A leash-law for cats?

[ElleKaye]

Originally Posted by catowner

(Woman cited in Mableton for not having her cat, killed by a dog in her driveway, on a leash).
Whoever wrote this law must be nuts!...do they have a leash-law for canaries, snakes, goldfish ?????

I like cats just fine, but I prefer dogs as pets.

I didn't even know cats would walk on a leash because I've never seen do it. Even if it is a real law, the cat was killed in her driveway so it was home. I do know there are laws about keeping your dog under control so where was its leash and who was holding it? The dog would not have been on the cat owner's property if it had been under the owner's control.

[arjay57]

If you are taking your cat out for a walk he or she should be kept on a leash. A cat can do serious damage if it gets a mind to.

[ElleKaye]

Originally Posted by arjay57

If you are taking your cat out for a walk he or she should be kept on a leash. A cat can do serious damage if it gets a mind to.

Arjay, have you ever seen anyone take a cat for a walk?

I have not. That's part of the reason they are not the pet for me. I really can't figure out what you're supposed to do with them that does not involve being hemmed up in the house. I get the impression that once you go outside that it's a free for all.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by ElleKaye

Arjay, have you ever seen anyone take a cat for a walk?

I have not. That's part of the reason they are not the pet for me. I really can't figure out what you're supposed to do with them that does not involve being hemmed up in the house. I get the impression that once you go outside that it's a free for all.

Well, I have seen it done.

Cats are hunters and a lot of them like the outdoors.

[MattCW]

I think people are taking the "leash" part of "leash law" too literally. The gist is simply for the animals to be restrained or contained somehow. So if you want to "walk" your animal in a carrier, that should meet the definition, though it admittedly defeats the purpose. So yes, realistically speaking, it does boil down to having an animal on a leash if you're walking it out in public. The ADA for example considers a service animal to be under its owner's control when it responds to commands. The other alternative of course is a fence of some kind.

[JOinGA]

I don't have ferns on my porch because birds would build nests and cats would kill the babies. My porch furniture cushions get covered with Georgia clay cat prints. Cobb has a leash law for cats and I wish people would obey it. They would raise heck if my dogs were going over and sitting on their porch furniture or pooping in their yard! People post signs looking for lost cats that were probably killed by cars or coyotes because the owner let them run loose.