Our beloved neighbourhood cat, keeps sending dogs to the vets. How to make sure that dog owners, keep their dogs on leashes?

Posted by HallowedAndHarrowed@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 47 comments

We have an elderly but fierce cat in our neighbourhood called Buster named after Buster Douglas (who whooped Mike Tyson’s ass), that is the veteran of a thousand fights and is gentle with people but does not like dogs (especially dogs with no sense of personal space).

It will not attack dogs on leashes walking along the road, but any dogs that run and chase it, get slapped. It even sent a Staffy to the vet. Dog owners keep ignoring the rule, and am tempted to put up photos of what Buster has done to past dogs.

It is Buster’s neighbourhood and dogs need to be on leashes (as they should be anyway in a residential area) .

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ChelseaDagger16@reddit

The bigger problem is that dogs without leads are regularly roaming the streets and chasing other animal.

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Experiment328095@reddit

The problem is both cat and dog owners not supervising their pets properly

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FlagVenueIslander@reddit

Isn’t there something in the law about owners being responsible for dogs, but not for cats as cats are too independent?

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Experiment328095@reddit

Ridiculous and outdated - cats are pets. Pets should be kept safe on one’s property or adequately supervised and under control when off of it.

As a vet nurse I’ve seen so many cats hit by cars, mauled by dogs/foxes/other cats, trapped or poisoned by neighbours tired of finding cat 💩 and dead animals in their gardens. The average lifespan of a free roaming cat is obscenely short compared to cats who are properly cared for.

On top of that they kill native birds, wipe out nests full of fledglings, kill protected and endangered specifies of lizards and amphibians and in Scotland our wildcat population has been decimated by interbreeding and disease from domestic cats.

It’s just flat out irresponsible to not know where your pet is.

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danmingothemandingo@reddit

Define a pet

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Experiment328095@reddit

A domesticated companion animal that you own.

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danmingothemandingo@reddit

I'm uncomfortable with declaring or believing that I own another life, my cat's life included. It suggests it's something for me to do as I like with

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Experiment328095@reddit

It’s an interesting view, but if you welcome a domesticated animal into your home you have a duty to care for it appropriately.

I’d genuinely love to have a Cuban crocodile in my house, i think they’re fascinating, but I simply cannot provide an adequate life for one while being mindful of my neighbours, so I don’t have one in my house.

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danmingothemandingo@reddit

I'm intent on giving it the fullest life possible, and I believe that includes following it's instincts to catch birds and mice and protecting it's hunting territory by fighting off other hunters from it's turf.

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Experiment328095@reddit

No, you’re too lazy to care for your pet properly so fall back on mental gymnastics to defend your inadequacy

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Evening-Tomatillo-47@reddit

Good luck supervising your cat without looking like a complete dillweed that's got a cat on a lead

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Experiment328095@reddit

Plenty people are able to adequately care for and supervise their cats. You’re just lazy.

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Evening-Tomatillo-47@reddit

She's 17, I think we've done well enough so far.

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Experiment328095@reddit

Ah, so 17 years of your neighbours cleaning up your pet’s shit from their gardens. Selfish and irresponsible

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Evening-Tomatillo-47@reddit

So what exactly would you like me to do?

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Experiment328095@reddit

Keep your pets safe on your property or properly supervised and under control when off of it. Provide your cat with adequate enrichment at home so s/he can display a full range of natural behaviours without the cat being in danger or bothering other people. The same thing all responsible pet owners do with all of the animals in their care - even millions of cat owners 😱

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Evening-Tomatillo-47@reddit

How do you control your cat?

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Experiment328095@reddit

At this point you’re just being deliberately obtuse because you have no intention of ever being a responsible cat owner 😂 Literally millions of examples across the globe of people who are successfully keeping happy healthy cats without just tossing them out in the street day in day out. If you really want to know it’s completely possible for you to educate yourself on these matters. But you won’t. Because you’re selfish and lazy x

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Evening-Tomatillo-47@reddit

No at this point I'm trying to get you to answer the question because you don't have an answer, you're just complaining at me. You see the term "exactly" doesn't mean "be vague and arsy about it"

You tell me what you would do. But you won't, because you're whiny and lazy

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Experiment328095@reddit

I would be sure to provide adequate enrichment inside the house, an enclosed area outside of the house where possible and leash train my cat. It’s genuinely not rocket science, you’re just lazy.

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Evening-Tomatillo-47@reddit

I wOuLd Be SuRe To PuT a LeAd On My CaT

I'm not taking advice from a dweeb, and your opinion is of zero value. Don't bother to respond

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Experiment328095@reddit

😂👍 I do apologise I didn’t realise you were 8 years old

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Evening-Tomatillo-47@reddit

No need to apologise for being thick as wood.

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Experiment328095@reddit

Sick burn bro 😂👍

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Evening-Tomatillo-47@reddit

Well you've managed to understand one thing...

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Experiment328095@reddit

🥱

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Euphoric_Rough_5245@reddit

From your statement I’m assuming you’ve never had a cat. You don’t own a cat they own you. I’ve had one adopt us and have learnt over the last 10 years that yes they are pets but on their terms and how the heck do you supervise a cat. Wind your neck in (politely put)

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Ok_Translator76@reddit

As someone who has owned multiple cats they're very easy to supervise if you actually care enough to do so. "You don't own cats they own you" is an extremely lame excuse to put your pet and other animals in harms way.

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Experiment328095@reddit

Thank you! It’s absolutely nuts in this day and age people still use old wives tales to defend lazy pet ownership. It’s mental how people cling to these old wives tales to defend their lazy attitude to caring for their pets.

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Experiment328095@reddit

You’re obviously a very lazy person who can’t be arsed properly caring for your pet.

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jeremyxt@reddit

I don't know if the laws in the UK are the same, but in the States, dogs have different laws because they can kill.

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seriousherenow@reddit

My cat could kill you. He just doesn't have a reason yet.

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ChelseaDagger16@reddit

The “Both sides” argument people love to throw only works if they are doing the same kind of wrong. A cat simply existing outdoors is not the same thing as a dogs allowed to run up, chase and initiate contact with other animals.

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spacetimebear@reddit

Not when Buster is around they ain't.

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JensonInterceptor@reddit

This is an American bot look at the language

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DoKtor2quid@reddit

*lead…

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toon_84@reddit

What sort of nonsense is all this?

Buster Douglas, whooped, leashes.

If you're going to post fantasy at least know your target audience

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LichenTheMood@reddit

If buster is your cat please bring em inside. They only have to lose one fight

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LichenTheMood@reddit

Thank you buster for your service. May you never end up on the wrong end of the tussle.

Folks with shite recall walking off leash do my head in. Some dogs just can't be walked off leash and some owners are too inattentive to walk any dog off leash. The number of random off leash dogs that have approached me and my girl is quite intimidating considering she's a sassy little terrier!

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Suspicious_Brief_235@reddit

On behalf of my cats I would like to thank Buster for standing up for outdoor and semi outdoor cats who have to dart back home cause dog owners are incapable of using leashes.

I can’t count how many times I asked people walking past the green area in my neighbourhood to keep their dogs on leads because of 1. Cats 2. Children 3. Cars. It seems the nice and green areas attract infinite numbers of entitled dog owners who think everyone should accept their cute doggie being off the lead.

I feel like the number of dog owners who are off their rocker walking dogs off the lead is growing. Cat owners are expected to build catios, ensure their cats are not climbing neighbours fences, walk their cats on harnesses without causing them any stress, don’t wind up neighbours’ dogs and don’t even attempt to pounce on a pigeon. It’s also a cat owner’s fault if a speeding car in residential area kills a cat. Ask a dog owner to keep their dog on a lead and they will stop to explain to you how cute and friendly the dog is, and how only natural it is for them to chase their prey. So I say good for Buster, I hope he lives long and thrives.

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Easy_Effort7985@reddit

Cats kill a lot of birds and wildlife. As well as seeming to think my front garden is a litter box to shit freely in. I like cats. I like dogs. I just find it odd that your post seems judgmental towards dogs not on a lead. Yet cats left to roam free is fine.

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signpostlake@reddit

Not sure what you can do. Cat obviously feels threatened being chased. Dog owners shouldn't be letting their dogs off lead to chase it.

I have a dog and love him to bits but if this happened to us, the fault would be mine not the cat or owner. Even if he was on his lead which he always is. Not like you can ask it nicely to not slap them in the face.

Probably a bit more controversial but I'm really relieved my dog doesn't seem to mind cats. We get a ton visiting our back garden and I wouldn't want to be blamed for anyone's cat getting injured just because I let my dog out on my property. I've seen many cat owners upset when it's the reverse.

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