"Larry Stoter" wrote in message
. co.uk...
Little Badger wrote:

Larry
I'm a very keen gardener and have been gardening since I was 11 years
old! I
also own a cat that I love very much!

I am also a volunteer for my local PDSA charity shop!

I would notice that my cat was missing within hours of coming home from
work!

My cat is with me always ( he's at my feet now)!
Why do people like you hate cats so much? Can't you put up with another
animal (as free as a cat) entering your domain or is all you and
yourself
what you think about all the time?

I don't hate cats - quite like them, in fact.

I do dislike cat 'owners' who can't be bothered to control their animals
and who believe their pet has a right to wander around the
neighbourhood. My objections to cats in my garden a

1. It is my garden and I haven't given permission for a cat to enter.
Why should I, as I don't want it? Unfortunately, because of a
peculiarity of UK law, I don't have any legal means of removing a cat
owned by a neighbour. If a dog, rat or person uses my garden as a
toilet, I have various options open to me to resolve the problem.

2. I delight in having many free animals coming into my garden and
actively encourage them. These are true, wild animals - insects,
amphibians, birds, small mammals, etc. Many local cats attempt to kill
them - cats which are not truly wild but are provided with food and
shelter. In doing so, their owners are giving these efficient predators
a huge competitive advantage against truly free and wild animals.

3. Cats defaecate and urinate in my vegatables, which I find unpleasant
and a potential health risk.

4. Cats dig up seeds and seedlings.

5. Cats are a reservoir of toxoplasma gondii - this parasitic worm is
known to cause miscarriages in humans. There is also evidence that it
can lead to more subtle neurological problems in humans. Certainly, it
changes the behaviour of small mammals in such a way as to make them
much easier for cats to catch. If it does this to mice, it would not be
surprising that it also affected human behaviour. I believe there is a
government committee currently examining this issue.

What I would like to see is:

a) A legal requirement on cat owners to control their animals, as is the
case with other domestic animals and pets, such as dogs. This to include
fines for those who don't and the ability for neighbours to take civil
action against cat owners.

b) For me to be able to trap any cat (not just strays) which enters my
property and hand it over to an appropriate organisation. The animal
should, of course, be legally protected against ill treatment.

c) A legal requirement for all dogs and cats to be neutered unless they
are owned specifically for breeding purposes. In which case, owners to
be licensed to keep intact animals, subject to inspection and fined if
their animals are allowed to stray from their property.

And thank you to those cat owners who do take proper responsability for
their pets.
--
Larry Stoter

How do you suggest people train their cats to stay out of your garden?

I don't have a cat, and I don't like them leaving a mess in my garden but I
just accept them as one of those fairly minor inconveniences that I can't do
anything about.

As long as it's legal to own cats, and to allow them outside, then there's
not a whole lot you can do about it. Best not to get too het up about things
you can't change.