pet care and neighbours and dilemmas

[smilingcat]

Oh poor kitty. Being bitten by a poisonus snake. But what can you do after being bitten? Cats only weigh in from around 3 kilo to maybe 7 kilo. They are small enough that bites are going to be far worse than for people. At least the owners had enough thought to do what they thought was the right thing for the kitty. Could they have save it had they discovered the bite sooner? Maybe. Maybe they discovered the bite within hours. Bites like that are going to be very noticeable in matter of minutes and not days.

As for neglectful owners, some do not take very kindly to your generous offer. Some even get very hostile!! Best to call your humane society. Sometimes this is all you can do. No good deeds go unpunished

[malkin]

I've heard passionate arguments on both sides about whether or not domestic cats should be allowed outside at all. The fiercely indoor only folks believe that letting the cat outside shortens the cat's life by exposing it to danger and the fiercely indoor/outdoor people rave about the cat's natural behavior and environment.

We've just adopted a kitten who was rescued and treated with bilateral eye enucleation. So, she got some intense medical treatment early on, spent most of her 3 months of life under the influence of pain meds and antibiotics. She has some motor difficulties, possibly due to confinement in a small kennel, and she has had no early socialization with other cats. The volunteers at the agency described her as 'snuggly,' but really, she was never given any opportunity to walk around or explore. When she came to us her nails were so long that they got caught on everything and she was quite reluctant to move about.

The whole situation has prompted me to do quite a lot of thinking about how we care for our animals. You know, they did this big surgery, but they didn't give her the opportunity to develop any 'cat skills.' Did the vets get paid with donation money? Was the surgery done partly for training? Why didn't they trim her nails!?

[lph]

Poor kitten! No matter if they're kept indoors or out I feel quite passionately about letting them use their natural skills and senses. Watching an athletic cat climb and play is such a joy, if ever an animal was designed to move it's a cat. Good luck with her!

I'm not sure socialization with other cats matters that much, or do you have other cats already? I've had cats that have been very friendly with each other, and cats that have known each other for years and still just tolerate each other. I've read that cats aren't naturally very social.

[malkin]

Poor kitten! No matter if they're kept indoors or out I feel quite passionately about letting them use their natural skills and senses. Watching an athletic cat climb and play is such a joy, if ever an animal was designed to move it's a cat. Good luck with her!

I'm not sure socialization with other cats matters that much, or do you have other cats already? I've had cats that have been very friendly with each other, and cats that have known each other for years and still just tolerate each other. I've read that cats aren't naturally very social.

We have 3 other cats (about 2, 3, and 4 years old). They are curious about her in a 'that is not a cat' way. She is doing better and better but she sometimes reacts sort of like a cat version of an autistic kid who can't regulate (hiss, growl, roar, spit) and then shuts down ( get very small and don't move).

We are happy to have her, anyway. She's funny. She bumps into things and I'm sure she and the big cats will get used to each other in time.
Here's a little video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07f7wQ8mbww

[lph]

We have 3 other cats (about 2, 3, and 4 years old). They are curious about her in a 'that is not a cat' way. She is doing better and better but she sometimes reacts sort of like a cat version of an autistic kid who can't regulate (hiss, growl, roar, spit) and then shuts down ( get very small and don't move).

We are happy to have her, anyway. She's funny. She bumps into things and I'm sure she and the big cats will get used to each other in time.
Here's a little video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07f7wQ8mbww

Awww, what a cutey :-) I'd forgotten how kittens will play with anything, all the time. Should be fun watching her gain proper use of her motor skills. Big cat doesn't look too impressed though :-D



Yeah, I guess it does take more than casual conversation to change peoples behaviour. ..

[malkin]

Back to the original question though--If the other person were a friend or close relative, I might go ahead and notice out loud that the animal needed a nail trim or coat maintenance and then go ahead and just perform it. I don't know most of my neighbors well enough to barge in and offer to trim their dogs' nails.

It's sort of the same thing when someone rides by on a bike with the seat remarkably too low. Brewer sort of wants to tell them to stop so he can raise the saddle, which would be fine in a small town where we all knew each other, but this isn't really that kind of small town.

[Jolt]

I've heard passionate arguments on both sides about whether or not domestic cats should be allowed outside at all. The fiercely indoor only folks believe that letting the cat outside shortens the cat's life by exposing it to danger and the fiercely indoor/outdoor people rave about the cat's natural behavior and environment.

I think a lot depends on where you live...if you're in town or right near a busy road, there is a lot more risk of the cat getting hit by a car and it's probably best to keep them inside. If you live out in the country, it's reasonably safe (provided there aren't a lot of critters around that like to eat cats) to let the cat outside, it's more natural and they probably really enjoy it.

[Irulan]

I think a lot depends on where you live...if you're in town or right near a busy road, there is a lot more risk of the cat getting hit by a car and it's probably best to keep them inside. If you live out in the country, it's reasonably safe (provided there aren't a lot of critters around that like to eat cats) to let the cat outside, it's more natural and they probably really enjoy it.

I'm going to disagree here. In rural situations, you might not have a lot of traffic, but you have coyotes and other predators and parasites.
As for "natural" behavior, is it "natural" to kill things and never eat them? Cat decimation of songbird populations is well documented. As someone in non rural setting, I am beyond annoyed at free roaming cats that continually hunt birds in my yard, and use my gardens as little boxes. Ordinances preventing roaming cats are blatantly ignored, and yet if I catch one in my yard and take it to pound, guess who is the bad guy? And to reference my previous post, if I mention to my neighbor that I don't like their cats in my yard, I basically get told to f*** off very politely.

[CAS]

I'm going to disagree here. In rural situations, you might not have a lot of traffic, but you have coyotes and other predators and parasites.
As for "natural" behavior, is it "natural" to kill things and never eat them? Cat decimation of songbird populations is well documented. As someone in non rural setting, I am beyond annoyed at free roaming cats that continually hunt birds in my yard, and use my gardens as little boxes. Ordinances preventing roaming cats are blatantly ignored, and yet if I catch one in my yard and take it to pound, guess who is the bad guy? And to reference my previous post, if I mention to my neighbor that I don't like their cats in my yard, I basically get told to f*** off very politely.

I agree, Irulan. I have a cat--he's 17 years old, and he's only been an indoor cat. He wouldn't be this old, had he been an outdoor cat. I love all critters, and I personally think it's cruel all the way around, to allow a domestic cat to roam outdoors. If someone insists on having their cat outdoors, then they should construct a pen to protect the cat from disease, coyotes, etc., and to protect the prey from the cat.

[spokewench]

I agree, Irulan. I have a cat--he's 17 years old, and he's only been an indoor cat. He wouldn't be this old, had he been an outdoor cat. I love all critters, and I personally think it's cruel all the way around, to allow a domestic cat to roam outdoors. If someone insists on having their cat outdoors, then they should construct a pen to protect the cat from disease, coyotes, etc., and to protect the prey from the cat.

Well, I am of the opposite opinion; I have always had indoor/outdoor cats. I had two Maine Coons - one who lived to 24, the other to around 18 or so (he died of a heart attack, had a heart issue). Both were indoor/outdoor cats, pampered, spoiled and loved. I don't think it hurt them to be outdoors.

I now have two indoor/outdoor cats and I don't really think I'm cruel to them.

[lph]

I hadn't really meant to start an indoor/outdoor discussion, but for what it's worth: I can see both sides, even though I have a clear preference myself for keeping outdoor cats. What is "cruel" depends on the cat's personality, the owner and the surroundings, IMO, and doesn't warrant blanket statements. Yes, I might consider it cruel (or thoughtless) to keep an outdoor cat in a very dangerous environment. Or stupid, if you have a hunting cat and rare songbirds around. But we don't even have coyotes here. We have the occasional red fox, one type of venomous adder (and this is the first case of a cat being bitten I'd ever heard of) and extremely restricted traffic. I might equally consider it cruel to keep an active, young cat indoors in a small flat with little stimulation. Our cat became quite aggressive when we had to keep her indoors for 6 weeks this spring, even though we walked her 3 times a day and tried to play with her. OTOH I know people who go to great lengths to make sure their indoor cats are happy and content, and they obviously are safer. To each their own. As Irulan pointed out - arguing on the internet rarely changes anyones mind ;-)

Heheh, malkin, I have the same reaction whenever I see someone with their seat too low, I really want to yell out at them "PLEASE raise your seat!" I was known as the busybody mother who would adjust all the kids helmets when my son was small.

[TrekDianna]

I'm going to disagree here. In rural situations, you might not have a lot of traffic, but you have coyotes and other predators and parasites.
As for "natural" behavior, is it "natural" to kill things and never eat them? Cat decimation of songbird populations is well documented. As someone in non rural setting, I am beyond annoyed at free roaming cats that continually hunt birds in my yard, and use my gardens as little boxes. Ordinances preventing roaming cats are blatantly ignored, and yet if I catch one in my yard and take it to pound, guess who is the bad guy? And to reference my previous post, if I mention to my neighbor that I don't like their cats in my yard, I basically get told to f*** off very politely.

I have outdoor/indoor cats and if they hunted day and night they could not kill the number of birds that the building I work in kills every day. Each morning -- especially when the evening grosbeaks are migrating - the ground under the windows (6 story building) is carpeted with dead birds. At least one of the dept on campus collects them and freezes them and uses them for their bird class, but I am surprised there are any birds left in that population.