The Inadequacies of Cat Owners…

Now, it is often the case in these instances that tempers can impair even the best judgement and so I was quick to re-analyse the situation, reflect upon events and ask others for their opinion whilst sense-checking my own sanity. The collective opinion was unanimous: we live next door to a pair of extraordinarily selfish and irresponsible cat owners, who give more of a damn about their pet's reputation than our daughters health; who chose to buy an animal that they can't control; who won't accept any responsibility for their cat's crap on other people's driveway; who can't see past their own apparent “rights”. However, they are not alone and are quite representative of a growing demographic.

Being a digital kind of person, I have since spent some time online on various forums in an attempt to quantify the matter, assess the rights and responsibilities and weigh up the lie of the land. What I discovered was extraordinary: our country is overrun by cats, whose owners don't give a damn about their behaviour and who are not governed by any specific laws relating to their responsibilities. Not only that, but there are many thousands of people across the country like us who have been put in this situation by the actions of other people’s pets and who have all been rendered to frustration by the bizarre attitudes of those who have introduced the problem.


The destruction caused by cats
Aside from the tendency to frequent other people’s driveways, gardens, lawns, borders, trees and wall, cats will choose other people’s property to urinate and defecate at will. This will include ruining driveways, digging up borders, plants and gardens, destroying all in their wake and causing damage. Not only that, but once they appear, they are highly unlikely to disappear, given their territorial nature and reliance on habit. If you are a nature lover, forget creating a nice environment in your back garden as cats will kill birdlife and wildlife indiscriminately (not even for food – just because it is in their nature). We have had birds killed and even had to save a squirrel from being openly savaged by a neighbour’s cat in the back garden – not the kind of scene you want your children witnessing on your property. Improved fencing to the rear of the property has partially improved matters, but they can still climb and jump pretty impressively…

Moreover, cats will scratch and rip a whole range of materials for their own entertainment – I have had rain-proof bike covers shredded in the past, whilst an outdoor table protector we bought had to be dumped because they clawed it to pieces. At one point, during some work we were having done on our dining room a couple of years ago, we even ended up having one cat enter our house for a wander about whilst the carpenter had the patio doors open – god knows where in the house it would have ended up had we not have chased it out. There are numerous deterrents that are offered – ranging from orange peel to sprays, to sonar systems, but the bottom line is that I don’t see why I should have to spend time and money fortifying my property against someone else pet, especially when these tactics are unproven and inconsistent at best.


The blindness of their owners to the problem
So if these animals are causing such a monumental set of problems for people wanting to create a nice place to live in, then why are cat owners (by and large) so blind to it?). You have to ask why they would want such a pet in the first place – and I can answer this with two words: Lifestyle…&…Anthropomorphism

We lead increasingly hectic lives, meaning that we have less time to achieve all the “tick box” things that we aspire towards. So if most people decide that they would like a pet, reality dictates that horses, goats, dogs and fish are all too much maintenance. They want something that cleans itself, takes care of itself and can pretty much fend for itself, short of putting some food and water in a bowl – enter the wretched cat. But why is a cat such a draw over anything else? Why did the creators of Shrek decide that a cat would make a “cute” characterture? Because there is a ridiculous preconception that a cat’s face is somehow a “sweet” thing and therefore makes it a more desirable and moreover a more worthy creature than most. 

This sort of warped logic by the “animal value” police gives rise to the ridiculous and quite arrogant notion that THEIR pets have more rights than YOU do on YOUR land. There are many people who I believe genuinely feel more empathy towards their cats than human beings and this is why I honestly think that cat owners must simply be spiritually inadequate people in the main. What credentials does a cat have that suddenly makes it sacred in the eyes of the community over, say, a squirrel, or a pigeon or a magpie? They are all pests – all vermin.

Just a quick glance at a number of forums on this issue demonstrates the extraordinary reaction that this kind of mindset generates. One anonymous woman, for instance, stated “I have four cats and they certainly don’t foul in MY garden – that’s what other people’s gardens are for. If anybody complains then I just tell them that my cats were here first.” If that doesn't reduce you a raging ball of fury then how about this: “The day I moved in I was greeted by my next-door neighbour who informed me that she would prefer it if I left my windows open so her cats could jump in easily if they so wished.” Extraordinary. Breathtaking arrogance.


The law
Without embarking on a full appraisal of the law, it seems that over the course of the last couple of decades, the steep rise in cat ownership has completely outgrown the lack of legislation governing it. Whereas the mandatory licence required for dog ownership was dropped at some point in the late 1980’s (I believe), there never seems to have been one in place for cat ownership. Surely, at the very least there should be a mandatory licence for pet ownership in general – perhaps say £100 which would at the outset set out a declaration that the owner took the responsibility seriously enough to be considered fit for the task. I would also suggest a more stringent form of governance for “roaming pets” – that is to say that if you do allow your animal out of sight then you take responsibility for its actions. Not too much to ask surely?


A plea and a promise
A few days after the row with my neighbour, we had a small note through the door from our other neighbours, who had apparently lost one of their cats (I know, the road is teeming with them). It stated that their son was distraught and could we look for the missing animal as it might be in a shed, garage, etc. Now, I’ll wave aside the issue of people having the temerity to allow their cats to wander all over the place then ask people to search their property when they go missing. Moreover, this illustrates what an inappropriate choice of pet a cat is – by purchasing one (or acquiring one), you only serve to become emotionally attached to something that is likely to sod off at the first opportunity. 

This blog piece is, I admit, going to act like written Marmite – depending on your pet ownership status you’ll either love it or hate it. But remember this – we are at the start of a new year and the criticism here is in retrospect…so here is your opportunity to make a change. If you are a fellow sufferer, then I offer you my comradeship and support. If you are thinking of cat ownership, then I implore you to re-consider for the good of your fellow man. Remember - nobody is forcing you into buying one. Dogs and rabbits also make great companions. At the very least, if you do feel the overwhelming need to buy one then at least keep it indoors. If you are already a cat owner then please have the good grace to consider your neighbours. And if you belong in government office, then hold tight as you’ll shortly be hearing from me in an official capacity – I want suitable legislation passed to tackle this growing problem and I want it done NOW!