My last reply to this thread I am frankly quite tired of the arguing and some people just not wanting to see another side of things. You cannot train the prey drive out of cats nor some dogs I agree. My point was why do some think it is acceptable for dogs to kill birds and cats and whatever they feel is fair game whether in their garden or out and about but cats that this is also a natural instinct for it is not ok and all cats are evil and the owners of those cats are expected to sit back and listen to people say it is ok if their cat gets ripped to pieces. You cannot keep some cats in it mentally does their heads in the same as if you never took your dog out for a walk.

Honestly Dogsey seems to be a breeding ground lately for arguments and one sided ones at that. How about a little compassion and understanding and seeing two sides to everything instead of being so flipping one sided I am right attitude of some.

I usually stay quiet and back off things but I am getting really fed up with all of this that is why I tend to stay away from most threads and just read them but sometimes you feel you need to put your point across but there are always those that of course know better.

Im afraid you didnt know the laws regarding cats! Yet again i quote -
CATS AND THE LAW

Domestic cats are protected by law and it is an offence to trap, injure or kill them.

The welfare of cats must not be ignored. Remember that cats, even if they are unwelcome in your garden, may be someone's much-loved pets, perhaps of a child or elderly person living alone.

Some people have called for legislation introduced to curb the freedom with which cats are allowed to roam. While we understand why people feel this way, we are not able to urge the government to introduce such legislation, as we have no scientific evidence of the impact of cat predation on bird populations that is strong enough to support such a call. *

http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/garden...andthelaw.aspx

Well I certainly haven't trained my dog to kill small animals, so yes, in lots of instances it's just an ingrained/instinctive behaviour.

Youre attempting to split hairs - it says clearly on their website - cats the law. If it was only advice they would be obliged to say in their heading - cats & advice! - rolls eyes in exasperation.....!

Sense of humour by pass

Thankyou, and apologies if had wrong information. I was meaning about dogs or other animals n had been told that if a dog killed a cat or even a cat killed a cat the law couldn't do anything, not people harming them(if any of that makes sense, am getting again now)

CATS AND THE LAW

Domestic cats are protected by law and it is an offence to trap, injure or kill them.

The welfare of cats must not be ignored. Remember that cats, even if they are unwelcome in your garden, may be someone's much-loved pets, perhaps of a child or elderly person living alone.

Some people have called for legislation introduced to curb the freedom with which cats are allowed to roam. While we understand why people feel this way, we are not able to urge the government to introduce such legislation, as we have no scientific evidence of the impact of cat predation on bird populations that is strong enough to support such a call. *

http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/garden...andthelaw.aspx

A dog should be under control whether its in its house, garden or outside.

If your dog killed my cat, i would go straight to the relevant authorities & report it

No worries

You're making it a one-sided argument by lumping all the opposing opinions in one corner. No, I would not blame myself or my dog if a cat jumped into the garden and my dog killed it, but I'm not naive enough to think cats can be trained out of killing birds (not all of them, at least). What I don't get is why cats can have this prey drive and get away with it, but in dogs it's so terrible and obviously a fault of the dog and/or owner.

Plus you can keep cats contained. I'm not saying indoor only, but there are lots of products on the market to allow cats outdoor access, safely. Adaptions to fences to keep them contained in the garden, cat runs, cat harnesses. You can buy plenty of toys to keep a cat mentally worn out indoors two. I have two immediate family members with indoor cats (one lives in an apartment, cat gets allowed to roam the hallways for a change in environment, one who's allowed supervise access to a secure garden) and several friends - their cats are extremely happy, well balanced cats.
It's easier to let a cat roam then to entertain it and many people take the easier option. I'm sure there are cats that protest at being shut indoors but there are lots of dogs that protest too - should we start allowing latchkey dogs again? We contain every other animal for its safety and that of others, why not cats?

I haven't posted for a while on this as it achieved exactly what I wanted it to after a while without being helped along

For the record up until a couple of years ago I have always had a cat or cats. When the last one died aged 16 I decided that with so many dogs coming in and out I wouldn't have any more. At the same time we had new neighbours who got two rescue kittens. Those cats now use our garden (at risk!) and my mum spends a lot of time chasing them away from her bird table!

My dogs bark at them off property and look bemused if one is found in a hedge. Etta is in hunt mode if one is around, she has never lived with a cat here. The greyhound who visits is muzzled in the garden if I think a cat may be lurking. Usually they make themselves scarce as the dogs go out.

I am not, nor ever will be, ALWAYS in the garden with the dogs, in the summer the door is open and we are all in and out. I sit and read in one section of the garden, the dogs may be elsewhere. At night they go out alone.

If they killed a cat I would be devastated but I would not consider it to be their fault----if they barged into next doors garden to do it I think that it would be MY fault and something I had to live with. In the same way I stop them from chasing small mammals when I am out. It isn't a good habit to get into.

One day I may have another cat or two but not yet, Cats are special people as well and deserve time and energy spent on them and at the moment I don't have that.

Both species deserve respect, as do wild furries.

rune