Cats being allowed to roam at night

[Sunlover00]

I'm sure there was a thread on this not too long ago but couldnt find it so here goes...

We have dogs and before we go to bed, we lock the dogs in so they dont get up to no good in the back garden, wake up neighbours etc. However, they still end up barking in the middle of the night because cats that live near us are allowed to roam all through the night and have a good walkaround in our garden which agitates our dogs.

I appreciate that you can't harness a cat and take them for walks but I'm sure there could be improved effort to keep them in at night

[PeckhamRose]

Cats are mostly nocturnal. It's what they do. And not all of them have owners.

[andy1]

It's funny you should say that Sunlover00. I also have a similar problem in that my cats constantly get barked at by unruly dogs, and scared, when all they are trying to do is have a wander round their local neighbourhood gardens. These dogs (and, would you believe it, their owners) believe that cats are secondary to dogs. Maybe I should buy a litter tray and block up the catflap, harnessing their natural instinct to be inquisitive and sucking the personality out of them. Or maybe I should blame the dog owners for not stripping their own dogs of all natural behavioural traits. What do you think, as a fellow concerned pet owner? Shall we lobotomise them all?

Best wishes

Andy

[Alex K]

Not to worry: Be patient. Time is on your side.

On the average, free-range cat, carrying a higher market / gastropub price as it does, for the most part is substantially shorter-lived than battery (inside) cat. This world's Andy1s will have high-personality cats, to be sure, but also not for long.

And one of these centuries, this world's Andy1s will figure that out. I'm not the sharpest pencil in the box, and I was able to decide that Mike (grey, Burmese) and Sonny Boy (tawny, also Burmese) can stay inside at night, null problemo...

Mind you, we'll never know what they'd have been like without psychological warping from the get-go. But they SEEM just fine.

[Sunlover00]

Hmmm, Andy where did I state cats were secondary? OTT perhaps?

It's natural instinct for dogs to chase after anything moving e.g. cats etc but we as responsible dog owners put leads on them. Funny enough, they aren't born with leads.

[Sunlover00]

Oh and Andy, I don't think having a cat litter tray would invoke the RSPCA's interest for infringement of cat rights otherwise Pets@Home wouldnt be selling them

[Monkey]

Why don't you try to teach your dogs not to bark?

[sweet megan]

Many cats are nocturnal- I have two cats -one who is more than happy to spend the night curled up asleep in bed-the other who becomes very distressed when prevented from going out at night-both brought up the same, just different personalities.

If its not cats -then foxes too will agitate your dogs-the issue is you need to train your dogs not to bark-I too have a dog & have trained her not to bark -only on command-this is possible to do, but takes time & patience. If you don't know how to do this you may need to consult a dog behaviourist-as I think your problem will continue -as expecting cats/foxes not to roam is unrealistic.

[ednewmy]

I don't care if it is in their nature to roam around at night or during the day, it makes no odds. So long as they keep using my garden like some sort of local cat latrine I'll be chucking pints of water at them to keep them at bay. They're about as welcome as any other vermin. i.e...not.

[mc_hall]

Dear lord. I despise cats but given that cats actually do "roam at night" this is a rather pointless thread no...?

[Sunlover00]

Don't bother posting a pointless comment on a pointless thread then no?

[minder]

I have three cats, two stay in most of day and night, not venturing further than than the front/back garden. They are scared of the dogs and foxes. The third stays in all day then has to go out most of the night, returning early morning. I worry about her but it's something she does like clockwork.

[red devil]

Move close to a Chinese takeaway, strangely the cat problem will eventually disappear...

[????]

I'd support a curfew on bats and owls at night.

[Bluerevolution]

red devil Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Move close to a Chinese takeaway, strangely the

> cat problem will eventually disappear...

I lol'd at that, almost as much as the last day of last season !

[DJKillaQueen]

I just had a little chat with Twiggy (a cat of mine that loves to roam at night)and she told me it's foxes that usually bark at her. She also told me that if ever I kept her in against her wishes, she'd scratch my eyes out while I sleep.

Dogs can be trained not to bark at cats, just as they can be trained not to chase them.

[chillychap]

Them foxes, its them darn foxes ;-)

[pommie]

it could be foxes roaming the gardens and using them as litter boxes too!

[Sunlover00]

-- moved topic --

[woodrot]

I used to be able to get my cat hunting & trapping supplies from the gun shop on Lordship lane. Since it closed, the place is overrun with stinking mogs.Maybe we should lobby to Coop to stock guns and ammo so we can give these vile creatures what they deserve.

[Gidget]

DJKillaQueen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I just had a little chat with Twiggy (a cat of

> mine that loves to roam at night)and she told me

> it's foxes that usually bark at her. She also told

> me that if ever I kept her in against her wishes,

> she'd scratch my eyes out while I sleep.

>

> Dogs can be trained not to bark at cats, just as

> they can be trained not to chase them.

Cats can be trained to stay in at night. Would you let your children roam around at night or whenever they wanted. I like cats, and have had quite a few, but seriously, people do need to keep them in more, for the health and safety of the cats.

[DulwichFox]

Here's where your cat goes at night...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmQe_tFEvz0&feature=related

Fox..

Edited to include better quality link

[nannyjuice]

I aree with Gidget'I had cats and kept them in at night,they have passed now and i have 2 Alsatians,They don't pee and poo in my garden,however the 'Eight'cats (i have counted so far)that use my garden at night as a litter tray(and FOXES can;t blame them they have no owners)are driving me mad,every morning have to hose down the' presents' left.My grandchildren play in garden all the time so have to be vigalent on behalf of other peoples responsibilties.

And YES I DO PICK UP MY DOGS POO when we go walkies and they are trained to only pee on grass,(walk on edge of park so no pee for the kiddies to sit on)

[RosieH]

Weird that the cat people seem to think the dog people should control their pets, while not doing anything to control their own.

Cats roam and dogs bark. If you should train one not to do something, then you should likewise train the other.

[Loz]

nannyjuice Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I aree with Gidget'I had cats and kept them in at night,they have passed now and i have 2

> Alsatians,They don't pee and poo in my garden,however the 'Eight'cats (i have counted so

> far)that use my garden at night as a litter tray(and FOXES can;t blame them they have no

> owners)are driving me mad,every morning have to hose down the' presents' left.My grandchildren

> play in garden all the time so have to be vigalent on behalf of other peoples responsibilties.

> And YES I DO PICK UP MY DOGS POO when we go walkies and they are trained to only pee on

> grass,(walk on edge of park so no pee for the kiddies to sit on)

Hang on... you have a cat problem in your garden. You own two alsatians.

Am I thin only one to see the obvious solution here?