JCbiscuit wrote:
my cat seemed a lot happier when he was indoor-outdoor (I lived in a suburb. that pet door was a godsend.) but after he brought home his second dead robin, those roaming privileges were suspended.

brewster wrote: Quote:

20 Reasons to Keep Your Cat Indoors

I know this is kinda unPC, but all those reasons are for US to enjoy our cats company longer, not for their benefit. I've had 2 indoor cats that became outdoor cats at 10, and currently have 2 middle aged outdoor cats. I'm positive if you could ask any of them if they'd trade shorter life for being able to go outdoors they'd say yes in a heartbeat. Indoor cats are bored to death, outdoors is endless stimulation for an animal bred by evolution to watch for every motion. Even my fat, dumb, lazy cat loves to just sit in garden and watch the clouds, birds and squirrels. We rescued him as a tiny feral kitten and every moment of his life for him is a gift to be enjoyed, not endured, at best waiting for something interesting to happen outside the window till someone comes home. This does sound trollish, and I'm certainly not saying people who can't, or choose not to, let their cats out shouldn't have them, but it's food for thought, especially when you globalize it to overprotective modern parenting. When I teach my son to whitewater kayak the thought passes through my head that I'm setting him on the path to something that could take his life one day. But probably not. And I agree, randomly poisoning wildlife is criminal.

20 Reasons to Keep Your Cat Indoors

lunawolf3 wrote:
This is just horrible I am am so deeply sorry for your horrific loss.

Saturday, September 18, 2010
20 Reasons to Keep Your Cat Indoors

This list was developed over a lifetime of experiences with many, many cats. Each and every item on this list happens every day. The best policy is to keep your cat inside
Cars - Thousands of cats get hit by cars every year. If they are lucky, they die instantly.
Car engines - Cats seek warmth. In the winter they tend to climb up inside car engines where they can be subsequently ground up.
Anti-freeze - Cats like the sweet taste of anti-freeze, and they will lick it if able. Anti-freeze is extremely toxic and your cat will die a painful death within hours of ingesting it. It can take less than a teaspoon to kill a full-size cat or dog!
Poisoning - There are people who don't like cats and will set out poison on their property. Others may put poison out to get rid of other wildlife that wanders onto their property and your cat may accidentally ingest it.
Fighting - Your cat could be killed by dogs, raccoons, or other wildlife. Some people train their dogs to attack and kill cats.
Fighting Part II - Believe it or not, cats can kill each other during their fights.
FELV - Feline Leukemia destroys a cat's immune system. It is transmitted through body fluids. Even a sneeze can pass the virus from one cat to another. The vaccine for FELV is only 70 to 75% effective. Cats infected usually die within two years.
FIV - Feline Immunosuppressive Virus also destroys a cat's immune system. It is transmitted through body fluids and cuts a cat's lifespan in half. There is no vaccination for FIV.
FIP - Feline Infectious Peritonitis. FIP is always 100% fatal. Tests and vaccines for FIP are not reliable.
Animal Abuse - Cats are often shot with BB guns; burned with lighters, firecrackers; tortured by people causing loss of limbs, eyes, etc.
Starving to Death - People think that because they have lived in the same house for a number of years that their cat is too smart to wander off and get lost. NOT TRUE. People also think that because their cat has never left the front yard that it go any farther. NOT TRUE.
Getting Trapped - Your cat could get lost in somebody else's garage or utility shed. He could suffer brain damage if trapped in extreme heat or could suffer frostbite if trapped in extreme cold.
Research Labs - Your cat could get stolen and sold to a research lab. This practice does go on.
Parasitic Infections - Your cat could eat something (rat, mouse, bird) and die of a parasitic infection
SPCA - Your cat could get taken in by someone thinking it is a stray. They might keep your cat or take it to the SPCA where it may be euthanized.
Unintentional Poisoning - By pesticides, lawn products, etc.
Fleas, ticks, worms, ringworm - Your cat could transmit these to other pets and people in the household.
Drowning - Your cat could accidentally fall in a swimming pool and drown.
Spraying - When cats go outside they smell other cats' territorial markings. This may prompt your cat to start spraying inside the house to mark his territory.

gordonh wrote:
Quote:

gordonh wrote:
I was *told* that a person who lived in the condo complex (the converted temple) on 5th was putting out poison.

Ok, so there are these same 'pellets' all over the ground in front of the same condos again. I don't know what they are, so beware. I called the city today and they said that they're sending an inspector out there.

see photo

gordonh wrote:
Quote:

tamard wrote:
Quote:

gordonh wrote:
I saw reward signs posted on 4th street regarding the animal posioning. I was *told* that a person who lived in the condo complex (the converted temple) on 5th was putting out poison. Pure hearsay, but maybe some posters on 5th Street might help.

I live on 5th a few houses form the condo you describe and I walk my dog passed there multiple times a day. I have not heard about this. Is there any truth to this?

When I was told this, there were some kind of pellets around the bases of the trees in front, so I kept my dog clear.

tamard wrote:
Quote:

gordonh wrote:
I saw reward signs posted on 4th street regarding the animal posioning. I was *told* that a person who lived in the condo complex (the converted temple) on 5th was putting out poison. Pure hearsay, but maybe some posters on 5th Street might help.

I live on 5th a few houses form the condo you describe and I walk my dog passed there multiple times a day. I have not heard about this. Is there any truth to this?

gordonh wrote:
I saw reward signs posted on 4th street regarding the animal posioning. I was *told* that a person who lived in the condo complex (the converted temple) on 5th was putting out poison. Pure hearsay, but maybe some posters on 5th Street might help.

ECH wrote:
In New Jersey, it is illegal to kill/abuse animals,
other than rats and mice. There is a huge
fine and often jail time involved with this crime.
I have put flyers in the nabe, alerting folks
to what is going on.



I live on Third Street, near Erie.
My little manx cat, less than a year old , was killed
this week by poison. It was a horrible thing to witness.

The vet told me she has seen a strong uptick
in pet poisonings of late. She suspects that
there are people putting poison out to kill
the opossums and raccoons that everyone is
so exercised about. Unfortunately, the poisons
are killing other peoples' pets as well. Apparently,
there are new poisons that smell especially
good, so animals of all sorts are attracted
to them, not just vermin. In the old days,
rat poison smelled and tasted awful --and
it was hard to fool the smart rats and mice.
No so now.

If you want to get rid of backyard foragers,
keep your yards and porches free of food.
Raccoons can be trapped and taken off.
Opossums are totally harmless; just keep
your doors closed so they don't wander in.
If there is no food around, you will not
have scavengers.

Even using poison to kill raccoons and
opossums is a disgusting thing to do.
Do we all know what death by poison
looks like? I watched my little cat
vomiting bloody foam and convulsing
and then going into a coma; by the
time we got him to the vet, it was
all over. In the space of three days,
he went from being this vibrant
little animal to being a tiny sick
lump groaning in agony and
coughing up his guts.
What kind of sociopath would
cause this, i ask myself.
I would like to give the poisoner
a dose of his own medicine.

Pleases, please: if you know of or
suspect that someone is putting poison
down