People assuming that cats are lost or strays

fro9etb8j5qsl2

I have 2 male neutered cats, one of which is super friendly and the other who is very nervous. They are indoor-outdoor cats with a nice cosy bed in the garage with a catflap leading to the garden so that they can come and go as they please. They are well fed and well loved and they spend their days sleeping, eating and the occasional jaunt outside to watch the world go by I live on a relatively quiet road and the cats are well used to it. Sorry for the big backstory but it's all relevant

So, this evening I come home from work to find the food bowl full and untouched and no sign of either cat anywhere. Both were present and accounted for last night. I spent 15 minutes calling them to no avail. I was just beginning to worry when I looked on Facebook and saw one of my cats on the local lost and found page and was being held at the local vets Apparently, someone had spotted my friendly cat 2 times today in the same place (just outside my house) and ASSUMED he was lost..... To say I am annoyed us an understatement :mad: I know I should have the cats chipped (I'll definitely do so after this) and I'm glad that people out there do care but for gods sake who assumes that a well fed happy cat is lost just because they are wandering around the same place twice in the space of a few hours? I can understand if it was over a few days and he was hungry looking but it wasn't

Anyway, my other cat (the scaredy fella) hasn't come back yet an I'm worried that he might have been with my other cat and scared off by whoever it was 'rescued' him. Could people please have a bit of sense instead of jumping to conclusions? If you suspect an animal MAY be lost then try giving it a bit of food to see if it's hungry. Or knock on a few doors and ask the neighbours. It's a cat, not a dog. Cats tend to wander and do their own thing Sorry for the rant but I just think its crazy, I live in an area where a lot of older people live and there are LOADS of cats and I can't help to think that if one of their moggys got 'rescued', there is little chance that they would have Facebook to see that they had been found.

carav10

Have to agree with you here. There are a few over enthusiastic people out there who pick up dogs that 'must be lost' and don't bother knocking on doors first before bringing them away. I've seen one or two incidences in a rural area where there's a few older dogs who have always been wandering a little outside the property but have been picked up by well meaning people but reported stolen by the owners.

Before people jump in and say by law dogs must be contained etc etc, yes, I agree, but a bit of common sense is also needed especially in rural areas where it is still common that a dog can walk out the gate if it chooses no matter how wrong we think it is! Knock on doors first at least before bringing them away.

But it does help if a pet has a microchip, I can't understand why people don't! It doesn't cost the earth & is a little bit of a security comfort if the worst does happen.

kylith

Well, if your cat wanders I can understand how people would assume it was a stray. They're trying to do a good thing by finding a new home for an animal which they think needs one. Count yourself lucky that it was a nice person who took them in, not someone with fighting dogs, or a shotgun, or that they weren't run over.

If you really can't be bothered keeping the in your garden then at least put a collar on them, and get them to the vets to be chipped today.

fro9etb8j5qsl2

kylith wrote: »

Well, if your cat wanders I can understand how people would assume it was a stray. They're trying to do a good thing by finding a new home for an animal which they think needs one. Count yourself lucky that it was a nice person who took them in, not someone with fighting dogs, or a shotgun, or that they weren't run over.

If you really can't be bothered keeping the in your garden then at least put a collar on them, and get them to the vets to be chipped today.

Jesus come down off your high horse. Not everyone thinks it's fair to keep a cat locked up all day. Cats aren't that type of animal. And I would like to meet anyone who let's a cat outside and manages to contain them in an area. So don't you dare insinuate that i 'can't be bothered' as if I'm neglecting my cat in some way.

And if I hadn't made it clear enough by my post- the cats were literally outside my front door ie in my garden or at the very most outside the garden gate where they sit every day an have done so for the last 6 months since I moved in. I know that somebody meant well but to be honest, I think that a little more cop on could be used.

DBB

Mod note: I'll intervene right here now before yet another cat thread spirals off into the usual realms of ridiculous that they tend to go.
If anyone has a problem with a post, report it. Do not take matters into your own hands by responding to a poster who has annoyed you.
I'll also remind everyone that this is a discussion forum, and as such you are going to come across people whose opinions differ from your own: this does not give you carte blanche to become disrespectful or uncivil towards each other.
If there is another whiff of uncivil behaviour, I will close this thread. It's getting to the stage where cats-roaming-free threads are going to have to be banned altogether.
Ridiculous.
Do not respond to this post on thread.
Thanks,
DBB

Sigma Force

It is hard for people to tell in fairness, esp. as there are so many cats it's hard to know who is who for some people. You can get collars OP but sometimes I worry about cat collars snagging on things and choking the cat but there are ones with a quick release mechanism, it might be worth giving these a try with yours and see if they will wear them might be pointless if they keep loosing them but maybe just buy a couple of those type of collars and see how you go that way people will know that those cats are yours.

Another option is to cat proof your garden that way you come to a compramise, you have your garden enclosed for the cat (if it's a fully walled garden there are cheap enough ways to use brackets and wire to keep the cats from jumping onto the wall and out of the garden). That way they can roam in the fresh air and sit in the sunshine but stay in the garden so they don't get 'rescued'.

A lot of friendly cats are dumped or uncared for as well as hungry looking cats so you can't blame someone for taking a cat in as you said you should have them chipped at least if it happens again then the vets or a rescue can check. But you cannot blame whoever it was that found them, same as if a dog wanders you should just be greatful someone cared enough it's better than not finding the cat at all.

kylith

Cassandra Nice Gazelle wrote: »

Jesus come down off your high horse. Not everyone thinks it's fair to keep a cat locked up all day. Cats aren't that type of animal. And I would like to meet anyone who let's a cat outside and manages to contain them in an area. So don't you dare insinuate that i 'can't be bothered' as if I'm neglecting my cat in some way.

And if I hadn't made it clear enough by my post- the cats were literally outside my front door ie in my garden or at the very most outside the garden gate where they sit every day an have done so for the last 6 months since I moved in. I know that somebody meant well but to be honest, I think that a little more cop on could be used.

I'm not on a high horse, but if your pet has no collar, no chip, and nothing to say that they're owned by someone, then you can't complain when people assume that they're straying.

Mo60

I thought it would be normal to ask locally if a cat, or dog, was found. Surely this saves a lot of time in the long run.

The Sweeper

Cassandra Nice Gazelle wrote: »

And I would like to meet anyone who let's a cat outside and manages to contain them in an area.

Hi. I have six cats who live an indoor-outdoor life in a garden that's fully enclosed with a 2m fence with inclined chicken wire on top to stop them roaming.

...nice to meet you.

strandroad

I think it depends on whether your cat had a collar on. If there was no collar, it was not an unreasonable assumption that he may be on his own. If there was a collar, they were overzealous.
I'd say absolutely make sure that your cat has a tagged collar on. It may also make a lot of difference if he gets into trouble somewhere and if found ill/dead by someone else. With no collar you will never know what happened to him.

Mo60

The Sweeper wrote: »

Hi. I have six cats who live an indoor-outdoor life in a garden that's fully enclosed with a 2m fence with inclined chicken wire on top to stop them roaming.

...nice to meet you.

Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit - so the saying goes.

The OP originally posted regarding the quick actions of someone in posting their cat as missing without making obvious enquiries beforehand.

The usual people have now hijacked this to post their opinions on outside cats.

missmyler

A collar with your home address on it will nip this problem in the bud fairly quickly

DBB

Mo60 wrote: »

Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit - so the saying goes.

The OP originally posted regarding the quick actions of someone in posting their cat as missing without making obvious enquiries beforehand.

The usual people have now hijacked this to post their opinions on outside cats.

Mo60,
Perhaps you missed my warning above.

To all, this is my final warning. I am getting sick of people conveniently ignoring mod warnings, particularly when all I am asking is that people are civil to one another? Is this too much to bloody well ask?
Do not reply to this post on thread. And for that matter, I don't want any petty, abusive PMs either. If anyone wants to PM me, please ensure that it is civil too.
Thanks in agitation,
DBB

anniehoo

Cassandra Nice Gazelle wrote: »

Anyway, my other cat (the scaredy fella) hasn't come back yet an I'm worried that he might have been with my other cat and scared off by whoever it was 'rescued' him. Could people please have a bit of sense instead of jumping to conclusions?

DBB i will do my best to not be inflammatory here and stick within the boundaries (it's very hard though).This is the main part of the OPs post that stands out here. Do you really think he was scared off by a person trying to be nice to your other cat? Oh please! You will be the very person in a weeks time plaguing the lost and found sections of every cat rescue page pleading for people to find him. I've seen it umpteen times.

I just want to ask a few questions.

When you let your cats out do they have a collar with ID tag/microchip?
Are your cats road savvy?
Are all your neighbours cat loving people?
If something happens your cat (the scaredy fella) how will you find him?
Do you expect someone who doesn't like cats to bring them to a vet if they are knocked down?
Do you expect people to understand the difference between a cat wandering for 2 hours who just loves his food and a lost cat whos been starving for 2 weeks?

You're asking people to have "cop on" and not treat cats the same as dogs yet you have a shy scared cat who has gone awol longer than you'd like. You're a mass of contradictions here.I'll bet you'll be the first person who'll berate your neighbours for ignoring the shed that your cat has been stuck in for 2 weeks or for the driver who knocked down your cat and drove on.

YOU are responsible for your animal, nobody else. DON'T expect anybody else to understand that your pet left by itself isn't a stray or lost and DON'T berate anyone else for being kind and compassionate enough to take the time out of their day to make sure they're ok. I hope your other cat comes back, i really do...because the very people who you will need when he doesn't won't care anymore.

I'm genuinely shocked that you have such a blasé attitude to what happens your pets when they go outside alone. There are more cat haters than lovers in this country and you should be counting your lucky stars that anyone would take the time to take your cat in and look after it.

Yes cats are different than dogs,that's not rocket science OP. Come back to me in a week when your "scaredy cat" is missing for 7 days straight and you're sick with worry and tell me do you feel the same. I hope this isn't the case but i think you need a wake up call to understand that your little kitties are not invincible to the big bad world that's right outside your front door.

ISDW

A great deal of cat welfare organisations actually recommend that you don't put a collar on a cat, as they can get caught on things and strangle the animal. There are collars that you can get that are meant to open under pressure, but I don't put collars on my cats, as I have had one of those safety collars not work properly, but luckily I got my cat before she suffered any damage.

Pumpkinseeds

One of my cats was a feral kitten and would be terrified to the point of tearing himself apart trying to get a collar off so we don't have a collar on him for obvious reasons. Our other cat has had all manner of safety collars, some of which cost a small fortune and we had so many close calls where he got himself caught in them, fortunately we got to him before any serious damage was done.

Whilst we would never put a collar on either of them again they are both microchipped. There will always be major disagreements on whether cats should be allowed to roam but it might be better to cut each other a little slack rather than slating each other over differences of opinion on the subject.

DBB

And on that sensible note, I think this thread has run its course now.
Thanks,
DBB