cat people

i am sorry for generalizing, but i am very upset right now. it seems that many of the cat people in my area hate dogs! i had a lady today yell at me because my dogs wanted to chase her cats! heres where the problems starts....i was walking my dogs on leash, her cats were not! i know maryland state law for dogs, and they have to be on leash, but what about cats? i cant believe she told me that my dogs were out of control! to which i replied show me a dog that is not interested in cats and i will show you a dead dog. she didnt like that very much.

i mean who does not know that dogs like to chase cats and that if you let your cat out you are putting it in a situation that could be dangerous to the cat? if i had allowed it one of my dogs could have gotton her cats on leash, but i am a good dog owner.

i dont know, i guess humans by nature are cruel animals.

thanks for letting me vent

I cast my vote for "Mosey" as Cat Man. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Mosey a cat man??? Never.......... [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

I have cats and a dog. He'll kinda chase the cats in the house but he knows "Dad" will be on him in a heartbeat. He will bark his fool head off at the neighbors cats, but thats when I make him come in. I don't want him to annoy the neighbors. If he got loose, he'd chase them until the run up a tree.......he just wants to play, he's only 2 [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
I don't let him run loose.....the road is too close and the speed limit is 55, everyone runs 65 and he has no fear whatsoever for the road. I've seen him run at full throttle across the road to "get to know" 4 beagles a neighbor was walking.
The cats were raised indoor only....when we lived in town. Now that we're out here, I can't turn them loose, I'd not like to see something happen to them.

yeah my "big dog" grew up with cats and really loves them, but most cats dont realize this and run. when they run, her prey instinct takes over and has to catch them. this is why i take them out on lease. every try to catch a dog running after something at 40+ miles an hour!

I have a buddy of mine that has probably 6 cats and resently aquired a older chow puppy and they get along great.

As far as that ole bitty complaining about your leashed dog... I believe the leash law includes all animals, not only dogs [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

I have a buddy of mine that has probably 6 cats and resently aquired a older chow puppy and they get along great.

As far as that ole bitty complaining about your leashed dog... I believe the leash law includes all animals, not only dogs [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Cat... The other white meat [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

<font color="purple"> maryland state law for dogs </font color>

The leash laws are usually at the county or city level. Montgomery County MD's leash law is somewhat enlightened, in that it specifies your dog must be under your "direct control", not necessarily on lead. Meaning, if obediance training permits you to control your dog without a leash, then that's OK. Likewise, you can have a dog that is on a leash that is out of your control.

I've got cats, but since I don't want dogs (or coyotes) to chase them I keep them inside. The food chain is a reality, after all.

But there are specific laws about dogs that don't apply to cats. In most states, a dog is considered "personal property" (which is one of the reasons you're required to license them). Cats are not. I'm not quite sure I understand why that is, though, but it is. Anyway, the fact that they are property means that if they cause any harm to others that you as the owner are responsible. (Same deal as if your cows get on the road and someone hits them you're the responsible party in most cases.)

Another example is if someone's dog gets on your property and kills your chickens (livestock). The owner of the dog is responsible for keeping the animal away from someone else's means of making a living. No such rule for cats, although most of my chickens would probably make mincemeat out of a cat [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]...

thats not the law here in maryland. after dealing with this womam i got on the phone with my lawyer. winds up that marylands leash law is for all pets. if you take your dog, cat, ferrer, bird, etc off your property you must have it on a leash. as well cats in the state of maryland must be liscensed just like a dog. this lady was just unplesent. i have no issues with cats, some are pretty cool. but if you take your cats outside you cannot expect a dog to not be interested, and you especialy not get upset with someone when there dogs look for the cats when the dogs are on leash and the cats are not!

<font color="blue"> bird, etc off your property you must have it on a leash </font color>

Love to see someone with a bird on a leash [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]. I'm sure it's been done...

<font color="blue"> if you take your cats outside you cannot expect a dog to not be interested </font color>

Couldn't agree with you more. Our cats are indoor only because we want to spare them the reality of Real Life Outdoors. They ever decide they want to face it, they're on their own out there. And one of the true realities of life is, "Dogs chase cats".

You put your cats out where dogs could be, you should be ready to deal with the obvious result.

I've battled the dog/cat relationship problem with my own pets for years. Being successful in getting my dogs to accept being around cats has always depended on the cat's attitude. If you can train the cat to not run or try to fight, be passive, they can become friends or at least tolerate each other. The moment a stupid cat thinks he's in control, he's decapitated. I've never had near the problem between a dog and a chicken, rabbit, duck, or even a goose. A smart dog around nervous horses will know to lie down and play coward. I'd blame the cat owner for not training the cat, impossible as that sounds.

Based on the same canine behaviour, I blame parents for 90% of the dog-bites inflicted on children. With dogs being such a common domestic species it is a parent's responsibility to teach their kids how to behave, respect, and be comfortable around dogs and how to recognize, avoid, or react to signs of aggression.

I use the phrase "respect all - fear none" with my kids in talking about both animal and people relationships, if only I could get over my morbid fear of water moccasins.

I've been too busy to keep up with this forum lately, so I realize this is an old thread. But, I see I'm still remembered! Believe it or not, the cats are still around. I even "built" them a new house. It's made of straw bales stacked up and the roof is supported with wood so the bales don't collapse in on them, then the whole thing is covered with a camo tarp. It's pretty cozy!

Danny.........I'm proud of ya.... [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Danny if you were a "Virgina Slim" I'd say you have come a long way baby. Cats are cool little critters.

Would this 'new house' be anywhere near where you wanted their litter box to be? [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] Good plan. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Steve

Saw a funny bumper sticker...
"I just love Cats...want to share recipes? [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Alright, alright...dogs and cats are both great to have around in my book.

"Would this 'new house' be anywhere near where you wanted their litter box to be?"

Absolutely! I don't remember who it was, but someone (either here or on TBN) pointed out to me a while ago that cats like to eat, poop, and sleep in the same area and not have to go very far for any of those 3 things. The problem is, we have to walk out to "their" area every time we feed them, which is not problem most of the time but a real pain when it's pouring down rain or has been raining and the ground is wet and muddy between our house and their house. At least the mouse problem is taken care of, although I'm not convinced the mice were more trouble than the cats!

It used to bug me that dogs had to be fenced, tied, or leashed and cats were free to roam. It expecially bugged me that it was a felony to do anything to a cat (InSane Diego, AKA San Diego). I am probably guilty of something regarding animal cruelty for making a motion detector operated rainbird sprinkler to keep cats out of my flowerbeds. I got over the cats free to roam thing. It doesn't bother me much anymore, especially since I moved to rural Oklahoma and can shoot feral cats if the coyote, lynx, fox, bobcat, or puma don't get them. If they'd stick to rats and mice and stop stalking birds at my feeders, I'd be their best friend but they don't want to be that way.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Cats will always kill birds every chance they get. It's their instict to do so and you can't change Mother Nature!

Mosey, Actually I did change Mother Nature. I converted that feral cat from a bird killer to a coyote snack. I don't have a problem with cats per se, I'm not one of those "I can't stand cats!" people. I have had pet cats but I choose to intervene when cats start using my bird feeders as cat feeders. I really wouldn't shoot just any cat, especially if it resembled a friends animal. I'd mention that I'm having a problem with cats and will shoot them and that if theirs might wander as far as my feeder they might consider some sort of intervention at their end. Then that said, I'd shoot any cat near the feeder.

The one I shot had been living around my property for a few years and was getting bolder and bolder about killing the birds we feed. I figure it was a bad thing for ground nesting birds like Bob White quail and killdeer too.

Dumped pets are a problem in our area but not always a bad thing. A good friend and neighbor ended up with a dumped dog that has turned out to be the best little dog imaginable. It wants to go everywhere with him. It rides in a box on the fender of his tractor and wants to go in his truck everywhere he goes. Smart, pretty obedient, great personality, and friendly. It seems to be (sure looks it) a pure bred Tibetan Temple Dog, the breed name escapes me just now.

My stray dog policy is if I know whose it is and it isn't a problem I don't shoot it. If it is just passing through, I let it go. If it hangs around too long, bothers stock, or is in a pack of 3 or more that is grounds for summary execution without appeal. There are just too many cast off pets and too much irresponsible breeding mostly on the part of folks with wishful thinking in place of reason. A lot of these get dumped around here.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

How much do you know about coyotes? We heard them howling and screetching every night a couple years ago. When we got the cats one of our main concerns was the coyotes. But, for some reason we haven't heard or seen any signs of coyotes for 2 years. Do they migrate? Maybe they're smarter than me and moved south to a warmer climate!

Danny,

I suspect they migrate a little bit, based on food supply and hunting pressure. We've got a pretty bad infestation of them right now. So far, they haven't bothered any of our critters or the neighbors' barn cat which always seems to be hunting in the ditch at the end of our drive.

One of my wife's cousins has been trapping them about 1/2 mile behind our back property line, he said trapping has been good, so I'm hoping he can put enough pressure on them to get them to move elsewhere.

Steve

Mosey, Coyotes are very wiley (pun, Wile E. Coyote of road runner cartoon fame). They are extremely adaptable and virtually omnivorous. It doesn't take but 2-3 to sound like 12-15. It could have been a pair and a litter who moved on due to food availability, threat, loss of habitat (this is a tough issue as coyotes are so adaptable).

In SOCAL there are oodles of coyotes. They even live in Holyweird. There are lots of Coyotes in close proximity to humans in San Diego. Predation of pets where folks are adjacent to canyons and other "wild spaces" is a common thing. I have had friends who lost dogs off the back porch within a few blocks of downtown San Diego.

Since so few sound like so many, if a varmint hunter shot a couple or one got hit by a car it could have devastated your "chorus."

We definitely have coyotes in our area. So far I have done nothing to discourage them. I leave beaver etc out for them to eat. Many of their dropings this time of year are nearly 100% persimmon seeds sometimes with rodent hair mixed in. Even though we definitely have them, we go for fair periods without hearing them. Sometimes they are terrifically vocal and sometimes not. I have seen a few live coyote near the road and several dead ones (roadkill) but in 4 years have only seen one coyote on my 160 acres. They are out there but not making a very visible presence and we go for several months without hearing a thing. I think that sometimes they chorus in the wee hours and it is likely I just don't notice. I have heard them in the wee hours of the morning 1-3 AM and not at any other time for a period of months.

I really like to hear them and will cut them slack until or unless they prove to be a problem. Most often they get blamed for what cute little pet dogs do when they get in a pack and their thin veneer of civilization vanishes. Killing calves etc.

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]