Does this annoy anyone else?

Question

people who let their cats outside and then come here all upset that they have run away, or get run over or killed by an animal or their neighbor is upset with them because their cat is using their yard as a bathroom.

I feel really bad for those cats who are in those bad situations. if the owners don't want to take care of the animals properly then take them to a no kill shelter.

another pet peve of mine, why people who can't afford animals get them, how many people come here because their cat is sick or injured and they can't afford the vet. or they buy crappy "food" for their cat and don't understand why they are sick. Maybe go with out going out to eat a few times a week, go with out buying that new outfit or something so you can get the proper care for your animals. and if you just barely get by on your own, don't take on taking care of an animal, it's not fair to the animal.

common people!

Answer 1

I agree with some of what you're saying.
Cats DO NOT need to go outside their life span is MUCH longer if they are kept indoors only.

What I don't agree with is your statement about people who can't afford pets shouldn't have them.
You don't know the situation of everyone who comes HERE looking for advice because they can't afford a Vet.
It very well may be that something has happened and at this time they are finacially strapped...that does not mean they NEVER take their cat to a Vet...maybe they had an unforseen car problem and they spent all the extra money they had on the car and three days later the cat got sick...maybe they get paid in two days and WILL take the cat to the Vet then, but in the mean time they're just looking for advice on what they can do in the mean time.
That's why I always recommend that if they don't have the money for a Vet at this time that they should call the Vet and tell them what's going on and see if they can make payment arrangments.

The food thing kind of bothers me also.
I'm not going to debate that subject, but I have a friend who feeds raw along with very expensive high end food to her cats...those cats are always at the Vet for one thing or another.
My parents had a cat that lived to be 21 years old, the only kind of food that cat ever ate was a brand called "Dads"...not the cheapest, but not high end either.
That cat was never sick a day in her life and she died of old age.

Like I said I do agree that cats shouldn't be outside, but as far as the Vet and food things go, you should look at each situation seperatly and not paint everyone with the same brush.

Just my two cents.

Answer 2

I agree, and I disagree.

The outside point I completely agree on. Cats were safer outside 60 years ago when there were less cars and highways to take their lives. Less people to abuse them and more room for them to run. A pet cat should be an indoor cat if at all possible, especially in well populated areas.

I know that there are tons of people out there who don't think it over and just jump into getting a pet, not sure where any of the money will come from from the jump. And to them I stick out my tongue. They should not have pets, that's irresponsible and the ones I know like that are afraid to tell me when they get pets, or have problems with them because they know they will get a lecture from me. They know they're wrong and being selfish.

But, there are a lot of people who get their pet when their financial situation is sound. When they can afford the vet bills and expensive food etc. Cats live a long time though and a lot can happen in that time. People get laid off from well paying jobs they've had for 15 years. Some have health problems and can no longer work. That's not something that is easily planned for and if everyone held off on getting a pet until they had enough money in the bank to support their families for the rest of their lives, let's face it...few of us would have pets. Most of the population is 2 paychecks away from financial ruin. In today's economy it can take a lot longer than that to find a new job that will cover the expenses the old job was.

Pet's are for life. You make that commitment to them when you get them. That's a promise you made when you bring them home and you can't just give the animal up because it no longer fits into your budget.

Being in this forum, when someone says they can't afford a vet bill...we have no way of knowing which group they belong to. It's none of our business. We just have to try to help in the way we can and hope if they are one of those selfish people, then they'll walk away from the situation a better person and think about it in the future.

Answer 3

Yes this annoys me and it is heart-breaking. My next door neighbor has a cat. It is about 16 years old. How it has lived this long Is a mystery to me. She is hardly ever home. Goes to her boyfriends house every weekend. She is sometimes gone for a week and just leaves dry food out. I have offered to take care of the cat while she is gone but she says it is not necessary. This cat is so lonely and it cries all the time. I do feed it anyway and give it attention when I have the time. But it is so sad.. She wasn't always like this. She use to have 3 cats, the last one died while she was on vacation for two weeks. I found the cat, when I went to feed it. ( yes she did ask me to take care of it while she was gone. I never would leave my cats alone that long knowing it was ill or otherwise
Some people are so selfish it really really annoys me.

Answer 4

Cats that are indoor only live longer and are healthier than outdoor cats, which saves money!

Some people treat cats like objects, not living things with feelings. I treat mine like "kitty kids" and we're all much happier.

I made arrangements with a nearby elementary school to bring my show cat to school and show the kids how I take care of it and how the cat responds to appropriate love and care. The cat was really showing off and the kids were so excited they got to talk to him and pet him and comb him and give him treats. That was a good learning experience for them (and good for the cat, too).

Rather than just complain, we have an opportunity to teach children how to treat a pet, and the rewards they get from the pet because of it. So when they grow up they will hopefully remember what to do and what not to do.

Perhaps we can in some small way educate to break this awful cycle of what I consider abuse.

Answer 5

It annoys be beyond belief. I find it bizarre that people claim to love their cats but then turn around and let them outside or ask for home remedies for an issue because they dont want to spend the money at the vet.

I just read one post regarding a cat in season and the poster stated that she plans on getting the cat spayed in a few weeks so she can let her outside and not get pregnant. What about other animal attacks, disease, parasites, cars etc?!?

Answer 6

Well My neighbor has 2 twin mini pint sized dogs and they had one dog a year ago the other neighbor ran it over i was sad my mom and brother didnt give a crap for the poor dog that died.then Now they have the 2 dogs like i said. a few days ago at like 12:00noon my other neighbor was Telling the dog i will run u over, get out of here ( just because the dog was barking :-( )And well they roam the streets at night a few day ago the were up barking until 3:00am.Then at like 3:30am the people let them in - THEY WERE HOME THE WHOLE TIME - ARGHHH AND I GET MAD WHEN THEY PEE IN MY YARD ARGGGGGHH lol Well yeah and im scared hey will get sick and die

Answer 7

It's okay for a cat to be an outside cat. Animals were always outside until we made them pets. I lost a dog to a car last year who was an inside dog. I let her out to the bathroom. It happens. Whether you keep the animal in all the time or not.

Answer 8

I have three cats and one large dog. They are all out in the backyard sunning themselves, running around, getting the fresh air they need, the cats are climbing trees, the dog is working on a bone. We have a doggy door that all four of them use to come and go as they please. They would all go completely insane if I cut them off from going outside, and so would any human.

Answer 9

Unfortunately, not all pet owners are good pet owners, I agree with you - I can get on my soapbox about the treatment of animals, but not everyone believes that an animal should be treated like a family member! I DO!

Answer 10

I have two cats, Jewel and Smokie. They're are sisters and are 9 years old. Smokie has no desire to go outside, she will once in a while in the summer. (We live in ND) But Jewel will go out all year round. She doesn't go out much during our cold winters, but she will. She does go outside all the time in the summer. She's been going out since she was a kitten. We let her out during the day, and she comes in when called at night. Where we live there is not much traffic.