Hello

Well after a few years of being with my husband we're thinking about getting a kitten (he grew up with cats). We've got a 3 year old Aussie bitch, who's fine with cats (my sister-in-law has them and they're great together), but the thing is I've always owned dogs and horses ... never cats :-).

In our previous house we were 'adopted' by a Birman cat who wasn't keen on spending time in her own home. And she was gorgeous - very people-focussed ... she used to walk around the village with me when our Aussie was a pup :-)

So the question is - how do we go about this? With our Aussie I reseached breeds and breeders, so we know that we're like Birmans and Ragdolls as we'd like a people-oriented, huggy cat. But where do I go from here? How can I tell a conscientious breeder? Is there a Gwen Bailey-type book for kittens? Does anyone know about these breeds and the pros/cons? How do I know if we're suitable for these breeds? What should I expect? As you can tell - loads of questions .... !

Any help gratefully received as I'm a complete beginner ... :-)

We have a persian, but I would love a siamese. If I were to go looking now, I think I would find a cat show and research from there.

I've got a Maine Coon.  He's our second maine coon (lost our first one a year ago) and I think they're great.  We've had both male and females and have found that the female was more independant than my male, who I swear thinks he's a Gordon.  My male was always more cuddly and is one of those cats that likes to be with company (dog or human!)  he's very laid back!  I've found that they've generally not destroyed much in the house.  Neither have attempted to climb curtains or wallpaper, or balance on top of doors.

I fell in love with their size and natural appearance and they come in a wide variety of colours.

Most cat breeds have a breed club like dogs online.    I've attached some links for maine coons and for the gccf which is one of the governing bodies like the kennel club (can't remember the name of the other one!!)

Hope this helps

Jill

http://www.gccfcats.org/breed.html

http://www.maine-coon-cat-club.com/

http://www.mainecoonbreedsociety.co.uk/

There are breed clubs for cats aswell as dogs :-D Ragdolls         Birman . Love the ragdoll temperement myself having owned 2 and would own another or couple in the future.

Hello

Thanks for all your replies ... I'm more nervous of getting a cat than I've ever been of getting a puppy (when I was growing up we always had dogs around but my dad doesn't like cats) :-)

The Maine Coon looks gorgeous ... we're only fancying the Birman after our experience in our last house, and I've heard that Ragdoll temperaments are delightful :-). We're going to settle down this evening and look at websites - our real criteria are people-focussed and long haired ... and for me the bigger the cat then the better :-)

Thanks again ...

Kittens are soo much easier than puppies,  there's no hard work in them at all, only play time!!  they generally come litter trained, so no work in that!

the only downside I've found with my MC boy is carrying him in his basket to the vets (he weighs around a stone!)  They are big softies but I'm biased! :)

Jill

I have a Ragdoll and he really has changed my opinion on cats as I used to be more of a dog person.  He is a fantastic cat.  He acts much like a dog!  Whenever I have visitors they always comment on him as he acts so different to a typical moggy! 

http://www.tbrcc.co.uk/

Good luck :-)

Hi,
I have a Birman. He's the funniest and naughtiest cat I've ever had, aswell as being one of the most affectionate. I rescued him at 9 months after his previous owner's son became allergic to cat hair. He will be 5 this year.
Cookie (he came with the name) has a great sense of humour too. He winds the dogs up on a regular basis, definately thinks they are his toys.
He sits outside the bathroom when I'm in the bath and brushes round my legs when I come out, chirping (sounds more like chirp than meow) how much he missed me. He's adorable and I wouldn't be without him. His only fault is he will insist on scratching everything, even though I have scratching posts upstairs and down. He loves our landing carpet especially. He loves cuddles and will claw his way up your leg to get one :-)

He gets on well with my other cats, except for one who's a grump (he enjoys winding her up too).

I can only speak for Cookie, but in short, he's affectionate, loves humans, canines or felines, but can be aloof with strangers. Once he knows them he's fine.
When I first got him, he did suffer with hairballs, but with regular grooming and a teaspoon of liquid parafin about twice a month, they are not a problem anymore. He loves being groomed and will come running when I get the cat comb out. A Birmans coat is not as long as Persians so not so much brushing and combing is required. I do Cookie about once or twice a week, depending on whether he's moulting or not.

Good luck in your search if you decide to go with a Birman.

Have you thought about a Selkirk Rex?    Very lovable breed and they do create a talking point with their curls.   I have 2 British who are lovely laid back cats and I have a 2 year old Selkirk Rex, she is just such a character and that coat means she draws lots of questions from people at cat shows!  They come in short & long coated, curly & variants (Usually cheaper).

Yes, you have to groom them & it is recommended you shampoo them from time to time too, but the breeder should make their kittens used to shampooing at an early age.

You can see my little 'crinkle chip' on the home page of the link - the group of 5 kittens (Tortie, red, black & 2 torties), she's the one on the far right next to the big blue adult!

Or I know of a very nice Brit boy looking for a home (Maybe) totally used to dogs.

Some general advice. Yes, definitely go via a breed club. NO pedigree cat should be sold when aged less than 13 weeks, and they should be fully vaccinated (BOTH injections), litter trained, and most breeders will also insure and of course register, as well as handing out a kitten pack, expect a contract to be signed etc -much as when buying a pup. Pet kittens tend to be registered as non-active, i.e. no progeny from it to be registered. Most breeds will have one price for a kitten going as a pet, one price for a breeding quality kitten and one price for breeding/show quality so it's important to specify what you want. The majority of good breeders will only sell to indoor homes.

what about taking on a moggy? theres always hundreds needing homes and they are just as loving and fun as any pedigree cat. my year old silver tabby moggy banjo is a delight! comse when i shout his name, follows me everywhere, i have to put him out when i go for a shower or he would be in with me as he loves water!.he retrieves socks for me, takes them off radiators and brings them to me, then retrieves them when i throw them. every morning when my alarm goes off in bed, he jumps up and spends a few minutes rubbing my face, purring and generally cuddling into me!
he is gorgeous to look at, few people have asked if he is a bengal.
we got him at 9weeks old from a local cat charity, and its the best thing ive ever done. my boyfriend had never had a cat before and he couldnt believe how quickly he setlled in, the day we got him home, he hopped into litter tray, peed and then curled up on couch beside me, and thats been him ever since! infact, we got a puppy 2months ago, and the level of worked involved between the 2 is incredible cats are so easy, and in my opinion they give just as much love as dogs! moggys are generally healthier than pedigrees, i work in a vets so can back this up.

> moggys are generally healthier than pedigrees

I have 3 pedigrees & besides their vaccinations, the only vets visit I've had has been for an eye infection that Jack contracted after visiting a queen.

But of the moggies I know, one has a heart murmur & an over active thyroid, one has IBS, etc. etc. etc.

Unfortunately there is always a big risk of a moggy NOT turning into a friendly cat, as the background is unknown. Just like with dogs. This is the main reason for why people do want pedigrees -a known quantity. One simple example: a family bought a Persian kitten off me, and their friends were so impressed with her temperament, so they decided to get a cat of their own. They opted for a moggy, and was very, very disappointed when their cat turned out nothing like their friends'.

They're not always healthier either -I too have worked as a vet nurse and I am also a non-pedigree cat judge, so have a lot of friends with mogs, and I know too many people with mogs that died young, just like any cat can. One of the country's top winning show moggies died last year aged just 9 from sudden acute kidney failure. Again like with dogs, good breeders health test the parents for whatever is lurking in the breed. I currently have two rescued mogs, one you can hardly touch at all, one is a sprayer, and for the first 16 years of my life I thought ALL cats were bad tempered and difficult to handle, until I started working at the vets and got to know Persians. :)

BTW moggy kittens should also be 13 weeks old before being re-homed, kittens do need to suckle their mum for at the very least 10 weeks, usually right up to the day they leave.

I've nothing against mogs, have always had them, judged them for years, wrote a book about them, and WILL always have a rescue or two, but I don't understand why people that say they want a pedigree cat of a particular breed often get told to go and get a moggy instead -we don't say that to people wanting a pedigree dog and there is no difference. Not every breed is suited to every person. :)

Hello

When we got our working Aussie my husband was new to dogs (I grew up with collies), so I wanted his experience to be as good as possible. We got a health tested pup from parents with fantastic temperaments from a very reputable breeder (and had to wait a long time). I'm new to cats and we want a pedigree kitten for the same reasons we went for as pedigree puppy. I totally understand that this approach isn't for everyone, but it's the one I think will suit us best at least this time around :-).

We went to visit a Ragdoll breeder last night and both she and her cats were LOVELY. Temperament wise they were fab, and beautiful to look at as well :-). She belongs to the breed club and was very helpful as I ploughed through my huge raft of questions :-) - and seemed to think a kitten would be so much easier than a pup (though, to be fair, anything would be easier than our Aussie when she was a pup - driven/high energy doesn't even begin to describe her!, although she's mellowing with age).

So we're going to have a think over the next day or two and then think about getting on a waiting list - we're VERY excited!

Thank you all ever so much for all your help - if we get a kitten (and we don't mind waiting if we have to) then I'm hoping you can help me decipher cat behaviour :-)

Thanks again.

hmmmm cant say i agree, with cats a lot of their nature is their upbringing as well, not just their backgrounds. my family have always had rescues, and not always been aware of backgrounds, and all our cats have turned out great temperament wise and all have been healthy so far touch wood!
in the referral centre i work in, most the young cats that are sick are pedigrees, ive had a few birmans in with renal failure at a year old and one in chronic heart failure. at the moment we have a very ill russian blue in with diabetes and renal failure. yes we have a lot of moggies in as well, but the pedigrees seem to get problems very early on.
i have nothing against pedigree cats, but i dont think its the same as buying a dog, dogs vary greatly between breeds due to the jobs they were initially used for, so size, colours, temperaments are all different. in cats the difference is not as prounounced. i know with some breeds there are definete differences, with the siamese for example, but IMO, not as much as dogs, which is why i would buy a pedigree dog, but would always rescue a cat.

in the referral centre i work in, most the young cats that are sick are pedigrees, ive had a few birmans in with renal failure at a year old and one in chronic heart failure. at the moment we have a very ill russian blue in with diabetes and renal failure. yes we have a lot of moggies in as well, but the pedigrees seem to get problems very early on.

They obviously did not come from good breeders then........ PKD occurs in ALL breeds (moggies too), not just Persians and Exotics, and yes Birman is a breed where there have been positives (and they are listed as an "at risk" breed by the FAB) -so those breeders should have tested before breeding like any good breeder would -for a cat to have kidney failure aged only one chances are it's a double positive.....

What you're forgetting is that you don't normally see the HEALTHY pedigree cats at the vet! But in many cases (sadly!) their owners are more prepared to pay out for veterinary treatment than the moggy owners, hence you get a skewed picture. How many moggy owners just let their cats outside to roam, for instance, to catch FIV and Haemobartonella and are usually  also at risk from FeLV as so many don't vaccinate against it. Or the cat gets lost, or run over, or killed by a dog, and they just get a new kitten........ but the cat doesn't see the vet. It was only a moggy, cost them nothing, so they don't spend the money on taking it to the vet. Sad but very true.

in cats the difference is not as prounounced. i know with some breeds there are definete differences, with the siamese for example, but IMO, not as much as dogs, which is why i would buy a pedigree dog, but would always rescue a cat.

In BODY the difference isn't as big as in dogs, eg. Chihuahua and Great Dane (although I dare say the difference between a Singapura and a Maine Coon is still quite something, but body SHAPE isn't so different), but in temperament it is exactly the same as with dogs. Each and every breed have their own particular characteristics which is largely why people chose them.

How many moggy owners just let their cats outside to roam, for instance, to catch FIV and Haemobartonella and are usually  also at risk from FeLV as so many don't vaccinate against it. Or the cat gets lost, or run over, or killed by a dog, and they just get a new kitten........ but the cat doesn't see the vet. It was only a moggy, cost them nothing, so they don't spend the money on taking it to the vet. Sad but very true.

i dont agree im afraid. i dont think people are less likely to insure or pay out for moggies. all the people i know with cats have moggies have them insured. i would say we see more moggies at work for surgical cases, RTAs for example, so people are prepared to pay for them.
yes most people with moggies may let them out to roam, but isnt that what cats like to do? personally my cat doesnt actually like being outside, as he likes to be beside me, but i live in a rural area and would be happy for him to go out.

i dont know how you can say difference in temperament is as pronounced as dogs, when a lot of their temperament comes from the job they were bred to do? cats as far as im aware, have been used in history as mousers and companions fairly recently, bar a few small examples?
please dont think im against pedigree cats, im not, but i think its unfair to dismiss moggies when you could get a really amazing pet.

No responsible cat owner would let their cats out unless it was into a secure run.... As for temperaments, the fact that cats weren't bred to do a job doesn't mean the temperament doesn't differ just as widely as it does in dogs -after all, when you selectively breed for ANYTHING you tend to end up with other things as well, whether it is by choice or accident (such as how PKD ended up being so prevalent in Persians, for decades it wasn't known the condition even existed), and this is simply how cats ended up as different breeds with very different characteristics over the years. When I wrote one of my books about different breeds, I made sure to contact breeders and owners of every breed I did not have a lot of personal experience of, to enable me to describe the breed's temperament as accurately as possible, and there is no doubt that each breed has its own ways -not just the obvious breeds that even Joe Public can tell are different in behaviour, i.e. wool eating noisy Siamese and laid back pyjama case Persians, to use the two most known (and oft misquoted LOL like I did here) examples.

You are also incorrect about moggy owners -as somebody who has been involved with rescue groups from the 1980's I do know it is a sad fact -and you only need to go to a rescue centre to see what cats are there, it is not pedigree cats but moggies, the "disposable" cats. I've had a rescue moggy who walked around with a hip joint smashed into pieces (literally) for 3 weeks because the previous owner didn't want to waste money on a moggy.   I could go on forever with similar stories. I believe (I could be wrong) that the figures for pedigree vs crossbreed in dogs are that roughly 50 % of all dogs are pedigree but in cats it's just 10 %. Hence naturally you see a fair amount of mogs at vets as well, from the more responsible owners -but there are very large numbers that never go near any vet even when in need. Just like in dogs and this is actually a case where the crossbreeds suddenly being the in thing and costing a fortune may be a good thing for the dogs themselves. For 15 years I lived in an area where one woman across the road had a new puppy every spring. It always died by the following year, she never saw a vet as it was just mongrels and they weren't worth anything so she wouldn't pay a vet, and it was easier to let the dog die and get a new pup. It doesn't always follow, but very often people who have paid a lot of money for an animal will take better care of it for that very reason.

I've bred pedigree cats for 19 years and I can honestly tell you that not one person I've sold a kitten to would have been happy to get a moggy instead -they chose the breed for a reason, and the reason in every case has always been the temperament. (Those that have mentioned looks as point number 1 don't get a kitten off me!) :)

Oh, and you said you worked in a referral centre? That of course makes the picture a bit skewed again, as by the very nature of the business you only get the owners that ARE prepared to do everything for their pets and pay out a lot of money, at your average vet practice you get the owners on occasion who will not be prepared to pay, and these people would not end up in such a place, so you quite possibly only see the best owners. :) (Which must be lovely! It's awful when people demand an animal be put to sleep because they won't pay for its treatment, or just dump it on the vet, or whatever.) AND you'd also then only see the WORST cases of everything as well..... so not the true picture.

Hey - my cat is allowed out side as well as in, and I'm a responsible owner. And he's in perfect healthy condition, with a wonderful temperament.  Never been to the vet except for yearly checkups -and neutering -in his life (because he's not been ill). However he was from a caring family, and used to dogs and handling . We had a semi- feral kitten once, she was incontinent and took a lot to get her well again. Her character was never friendly. But she was from a feral cat who had been found flea ridden, etc (and spayed afterwards). I think it has a lot to do with upbringing, but as you say, in those two cases parents temperaments really counted. I love ragdolls though, and for the reasons you stated (knowing the temperament) would get one as my next cat. Sorry for wandering off topic.

I hope that made sense!:-)

No responsible cat owner would let their cats out unless it was into a secure run....
I'm afraid i have to disagee with that. We've had cats for as long as i can remember. Grandparents, parents and now me (although im more of a doggy person :-) ) have all grown up with cats.
Cats by nature are 'roamers' and like to go out. Our cats have been taught not to go out the front where there is a main road but to stay in the back garden and surrounding areas.
Personally im not a great fan of the pedigrees and agree that there are lots of delightful moggys in rescue.
One of the best cats we had was a tabby moggy who we got at 8 weeks. His mum had been killed and he desperately needed a loving home with his sister. He lived to a ripe old age, was rarely ill & was the best loving cat you could wish for....although i believe with any animal they turn into what you make them. He was given lots of love and attention and made to be part of the family, im sure if we'd have abused him and not cared for him he could have easily turned into a horrible cat. Nature v's nurture. Pedigree or mongrel/moggy makes no difference in my eyes. What determines their behaviour is the life you give them and how you look after them.

I understood you :-)

Fred's mum - you put it so much better than me! Thats what I meant. Though I do like pedigrees.

Makes a change - i normally cant write what i want to say!!! To be honest i havent ever looked that much at pedigree cats but have a few friends with pedigrees and im not that keen. Love the tortoiseshell and tabby moggys.

Those of you that allow your cats out and say they are perfectly healthy -do you routinely and regularly (several times a year would be needed) blood test for for instance FIV? If not, how do you KNOW the cat is healthy,  and isn't in fact passing on fatal conditions (that can be unseen in the body for years, just like with HIV in humans) to other cats? FeLV you can vaccinate against, there is no vaccine for FIV in the UK, and the one that was developed in the US was found not to be very effective which is why it was decided not to bring it over here -so you are effectively putting your cat's health at risk every time it meets any other cats outside.  And you can't guarantee that will never happen. It really is playing russian roulette.

The rest of the arguments for and against we've had many a time here so I won't go over them all again. It's fact though that  you would find that no responsible breeder would sell a kitten to a home where it was allowed out unless it was securely done within a run. Cats cope just fine like that -even if they have been allowed to go outside before. Just ask my rescues. :)

>Cats by nature are 'roamers' and like to go out.

So are dogs, but nowadays it's not the done thing to let your dog out in the morning and call it in at night! ;-) 'Latchkey' cats that mess in other people's gardens and yowl at each other on the garden wall are just as much a nuisance as dogs which roam freely, poo everywhere and get into fights.

So what are we saying here ALL cats shouldn't be allowed out.. Heard it all now.  What next.  Can't help but say here guys  , get a grip ;-)

Pedigree cats seem to lack the instinct of survival and only get half way up the road and splat. That is fine if you want to keep cats like that and bred that way.

MOST tabbies are in and out all day.  I am sure we are going to get the odd " expert" claiming otherwise. 

Never seen a nuisance tabby roaming around in my life.  They come and go quite happily.  So what if they have to odd spat that is life.     Learn to be tolerable :-)  People have to be of dog lovers.

i agree freds mum - its the upbringing with any animal that determines their nature. i think that tabby moggies are the best natured cats around, you have to go far to beat a big tabby boy in my eyes. cats are roamers by nature, they are more independant than dogs and love being outside (apart from my weird cat who has the chance to go out, but likes to sit on couch beside me lol)
my mum and dads cat is a 14year grey tabby, and he likes nothing more than sitting in the sun in the back garden, he was never much of a roaming cat, but he loves being out in the garden and visiting the cat friendly neighbour. i dont think it makes me or my parents irresponisble owners, i think to be a responsible cat owner you have to learn and accept cats natures, and allow them a bit of independence and love them for who they are. cats are not mini dogs, they have completely different natures, not in a bad way, but you have to accept that in every cat there remains a little bit of the wild, which is why we love them.

cats are roamers by nature, they are more independant than dogs and love being outside

Of course they are.

Just because some people choice to keep some cats in doens't mean the rest of the world has to. 

> So what are we saying here ALL cats shouldn't be allowed out.. Heard it all now.  What next.  Can't help but say here guys  , get a grip ;-)

I suppose at one time people felt that way about dogs that they should b e free to roam as they pleased.

personally I would not own a cat that had to be kept indoors I would find it very restricting, having to have a to keep the house cat proof, no having the windows and doors open, and trying to cat proof a garden must be no mean feat.

I won't have a cat her as I live on a busy road, but my Dads cat has a brilliant life roaming the fields at the back of his house, a nd I feel an indoor life would be a poor substitute as well as impractical to provide.

I supposes it is sad that cats are pretty replaceable if they are unfortunate enough to get run over, which is their main danger that they share with wildlife.

If I had a pedigree cat that cost me loads and was not only at risk of getting lost but stolen, I might feel differently, but I still tend to feel that cats are not owned in the same way as dogs,a nd that they have a dual life that of a wild creature and companion.

We've always had moggies, well we had a Birman cross and still have our nearly 18 yr old Siamese cross but coming up to 3 years ago we decided to get a pedigree cat and chose the Devon Rex...we were told they had a playful nature and boy do they live up to their reputation.

We now have 6 cats and 3 of these are Devon's and I have to admit I think i'd stick to pedigree cats from now on.  My Devon Rex's don't go outside but I am getting a run built soon for them, they are such loveable, cuddly but playful cats...even if you do come home to find they have destroyed whichever room they wanted to play in!

Good luck with your new kitten.

Lucy

Dont think you can compare roaming with cats and dogs.
Although cats can be put on leads it is not the done thing to walk a cat in the same way we walk dogs therefore you have to have faith and trust them to roam on their own.
Our current cat will happily stay outside all day prowling around but at night she comes in from outside has something to eat and is shut in the kitchen. We dont have a cat flap therefore control when she is allowed out or not.

Yes there is a risk of disease with cats but then we could go down the route and say there is a risk with everything-dogs included. You need to be realistic about things.

I know that most pedigree breeders won't let their kittens go to homes where they will be allowed unrestricted access to the outside, which is their prerogative. I can under stand their concern for their cats safety & welfare especially if they have spent years developing their bloodlines & breeds. Of course a lot of pedigree cats are kept entire so that is another reason for them being kept restricted.

I wouldn't be happy however confining my cats to my small bungalow & I have actively encouraged them to toilet in my garden by giving them an area of bark chipping that is not accessible ro the dogs & they do use it as a loo which pleases me.

Mine don't roam very far Reg rarely leaves the back garden & if I am in he is always in with me. Jaq(the queen)does go out of the garden but only into the trees & woodland immediately behind the garden & always comes when she is called. Both are neutered & mega friendly. Jaq is stretched out with one of the dogs at the moment

When I am out of the house they are both indoors with the dog door security panel in place

I have 2 cats, they are brother & sister. One is black & white, the other is tortiseshell. They are now over a year old & have been going outside for the past few weeks & love it. They were kept in to start of with as they were unwell when we got them as kittens (the lady didn't want them & in the end said we must collect them now or else. Never liked to think what she meant by or else :( ) Anyway, they were treated by the vets, have been de-wormed, de-fleaed, spayed & neautered. They are happy, eat loads & love to play. They now let me know when they wish to go out & come back every hour to two hours to check i'm here & that the fire hasnt been lit yet! (other wise they will be in & sleeping in front of it). I asked my vet about letting them out & he vaccinated them occordingly. They are happier out & only roam the garden or the woods which is over a fence in our garden....they meow when they want me to find them or my dog. Yes i was worried when i first let them out but i did over short time spans & then finally let them judge how long they wanted out. When we first got them that summer they were in a run outside but the male worked out how to jump up & flip the lid off! I even tied it down & he still got out :) Friends of mine have given me advice as have the vets. I would now not like to keep mine in as they love the garden & they love watching & listening to the sounds, birds etc. Its exciting for them & they haven't hurt anything or themselves :)

Always had cats here, only once did I have a pedigree siamese, she was the worst ever for health, cost us a fortune.
The siamese along with other Mog always had free access, I just couldn't treat a cat to less.

If you have a problem with cats poo in the garden, you just need some lion poo scattered about......yeah apparently there are 2 cubs over here in rescue and they were offering free to people to collect for just that purpose!

Karen  :)

> Pedigree cats seem to lack the instinct of survival and only get half way up the road and splat. That is fine if you want to keep cats like that and bred that way.
>

I couldn't disagree more.

From the 6 moggies I've had, one had cancer, 2 were PTS (Family matter), 1 was runover, 2 disappeared.   From the pedigrees I have - I still have all 3.   It breaks my heart to see dead moggies at the side of the road, lying there for days no-one bothering to come & collect them & bury them - are they that unloved or uncared for, no-one can be bothered?

No ChristineW i think its a case of cats raoming away from home and owners not knowing where to look. I know someone whos cat was run over by a train. It was very loved and well cared for but the train track wasnt somewhere the owners thought to look. Moggys are as cared for and loved as a pedigree. Same with pedigrees and mongrels. You dont love an animal more because it cost more. My pedigree dog was £450 and my moggy was a £25 donation to the animal shelter. They're both as looked after and loved as each other

Christine how can you "disagree more"  :-)  Your 3 are still alive because they haven't been out.  Sorry but you don't have the comparison to disagree here. :-D

Let 3 moggies out and let your 3 pedigrees out and I know which 3 would be splattered first. I don't believe all 3 moggies would be the same.

I have not long had my moggie cat PTS he was 12 years old. He was probably 3/4 BSH  , He moved with me through 8 house moves never got lost or injured once.  My mum is on her 6th moggie all have lived to a very old age and NONE killed or injured. 

I am not making this a pedigree versus moggie here, Far from it, I love both.  When My angel of a daughter has her own place I will have another pedigree cat in a minute as  I loved mine.    

The point I was making was in response to some peoples comments that cats should not get out and I think except for pedigree cats that have generations behind them as captive animals then they should get out and roam no problem.

Christine said, " It breaks my heart to see dead moggies at the side of the road, lying there for days no-one bothering to come & collect them & bury them - are they that unloved or uncared for, no-one can be bothered? "


PS Chiristine I find this very harsh, so untrue and a little insensitive.

I don't think if someone's cat is  lying at the side of the road they haven't came and collected it because it is unloved they probably don't know where their cat is or that there is a dead cat at the road.   

A pedigree cat is not loved more than a moggie. 

I don't think if someone's cat is  lying at the side of the road they haven't came and collected it because it is unloved they probably don't know where their cat is or that there is a dead cat at the road. 

If they loved it they would not have risked putting it otuside in an unsafe area to START with....

The UK seems to be the odd country out here. Go to a rescue in the US or in Sweden and there is NO way you'd be allowed to get a rescued mog if you said you were going to let it out. It simply isn't responsible ownership.

Like others have said, dogs aren't let out, what's the difference? They love to roam just as much.(And dogs are really at LESS risk of fatal diseases -there is no FIV for dogs -guess that would be CIV if it existed LOL.)  Cats do not miss what they have never had, so anyone getting a kitten has no need at all to let it out unsupervised. It's just an old myth. I'm sure if anyone started to let their dog out to roam freely (as some people still do) they would claim just as much that it would miss it terribly if it suddenly had to be confined.

I agree Marrianne....most buyers choose the British Shorthair because they love their gentle, laid back natures & resemble teddy bears......:)  A lovely family bought a female from me last year & they have booked one of my current babies as a companion for her. They did consider a moggie, but decided they wanted a cat that came from  health tested parents & was fully vaccinated with breeder support etc.... wish i could find half a dozen families like this.   

If they loved it they would not have risked putting it otuside in an unsafe area to START with....  I think this is a very silly attitude I really do.

Next you will be saying children should not walk to school and we don't love our kids because we do let them . :-)

You are not going to try and tell me even your pedigree cats don't make a beeline for the door.  

Cats room free is the US and Canada. I know this for sure having lived in both countries.

Well a rescue shelter let us have our cat.
We have had cats for as long as my parents lived there-25 years. NEVER have we had a cat run over. WHY? Becuase we train the cats not to go out the front near the road.
You need to be realistic-accidents can happen. You could take a dog for a walk and the dog slip its lead run into the road and get run over. Doesnt mean you didnt care or do anything you could to prevent it. Just means it was an act of fate.
If we lived our life like that we'd all sit in one spot in our house in cotton wool

>Next you will be saying children should not walk to school and we don't love our kids because we do let them .

I don't know anyone who lets their child walk to school before they've been taught their Road Safety rules (Green Cross Code whatever name they go by now). When animals can reliably be taught their kerb drill then it's safe to let them roam.

I've moved several squished cats onto the verge of our (not very busy) road. No idea whose they were because everyone in our small group of houses who used to keep cats has given up because of the mortality rate.

It's Certainly been an entertaining and enlightening thread :-)

I do hope those reading the thread who let their cats out are ashamed of themselves as cat owners ;-)

I am often suprised that all animals are not extinct without such help from humans!!!

JG wrote; I've moved several squished cats onto the verge of our (not very busy) road. No idea whose they were because everyone in our small group of houses who used to keep cats has given up because of the mortality rate.
 

Maybe it is the drivers in your area needing some training as I certainly don't have this problem in my neck of the woods. Happy cat owners all round here. :-D
I think I have only seen 2 dead cats in my whole life 

I never learnt the Green Cross Cose ('twas before my time!) but i had common sense and did as i was told from my parents. Just as my dog and cat do as they are told (i.e training) from me!

Next you will be saying children should not walk to school and we don't love our kids because we do let them . :-)

You are not going to try and tell me even your pedigree cats don't make a beeline for the door. 

Cats room free is the US and Canada. I know this for sure having lived in both countries.

I would NEVER allow a 5 year old to walk to school on their own, would you? They have to be able to UNDERSTAND how to cross a road etc, and animals cannot regardless of age.

No, my cats (pedigrees AND mgos) most definitely do NOT make a beeline for the door -you're welcome to come and visit and see that for yourself.

I am on a US cat list, have been on it for 10 years, it has 600 members and 99 % of the members would never dream of letting their cats outside. I am on a Canadian one as well, much smaller but same there.

Maybe it is the drivers in your area needing some training as I certainly don't have this problem in my neck of the woods.

In the area we moved from last year, my husband often had to make emergency stops in the car as cats would run out straight in front of him, often from in between parked cars. Here there are no cats that I have seen, but hundreds of wild rabbits, and it's a nightmare driving up our country lane as they just dash out in front. There's alwyas squashed rabbits everywhere.  Certainly not the drivers' faults.

members would never dream of letting their cats outside
Sorry but in my eyes thats cruel

>hundreds of wild rabbits, and it's a nightmare driving up our country lane as they just dash out in front. There's alwyas squashed rabbits everywhere.

Yes, animals just dash straight across the road; even going at 20 mph through the village you can't always stop in time to miss suicidal animals - and that includes cats and foxes within the village, and badgers and deer outside it. My son was even knocked off his pushbike by a badger that then chased him up the road in fury at him being in the way!

Never ever trust an animal to have road sense.