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Well I can speak for my dog that got herself hurt trying to jump at cats through the window. She never did it with a squirrel, bird, other dog walking by, etc. My dog was totally under my control...IN MY HOUSE. The cats were running loose, totally out of anyone's control.
No. She wasn't under your control. The fact that she got hurt shows that she was not under your control. Just because a dog is inside doesn't mean it's controlled.
No. She wasn't under your control. The fact that she got hurt shows that she was not under your control. Just because a dog is inside doesn't mean it's controlled.
No you are right. she was not under my control. But she was contained so she didn't hurt or bother other people. Dogs are animals. If their people aren't around, they get into stuff. They are always animals...but if their owner is around and they are trained, you can recall them. But if you aren't there..weee free time...
Ask any dog trainer.
I must mention I lived in an old house with old single paned windows. But so did a lot of people. And I talked to THREE other people whose dog jumped up on the window over a cat and needed emergency vet care.
Dogs are dogs. Cats are cats. No matter what. But at least with a dog, if you are right there, you can control them. Do cats come when called? Sit? Stay? Etc? Nope. But when you aren't there, animals are animals.
And I talked to THREE other people whose dog jumped up on the window over a cat and needed emergency vet care.
How many have jumped at squirrels!
It's always cats that are the problem with dog behaviour on these boards. No one ever claims it's a squirrel or a raccoon or a possum. or a delivery man, or a mailman, or a neighbor. Or another dog. It's always the cats that are the problem.
It's always cats that are the problem with dog behaviour on these boards. No one ever claims it's a squirrel or a raccoon or a possum. or a delivery man, or a mailman, or a neighbor. Or another dog. It's always the cats that are the problem.
No, the problem is THE DOG!
I think it is because people feel someone owns the cat.
That is not true with the other wildlife you mentioned.
If the fence was paid for by only one party, it belongs to that person, assuming it is strictly on his property. I have seen neighboring houses with TWO fences installed along the same line. Not a bad idea.
Keep the pets in their owners' yards. I am fed up with cat spray and dog poop elsewhere. That includes public land or sidewalks and paths. Not to mention yowling tom cats, dug-up gardens, kneejerk barking because something, somewhere moved. And birds killed just for catty (or doggy) fun.
We had two dogs with extremely high prey drive for both birds and cats. We always had them leashed or kenneled when outside. The ONLY casualties--one bird, one mouse--happened when a dogsitter who was less than vigilant walked them. Never when we were in charge. It CAN be managed. The owner just has to make the effort to do so. I admit that when cats sauntered onto OUR property and sprayed everything, it was mighty tempting to just "let dogs do what dogs do". But I knew our dogs would be persecuted.
But you see, this is what's interesting about cats.
We didn't domesticate them.
Researchers say they domesticated themselves. They chose to live along side humans. So they are a part of the balance of nature. Choosing to latch onto another species whose lifestyle/agriculture provided them with a ready food source. It happens in nature all the time with other species. Remora for example. Barnicles.
It's easy to forget that humans are part of the natural world the way we live now but we are.
Does that happen all that often? Really? You have that many cats roaming around? Pulling plants up. I have a garden, I have 3 cats and I don't see it happen as often as some people claim it does.
And imagine all the poop from birds and rodents and insects that happen in your yard. Thank god for rain.
Not strays, A full on colony. I removed 11 cats from this colony and closed it down. Kept two of the younger catlings. The two I kept are very afraid of humans except me. And they are hardwired for the outdoors.
Not really to me, but to others. I'm a lazy gardener, I like perennials I just need to split/thin out very few years. When they come back they're lush, and the soil isn't all soft and fluffy, but dense. Cats don't want to dig through dense plants or grass with firm soil. People who plant small annuals, in freshly tilled soil come home to that. Or vegetable patches. I keep veg/small berry plants in pots on my upper deck so I don't have that issue (or slugs).
Former house cats join colonies. People move, throw kitty on the street and leave. some will join a colony. they still were a house kitty at one point. Sadly this IS something that happens here often. some go semi feral. sometimes people do take them in and keep them, or try to find them homes again. THAT really makes me angry, tossing them on the street like the furniture they don't want.
Cats born feral, and get into adulthood without ever being a house cat very typically get a high fear of people. if you tried to capture one as an adult and bring it inside it usually FREAKS. It wants to be out, free and not trapped. a home is trapped to them.
I had one kitten from a feral. So tiny though she adjusted just fine she was only a few weeks old. I wanted to catch all the kittens I heard about, but by the time I got there mamma had already left with the others. I thought they were all gone until I heard a tiny voice crying from the ditch. whistle and it would come close enough to see you, then run away. Took me hours, coated in burrs from the brush in the ditch but we finally did catch her. More hours to comb them out of my hair and I tossed the sweater I was wearing. she was so tiny we caught her bum end as she almost slipped all the way through a chain link fence. my parents still have her. she's awesome, and VERY snuggly/loving.
The younger ones, you may have caught just in time, or they were abandoned pets that joined the colony. Glad you were there for them though.
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More hours to comb them out of my hair and I tossed the sweater I was wearing. she was so tiny we caught her bum end as she almost slipped all the way through a chain link fence. my parents still have her. she's awesome, and VERY snuggly/loving.
