My dog killed my neighbors kitten. . .

[widgeon13]

I think all pets should be under control. If dogs have to be on a leash, why not cats. Cats can make a pretty good mess of a garage if they choose to and it should be the owners responsibility to know what they are up to.

Plus if they aren't fixed they screw everything in sight creating a bigger problem for everyone.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by widgeon13

I think all pets should be under control. If dogs have to be on a leash, why not cats. ...

dzls rok, I stand corrected. There IS one other guy that agrees with your position.

I remain of the opinion that this idea (all cats on leashes or confined) is hugely unrealisitic. It ain't gonna happen....even a little bit.

[lendaddy]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

dzls rok, I stand corrected. There IS one other guy that agrees with your position.

I remain of the opinion that this idea (all cats on leashes or confined) is hugely unrealisitic. It ain't gonna happen....even a little bit.

Why do your house-cats need to roam outside? What am I missing here? Why would you even want them to? It seems highly irresponsible to me.

[Eric 951]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

I doubt if you will find one additional guy here that will agree much less think its possible to do what you propose, but I'd be interested to hear if anyone agrees. Guys, what say you?

I sort of agree. When I let my dog outside in my yard, I monitor him--keeping an eye on him, making sure he doesn't run out to the road, or into any neighbors' yard--after an allocated period of time, or whenever he is done, I take him back inside the house. This insures that he
doesn't get hit by a car
doesn't crap in my neighbors' yard
doesn't dig/tear-up the garbage/terrorize neighbors

I don't have a problem with cat owners who don't want to take the responsibility of spending the time to monitor their cats when out in the yard in the same fashion--so long as they don't have a problem with me taking their cat to the shelter after it has torn up my garbage/shat in my garden for the umpteenth time.

[lendaddy]

Originally Posted by Eric 951

I don't have a problem with cat owners who don't want to take the responsibility of spending the time to monitor their cats when out in the yard in the same fashion--so long as they don't have a problem with me taking their cat to the shelter after it has torn up my garbage/shat in my garden for the umpteenth time.

Exactly.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by widgeon13

I think all pets should be under control. If dogs have to be on a leash, why not cats. Cats can make a pretty good mess of a garage if they choose to and it should be the owners responsibility to know what they are up to.

Plus if they aren't fixed they screw everything in sight creating a bigger problem for everyone.

so how about pigeons?
you want those on a leash?
parakeets?
What else you want put on a leash?

cat's roam in the wild, that's what they do
if you can't deal with that simple fact,then what do you do when you spot mosquito's? flies? bees?

You want beekeepers to put all the bees on a leash??

[rusnak]

outside cats are throwaway cats.

I stand by my belief that humans are supposed to be the smartest animals on earth. You decide what happens to your pet by how you care for it.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by svandamme

so how about pigeons?
you want those on a leash?
parakeets?
What else you want put on a leash?

cat's roam in the wild, that's what they do
if you can't deal with that simple fact,then what do you do when you spot mosquito's? flies? bees?

You want beekeepers to put all the bees on a leash??

A good friend of mine grew up very poor. As kids, he and his brothers would catch wasps and put them in the freezer. Once the wasp was frozen, they would tie string around it's midsection. They would then allow it to thaw. Once it came back to life, they would fly them around on the string.

[lendaddy]

Originally Posted by svandamme

so how about pigeons?
you want those on a leash?
parakeets?
What else you want put on a leash?

cat's roam in the wild, that's what they do
if you can't deal with that simple fact,then what do you do when you spot mosquito's? flies? bees?

You want beekeepers to put all the bees on a leash??

I don't think it needs to be mandated, it's just a good idea if you care about your animal. Nature happens, ask the kitten.

[widgeon13]

Originally Posted by svandamme

so how about pigeons?
you want those on a leash?
parakeets?
What else you want put on a leash?

cat's roam in the wild, that's what they do
if you can't deal with that simple fact,then what do you do when you spot mosquito's? flies? bees?

You want beekeepers to put all the bees on a leash??

Read the post again, did I not say pets should be under control, you're the one who wants to put the birds on a leash, not me! Dogs and cats should be controlled and if a leash is necessary then so be it.

Actually, where I currently reside I'd shoot the pigeon or anything else that is a PITA to me.

I'm not a cat fancier and if I had to I would take the little bugger to the animal control officer or have him come and get it. They can be just as dirty and a pita as dogs not controlled.

[Jandrews]

Sad story for the kitten and kids. I am both a cat and dog lover, and hate to see anything bad happen to any animal. That said, nature does happen, and in my opinion it is the owner's responsibility to try to "minimize" it. But, when it happens, you have to be prepared to deal with it.

A question for the group...what are your thoughts about this situation? I have two male Rhodesian Ridgebacks. They are basically large sight/scent hounds that are known for being excellent temperament, great with kids etc... My two are lazy, and only care about eating and sleeping. They are big (Mason 105 lbs, and Moses 120 lbs), but are completely harmless and in 10 years have never even as much as growled at something.

One day, my wife was in our driveway (our lot is 1.5 acres surrounded by trees on three sides), washing her car. We have a split rail vinyl fence PLUS an underground electric fence surrounding the entire backyard. Then, another loop of underground electric fence surrounding the entire frontyard (obviously no vinyl split rail in the front). Anyway, Moses was laying the driveway (frontyard off leash, but with electric collar on) while my wife washed her car. Moses is a neutered male. Suddenly, Cool, the neighbors field trial champion black lab (intact male) comes running into our yard checking everything out. He constantly runs fast, as he is a high energy hunting dog. He is VERY friendly. Anyway, Cool rolls up near my wife where she is washing the car, and Moses puts a pretty bad thumping on him. Grabbed him by the loose skin on his side and put a six inch rip in his skin. They apparently fought aggressively for about 5 seconds before Cool high-tailed it out of there. I was not home.

Soon, I get a call at work from the neighbor who is highly aggitated. He states that my dog tore up his champion hunting dog and he is now suddenly concerned for his small children to be around my "vicious" dog. I immediately diffused the situation by apologizing profusely, and offering to pay for any vet bills that they would incur from this event. I tried to tell him that my dogs are very well trained and very well behaved, but he is excited. He apparently got the response he wanted by me offering to pay vet bills, and cooled down pretty quickly. Nothing ever came of it, and we remained cordial.

In the ensuing months, his other two dogs (Austrailian Shepherds) began finding their way through my vinyl fence and wandering around in my BACKYARD. They are fast, so they would taunt my Ridgebacks by circling them and running around trying to avoid being caught. The Ridgebacks weren't playing. There were some close encounters (which I video-taped), and then called the neighbors multiple times trying to warn of an anticipated mauling. They (eventually - maybe after a couple months of this activity) got an underground electric fence and the dogs stayed away.

Now (and sorry for the long story), for my question. The more I thought about the incidents (both the mauling of Cool and the encroachment of the Austrailan Shepherds), the more I resented my neighbor. After the Cool incident, he made some snide comment in the heat of his "concern" about his daughters, about "it would be a shame to find dead Rhodesian Ridgeback as a result of all of this". Clearly a threat, but in the interest of diffusing him, I let that comment slide.

End result, no one got hurt, but his attitude sure bothered me and I though I was well within my rights controlling my dogs as appropriate. I felt bad that Cool got layed open like that, but it was preventable. Keep your dog in your own yard.

Thoughts?

JA

[Eric 951]

Your neighbor was being an ass...all of this took place in YOUR yard. I would have told him to keep HIS animals out of YOUR yard and never offered to pay the vet bills. If he fears for his daughter, tell him to keep her out of your yard too and there won't be a problem.

[widgeon13]

I've seen people w/ leashes on their kids especially in the airport or in town, why not one for the neighbor kid if they are so f------ concerned. Your neighbor is an a--hole.

My previous golden was a good dog with people, but he hated other dogs. I always had him on a leash and knew what he was doing. I broke up a dog fight when we first adopted him at 5 years and 90 lbs, got bitten on both hands. It was my fault and not his.

He loved cats! Go figure???

[rusnak]

JA, I think you already know how to handle both your dogs, and your neighbor.

Don't sweat it.

For what it's worth, I might have done the passive aggressive bit, and shot the neighbors dog with a bb gun or something, so you are a better man than I.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by rusnak

outside cats are throwaway cats.

I presume you also support that any dog off the leash is disposable too.

I think you are all missing a vital point as far as our society and leash laws.

Many dogs have the ability to kill people, domestic cats... not so much.

[rusnak]

Scott,

I think people who walk their dog along a busy street, with no leash are taking a risk with their dog's lives, no doubt. Yeah, they are taking a disposable attitude to their dog. I didn't miss the point at all. In fact, I am supporting that point.

Please go back and carefully read my posts if you will. You will notice that I am advocating that people take CARE and ANTICIPATE dangers to their pets in advance. You as the human on top of the food chain should know that your pet can't read crosswalk signs, might get stuck in a tree, might drown in a lake, might get strangled trying to fit through a fence, might get eaten by the neighbor's dog, might drown in a neighbor's pool. etc.

I am not saying accidents happen. They do, and they are mighty unfortunate. But the only issue to me is how you take care of the pet, and it reflects your attitude toward proactively mitigating dangers to your pet. It starts with how you proactively mitigate risks to yourself I imagine.

[Dan in Pasadena]

I completey agree that as a responsibly pet owner you should try to anticipate dangers for your pet and take appropriate measures. I do for my dog. I have owner cats in the past and short of keeping them inside the house at all times (and even then thy get into thing) I don't think you CAN protect a cat like you can a dog. That does NOT mean I think cats are "disposable".

I happen to think that no living thing is disposable - with the possible exception of a few humans I have heard about!

[rusnak]

ok disposable is too strong a word, sorry. I know some humans who like to be put on a leas....wait are we in OT?

[scottmandue]

Sorry, I guess I was overreacting to the "all pets should be kept on a leash" comments.

That would really suck for all the snake owners.

Note that my cats are kept indoors.

I even had a cat lady ask me "is your house cat proofed?"

I thought WTF?

[lendaddy]

I keep my dog on a leash to protect her from people(cars), not to protect people from her.