pommie

that is true about the microchip, bignumber5 but sometimes the chip actually moves in the cats body so not always in between the shoulder blades

If she turned up at my door claiming to need money etc then i would tell her to ring a family member/friend to help her out.

dc Thats why i said they are too wet for people to burn. I wouldnt expect people to use them now.

We have a few logs in our back garden as we cut a tree down....you could have had them for nothing although now its been snowing they are probably too wet.

rockets i am guessing that you have taekn this cat to the vets to check if its been microchipped. if you are concerned then maybe put some posters up locally or leaflets thru neighbours doors. Alternatively get a soft collar and either see if the collar gets taken off or write a note on it.

Cate I said I have turf in my garden i.e. grass and that is where my child will play (which is one reason why we put it down). I do know that cats jump walls but I am saying mine dont. I have lived in this property for around 16 years and none of my cats have jumped the walls or roamed anywhere...maybe im just lucky and have homely cats who dont want to wander too far. I did have a litter tray in my house but none of them wanted to use it so whats the point. Obviously your cat likes staying inside to do its toilet business...good for you. Not all cats are the same and if they want to go outside then I cant force them to do it in a litter tray. I agree also with minder, at least cats cover their business outside unlike foxes. Anyone want any advice on cats, then cate is obviously the cat expert and can probably tell you the ins and outs of why you should have a litter tray in your house even if your cat does not use it and they have access to the outside. Whats ur suggestion for dog poo in the street cate or is your expertise only in cat shit trays? As moo said, just because my way (and many others on here) is not the same as yours, doesnt mean we are wrong and no reason to have a go. I

cate The reasons the kids cannot play in our garden is we have mostly turf in our garden with a small section of soil where plants are which is where my cats toilet. Also the reason my cats do not go near vehicles etc is because we live in terraced houses with gardens backing on to ours and high walls either end of the houses (which is about 30 houses) which is why we have neighbours cats coming into our garden. Sometimes cats roam because they are not neutered etc. Oh by the way I did use to have litter trays when my cats were younger but as with Moos, when my cats got bigger and started to go out, they did not want to use the litter tray. At the end of the day it is a persons individual choice and it does not affect the cat whether they have a litter tray or choose to go outside to go to the toilet.

also are you telling me that if you put a litter tray in your house (that has access to a garden) that your cat will always come in and use the litter tray rather than go outside?

Cate I am not forcing my cat to go outside to go to the toilet, they do that naturally and they actually enjoy going out in the garden. I will not allow my child to go out and play with the dirt/mud in my garden for a start and when i do have visitors who are children they are very well behaved and do not think its a goo didea to sit and put their hands in the dirt. Also I tell them not to and they are very clued up and know not to. As i said before, my cats go out in the garden when they want to and to be honest they are out most of the time as I have a cat flap and they come and go as they like. I didnt say that i stood over them whilst they went to the toilet but when I am outside in the garden then i do notice them doing it in my garden. I didnt say that because I fostered cats that I knew everything about cats and i agree with you that with age often comes widsom and i dont agree that people should tell other people how to look after their animals. For your information my cats cannot get to any vehicles so there is no risk of them getting run over. Anyway this topic is about foxes so maybe it should be kept at that.

cate For your information when we do have visitors to our house they dont go and start putting their hands in the garden soil...I mentioned about wearing gloves if someone was doing the gardening. I know my cats use my garden more than other peoples because i have seen them and i can see where they have actually gone in the garden. If my cats want to go out to the toilet then they go out. If its raining and they dont want to go out then they dont but one of my cats actually enjoys the rain and sits out in it. I am insulted that you assume that it is cruel for cats to out in all weathers. Do you actually own cats of your own? I have had litter trays in my house before so I know all about cleaning litter trays out etc. People who have indoor cats HAVE to have litter trays as the cats have no way of getting outside. I have owned cats for years and have fostered cats too so please do not tell me how i should look after my cats and what i need to look after them.

i actually have squatters in a house a few doors down and they have done nothing but been disruptive since they moved in. They have totally gutted the house which includes removing the bath and toilet. They use the back garden as a toilet and we have seen them many times doing this. They unfortunately do not have any electricity or heating. I have contacted the council about them and they say it is going to court but its taking a while and apparently the squatters know how long it takes to get an injunction to remove them and they usually move out before the notice is served. Contact the council (if it is a council house) or even the police. You can go on the met police website and report a non emergency crime on there

cate If someone was doing a quick bit of weeding, wouldnt they wear gloves anyway, i know i would as I wouldnt want mucky hands!! I have no need to use a litter tray as all my cats go out and acually they use our garden probably 99% of the time. If people do not want cats messing in their garden then there are gadgets you can buy to stop cats coming into your garden in the first place. I have other peoples cats coming into our garden and using it as a toilet but unfortunately there is nothing I can do. Do you expect everyone who has cats who go outside to have a litter tray in their house? Also having a litter tray in my house is not possible as I have a small child.

well cate if someone is pregnant and is trying to rid the garden of cat poo then they would need to wear gloves!!

It does cause tomoplasmosis but thats only if you pick it up etc. If you wear gloves and are careful then there is less of a risk. I knew a friend who worked in a rescue home and she was pregnant. She was careful and her baby was fine.

Foxes do not attack cats or kill them unless the cat is injured/ill and it is very rare. I have had foxes in my garden for a while and I have 5 cats and they are all out in the garden together and do not bother each other. In fact I have seen a couple of my cats playing with the foxes

Which is precisely what made me go back to meat, after a brief period of trying out being veggie. So, so bored of the egg/cheese offerings, and not a fan of slimy roast peppers in a sarnie. There wasn't enough choice. By choice I mean choice that worked for me: easily accessible and affordable. Yes I probably could have got up earlier and made stuff myself/spent more money/walked further. But in the end I chose to eat meat rather than do that. Meh. CAN I ASK WHY YOU GAVE UP EATING MEAT IN THE FIRST PLACE?