Blodyn's Blog

its something you obviously feel strongly about Blodyn. i used to have cats yrs ago,, i was renting a house at the time when i got them,, had to move into a flat which was on the 9th floor, not good for cats so my dad kindly took them for me, they settled in really well in his house, had the run of the garden there.

I agree wholeheartedly.

Yes Irish. Cats are not toys and if we can't allow them to do what cats should do then we should be mature enough to say we will not have one.

I don't know why but this blog has come out twice.

I know that dogs are not like cats, in that they tend to stay near humans and their own 'place' but even so, there is a similarity in what you have said, Blodyn, to the way some people treat their dogs. I feel so angry when I hear about (and see) poor dogs that don't get walked or played with and have little or no outside space to move around. Why do people have them if they are not willing to care for them properly? Now I've had a rant, too!

I agree Spritzhenry, There are people living near here who have dogs locked in the house all day while they're in work and only get let out to the back yard in the evening. I can't understand why they have the dogs atall.

I agree with you all the way on that. I love cats to bits, but i'd like to bet if you reported it the rspca would say its ok. Like you cruelty to animals make me boil. Anyway Smokey is looking really well since he had those injections a couple of weeks ago for his kidneys, i dont think he as lost anymore weight, infact with the amount he is eating it would supprise me if he'd put some on, just have to keep an eye on him as once he starts to go down hill i have to take him back for some more injections.

I have just started to let my 6 month old kitten outside, it`s a big step to take both for him and me, but we live in a safe enough area, with fields at the back and a cul-de-sac to the front. It is so lovely to see him running through the long grass and chasing the bees, he had a great day yesterday. I know he will have to take his chances out there in the big wide world but I agree cats are not meant to be caged indoors.

Yes Andrea, I have fields in the back and cul-de-sac in the front like you and there are dangers even here, but I believe animals get wise to them. Where I lived previously it was on a busy main road and the cat I had then lived to be 22 yrs old. She'd got used to the traffic. I think she was afraid of it and kept away. Anyway I would not have had a cat there out of choice because of the road, but a neighbour's cat refused to go back to them so I took her in.
My point is we can't just do whatever we want whenever we want. It is very irresponsible, and if we think we live in a dangerous area for cats then we should not have a cat just to please our desires.
Your cat is going to be a happy one I think.

Could I perhaps put an alternate perspective?Think it all depends on what the inside enviroment is like for any domestic pet.AII our pets are rescue animals that had been abused , they spent lots of time outdoors and returned home to abuse.Broken limbs , someone even thought it would be amusing to set fire to one.
Jane has spent years regaining their trust and they really are happy to be close by her side.She once brought home a seagull that had been tied by the neck to railings.I had just finished decorating the spare room - where she placed it to nurse back to health.Ever had your interior walls pebble - dashed?Finally Blodyn , given some of the comments about cats a great many gardeners wish we d all keep them indoors!

Bonkersbon,
There are ways of deterring cats from coming into your garden, and if anyone doesn't want them then they can try one of these methods.
You see, that's what I'm saying - people want it all their own way. Some want no cats atall with no consideration for those who do. Some want to keep their cat indoors for the whole of it's life ( 15-20 years ) with no consideration for the cat and how it should live. We are selfish and immature humans.
And as for your rescued animals, well I live near an animal sanctuary and those cats are free to make their own minds up as to where they want to be. They are not forced to stay inside a human's house for their whole life if they don't want to do so, but they can if they so wish.
It's a good thing you're doing if you rescue animals. You have all my admiration. It isn't an easy job. Well done and good luck with it. : )

I agree that cats shouldn't be confined to the inside of a house. From my experience I agree witn what Blodyn said about cats having a choice. Before getting my dog Maxi I had two cats who were sisters. One lived to 18 and the other to 20. Starting way back to the first week that I got them, one of them would not go outside. In all her 20 years she never went out. She would sit at the door and look out but refused to go out. The other one was a different story she wanted out as much as she could. I can see where a neighbor's cat or cats coming into our gardens can be very irritating especially if they use the flower beds for a toilet. When I first moved to this house I had three of them doing just that. Since I got Maxi they haven't been back since :)

Yes Mike, my sister-in-law's sister has a cat that never wants to go out , but that is it's own choice. And my old cat Fluffy never went out in winter and that was her own choice. In summer I could never get her in ! She was never forced live her 22 yrs inside a human house against her will.
By the way I prefer Maxi's photo to that bird. But that is your choice. : )

My "pet" hate is birds in cages. They are even put by the window to see what they are missing!

i have a bird a cockateil, but i do let it out of the cage, it has a good fly around. have never had a animal that i coudnt let out of a cage.

Many birds are bred in captivity and know no different but at least if they can have a fly around it has to be better than being permenantly stuck in a cage.

My old girl had to spend a week at the vets once because she had 'eaten' something poisenous that had burnt her mouth. I think she had been poisoned by someone who didn't want a cat in their garden. But my cat was too old to catch birds and had a litter tray at home, so wasn't fouling their garden :-(

I can understand your point, Blodyn - I hate to see any animal caged - but since many cats voluntarily choose to live indoors, I don't think it's a terrible think for a cat to live indoors. My Birtie goes out quite a lot these days, but rarly went out for the first couple of years. I understand that poeple that breed cats for showing keep them locked up in chalets/hutches to keep them in good appearance - I think that's cruel.

If a cat choses to live indoors that is up to the cat, but the one I heard of recently wants to go out according to its owner and was called "naughty" for wanting to do so ! ( By the way it was a GOY member but I'm not saying which one. )

I don't like the idea of birds in cages either Popeymike, but it isn't so bad if they're given a chance to fly around as nature intended.

I have a british blue shorthair called Vinnie after Vin Diesel, when i purchased him from a breeder she recommended that i keep him as a house cat.
I did so for a few weeks to let him spread his scent and then led him to the garden on a lead to do the same i did this several times a day just so he didnt go wandering off on his own.
Vinnie is now 15 months old and follows me every where if im out he's out.
I still worry about him but not as much!
He is indeed a very happy cat, who loves the outdoors ,couldnt imagine him being kept in.

Nice to know you read my blog.
My cats have always been around me in the garden. When my old cat Fluffy died I thought I would not have another one but the place was too empty so I got Blodyn.
Fluffy would pester me until I went out to the garden with her, and now Blodyn does the same.
Maybe all cats are not like that but I don't think they should be confined to the inside of a human house for 15 - 20 years.That's cruel.

Hi Blodyn Would u believe my Febe&Sox once lived indoors! Yes 4 6yrs i lived in a Top Flat & my Cats had2stay indoors&use litter trays:( I was`nt as lucky as Irish2 have a good Family Member or Friend 2 give them a home & i could`nt bare 2 part with them :( Selfish im not just love them endlesley, did my up most 2 keep them Happy with toys & time playn with them but they were never happeir than they are now iv got a house with gardens & they can go outside 2 play/run/walk/sniff ect ect ,Like Bonkers says All depends On Enviroment & situation ect & also remember lots of pets are Caged/Penned & its the Pet Owners who r responsible 4 that pets happiness! :)Ex: Some Dog Breeders/Dog Owners Dogs are Kenneled,Cats are sometimes Penned, Rabbits Hutched,Birds/Mice/Hamsters Caged ect ect ect @ end of day Blodyn it really is the Owners Making their lifes Happy /Unhappy?

The reason I wrote this blog was because I was made to feel angry at a GOY member who put a photo of her cat looking out of a window. She said the cat was always trying to get out but she didn't let her go incase she ran away. I think that cat must have been distressed, she could see the outside and wanted to go by her natural instinct. I didn't think it was a good reason for keeping the cat indoors all it's life. Maybe I wrote this in haste without thinking - I do that sometimes , I say something and it all comes out wrong , then I wish I'd given it more thought before saying it. But I still think this GOY member was wrong .
I still think cats and dogs should be able to go outside if possible although I can understand why you took your cats to the flat with you. I think I would have done the same. Sometimes circumstances change and there's nothing that can be done about it. Well then we and our pets have to do the best we can in the new situation.
When I moved here I had a very old cat called Fluffy. There's a photo of her on my homepage. The vet told me she'd only live a few more months and I wanted to move before she died because I couldn't bear the thought of leaving her behind even if she was dead. Silly isn't it.
Rabbits etc should be provided with big enough pens for them to be able to run around. I've seen them caged in small hutches where they haven't got hardly enough room to turn around. It's creul. We had rabbits, G Pigs etc when we were kids and my brother bread G.Pigs, but they had enough room and we used to let them run around the garden. and as for birds in cages I totally disagree with it unless they're let out to fly around often. Some people do something to their wings to stop them from flying . That's unforgivable.
I think we may often believe we're making our animals happy in the conditions we provide them, but I doubt that they really are with some people. And I still think if someone goes out to get a pet knowing that they don't have the right conditions for it then they are wrong.

I agree & think people should have the time if not space Blodyn & the Pets ect should be as happy as we all want2 be :)