outside compared to a cat bred and kept indoors

 

[smolmaus]

Yes I see your point re: yard living. My cats aren't ones to roam, we don't let them out the front due to a busy road but they could get that way if they went 8 terraced houses in either direction, as it is the shed roof 2 doors down is the extent of the 'feedom' they desire and otherwise they choose largely to be around the house, or within sight of it. Our last two cats we had for 20 years were the same, but the cat we had when I was a child and when we lived on a farm in a tiny village would often be gone for 3-4 days at a time and presumably went miles.

I think if you could walk a cat like you can a dog (I know some do, but they largely don't) then it would sit better with me, but as it is indoor cats usually don't ever leave the house and something about that would cause me to struggle having one, much like I am struggling with the idea of 5 weeks box rest for Dex. I suppose it's what your used to, my next door neighbours think nothing of having a dog they walk once in a blue moon.

It's what the animal is used to as well, but yeah. We discussed leash training and walking VERY briefly before we decided the stress wouldn't be worth the benefit. For ours anyway. The only time one of them seems in any way interested in being outside is when we don't let enough bugs into the house for her to chase and eat If you introduced outside walks to a kitten I suppose they could acclimate, but you have the same issue of them not being in a "safe territory" as a territorial animal so I also question if walking cats is for their benefit or their owners.

In the last 4 posts the pair of us have probably put more thought into cat ownership than a hefty % of cat owners, the subject of the thread, who just chuck em out and chuck a pouch of whiskas at them once a day.

 

[EB83]

We were chatting to our new neighbours the other day, when they moved in they had a young looking black cat I mentioned that I hadn't seen him for a while. It appears he wasn't too pleased with their new addition of a dog, but then mentioned he wasn't yet neutered as the children would like a kitten from him- they failed to realise that they wouldn't see these kittens as it would be someone else's cat he gets pregnant. I doubt he's chipped too as they mentioned he's not registered with a vet

 

[smolmaus]

they failed to realise that they wouldn't see these kittens as it would be someone else's cat he gets pregnant

for gods sake!!!!

 

[rabatsa]

Someones cat had kittens in my barn. I arranged for the only surviving kitten and mother to visit the vets for castrating/spaying, however the morning of the appointment the mother cat had vanished. She turned up two weeks later at another farm having had another litter of kittens there. They too failed in catching her and she had yet more kittens at a third farm. I then discovered that she really belonged to my next door neighbour who seems to believe that all animals have the right to reproduce. She has managed 4 times herself...

 

[Steerpike]

Every year at this time of year,here in Wales, we start to get the free to good home kitten adverts, we got two cats from a work colleague of my husbands nearly 3yrs ago now, he lives a couple of miles away from us, we have had them castrated and spayed, just recently one he kept which is not castrated has turned up at our place, I'm hoping to trap it and get him castrated, but it annoys me the bloke doesn't seem concerned about it.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

The Alley Cat was from a litter that was apparently because their cat got out before they could have a chance to have her spayed during lockdown

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, should have walked away when we viewed him, we weren't allowed in the house instead were shown him in the entry way which was a bit grim, the guy even tried to hand him to me outside! I absolutely refused in case he slipped from my grasp. Got him home, nit combed him as had a childhood cat who had "been flead " and clearly hadn't. Yep combed shed loads of fleas from AC, it was a Friday, I called vets and pleaded with them for an appointment as couldn't have that over the weekend

AC never really thrived, i suspect he had pica as he would rip into washing up sponges, rip toys open etc.

AC was dead before a year old from suspected FIP. On zooming in a photo of him when we viewed him, his nails were caked in dirt, suggesting the environment he was raised in was less than stellar

We had to contact his "breeder" (I can't justify this word but can't think of an alternative) to get her name for the insurance claim, as id included purchase price in his cover

She called OH up and offered us another kitten!! So much for not being able to neuter mum due to lockdown given this was a year later, and on looking up the advert, one looked suspiciously like AC. Funnily enough we declined her "offer" of a replacement. She's lucky it was OH who she called, who was way more polite than I would have been...

Call me a snob, but I only wanted the next one to be from a proper breeder, who would have health tested parents etc, given the contrast between the "upbringing" of AC cs my Ragdoll. Even that was tricky, we called up one person, on asking if the kittens were flea treated, he said they wasn't any point as the parents went outside and brought them in!!! Safe to say i ran not just walked away

Both of ours are indoor cats, have had indoor cats since I was a teenager living at home, as we saw too many casualties from the road. I couldn't ever have another outdoor cat, there's far too many nasty people out there nowadays, plus the roads, and the potential not knowing if something happens to them. Also Ragdolls dont sense danger so shouldn't go out. Also, its incredibly irritating as someone who has indoor cats, to frequently discover cat **** in the garden, we've had to stop growing vegetables as the bed was just being used as a cat toilet, no thanks to eating something grown in that.

Despite being indoor cats, both are microchipped, vaccinated according to schedule, and flea and worm treated on schedule - i want to give them the right health set up and god forbid they get out, I want them microchipped so we can be reunited

Also the number of cats I see advertised as "Ragdoll" that clearly aren't, is incredible, obviously hoping people who aren't obsessed with knowing the characteristics of the breed to be duped into paying extra for the "breed"

 

[Shady]

Hate to say that I am seeing more and more UK posts on cat fb groups from owners saying their vets are recommending neutering / spaying later than 6 months, preferably nearer 9/10 months. I have made myself very unpopular with all the reasons why doing this is a terrible idea, and I am pretty shocked that there are vets who support leaving until nearly a year old.

 

[smolmaus]

Hate to say that I am seeing more and more UK posts on cat fb groups from owners saying their vets are recommending neutering / spaying later than 6 months, preferably nearer 9/10 months. I have made myself very unpopular with all the reasons why doing this is a terrible idea, and I am pretty shocked that there are vets who support leaving until nearly a year old.

What is the rationale from the vets? Do they give one?

 

[BurntontheoutsideTurkey]

Hate to say that I am seeing more and more UK posts on cat fb groups from owners saying their vets are recommending neutering / spaying later than 6 months, preferably nearer 9/10 months. I have made myself very unpopular with all the reasons why doing this is a terrible idea, and I am pretty shocked that there are vets who support leaving until nearly a year old.

That's really not great from a social point of view. It's bad enough that so many people don't bother at all but that approach will create lots more unwanted kittens We had the Fat Kitten done at 3 months (our brilliant vet was happy to do this and just about managed to grasp his microscopic gonads) because we intended to release him again but he said he preferred to live with us, thanks.

 

[Shady]

What is the rationale from the vets? Do they give one?

Better for their health and development apparently. At a push I could except that in a perfect world , however seeing a female cat come into season at 5 months and pull all it's fur out, and another being damaged from a forced mating at 6 months, or dying giving birth too young, and males being sexually active very young , I personally think any small positive there 'may' be are far out weighed by the negatives of leaving a pet cat entire until a year old .
Given that many vets now say neutering and spaying at 2 months is perfectly safe and possibly better than at 3/4 months, I find the whole thing very confusing.

 

[Shady]

The Alley Cat was from a litter that was apparently because their cat got out before they could have a chance to have her spayed during lockdown

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, should have walked away when we viewed him, we weren't allowed in the house instead were shown him in the entry way which was a bit grim, the guy even tried to hand him to me outside! I absolutely refused in case he slipped from my grasp. Got him home, nit combed him as had a childhood cat who had "been flead " and clearly hadn't. Yep combed shed loads of fleas from AC, it was a Friday, I called vets and pleaded with them for an appointment as couldn't have that over the weekend

AC never really thrived, i suspect he had pica as he would rip into washing up sponges, rip toys open etc.

AC was dead before a year old from suspected FIP. On zooming in a photo of him when we viewed him, his nails were caked in dirt, suggesting the environment he was raised in was less than stellar

We had to contact his "breeder" (I can't justify this word but can't think of an alternative) to get her name for the insurance claim, as id included purchase price in his cover

She called OH up and offered us another kitten!! So much for not being able to neuter mum due to lockdown given this was a year later, and on looking up the advert, one looked suspiciously like AC. Funnily enough we declined her "offer" of a replacement. She's lucky it was OH who she called, who was way more polite than I would have been...

Call me a snob, but I only wanted the next one to be from a proper breeder, who would have health tested parents etc, given the contrast between the "upbringing" of AC cs my Ragdoll. Even that was tricky, we called up one person, on asking if the kittens were flea treated, he said they wasn't any point as the parents went outside and brought them in!!! Safe to say i ran not just walked away

Both of ours are indoor cats, have had indoor cats since I was a teenager living at home, as we saw too many casualties from the road. I couldn't ever have another outdoor cat, there's far too many nasty people out there nowadays, plus the roads, and the potential not knowing if something happens to them. Also Ragdolls dont sense danger so shouldn't go out. Also, its incredibly irritating as someone who has indoor cats, to frequently discover cat **** in the garden, we've had to stop growing vegetables as the bed was just being used as a cat toilet, no thanks to eating something grown in that.

Despite being indoor cats, both are microchipped, vaccinated according to schedule, and flea and worm treated on schedule - i want to give them the right health set up and god forbid they get out, I want them microchipped so we can be reunited

Also the number of cats I see advertised as "Ragdoll" that clearly aren't, is incredible, obviously hoping people who aren't obsessed with knowing the characteristics of the breed to be duped into paying extra for the "breed"

My silly step sister has just paid £700 for a half Ragdoll kitten, which left home unvaccinated or chipped at 8 weeks old
She lied to me about it leaving at 3 months fully vaxxed and chipped because she knew I would be disgusted with the 'breeder', and with her for giving money to such a greedy horrid person. The kitten is underweight and has no idea what a litter box is for. What a surprise...not.

Do hope your fabulous cats are well CCL. XXX

 

[Birker2020]

This is a sad result of not neutering a tom cat. This beautiful boy had been knocked down in a village on the way to the yard one Saturday winters morning at 5.30am. No doubt out looking for females.

I found him still warm, not a mark on him but very dead. I scooped him up, gave him a cuddle and took him to the vet after I'd sorted Lari out.

They scanned him for a chip and told me has was unneutered. I was sobbing my eyes out at the vets, it so upset me because if I'd only been a few minutes or even seconds earlier he might have been alive. He may have shot out in front of me and I may have been able to avoid him. He was a beautiful boy.

Sorry if my photo offends but he was so handsome.

 

[splashgirl45]

For those of you with indoor cats I saw this , thought it was a great idea so cats can be outside but also safe ..if I ever got a cat(unlikely) I would do something like this as too many cats get run over these days and as a non cat owner I don’t like other people’s cats coming in my garden so wouldn’t want a cat I owned to be bothering other people