[grizolsemn]

So today while I was at work I got a text message from a friend...here goes...
Do you want a cat? (Mind you I rent a 1 bedroom house already have two dogs and two cats)
Me:no sorry can't =\ why?
oh well my sister in law is pregnant and only wants one.cat in the house and doesn't want to put this one to sleep =( (mind you im pregnant...wronnng person to say this to)
me: well....what's wrong with the cat? Is he old or sic? I ma'am really is he a visious chix eater attack cat from the depths of hell?
Friend: no she just doesn't want two cats so she's getting rid of this one. You save animals all the time
Me: yeah but you.also don't see me giving these animmals up because im pregnant. Im sorry your sister in law can't be responsible for two cats and a baby...but that doesn't mean push the cat off on the first pregnant woman u find... try and find a reeve that will take a cat. Ill ask around. Worst case....put her outside. Give her food and water once in awhile. Shell be okay.
Conversation about that over. But then I got another text saying "im going to get her hamster now too!" Wtf is she Doug? Cleaning house??? (By the way this friend is.going to the army...monday so what's going to happen to the hamster???)

[flnastyax]

Putting the cat outside is pretty much a death sentence, IMO. Unless the cat was previously an indoor/outdoor cat, I don't see it surviving long.


..But I agree, I hate irresponsible people that have some kind of change in their lifestyle and all of a sudden want to get rid of their pet. I knowingly signed up for the long haul when I took in B. No way would I give him up for anything. I've been through quite a few situations where it would have been easier, and cheaper, to get rid of him. I've also had countless people tell me they want to take him home with them. That still doesn't mean I'd ever let him go.

[grizolsemn]

yeaa =[ and abouit the cat?i disagree to be honest. Cats have an uncanny need to survive. and were im located... theres always people feeding the strays around the neighborhood so i wouldnt be too worried, not like they care about the cat anyway (these people) at least going outside would give it a fighting chance...

[delnisfernan]

I hate when people get rid of animals when it suits them. This sounds like the: "I'm moving so the dog must go" Which is BS, I have moved many times and I took my dogs with me. Unless your going to a BSL area, no reason not to take your dog.

It sounds to me, like they just assumed you would take the cat.

I think the cat would be fine outside, it will most likely be pissed getting the boot from being inside, but it will live.

[HedgeYourBets]

Don't you know.... cats are disposable.

[grizolsemn]

yeah I mean....what pissed me off the most was the whole "onlyt one cat" SHES KEEPING THE OTHER CAT!!! i mean really??? so the way i see it,..she can put this cat outside....stil;l feed it...still care for it.,..it just wont be in the house. I have a feeling shes going with the old wives tal;e that cats suffocate babies in their cribs but who knows.

---------- Post added at 02:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:47 AM ----------

Don't you know.... cats are disposable.

and no they arent lol

[pharweqto]

---------- Post added at 02:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:47 AM ----------


and no they arent lol

I think she was being sarcastic..

[HedgeYourBets]

I think she was being sarcastic..

VERY sarcastic. I've had cats longer than I've had dogs and I couldn't even FATHOM ditching either of mine because I'm pregnant.

[pharweqto]

Right, its a cat.. not a baby killer..

People are just dumb.

[bestbyV]

Wtf man, just doesn't want two cats. That's the lamest excuse ever. I recently found a home for one of our cats, but from day one she was temp, as we knew when we found her on the street, we would keep her brother and just rescue her until we found the right home. Now, after giving the dedication to keeping a pet, I do not just get rid of it. I have 4 cats, and the two dogs. One of my cats is 14 years old and she has lived outside in florida her WHOLE life. She HATES being inside, we tried it. She has never once been hurt, she's very outdoors smart and happy. However, my three boys wouldn't survive outside, they are indoor cats and the only time my boy got outside, he got bit by a rattle snake and with prayers survived.

Anyway, i hope they can ind a loving home for the cat. why the hell would they get a hamster, cats require a lot less work than a hamster. Who's going to clean its cage and stuff. Or is it going to live in a dirty cage and be lonely because no one has time for it when the baby comes. Where as cats can entertain themselves.. =/

[deackatera]

An indoor outdoor cat has an average of a three year lifespan.

I am a huge opponent to the "indoor/outdoor" cat keeping practice. Unfortunately as I live with my parents, I don't get to make the rules here, and because of it...I recently lost my heart cat to being hit by a car...ironically we live in the middle of the woods, and maybe three cars come up our road daily.

I can list for you all the cats we've lost since I was a child due to being indoor outdoor cats.

Tar Baby: hit by a car. 5 years old

Cleo: Trapped by an irate neighbor, and dumped in the woods near the local shelter. 4 years old

Smokey: Dissapeared, 2 years old

Six: hit by a car, 1 year old

Gidget: found dead on the porch, autopsy inconclusive, poisoning suspected. 1 year old.

The Devil: literally got stuck between two branches of a tree, and strangled. less than 1 year old.

Orange Julius: Likely killed by either a coyote, or loose dog, less than a year old.

Shit Cat: same fate as Julius, same age.

Grimey: dissapeared. 2 years old.

Cougar: Dissapered. 3 years old.

Lucy: Dissapeared. 8 years old.

Outdoor cats rarely make it past their 3rd birthday.

[Menierofe]

I have several cats, barn cats, and they all stay outside.. I feed them on the morning, it's kinda funny to be headed up the the barn and feel like the pied piper with 10 cats following you meowing, lol, all spayed and neutered, we have lost 4 cats in the 8 years we have been out here, one was old age, one had been hit, and the other 2 happened into the dog yard. All in all they all stick close to home, and when I walk into the barn more times than not you can see them draped over the beams in the rafters, lol. I enjoy cats, but do not want then inside.

[grizolsemn]

I think she was being sarcastic..

I know haha I was being half heartedly sarchastic as well lol

[AdobeCreativeSuite]

That's sad about the average lifespan of indoor/outdoor cats. And I am sorry for your losses, Gatorpit.
My mom has two older cats (14 & 10) that have been indoor/outdoor their whole lives and I always worry about them.

Our cats go outside in an enclosure we built for them to play in so they'd be safe.
I feel bad depriving them of "being cats" but worry too much to let them roam, so it's the perfect balance.
I do want to build them a better and bigger one though.

[deackatera]

I want to build a "cat yard" too. I BIG one.

I'm just innordanately unlucky when it comes to pets. All of those cats were MY cats. You know? The ones that I was close too. My parents favs are either still around at 8-15 years old, or died of natural causes.


Same thing with my dogs. If something CAN go wrong, it WILL. Which really pisses me off, because I do things "right", and I see all these other jackasses doing EVERYthing wrong (like my parents) and for some reason, THEIR pets do fine, and all mine die early.

I'm honestly close to throwing up my hands on "emotional" pets alltogether.

Don't adopt anything to me. Seriously. I'm bad luck to cats and dogs.

[U2DnBGFE]

When I took Missy from the barn and gave her a home, she was tickled pink to become an indoor housecat. Seriously, she had a second kittenhood and hasn't left it. She's got no desire to go outside either.

My old girl is permanently at my parent's because she is indoor/outdoor and its safe for her there. She stays right in the yard and loves to kill vermin. Their dog backs up the cats against strays and keeps the coyotes at bay. She 11. And looking better than ever I have to say.

[AdobeCreativeSuite]

I want to build a "cat yard" too. I BIG one.

I'm just innordanately unlucky when it comes to pets. All of those cats were MY cats. You know? The ones that I was close too. My parents favs are either still around at 8-15 years old, or died of natural causes.


Same thing with my dogs. If something CAN go wrong, it WILL. Which really pisses me off, because I do things "right", and I see all these other jackasses doing EVERYthing wrong (like my parents) and for some reason, THEIR pets do fine, and all mine die early.

I'm honestly close to throwing up my hands on "emotional" pets alltogether.

Don't adopt anything to me. Seriously. I'm bad luck to cats and dogs.

Don't say that!
You sound like a very responsible person, from all your posts I've seen anyway.
Your parents sound a lot like mine. They can be tough to raise, can't they?

I am very sorry to hear you've had such bad experiences in owning pets.
I sincerely wish you much better luck in the future.

And just to add, cat yards are awesome.
We built the one we have now (the "rough draft" as I like to call it) out of all scrap/free materials and it cost us literally nothing.
I would love to build a nicer, larger one now that we know what we're doing.
It totally keeps them out of our hair and we know that they really enjoy being out there.
I think the grass, bugs, extra exercise and fresh air are really beneficial to their health.
I love it!

[unapelosina]

I never new people put cats in cages or made them live inside that is so wrong I would never own one if I had to do that. I have two at the moment one of them is 18 and the other three we lost our 15 year to cancer three years ago. Just can't imagine there lives if they were confined. We have even taken the two older ones camping and on different holidays, still just letting them come and go as they pleased. I suppose if I could make a quarter acre cage I would be happy with that.

[AdobeCreativeSuite]

I never new people put cats in cages or made them live inside that is so wrong I would never own one if I had to do that. I have two at the moment one of them is 18 and the other three we lost our 15 year to cancer three years ago. Just can't imagine there lives if they were confined. We have even taken the two older ones camping and on different holidays, still just letting them come and go as they pleased. I suppose if I could make a quarter acre cage I would be happy with that.

I feel the same way to an extent, which is why we built the enclosure.
Not bashing people who let their cats outside or anything, I just personally think if you want a cat as a pet (especially in the city) you should keep it inside. Again, just my opinion.

You can't keep a cat safe and let it out in a regular yard like you can with a dog.
If your cats are allowed outside without being contained, they are at risk of so many things.
Vehicles, people, wild animals, toxic things they may eat, etc.
In my opinion, it's wrong to let an animal you are responsible for live in such risk.

One of my moms' indoor/outdoor cats got her leg ripped nearly right off (literally hanging by some skin) by a neighbors dog, luckily she got away with her life and the vets were able to save her leg.
Her other cat got into someones' trash and licked a can (at least that's what we think) and now only has half of a tongue.

A friend of my dads found a dead cat, starved to death, in his garage after not being in there for a few weeks. The cat must have gotten in without him noticing the last time he'd been working, and then he had to post flyers to find out who it belonged to.

A few years ago there was woman who used to live in town was exposed for setting bear traps to keep cats out of her garden.

Last year a lose dog chased my friends' family cat

I know/know of many people who own dogs and have at least one cat get killed in their yard EVERY month because they didn't escape in time.


Honestly, while you do have a valid point to your opinion, I feel like you may have been insulting my ownership skills or insinuating that I am a cruel person.
I assure you that I do my very best to give my cats the best balance possible to ensure that they are happy, healthy and safe.

[finnmontserrat]

All of our cats are outside cats, most of them are more than ten years old, with the oldest being 18, the next oldest being 17, one being 14, and mine being 12... I don't think it's inherently wrong to let your speutered felines live outside. Most of them used to be feral and hate being brought inside.

We've also spayed and neutered ferals in the neighborhood and released them to cut down on the population, I don't think that makes us bad people.