Little black plastic bags tied in a bow and hanging from tree branches

[formant]

I guess you've never had a pet cat? I've had two pet cats and have never ever seen either of them poo on the road, the pavement or even on the lawn. They usually poo on a patch of soil and then cover the mess over with soil that they scrape with one of their front paws. Note:- the first cat died before I got the second cat, so there is no chance of one having learned toilet habits from the other. It is clearly instinctive behaviour.

But they do poop in people's gardens. The same back gardens in which those people's kids play (and those don't stay within the boundaries of the lawn either). They also poop into sandboxes. Guess why there are such few sand-covered playparks in this country (compared to the continent)? It's not about dogs. It's about cats, cause pretty much everyone let's their cats roam free around here. It's gross. But cat owners don't care one bit.

So why is that? Toxoplasmosis not a problem?

Besides, one of my dogs also buries his poop. Every single time. That doesn't stop me from picking it up.

[d000hg]

If you spot a cat pooing in your garden you might legitimately demand the owner comes to clean it up, but they can't come onto your property without permission now, can they?

People let their cats roam free because that is in a cat's nature. To put them on a lead would be cruel.

[MarillionFan]

But they do poop in people's gardens. The same back gardens in which those people's kids play (and those don't stay within the boundaries of the lawn either). They also poop into sandboxes. Guess why there are such few sand-covered playparks in this country (compared to the continent)? It's not about dogs. It's about cats, cause pretty much everyone let's their cats roam free around here. It's gross. But cat owners don't care one bit.

So why is that? Toxoplasmosis not a problem?

Besides, one of my dogs also buries his poop. Every single time. That doesn't stop me from picking it up.

Does he do sandcastles as well?

[lilelvis2000]

Yeah cats are a bit of a problem. My wife actually had toxicoplasma(sp?) which showed up on a test when she was pregnant. That was probably because she used to own three cats and there are no less than a dozen cats in the area. So obviously our back garden is full of the stuff. I need a way to keep the cats out as my lad plays in the back digging up the soil.

My sister in Canada had a cat and she had to keep it in her back garden, and have it's front claws removed so it could not climb over the fence. Essentially the cat had to use a litter tray. IMHO I'd rather cats in the UK were trained that way too.

[formant]

Re: Little black plastic bags tied in a bow and hanging from tree branches

IMHO I'd rather cats in the UK were trained that way too.

Yeah, same here - though not a fan of declawing. If you keep an animal as a pet, keep it in your house or follow it around and pick up its poo. Really don't get why people are so hypocritical about this when it comes to felines.

[d000hg]

Yeah, same here - though not a fan of declawing. If you keep an animal as a pet, keep it in your house or follow it around and pick up its poo. Really don't get why people are so hypocritical about this when it comes to felines.

Follow it around as it traipses trough the countryside? Good luck with that. Follow it as it scales 12ft high fences? Sure. Unlike a dog, the only way you can keep a cat under that much control is to deny it being a cat in the first place.

All you need to do is train it to use a litter box and it should use that even if it is allowed outside. Cats can be trained as kittens not to crap all over the place.

And as for hypocrisy towards dog owners... cats don't do big sticking jobs on the middle of a pavement, they normally do it somewhere more secluded so it's less problem, per poo, as it were.

[formant]

Re: Little black plastic bags tied in a bow and hanging from tree branches

Follow it around as it traipses trough the countryside? Good luck with that. Follow it as it scales 12ft high fences? Sure. Unlike a dog, the only way you can keep a cat under that much control is to deny it being a cat in the first place.

All you need to do is train it to use a litter box and it should use that even if it is allowed outside. Cats can be trained as kittens not to crap all over the place.

And as for hypocrisy towards dog owners... cats don't do big sticking jobs on the middle of a pavement, they normally do it somewhere more secluded so it's less problem, per poo, as it were.

It's no less of a problem when it comes to kids picking up diseases whilst playing outside. The average cat owner does f-all to train their kitten not to poop all over the place. I wouldn't call backyards in residential, built up areas 'secluded'. Only thing that stopped/limited cats pooping in my garden was getting a dog. They still poop in the front yard though.

[doodab]

I need a way to keep the cats out as my lad plays in the back digging up the soil.

Hosepipe with a jet on, spud gun, pepper spray, or a big snarling dog will do it.

[Scoobos]

Well having been a child when no one had ever heard of picking up a dog turd and I can honestly I never knew anyone who caught a disease. Perhaps we were just intelligent and knew not to play in dog crap?

== Irony.

And that's the game

K'thnx.