Conference misery::feline

    Proposed lease law for cats in Framingham....and they are serious!
    

    I read about that as well.  Lots of angry people in that town!  It is
    bad enough to hear civilians threatening to shoot other people's cats;
    to hear a law enforcement officer say it really infuriates me!!
    
    I'm glad I live way out in the sticks!
    

    Any town that adops this law had better be very even handed in      
    restraining dogs, horses, and whatever, as well as cats.               
    (I added "and whatever" as I once saw a pair of Lama on Route 27 Acton,
    MA, at 1:00am in the morning.  I'm so glad the police were familiar
    with them as I felt a fool telling them that there were two South
    American Lama running lose on the highway.)
    
    It's going to be hard for people who live in towns that adopt leash
    laws for cats, and as those very same towns have dog leash laws that
    are not well enforced it's going to cause much bad feeling and big
    time trouble between dog and cat people.  Unfortuantely, the real
    losers will be the cats and their heartbroken owners, who will suffer
    because of laws like one proposed in Framingham.
    
    Having to restrict the movements of my bunch of bandits right now, I
    appreciate how hard it's going to be to restrain cats who have been
    used to coming and going at will. Unfortuantely, right now rabies is a
    very real threat and household pets are the most common rabies contact
    humans have.  So you can expect more towns to adopt similar laws in the
    future.
                                                                           

    I think that leash laws for cats is a good idea.  My county has a leash
    law for cats on the books already...each citizen must keep their cat on
    their own property.  If the cat goes onto someone else's property, that
    person can surrender the cat to the pound.  The Animal Control will not
    go and get cats that are not confined to their own property though.
    
    One of the biggest problems facing community animal control shelters is
    the number of cats that have to be euthanized each year.  The "return
    to owner" rate is very low for cats.  Once a cat ends up at a shelter,
    it has a very slim chance of going back home.  This may be because of
    the attitude that cats are disposable, independent, uncontrollable,
    etc.  I think that leash laws serve the public in the manner of
    education.  They teach people that they must be responsible for their
    cats.
    
    I understand that many people will be upset at the prospective of
    keeping their cats on their own properties, but there are ways it can
    be done.  Outdoor enclosures could be built, or the cats could be leash
    trained. 
    
    I think that encouraging cat owners to consider keeping their cats
    indoors only is a good idea.
    
    Jo

    My issue here would be to be threatened by a police officer when
    the law isn't even in affect.  What is this world coming to if
    we can be beaten/threatened by the officers who should be here 
    to protect us.   Over the years I have lost ALOT of belief in
    cops and our juridical system.  They can't even handle the mass
    murders/robbers/gangs...but now they are going to be on kitty
    patrol!!  
    
    After working at the shelter and seeing how many lost strays are
    brought in...I do believe in this law even though I do have indoor/
    outdoor cats...but I hate to see how it will be enforced!! 
    
    Sandy
    

    My cat always stays in my yard.  He's neutered, and was a stray
    previously.  Is it difficult to convince your cats to stay within the
    bounds of your property?  I am new to cat-ownership, and was very
    surprised to learn that cats can't be trained like dogs, but I'm very
    fortunate that Spike stays in the yard. Since I'm ignorant about
    training cats, those of you who are better at this can answer: can you
    train a cat to stay in the yard?  Seems a lot safer to me, since Spike
    is only exposed to his own dogs, who are very cat-friendly, and no
    danger of being hit by a car. Can't say it will help much for rabies,
    since raccoons can climb fences and open gates.  I wonder why cats were
    never included in restraint laws right from the beginning? Anybody
    know?   Sarah

    
    I've had cats all my life, and I'll admit I never *tried* to train a
    cat to stay in the yard, but from what I know, I don't see how it could
    be done!  A cat does pretty much what it pleases.  If the cat wants (on
    its own) to stay in the yard or otherwise nearby the house, that's what
    the cat will do.  If the cat wants to wander, that's what it will do.
    
    It seems to me that a cat leash law is rediculous!  In my opinion, it
    forces all cat owners to either 1) keep their cats inside at all times,
    2) keep their cats inside except to "walk" them on a leash, or 3) build
    a completely enclosed area (sides and top) for their cat.  Option (3)
    is obviously out for renters, and most cats that I know won't be very
    pleasant to live with if they are kept inside or on a leash (I know, I
    know, someone will say that the cat will get used to it eventually and
    be happy).
    
    What are these towns trying to accomplish with a cat leash law?  I can
    understand with dogs, who have been known to harrass or attack people. 
    But cats???  they don't attack people, they usually run away!  is it
    because of the rabies thing?  wouldn't mandatory rabies shots work just
    as well?
    
    A concerned cat owner,
    
    Valerie

    I can think of a few things that a cat leash law would accomplish.
    
    1.  Many people do not like cats wandering in their yards, digging
        holes to do their business (especially in gardens or sandboxes),
        or just don't like cats in general.  I wouldn't put it past some
        folks to outright shoot a cat that merely trespasses on their
    	property!
    
    2.  The rabies epidemic is already in New England, and approaching
    	MA at a rapid rate.  This is yet another reason to encourage a
    	leash law for cats.
    
    3.  When I was young and living at home, we always had indoor/outdoor
    	cats; in fact, very few people had completely indoor cats back
    	then.  I vividly remember our neighbor throwing rocks at our cats
    	whenever they entered her yard.  She didn't appreciate the fact
    	that the cats hunted and killed wildlife.  Although she did not
    	throw the stones to deliberately hit the cats, just scare them off,
    	in today's society, there are "people" who will aim to harm or kill.
    
    Cats can be leash trained if you start them young.  I have mentioned
    many times in here that I leash trained my Ragdoll cat, Kelsey.  He has
    a run (long piece of rope attached to the bottom deck post) that allows
    him to go no further than our property and some of the common area
    surrounding our unit.  I stay out with him to ensure he does not drag
    the rope into other people's yards.  Actually, he knows what his limits
    are and a loud NO! when he starts to approach someone else's property
    sends him heading in another direction.
    
    I think it will be a lot harder for people to leash or yard train cats
    that are used to coming and going as they please.  A better solution
    would be some sort of inexpensive outdoor enclosure attached to the
    backyard of the house.  Unfortunately, only people who are as crazy
    about their cats as us Feliners are would consider this; there are many
    more who won't even bother to find a viable solution and just give the
    cat away, dump it somewhere, or continue to let it roam and reach it's
    own demise.
    
    Sad, but true.  Instead of a leash law for cats, I would rather see
    enforcement of some sort of confined outdoor area for the cats to play
    in.  Cats on leashes are not as obedient as dogs on leashes.  I can
    just see folks tying their cats outside and then going about their
    business.  The minute that cat tries to climb a tree or make a jump, it
    could mean instant death.
    
    -Roberta
    

    >>Instead of a leash law for cats, I would rather see
    enforcement of some sort of confined outdoor area for the cats to play
    in.
       
    The idea of a leash law is to make people aware that they are
    responsible for keeping their cats under control at all times, just as
    a leash law for dogs means keeping a dog under control at all times. 
    I don't think that it means that the cats must be on an actual leash. 
    And enclosure would accomplish the same thing, keeping the cat on it's
    own property.  These leash laws would be better named nuisance laws, 
    since the idea is to keep the dog or cat from becoming a nuisance to others.
    
    Also, the idea is that if there is a leash law, then fewer cats would
    be left roaming around loose, ending up in the shelters.  
    
    Jo
                                         

    Leash Law = no.  Cofined Area = yes.
    
    The one and only time I had DejaVu on a leash she almost killed
    herself.  She is a *very timid cat* and the least little noise sends
    her in a panic.  A car went by (we have a stockade fence) and she went
    flying for the opposite part of the yard, over the railing and tried to
    get over the fence.  I was trying to hang on for dear life so she
    wouldn't get into the street.  She is that way in the house too so
    trying to let her get used to noises won't work.  
    
    I already have a problem with Thunder trying to sneak out of the house
    so letting her out once a day would only add to the sneakiness.
    
    I used to have an enclosed garden area (not in use) that the cats loved
    to go into.  That was torn down 2 years ago.  Maybe I'll consider
    putting up a new one.  We are repairing the fence, tearing down the
    pool and deck, building a new deck, etc so probably adding some sort of
    screen house might not be a bad idea.
    
    As to the policeman saying that a cat should stay in it's own yard or
    it would be buried in someone else's - I can't believe it....  I know
    there are good and bad policemean just as there are good and bad people
    but I just can't believe he said it while being taped.   Maybe it was
    heard wrong?????
    
    Sandi and the MadHouse StormTroopers (added another kitty)
    
    
    

    I really can't believe that a policman meant to imply that he would
    kill a cat he found in his yard.  More likely he was saying that as a
    warning to people that their neighbors might take matters into their
    own hands once the law is passed.
    
    Jo

    
>    What are these towns trying to accomplish with a cat leash law?  I can
>    understand with dogs, who have been known to harrass or attack people. 
>    But cats???  they don't attack people, they usually run away!  is it
>    because of the rabies thing?  wouldn't mandatory rabies shots work just
>    as well?

These towns are not just fighting rabies, but attempting to    
protect every citizen's right to live WITHOUT cats if they choose...cats do
a great deal of damage to gardens, plant their scat in other people's
yards and gardens, thereby leaving a perfect breeding spot for bacterial
and parasitical infections to afflict your neighbor's children, and their
cats and dogs.  Domestic cats are directly responsible for the destruction
of the necessary food chain for wild animals in surrounding wooded areas,
and are also forcing many songbird species to danger of extinction.  Your
cat doesn't just go where it is okay when you let it run loose, and it doesn't
just kill nasty little mice and other "vermin".  It has a direct effect
on the environment...and it isn't a good one.  We must all learn to protect
our neighbors' rights as well as the wild life out there - and we can only
do that by controlling our pet animals....in particular, OUR CATS.

    .7  Dogs can be regulated via leash laws, etc, because they have to
    be licensed and are deemed "owned", also ownership can be traced
    and proved.
    
    As to why cats were never included in this I am not sure, but I believe
    it's because cats wander.  It's harder to keep a collar (to hold the 
    tags) on a cat.  And lots more stuff like that.
    
    My chief concern is that towns will opt for the "easy way out", which
    is to copy-cat (no pun intended) other towns and adopt leash laws without 
    really thinking the thing through and looking for more workable 
    alternatives.

    
>    My chief concern is that towns will opt for the "easy way out", which
>    is to copy-cat (no pun intended) other towns and adopt leash laws without 
>    really thinking the thing through and looking for more workable 
>    alternatives.

as they watch the feral cat population explode, communities which are already
strapped for cash due to economic downturn don't really have "more workable
alternatives"....and, believe me, as a cat lover who also has endangered
species of birds nesting in her yard - I KNOW there is no alternative to
restraining cats if you wish to protect birds.  Cat hunt whether hungry or
not and our bird populations cannot sustain the onslaught - we are losing whole
populations.  Nestlings cannot run from a belled cat, so belling the cat does
not solve the problem.

Even if you live in a very rural area, your domestic cat has
a negative impact on the food chain in the area - because the cat is so
successful at killing small rodents, etc. the food is then not available to
the native fauna - and animals begin to move out or starve...and the whole
habitat is changed.

I think We need to remember that cats aren't indigenous to 99% of the world 
in which they live...
and, therefore, they are a NEGATIVE influence on the environment when allowed
to roam free.  And, in spite of old wives tales to the contrary, a cat that
is allowed to roam is always in danger of getting lost, particularly when
young.  Cats live by scent, they orient themselves in their environment by
scent.  Once a cat crosses a busy road, the scent trail he/she uses to
return home is compromised by the changing smells of the traffic.  Once the
cat is disoriented, you have a feral cat added to the population.  Any cat
that is outside can be driven from home by dogs or other predators, or 
lured from home by interesting scents.

With all the problems brought on by free-roaming cats in my community, I 
welcome a leash law - and I know that there simply isn't any other alternative.
If someone can spend the money and time to invent a fence a cat cannot scale or
jump over, then they can always give their pet felines the run of their own
back yard...as previously mentioned, outdoor habitats can be created to
give you pet access to the outdoors without having the freedom to roam into
neighbors yards...there are ways to give your cats limited freedom and still
live to the law.

    As yet, I have not been able to find the details of the Framingham cat
    leash law.  When I viewed my concerns that other towns may copy-cat
    this law, I should have added:  If the law is not well written, or does 
    not take into consideration the many problems that may be caused for
    cat owners; then if that law is copy-catted without closely looking at
    and evaluating the workability of the law, we could be in for real
    pain.  My chief concern is that as cats are so hard to catch, some
    towns may adopt to drasticand very final measures to deal with 
    unpenned/leashed cats on the excuse that that is what other towns are 
    doing.
    
    I agree, feral cats are a real problem as are stray and dumped cats; I
    have not had the pleasure of actually choosing a cat in 16 years, as I
    am sure is the case for many Feliners, and birds and squirrels are a
    becoming a rarity since Christopher found us.  However, there is a need to
    take care that we are not creating a "monster" of a law.  There are 
    elderly and financially strapped cat owners who will suffer if such leash 
    laws are not carefully written
    
    And ecologically speaking, having to keep my bunch restricted is costing 
    me extra kitty litter at a time of the year I had not planned to be still 
    buying and using it.  This will double my contribution to the local 
    landfill every year.
    

    I think with this topic we are all going to have diametrically opposed
    viewpoints as with the indoor/outdoor issue.  Quite frankly, I don't
    see any real difference in arguing the pros and cons regarding cat
    leash laws and indoor/outdoor cats.
    
    I am also concerned that this law will create more harm than good. 
    With so many ferals and strays, as Rosemary mentioned, how do they
    expect to effectively police it?
    

    My fear is that the police won't police it...how can they with
    all the budget/headcount cuts and all the other major problems
    in the world today.  But what does this law allow neighbors to do.  
    Shoot the animal, poison the animal, torture it...or bring it to 
    a shelter.   I hate to say it...but shelters will not have the room
    for all those animals....so folks will find other means to destroy
    this beautiful creature.
    
    I guess we will have to wait until we read the new law to understand
    the specifics.
    
    Sandy
       
    
    
    

    It would seem to me that most of the concerns regarding the cat leash
    law could be accomplished by requiring rabies shots.  Cats are animals
    which pose essentially no threat to people and do very minimal damage
    to gardens, etc (I own two cats, one dog and have a garden.  In fact
    the cats keep the rodents away from the garden.)  Cats generally stay
    away from people, so I don't think that anyone is being forced to be a
    cat owner if they don't want to be.  Forcing cat owners to build an
    enclosure or leash their cats to me seems to be imposing an unjustified
    burden on both the owner and the cat.
    
     

    >Cats are animals
    >which pose essentially no threat to people and do very minimal damage
    >to gardens, etc (I own two cats, one dog and have a garden.
    
    I disagree. True, cats don't typically eat vegetables in a garden, but
    they do use gardens (edible and ornamental) as litter boxes and their
    feces can be extremely dangerous -- especially to those of us who have
    pregnant wives and cannot do any gardening because of all the cats who
    use our yard for their personal litter boxes. Toxoplasmosis is a very
    real and very dangerous threat to pregnant women.
    
    >Forcing cat owners to build an
    >enclosure or leash their cats to me seems to be imposing an unjustified
    >burden on both the owner and the cat.
    
    I really don't see the difference between restraining a cat and 
    restraining a dog. No domestic animal should be permitted to roam free 
    in residential areas. There are risks to the animals as well as people 
    and property. You wouldn't any more want dogs running loose than I want 
    cats running loose. I love animals, cats included, but am just 
    completely fed up with all the cats running loose in my neighborhood -- 
    and I'm sick and tired of pulling cat crap out of my yard -- including 
    the one that defecated right in the middle of my driveway last week -- 
    not to mention the males that are constantly spraying my cars, fence, 
    and foundation of my house -- I've had it!
    
    There definitely are two schools of thought in this issue, but I truly 
    feel that domestic animals should always be under the control of their 
    owners -- be they cats, dogs, birds, snakes, hamsters, fish -- whatever!
    
    Mike

    I am a cat lover, yet I find outdoor free roaming cats to be quite a
    nuisance.  For one, the males spray on my house and garden, so I have
    the odor to contend with.  It is especially pungent during the hot
    summers.  Two, they use my garden as their litter box, which is
    annoying, and cat be a health hazard to me and to other cats.  Many of
    the cat diseases (FIP, FeLV, FIV, Rhino, Calici Virus, Panleukopenia) 
    are transmitted through urine and feces, and many illnesses can also 
    be transmitted to humans in this manner (i.e. toxoplasmosis, roundworms, 
    tapeworms).  Three, they kill local wildlife, which in some areas are 
    endangered (like the birds in Dian's area).  Four, cats that eat rodents 
    are more inclined to get diseases like toxo, roundworms, tapeworms, etc. 
    So, free roaming is also a danger to the cat.  To say that free roaming 
    cats are *no* problem is a bit shortsighted.
    
    Another issue is that many free roaming cats either impregnate other
    cats, or become pregnant before their owners are aware that they are
    sexually mature.  This adds to the pet overpopulation problem.  If
    these same cats were confined, they might not have access to members of
    the opposite sex and thus the problem of unwanted kittens would be
    reduced.
    
    Why is it that so many people accept that dogs should be confined in 
    order to protect public health and safety, but very few folks think 
    that cats should be controlled for those same reasons?  This is kind 
    of a double standard in my opinion.
    
    Jo
    

    I agree with what has been said about free roaming cats, they are a
    pest.  I wish every cat was a wanted and loved cat, but they 
    aren't.  I am more concerned with how those unwanted strays are
    treated on the wave of a cat leash law.  What happens when your cat
    temporarily becomes one of them?  And yes Sandy, how towns will 
    handle cat catching when their budgets are already stretched.
    
    Another facet, some people keep cats because they are low
    maintenance pets, what will happen when that changes?

    Cats are just as "low maintenance" indoors as outdoors, IMO.
    
    My across-the-street neighbor has no double-standards.  Her 3 cats all
    roam free...but so does her dog.  :^(  We've got them to stop bothering
    "our" squirrels (actually, when the squirrels discovered that we
    protected them, they actually started fighting back!), but they
    (especially the dog) still use our yard as a bathroom.
    
    K.C.

    Cats are not currently included in leash laws due to the tradition that
    they are considered wild animals.  I have seen this published many
    times in Cat Fancy and CATS magazines.
    
    For my 2 cents:  I feel that all city cats should be not only neutered
    but also kept inside - primarily for their own safety.  Yes, I feel
    sorry that my kitties cannot roll in the grass, or chase butterflies. 
    But they will never ever end up on the side of the road either.
    
    For their sacrifice, I give them a totally pampered and mollycoddled
    life, which, after all, is only what they deserve.

    I have been TRYING to leash train Eddie Haskell. If you think a puppy
    is stupid on a leash, you should try putting a CAT on a leash! 
    
    My husband calls it "Dope on a Rope".
    
    ng

    We tried to leash train Tiki II.
    
    First, we had to buy a small dog harness...the cat ones wouldn't fit.
    
    Then, we attached the (overlong) leash to our porch, so that he could
    romp on the grass without leaving the yard...but we were still sitting
    nearby.
    
    We turned our backs for a minute, then turned to look back at Tiki.  He
    was lying there quietly, looking at us...exactly a foot away from his
    harness!
    
    We put the harness back on him.  When he thought we weren't looking, he
    walked as far as the leash would let him, then simply backed out of it,
    and laid down near it.
    
    From that time to the end of his days, we'd had no trouble with
    letting him outside if we're right there.  He stayed right in the yard,
    but we never bothered with the leash again.
    
    Rico is afraid of the outdoors, and we haven't even TRIED with Alex...
    and we may not.  We really prefer to keep them indoors.
    
    K.C.

    Tiki sounds like our Mocha. We really should have named him Houdini.
    We have bought him at least 3 harnesses (all dog ones as the cat
    ones were all too small) and he would either lay there like he was
    frozen in place as long as you looked at him or turn your back and
    he would go to the end and off the harness would come. He has learned
    over time when we go away weekends we'll take the cats IF they behave
    and Mocha equates that with new surroundings and new smells everywhere
    so he is on his best behavior.  The two himmies are "fraidy" cats and
    find the bedrooms and hide under the beds for the first 8 hours or so.
    
    With these furfaces you just never know what they will do next...!!
    
    Barbara & her 3M's  

    Great name -- "dope on a rope".  :^)
    
    Not to sidetrack too much from the basenote but would a cat harness fit
    a 15 pound cat or would I need to purchase one more suitable for a dog? 
    I'd really like to be able to take Chubs for a walk to see if we could
    work some of that excess poundage off his thighs!  (When he walked over
    to me last night the floor was creaking.  If it weren't for his legs
    and tail sticking out you'd swear he was a bowling bowl.)  :^)
    
    Do most cats disapprove of harnesses?  I honestly don't want him to
    wander freely because of where we live, however, I do think he'd enjoy
    a romp in the woods.  Another question - if and when I start doing
    this, will he constantly beg for more?

	A short note about leash training.
	The following I've tried on my cats until we got our enclosure.

	As you know, cats are very conservative. Every change in and
	and around the house makes them feel a bit nervous. This goes
	for leashes as well.
	Every new experiance is scary, a harness AND outdoors are two
	at the same time (for an indoor-cat).
	Training a cat on a leash takes up a little time and even he/she
	may not like it. Don't bother then !!

	Buy yourself a harness; check that it's strong enough to hold
	your cat (you're amazed how strong a cat can be if you're 'pushing'
	him into something he doesn't want). Leather harnesses preferred.
	Make sure the connection to the leash is save and strong. If
	the cat pulls hard on the leash, the connection may fail and
	up up and away they are.

	Keep the cat indoors and only put on the harness. For a while
	he/she get's into all kinds of stupid positions to get off the harness,
	hides itself, runs around to get it off etc. etc.
	If they manage to get it off, put it a little tighter. Outdoors
	he might get stuck on branches when the harness is too loose.

	Try this frequently. After a while you'll notice they don't bother
	to get it off. That's the time you put the leash on and take them
	outside. Make sure there are no other people around than then
	ones it's used to.
	Sit down somewhere he can see you and let the leash run free.
	If he get's somewhere you don't want him, pull it tight.
	A cat knows when he can't get any further, he won't pull.
	Make sure the leash is just that long that trees or jump-on things
	can't be reached. 

	If this all works out fine (it did with mine), you could get them
	so far, that if you pull out the harness the know they can get
	outdoors.


	Erwin.

    Dogs, too, reject collars, harnesses, and leashes. But if dogs are
    started with these devices as puppies, they become accustomed to them.
    Kittens, too, should be started with restraints -- not waiting until
    they're cats.
    
    Good luck to y'all!
    Mike

    There are newer Figure 8 harnesses that are Houdini-proof...they adjust
    to the cat, and they can't back out of them.
    
    Cats CAN be trained to stay in one area.  I still carry the scar on my
    chest that Tiki gave me when one time I tried to carry him OUT of his
    allowed area.  And even tho he backed out of his harnesses, he would
    always stay in the perimeter we set for him.
    
    My hub's grandparents had a completely leash trained cat, and a
    perfectly incorrigible dog...the dog hated leashes, the cat loved them.
    
    Heck...my brother leash trained a HAMSTER!!!
    
    K.C.

    Kelsey took to a collar and leash right away.  He didn't care for the
    harness.  He loves his collar and leash now, and really purrs up a
    storm when I take it out of the drawer!
    
    I put a collar and leash on Taja yesterday, and he didn't even flinch! 
    He acted as if he had worn one right along.  I only let him walk around
    the deck a bit, and he enjoyed it.  When he tried to jump thru the
    slats, I brought him back inside.  :^)
    

    RE: .28
    
    Cheryl,
    
    You'd need bigger than a dog harness for Chubs! I think you'd have to
    go to at LEAST a PONY harness for that big boy! ;-) Even with no hair
    he's a big boy! He's a cutie though!
    
    Y

    Re:  Harnesses.
    
    I've discovered that my cats have absolutely no balance when on a
    harness.  Ya put the darned thing on and the cat falls right over
    on its side and doesn't move.  There, proof positive that cats have 
    no balance when harnessed. ;-)  Reminds me of a line from a Firesign
    Theatre album.  "He's no fun he fell right over."
    
    Jan

        Harnesses!   I  once tried a couple on a Siamoose - collar/lead
        and then a "figure_eight"; same result.
        
        She did a perfect impression of a cat for whom gravity has been
        repealed and has an  overwhelming  need to stay anchored to the
        ground  -  as  flat as  possible,  all  four  paws  spread  and
        _gripping_ - she even seemed to  be  trying  to  hold on with a
        suddenly prehensile tail.
        
        Looked like a furry soup plate with claws.

    I tried to teach Nebula to walk in a figure-8 harness when she was a
    kitten, but I eventually gave up - as others have reported, she usually
    just plastered herself to the ground and wouldn't move.  The harness
    was not big enough to fit JFCL anyhow, so I didn't try it on her (she
    is a BIG kitty).  I used to let mine out if I was working in the
    garden, but they can no longer run fast enough to keep out of the way
    of the neighborhood dogs, so they watch from the windows, usually.  I
    don't let them out if I'm not around to keep an eye on them, anyhow.
    I have trouble imagining anyone viewing a housecat as a major threat to
    them or their property, anyhow - I keep mine inside for their own
    protection, not to protect the neighborhood from the 'attack cats'.  I
    do wish some of my neighbors would keep their dogs under control,
    though - we supposedly have a leash law, but I have *never* seen any of
    the neighborhood dogs on a leash (though one house has a fenced back
    yard) - there used to be a rather viscious dog on the street, though I
    never did figure out who he belonged to.
    
    /Charlotte

re: cats not causing damage, etc.

as someone with a dear friend who is, for whatever reason, terrified of cats,
I can assure you that the damage they can cause when roaming loose may not
be immediately visable to you.  Jeanette is unable to enjoy her own property
because her neighbors have no respect for her rights to live without cats...
and that isn't fair.  She doesn't inflict her children or her dog on her
neighbors....which they would not tolerate for a minute if she tried...and yet,
her neighbors allow their cats to go whereever they choose, without regard to
Jeanette's feelings or needs.  This is the real crux of the problem.  It is,
afterall, an issue of respect.  I feel obligated to respect my neighbors'
rights and privileges - and that includes the privilege to NOT live with
my dog or my cats.  I expect my neighbors to respect my desire to NOT live
with their dogs, cats, or children.

re: training a cat to walk on a leash.  First, inure the cat to the harness.
Put it on the cat and leave it on the cat for a day or two - all the time.
The cat will move and discover it can move while wearing the harness.  and
eat while wearing the harness. and sleep while wearing the harness.  Once
that is learned, then attach a light leash to the harness and walk away.
the cat will th the leash on the harness.  Leave the leash attached until
the cat moves around with it attached to the harness.  Reattach the leash
to the harness everyday for an hour or so of dragging the leash around
while you are home.  Finally, pick up the other end of the leash while the
cat is dragging it around...and follow, don't try to lead the cat.  You
are now effectively walking your cat.  Now, if you wish, you can take the
cat outside and go for a walk.  However, if your cat doesn't want to go
outside....don't force it.  Some cats simply don't want to go out there.
Be prepared for the cat to lay down and stay down if you start trying to lead
the walk.  Cats only lead, they do not follow.

The previous instructions should only be practiced while the cat is indoors.
Never leave a harness on a cat while it is unattended outside.  Never leave
a leashed cat alone outside.  

    My hub sez that he will fully support equal leash laws for cats and
    dogs when they have equal punishments for killing cats and dogs.
    
    Didja know that you can get into serious (legal) trouble if you kill a
    dog, but if you kill a cat..."Oh, well"?  At least, in some states.
    
    K.C.

    re: Cats only lead, they do not follow.
    
    Don't I know it!!!
    
    ng
    

    re: .34
    
    Harry (the Rat) got his first harness Monday night ... I put it on him,
    attached the clip-on leash, and "led" him out onto the deck ... where
    he promptly fell over on his side ... playing possum, I guess.
    
    Carried him out onto the nice, fragrant green grass ... where he did a
    low crawl toward the car, wanting to go under it.  
    
    After a few minutes of this, I realized he just wasn't a happy camper,
    and took him back inside.  Took the harness off, and he was back to his
    ole self ...
    
    I'm going to let him get used to the harness a little at a time, then
    take him out.
    
    
    Oh, but the vision of a 22-pound, 2-year old (physically -- but 6-week
    old mentally) cat falling over to play dead .... it was absolutely not
    what I expected .... I thought he'd claw, run away, fight, etc., .....
    but he sure surprised me!

    See, I told you guys.  Cats in harnesses have no balance.  ;-)
    
    Jan

    This note has educated me.  I had never thought about people who
    may be phobic about cats.  
    
    I will certainly keep this in mind and do my best not to be insensitive
    to these people.  I'm terrified of spiders and would hate it if a
    neighbor kept a terantula and let it stray into my yard.  Thanks for 
    reminding me that not all people are able to love cats the way we can.

    I had a prospective tenant come to view an apartment I had available.
    She was absolutely perfect, and loved the place...until she saw my cat
    in the yard.  She freaked, and wanted to know if ALL the neighbor's
    cats wandered through my yard.  When I explained it was MY cat, she
    said "I'm sorry, I'm afraid of cats.  I can't live here" and took off
    like a shot, looking frantically around her as she left the yard. I
    felt so badly for her...she seemed so excited about the apartment. And
    I was bummed to have lost a potentially excellent tenant! But it opened
    my eyes to other people's fears. They may seem irrational to me, but
    then, my fear of bridges probably seems irrational to others.
    Sarah

	My next-door neighbour was terrified of cats, and used to literally 
	shake and be rooted to the spot, even if she was indoors, and she
 	saw a cat outdoors.

	My cat wanders around a bit - as do most of the cats over here - and
	her two boys loved my cat.

	They gradually brought him into their house bit-by bit, and as my
	neighbour grew to understand that my dopey cat would never be stirred to
	do anything to her, and all he wanted was a warm place to sleep and
	someone to fuss over her, she became more relaxed.

	She can now happily have Cider on her lap. She still doesn't like 
	other cats very much, however her phobia has gone, and no longer has 
	her debilitating fear. She can walk down the street, and walk past cats
	without any of her phobia returning.

	Heather

re: -1

nice story.  however, in the USA, we have a strong tradition of making sure
that people don't HAVE TO ADAPT to other people's cats/children/motorcycles,
etc.  The issue is that i don't want to be forced to deal with my
phobias due to my neighbors' disregard for my feelings....and i am careful
to make sure that I don't trample on my neighbors' feelings/wants/needs.
At the very least, if you are going to allow a cat to roam, it would be
nice to ASK your neighbors if they mind.  in fact, as some people can be
very cruel about leaving out traps and poison if their gardens are
damaged, it would be SMART to ask.