Indoor cats

"Phil P." wrote in message
...


That's not practical or even realistic in the USA because
that mentality would result in millions upon millions of
homeless cats and a 10 times increase in shelter
killings.

Something else we don't do here.


That's a myth that has been fostered by the government to promote a
sterling
image of a 'cat-loving' nation.

Britain is considered to be a pet loving nation, it might well be a
myth but not one fostered by the goverment.

- The UK has an overpopulation problem,

Yes we do but proportionally not as high as the US

also, and *certainly* does use kill-shelters.

The RSPCA PTS cats they can't rehome, but I can't think off hand of
other organisations that do. The RSPCA is not goverment run.
Alison

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...

Name one. Cats Protection most certainly do *not* kill.

Ivor

FROM:

FERAL CAT CONTROL IN THE UK
Copyright 1993, revised 2002 Sarah Hartwell

"In some years the UK's RSPCA destroy 30-35% of cats taken into
their care."

"A number of British animal welfare groups run TNR schemes and
numerous
individuals or groups of friends are involved with TNR of individual
colonies. However, an equal number of animal "rescue" societies
euthanize
any ferals presented to them, viewing them as an unrewarding drain
on their
resources. In addition, some societies or individuals cannot come to
terms
with the concept of cats as wild animals and euthanize healthy feral
cats
simply "to save them from their predicament" despite the fact that
the cats
concerned know no other way of life. Those who support the latter
opinion
claim that life in the wild is "short and brutal" and that it's more
humane
to kill the cats. This is a clear case of being unable to understand
that
not all cats are house-pets since they do not apply the same
arguments to
the rest of Britain's wildlife."

Hugs,

CatNipped

The RSPCA do put some cats to sleep. 35% will include cats that
are ill or not able to be rehomed , also bear in mind that the number
of cats hnded over as unwanted are lower than the States .
I don't think the Iver was referring to feral cats. Sarah's not
mentioned which animal rescue societies euthenize them . AFAIK

"Alison" wrote in message
...


The RSPCA do put some cats to sleep. 35% will include cats that
are ill or not able to be rehomed , also bear in mind that the number
of cats handed over as unwanted are lower than the States .
I don't think the Iver was referring to feral cats. Sarah's not
mentioned which animal rescue societies euthenize them .
AFAIK, feral cats that are trapped by pest control will be PTS by the
pet control itself .
At our RSPCA branch , feral cats will be neutered /spayed and
returned if requested (or rehomed )if someone will take responsibility
to feed them . If they can't rehome they're PTS , which happens as
its hard to rehome ferals.
Alison

"Alison" wrote in message


[snip]

The RSPCA do put some cats to sleep. 35% will include
cats that are ill or not able to be rehomed , also bear
in mind that the number of cats hnded over as unwanted
are lower than the States .
I don't think the Iver was referring to feral cats.
Sarah's not mentioned which animal rescue societies
euthenize them . AFAIK

I was unaware the RSPCA did so and that has changed my opinion of them
completely :-(

Cats Protection (www.cats.org.uk) for whom I volunteer, most definitely do
*NOT* euthanise *except* on strict veterinary advice such as in severe
cases of FeLV or full blown AIDS (*not* FIV alone).

Ivor

"Alison" wrote in message
...

"CatNipped" wrote in message
...

Name one. Cats Protection most certainly do *not* kill.

Ivor

FROM:

FERAL CAT CONTROL IN THE UK
Copyright 1993, revised 2002 Sarah Hartwell

"In some years the UK's RSPCA destroy 30-35% of cats taken into
their care."

"A number of British animal welfare groups run TNR schemes and
numerous
individuals or groups of friends are involved with TNR of individual
colonies. However, an equal number of animal "rescue" societies
euthanize
any ferals presented to them, viewing them as an unrewarding drain
on their
resources. In addition, some societies or individuals cannot come to
terms
with the concept of cats as wild animals and euthanize healthy feral
cats
simply "to save them from their predicament" despite the fact that
the cats
concerned know no other way of life. Those who support the latter
opinion
claim that life in the wild is "short and brutal" and that it's more
humane
to kill the cats. This is a clear case of being unable to understand
that
not all cats are house-pets since they do not apply the same
arguments to
the rest of Britain's wildlife."

Hugs,

CatNipped

The RSPCA do put some cats to sleep. 35% will include cats that
are ill or not able to be rehomed , also bear in mind that the number
of cats hnded over as unwanted are lower than the States .
I don't think the Iver was referring to feral cats. Sarah's not
mentioned which animal rescue societies euthenize them . AFAIK


I will repeat that I have *no* time whatsoever for the RSPCA. They seem to
have such a peculiar policy. They might nuture a kitten or puppy, too early
taken from it's mother, or spend money on an injured one (if you can
actually get them to take it!) and then when the said animal is fit for
rehoming they will put it down if it doesn't get a home within a given time.
I got my lurcher Trim from the RSPCA in 1982. She had been (presumably)
dumped and was living wild on her wits. She was doing very well until she
was hit by a car, and the RSPCA were called. She tried her best to evade
The Evil Inspectors, but they got her because she was injured.

So they took her back to "their place" and she got vet treatment for her
injuries. I happened to go there as I had just lost a dog and was looking
to adopt a rescue, so I bought her, still limping. She was on her last few
days before they were going to kill her as not adoptable.
Can you understand their thinking??

She was a character, such an awful thief I could understand why her previous
owners didn't want her ;-) She would rob the fridge and oven.
She passed away in 1995 aged 14ish from liver cancer. Kitty Farmcat was
already around the chicken huts that Trim used to like to accompany me to
feed the fowls in the morning. Her agenda was to eat the layers pellets..
once starved in your life, eat anything..
Trim used to chase cats normally if there was one in the garden, actually I
would not have trusted her not to kill one, but she never tried to chase
KittyFC. I have seen them almost nose to nose. Trim saying well you seem
like a nice cat, and Kitty saying you better believe it Trimby Websell or..
;-)
I hope you all enjoy this story.

Tweed

"Alison" wrote in message


[snip]

The RSPCA do put some cats to sleep. 35% will include
cats that are ill or not able to be rehomed , also bear
in mind that the number of cats hnded over as unwanted
are lower than the States .
I don't think the Iver was referring to feral cats.
Sarah's not mentioned which animal rescue societies
euthenize them . AFAIK

I was unaware the RSPCA did so and that has changed my opinion of
them
completely :-(

Cats Protection (www.cats.org.uk) for whom I volunteer, most
definitely do
*NOT* euthanise *except* on strict veterinary advice such as in
severe
cases of FeLV or full blown AIDS (*not* FIV alone).


AFAIK The 35% is an estimate from the early 90's . They pledged
to bring the percentage down. There is the main RSPCA which runs the
main homes and hospitals and there are independent branches who do
their own rehoming so I don't know if any percentages given cover
branches or not. Our local branch has about 50 adult cats and some
kittens which is high but rehoming tends to be slow at this time of
the year for adult cats.
Do the CP ever turn cats away, what do they do if they have no room
or do they always manage?
Alison

Lesley wrote:
Wow, sounds like a nightmare, and I thought East London was dangerous
LOL!

You're in East London as well? Where?

Walthamstow, where are you?

Marcia, just returned from Yorkshire and feeling a bit down on East
London at the moment, I saw the sky properly for the 1st time in ages!

Wendy wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...
Well I don't think we should have pets and keep them in prison if they
don't want to stay in. Mine goes out in the summer and its safe, if it
wasn't safe I guess I wouldn't have got a cat, I'd have got a goldfish.


I'm glad it's safe for your cat to go out. So much easier for you. I just
wish the people who have found a way to train their cats to stay away from
traffic would tell the rest of us how to do it. How do you train your cat
not to fight with a neighborhood cat and come home with wounds that can (and
do) abscess and/or spread disease?

I don't have to train him, he didn't move into a house with a garden
until he was 13 years old, and I took into the garden, and kept a close
eye on hi, which I always have done. He has never tried to climb the
fence.

You are really lucky that ALL of your
neighbors love cats and have no objections to your guys wandering into their
gardens to poop in their flower bed.

He comes in the house to use his litter tray, he doesn't even do his
business in his own garden!

Oh, you trained them to stay in your
garden exclusively? Please enlighten me to your training method. Like I said
much easier for me if I could let mine out. I would never again have to
scoop a litter tray and would have more room in my living room without the
cat tree. I wouldn't have to wash the curtains as often to get off the cat
hair from them climbing on and off of the window sills etc etc. So if there
is a training method to teach my cats to stay out of trouble outside I'd
like to know about it.

In the meantime I'll keep them inside where they won't tangle with the stray
cats I've seen wandering the neighborhood, where I don't have to worry about
whether they look both ways before crossing the street, don't have to worry
about some of the children who are being raised by cat hating parents and
don't have to worry about ****ing off the neighbors when my cat is in their
garden using it as a litter box.

W

wrote:
Christina Websell wrote:


It doesn't seem to be an issue here in the UK at least where I live. Maybe
it's because we expect cats to roam freely. Before I had cats myself, I
would often find kitty footprints on my car. I just cleaned them off.
Everyone does, it's just a fact of life, nothing to get upset about.
If I wanted to plant seeds I know I must protect the seedbed with cotton
threads against cats using the soft soil for toilet purposes.
As far as I know that's what we all do.
I've never heard of a neighbour war here about footprints on cars or pooping
in flowerbeds. I assume it's because we all know that "that's what cats
do.." and let them do it.

Tweed

Tweed, I agree with you, I've never heard of a neighbour kicking up a
fuss about cat doo doo (probably cos a lot of people round here never
go in their gardens anyway, or wouldn't know where the cat came from
that was responsible). There are so many cats that I see round my
streets I get to know most of them and some of them even pop over for a
cup of tea (ha ha), but Otis won't let them in.

I'd have to disagree, Tweed. Case in point, it's a good thing my DH is
a cat lover, because the hood and fenders of his brand-spanking-new
truck have deep, long scratches--not the kind that wash off. It's those
almost-made-it jumps when they try to get traction and scrape all the
way down, or the hind claws that extend when they jump off.
Also, there is much more than seedbeds to consider. Lots of folks have
children playing in the dirt, and that's just nasty to think cats have
pooped in it. And they should be able to, in their own yard, without
worrying about feces from someone else's cat.
Also, a friend of mine has a neighborhood cat who has chosen to poop in
the soft soil right by her front step. It smells like a port-a-potty in
August on her front porch. That just isn't right, to let your cat run
amok and expect other people to make compensations.

Sherry

wrote:
wrote:
First let me say I'm not being antagonistic, I'm just interested in the
(apparent) culture difference between the US & the UK as regards our
feline friends.

That's okay. I'm not trying to be antagonistic either but why do you
have royalty? just asking If it were me, I'd let Charles out and
never back in, that naughty, naughty bugger.

Don't ask me, I'd chop all their heads off and feed them to George Bush
and Tony Bliar!


With regard to letting cats out: All the cats I know go outside, they
(usually) learn their way back home from their local neighbourhood,
they don't go too far but suss out gardens, wildlife, other cats and
people, and hopefully realise that traffic isn't for playing with.
There's not too many birds in London and no-one seems to care about the
pigeon population anyway. Some get lost, some get hit by traffic (mine
for example isn't allowed out the front to the road, only the back
garden where he doesn't seem to want to climb the fence to escape from
but if he did I'd let him).

This is a toughie. I let my cat out. And I usually take her back after
an hour or so. I keep her from wandering off if I see it. The reason I
let her out half-way, semi-supervised, is that there are feral cats
nearby as well as roads and vehicles if she wanders. Now I live in a
rural area that's getting built up so my situation is different.


It's interesting, do you think it's a cultural thing? How long have
people in the US been doing these things? Perhaps it's not the general
population, just people in cat groups As I say, I wasn't saying
that either way is right, it's just interesting how people do things
differently.

Marcia
Lord Otis's slave and minder

We have much higher crime rates so it's dangerous for cats and for
people to be wandering around sometimes. It's not unusual for gangs to
trap and kill and torture cats in the big cities in the USA.