Im sorry you don't sound like a nice person with the first comment. In fact I really get the impression that you don't like cats, thats fair enough alot of people don't like dogs. But as an ''dog/animal loving forum as this one is,your attitude really does worry me.

As for my rabbit I said he even he gets the run of the garden ...meaning supervised and daily, plus in my garden there is no-where for him to get out, and you really think with 3 border collies and a Jack Russell sat there a fox/cat/stray dogs are going to come in and my dogs would just allow that. As for Prey Birds, please think about where I live, to see a prey bird we need to go out more into the countryside.
Sorry no offence meant but you come across as a very aggressive person and if its cats that has made you this way, maybe you are better to avoid them

I would like a cat, but I wouldn't risk it with Jake... I have no doubt that he would try and kill it.

While I don't dislike cats, there is a particular cat that lives around here that Jake hates. It always comes into the garden, and sits on the fence tormenting Jake... If he sees it on the street, he frantically wants to get at it... He would chase most cats (he is usually on lead when he sees them but also becomes fixated on them and tries to pull towards them) but this cat gets a crazy reaction from him... The other local cats stay away from our garden though...

I understand you might not see my point of view, but you can't just dismiss me as 'aggressive' because my opinion differs to yours On the forums I normally frequent a healthy debate is encouraged and nothing to be afraid of. Perhaps you should read/respond to all of my post as well before you find issue witrh a tiny percent of it

What a find surprising is that people with outdoor cats generally admit that they're accepting the risk involved but from their point of view it's worth it for the pets quality of life. But they then also get up in arms about comments like "if your cat is in my back garden and is attacked by my dog that is not my responsibility". I don't understand why, when you are accepting the risk to your cat from my dog by letting it out in the first place. From my point of view THAT is the real double standard. You know your cat is going to be exposed to more dangers outside, but you can't stand the idea of my dog attacking it in my own back garden? Would you also blame a motorist who accidently ran over your cat or if the cat cooked itself inside someone's car bonnet? A cat left unsupervised IS fair game, to a myriad of dangers, not just from hostile dogs but from hostile people etc.

Oh also, just fyi about birds of prey not being in your area, there are often reports of birds such as crows and seagulls attacking rabbits and guineas. This just highlights how there are dangers out there that you wouldn't even normally think of.

It's just so ironic that I'm getting attacked as someone who hates cats/doesn't like animals when I'm kind of trying to prove that letting cats outside is as much a danger to the animal itself as it is an annoyance for me. Just because I don't particularly want to own a cat or bond with them doesn't mean I'd want to see one in pain or not help one in distress. And I would like to point out that if a stray dog wandered into my back garden and was attacked by one of my dogs, that would also be fair game. Once again, while I wouldn't want that to happen, it's not my responsibility. I hope that helps people see past my veneer of burning-cat-hatred that I seem to have inadvertently created.

Ahhhhhhhhhh but some responsible people (myself being one of them) openly said.....my cats stay in their garden.
And if you read my post you will see that I also said, when a neighbours dog cornered one of my cats and got a face full of claws....I paid the vets bill.
Plus a cat is owned but I said in the eyes of the law they are deemed as wild animals.
For quality of life, you take your dogs out, you train them, you give all the needs to your puppy, if someone suggested that as two of your dogs have/might have high prey drives you should keep them muzzled, you would I daresay feel that it would be cruel & because you know your dogs and that would be unnecessary.

So I will endevour to agree to disagree with you that I should pen my cats up because someone feels that it is ''in their opinion'' unsafe for them to do anything else.
I could say my dear.....you seem to be pushing 'your' opinion on others by posting pictures of how you feel cats should be kept/walked around the garden. As I know my cats and feel that is unnecessary

I have no problem with pet cats at all.

If the dogs ever see a cat in their garden yes they go mad around the boundary, but the cat always is gone before they even make it to the the wall.

What drives me mad is stray cats. On several occasions I have had to keep the dogs out of their own land because a stray cat chooses to have kittens in our barn

When I say 'you' I mean like a general you, a forum wide you, a 'all cat owners' type you, not you personally, to clarify. If you have the sort of cats that stick to your garden, are not exposed to risks and cause no annoyance to anyone then I applaud you and wish you and your cats the best.

Also no, if my dogs were aggressive or a danger to animals on the street yes I would muzzle them, but I am not going to muzzle them in my own back garden and I fail to see why I should. I don't know how you can assume from my posts that I wouldn't muzzle my dogs for whatever reason but okay

The law may classify them as wild but you have a duty of care as a pet owner both morally and ethically to [general] your pet.

I've not been pushing my own opinion on anyone, this is a discussion isn't it? Am I not allowed to say what I think about the topic without it being deemed aggressive or pushy? I provided the pictures and links as a way of showing how there are alternatives to a life behind doors for a cat that pines to go out, because I believe it strengthened my argument. Your forum rules on discussions say that doing so is good practice, I didn't expect to be condemned for it or condescendingly referred to as someone's 'dear'

dear ...is a term of endearment.....not condescending.

I agree to disagree.

Oh my!! What a thread

I have 3 cats. Only this week have I taken the decision to start letting 2 of them into the garden, due to the stress they have been under with ranger coming into the house. It's not a decision taken lightly and I must admit I'm scared witless that something will happen to them. HOWEVER, they have not gone any further than my neighbours garden, have spent the days lounging on my slabbed area of garden, enjoying the sun. They come in to use their litter trays and are generally enjoying a little bit of freedom. If they choose to roam further, not a thing I can do about it. We tried harnesses on all of our cats as kittens, thinking of walking them. OMG, I still bear the scars , some cats will adapt to them, but the majority simply will not tolerate them. As for the fencing and runs, I can just imagine my neighbours reactions (not to mention the housing authorities) if I put one of those up!! And the cost would be astronomical as I have a large garden. As I said, my cats have always been house cats, but the oldest one Broxi, has always tried to escape and get outside, and seeing how happy he has been the last week has led to me feeling very guilty that I haven't allowed it before.
As for the 'fair game' comment, words fail me! As cat owners we understand the risks to our pets due to them crossing roads etc, but to think that someone wouldn't give a damn if their dogs is appalling.

I’ve owned a lot of cats over the years, mainly rescues (and the offspring of the one that was pregnant with them at the time she was rescued as I couldn’t bring myself to part with any of the kittens). Many of them were adults when I got them. One was abandoned when her previous owners moved house, and for a long time she kept trying to go back to the house where she lived when she was left behind like a piece of unwanted furniture.

As I live on a fairly busy road, I would have much preferred it if my cats would stay in my garden. I went to a lot of time, trouble and expense with trellis and mesh to raise the boundary of my back garden to NINE FEET to try and keep them in. It didn’t work. In fact it made the situation worse, they could get out by utilising the roof of the outbuilding (which I couldn’t find a way to stop them getting on) and after getting out, they could not get back in. My neighbours were more annoyed by the appearance of my attempt to confine my cats than they were by them free roaming. Eventually I gave up and took it down. It was a waste of time, money and effort.

Keeping them in the house is almost impossible. For starters, it means you can’t have any doors and windows open on hot days (even upstairs, I used to have one who would come in and out through the upstairs windows). It means you, and everyone who visits you, have to be ultra-careful coming in and going out because it’s really easy for a determined cat to sneak through your legs as you go through the doorway. Plus, when you have adult rescue cats that have always been used to being allowed outside, they hate being stuck in the house. Think how your dog would feel if you never walked him/her and you get the picture. I’ve lost two cats to the road here and both incidents were extremely upsetting, but unfortunately the risk of death is part of living. I could go out to the shops next week and get killed in a car accident. Does that mean I shouldn’t go?

At the moment, I have just the one cat. He’s a rescue and will be eleven this year, but I’ve had him since he was four months old. He very rarely leaves the back garden, and when he does it’s normally just to come with me when I go to get something from the car or to sit and watch when I do stuff in the front garden. He comes indoors to use his litter tray when he needs to, he doesn’t leave things outside. One of his favourite things is sunning himself on the slate roof of the outbuilding and he’s done this since he was big enough to get up there. No doubt certain people on here will suggest he does this to annoy the dog in the garden behind, but he was doing it long before the people with the noisy dog moved in. He doesn’t care whether that dog is in their garden or not and I don’t think he’d even understand the idea that him being on the outbuilding roof is winding the dog up. He wants to be on the warm slates in the sun, he doesn’t give a damn about the dog and why should he?

To be honest, if the only thing you have in your life to annoy you is cats coming into your garden, count yourself lucky. Many people have much bigger concerns. Life is too damn short to get wound up over minor issues. Save the raging for something that really matters and go out and find something to make you smile instead.

Louise from what you say i think its highly unlikely the cat was attacking your pup. The cat is most likely from a dog owning family & was simply swiping at the pup to teach it manners & its place much the same as another older dog would do. It may have felt threatened or scared. *The pup probably saw the cat as something to play with - another pup. The cat has taught your pup a lesson much as it would if it was a kitten. If the swipe was meant to hurt, the claws would have been out. Sounds to me as if the cat saw the pup as an annoying pest that needed put in its place. I see it frequently having two older cats & two kittens. It doesnt hurt the youngsters but makes them more respectful of their elders

All you need to do is get a water pistol or plant spray (& twist nozzle to 'jet' ) & anytime you see the cat, squirt it

As for runs & enclosures have you ever thought to consider the costs involved in such a venture, it can be quite considerable & not something the average family want to spend money on. Its not just the materials, its the time it takes to put up & paying someone to do it. *Not everyone is handy enough or capable *to do it themselves

NB excuse asterisks, my word processor isnt compatible with the forum when i copy/paste