A man who’s annoyed by his neighbor’s free-ranging cat spoke to the Wichita City Council Tuesday, suggesting that the city needs a leash law for cats.
File that one in the kitty litter box.
Put aside for the moment that most cats don’t take to leashes or directions or other attempts at cat herding.
I know my cat Mo would resist leash training as being utterly beneath him.
More seriously, cats don’t pose the attack threat to other pets or humans that dogs do. And the ordinance likely would be widely ignored.
Maybe Wichita’s animal control officers do need a way to respond, though, when a cat leaves deposits with neighbors and its owner won’t respond to complaints.
That stinks. Maybe there’s a way to train the humans.
81 Comments
This guy…jeeezzzzzzzzzz. What a turd. I’m gonna bet he’s the guy that wakes up and starts mowing and “beautifying” his lawn at 4:30 a.m. Soon this dumb ass will be in a crappy nursing home with CNA’s that don’t like curmudgeon-sh.it and he’ll be sitting in that for a while. Get over yourselves.
I was traveling to California with my roommate and someone gave me a kitty harness so he could get out and around for pit stops, etc. It was a dandy design; straps around the legs and head with clips and hardware.
The shortest unit of time in the universe is not the micro-second or even the nano-second. The shortest unit of time in the universe is the kitty-second — the amount of time it took for the kitty to squirm and twist out of that harness and bolt into the neighborhood behind the motel.
Hmmmm I thought it sounded like one poster from this Blog…. No names to be mentioned… at this point…. :-D
In any city, as many cats are feral as are pets; probably more.
That’s one smart cat.
Get a close look at this story and read the comments after it was posted yesterday. This guy’s neighbors are pretty much disgusted by him. According to them, he’s been harrassing the cat owner over this and other things for some time.
I wonder if McCain is his hero.
Does this guy follow the cat around and sniff the poo? Cats have a habit of covering up their feces so the guy must be working hard at being exposed to the odor. I have around four or more stray cats inhabiting my backyard at times. Never once did I have a problem with cat odors.
Maybe the loser ought to put up a sign in cat language telling the cats to stay off his lawn. He probably has one for the darn whippersnappers in the neighborhood too.
I have to agree with the man who spoke to the Wichita City Council. My neighbor’s cats leave their “deposits” in my yard. They usually DON’T cover them up. I have stepped in them. They have ruined my flower beds. People that want pets should keep them in their own yard. This includes cats and dogs. In my neighborhood people walk their dogs in the evenings. They think it is fine to stop and let their dogs poop in people’s yards. I am tired of cleaning up after other people’s pets. When they stop in my yard and let their dogs do their business, they get yelled at. I used to have a dog, but I kept it in my own yard. And yes, in my town there is a leash law for cats. But nobody pays attention and it is not enforced. People think cats are special.
In my neighborhood there is a woman who “walks” her cat. It’s done sans leash or halter, the woman walks and the cat follows along beside her with tail held high with pride. The whole thing started years ago when she and her dog would head out for their walk and the cat began following. Sadly, the neighbor’s faithful dog friend died but she and the cat continue their walks. Those of us walking our dogs make sure our canine companions don’t intrude in any way on the enjoyment of this woman and her cat. Spooking the cat is not neighborly! Visitors who see this always smile.
The problem doesn’t lie with walking the cat but rather with the inability of a fence to contain one in the yard. Cats are, by their very nature, explorers.
This guy needs to get a life.
More division! Not only are blacks and whites to hate each other, gays against straights, dems v reps…so on and so on…now pet owners vs. animal haters! War in the streets! Kill! Kill! Kill!
Delilah… Your “yard deposits” and flower beds problems sound a whole lot more like a nearby warren of wild rabbits, than the work of cats… Cats are nearly always prone to bury their “business” VERY rare that they dont!!
The only thing more absurd than the proposal, is the City Council is actually considering it.
One of the best ways to keep cats at home, and not out roaming, is to be sure they are neutered at a fairly early age… That way they arent out “looking” —- That would apply to males and females… If you dont neuter a female cat, you will wish you did about the first time it comes into “heat”…. What a horrible sound!!
“Thousands of years ago, cats were worshiped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this.”
I agree Phantom :-)
Outsource cat collection to the Chinese.
Top 11 Dog & Cat Characteristics
11. Dogs come when you call them.
Cats take a message and get back to you.
10. Dogs look much better at the end of a leash.
9. Dogs will let you give them a bath without taking out a contract on your life.
8. Dogs will bark to wake you up if the house is on fire.
Cats will quietly sneak out the back door.
7. Dogs will bring you your slippers or the evening newspaper.
Cats might bring you a dead mouse.
6. Dogs will play Frisbee with you all afternoon.
Cats will take a three-hour nap.
5. Dogs will sit on the car seat next to you.
Cats have to have their own private box or they will not go at all.
4. Dogs will greet you and lick your face when you come home from work.
Cats will be mad that you went to work at all.
3. Dogs will sit, lie down, and heel on command.
Cats will smirk and walk away.
2. Dogs will tilt their heads and listen whenever you talk.
Cats will yawn and close their eyes.
1. Dogs will give you unconditional love forever.
Cats will make you pay for every mistake you’ve ever made since the day you were born.
Amusing, outlander.
Dogs have Masters….
Cats have Staff….
How does this guy know that the droppings arent raccoons, possums, skunks, or other countless wildlife that can be found in the city?
HOW TO GIVE YOUR CAT A PILL IN TWENTY EASY STEPS
1. Sit on sofa. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your elbow as though you were going to give a bottle to a baby. Talk softly to it.
2. With right hand, position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat’s mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. (be patient) As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow. Drop pill into mouth. Let go of cat, noticing the direction it runs.
3. Pick the pill up off the floor and go get the cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process. Sit on floor in kitchen, wrap arm around cat as before, drop pill in mouth. Let go of cat, noticing the direction it runs.
4. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away. Scoot across floor to pick up pill, and go find the cat. Bring it back into the kitchen. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten. Drop pill into mouth.
5. Pry claws from back legs out of your arm. Go get the cat, pick up half-dissolved pill from floor and drop it into garbage can.
6. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of closet. Call spouse from backyard. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat’s throat vigorously.
7. Retrieve cat from curtain rod, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered Doulton figures from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
8. Get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse’s forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
10. Retrieve cat from neighbor’s shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with rubber band.
11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
12. Call fire department to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take another pill from foil wrap.
13. Tie cat’s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed, force cat’s mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour one cup of water down throat to wash pill down.
14. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call at furniture shop on way home to order new table.
15. Get last pill from bottle. Go into bathroom and get a fluffy towel. Stay in the bathroom with the cat, and close the door.
16. Sit on bathroom floor, wrap towel around kitty, leaving only his head exposed. Cradle kitty in the crook of your arm, and pick up pill off of counter.
17. Retrieve cat from top of shower door (you didn’t know that cats can jump 5 feet straight up in the air, did you?), and wrap towel around it a little tighter, making sure its paws can’t come out this time. With fingers at either side of its jaw, pry it open and pop pill into mouth. Quickly close mouth (his, not yours).
18. Sit on floor with cat in your lap, stroking it under the chin and talking gently to it for at least a half hour, while the pill dissolves.
19. Unwrap towel, open bathroom door. Wash off scratches in warm soapy water, comb your hair, and go find something to occupy your time for 7-1/2 hours.
20. Arrange for SPCA to get cat and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.
HOW TO GIVE YOUR DOG A PILL
Wrap in cheese, toss in air, walk away.
Solution: .22
End of problem.
OK, so I’m kidding. Sorta. And no, Chas, they don’t always bury. And one or two neighborhood cats are not a problem; but a serious ferel cat problem – and there always is – IS a problem.
Of course, there is always this solution- using a Civil War mortar to hunt ferel cats.
Don’t go there if you don’t have a dark sense of humor:
http://www.buckstix.com/CoehornMortarHunt.htm
Urban Archery
Bowling for Felines, by some fat guy.
Things I’ve Learned from my Cat
Take plenty of naps.
Stretch slowly and thoroughly before you get up from your nap.
Be curious.
Take delight in play.
Look others in the eye.
Know how to be quietly alone.
If you want love, let people know it.
When you get love, let ‘em know you appreciate it.
Groom yourself regularly.
Be confident in your ability to climb.
Amaze people with how high you can jump.
If you fall, land on your feet.
When s#it happens, be quick to bury it.
“And no, Chas, they don’t always bury.”
Ummm… HELLO!!! Thats exactly what I already said, smart a$$!!! Dont start!!
Good ones Hank!
:)
“Don’t start?”
I need not start on you, Chas. We all know all about you already.
So just STFU. (that would be Spend Time Freeing Udders. From contented cows, of course. I picked the phrase up in the Wisconson dairy country.)
;)
In Germany, Jaeger Meisters (Hunting Masters equivalent to our Park Rangers) are allowed to shoot stray cats on sight. No questions asked, as they say in Germany,
Sehen Sie eine Katze, schießen!!! tote Katze.
(see a cat, shoot it, dead cat)
Chas—They are not rabbits. I have seen the cats. I know the difference between cats and rabbits. LOL.
I would trade him with my problem which is not that much of a problem to me. My neighbor has a large Boxer that not only decorates his own yard but mine too! He favorite spot is where my trash cans set on trash day. Other than that when I mow it is a concern, but it is a part of the yard that does not get much traffic otherwise. I have three cats and they do cover their stuff I do not recall having a cat that did not.
Why not while they are at it have a cat bathing law or a cat barking ordinance? Cats or not dogs and can not be treated the same. Only an idiot will think that could be, totally different animals with totally different natures. You call the dog they generally come, you call the cat and if it is hungry it comes.
“Regular” channels his inner Nazi with –
“Sehen Sie eine Katze, schießen!!! tote Katze.
Hmm.
I’m tempted to paraphrase “Nathan’s” post on November 28, 2007 at 01:32 PM –
“If you ever shot [my kitty,] you would disappear.
“Your car would disappear.
“No one would ever find you or know what happened to you.”
But you’d consider that a “threat,” wouldn’t ya?
Monkeyhawk, Posted July 16, 2008 at 9:35 am |
“Things I’ve Learned from my Cat”
Too bad you haven’t been able to put a single one into practice.
GMC70, I prefer 44 Magnum or higher for cats. (Have yet to try the 50 S&W, and 12 gauge makes it too difficult to clean the fillet.)
Much higher one-shot stopping probability then 22’s.
I borrow Fleettwood’s “sealing stick”, it works smashingly.
It helps eliminate tightly coiled diposits in my yard.
“Howard Feiner is so annoyed with the cat droppings in his yard, he has logged the kitties’ leavings and put flags up to mark the spots.”
Ohhhhkay.
I’m not really a cat person my own self.
But this guy? He is in really serious need of a life. I would make book he is a Republican.
Cats kill millions of songbirds every year.
In killing these songbirds, cats have the potential to spread Avian Bird Flu causing the next major human plague and killing millions of people.
Heh heh
Dayum, I’ve never had one of my bowel movements logged or marked with a flag. And what SORT of flag?
Maybe I’ll go over and take a dump on Howard’s lawn!
As someone I know once proposed, what this State needs is an
Open Season on Cats. This nation has been overrun with wild
and feral cats. These diseased animals have turned wild and are
roaming the countryside killing native wildlife and birds.
Think about the many advantages of a Cat Season. The state
could make money issuing “cat stamps” on hunting licenses.
Taxidermists could make money mounting cat heads on wall mounts.
Farmers could make money renting out their properties (which have been overrun by wild cats). Walmart would see a sudden rise in ammunition sales, and
Possibly firearms (depending upon hunter preferences for cat hunting).
This would be a money saving idea too. City, county, and state road and street departments would not have to hire staff to scrape the many dead cats off the
roadways. Additionally, little old ladies, and women would not suffer as many headon collisions with fewer cats to dodge (a point system could also be developed).
Here is a money saving idea which would also help put our countryside back into the native environment known before man intervened and introduced cats to Kansas.
http://www.messybeast.com/zoonoses.htm
ZOONOSIS – DISEASES SPREAD FROM CAT TO MAN
Common examples of zoonoses are toxoplasmosis (a protozoan), psittacosis (virus) and ringworm (fungus).
Toxoplasmosis is a protozoan which can be spread from cats and a wide variety of other sources to humans. A pregnant woman who contracts toxoplasmosis risks having a baby with congenital defects.
Psittacosis is an upper respiratory infection usually caught from cage birds e.g. parrots. It is a chlamydial infection of birds which can cause pneumonia in humans. Although easily cured in healthy adults, it is dangerous to the very young, very elderly and to those with a poor immune system. Psittacosis also causes chlamydial eye and respiratory infections in cats.
Ringworm is a fungal skin disease which for most people is more irritating than dangerous, though it can cause scarring (due to constant scratching) and may be of concern to individuals with poor immune systems.
FUNGAL INFECTIONS
Fungal infections of humans are surprisingly common: thrush, athlete’s foot etc. The only one of concern in the context of this article is ringworm.
Ringworm is probably the most common zoonosis of cats. Vets who treat ringwormy cats are used to seeing owners with red, scaly, itchy patches of skin. Ringworm is not a worm but a fungus; it normally causes circular scaly patches (which often fluoresce under a Woods Lamp [UV light]). Some strains do not fluoresce and must be cultured in the laboratory to provide a diagnosis. Unfortunately up to 40% of cats may have the fungus without showing any symptoms.
BACTERIAL INFECTIONS
Bacteria are usually secondary infectious agents that follow viral or mycobacterial infections. Bacteria may be present in diarrhoea which is an effective means of cross-infection (solid stools buried in litter are less infectious). Common zoonotic bacteria include species of campylobacter, streptococcus and staphylococci; these generally respond to antibiotic.
Feline conjunctivitis can be caused by a variety of conditions including bacterial or viral infections; conjunctivitis caused by a foreign body may lead to a secondary bacterial infection. Since some of these germs can also infect humans, it is wise to observe basic hygiene precautions when handling cats with conjunctivitis. Most cases are easily treated in both cats and humans by eye drops and eye ointments – often containing the same active ingredients!
Persistent streptococcal infections in cats can cause tonsilitis and pharyngitis in the owners.
Pasteurella is possibly the most common bacterial zoonosis, carried in the mouths of up to 75% of cats. Cat bite wounds should be always be cleaned carefully with antiseptic or antibiotic cleansers and an antibiotic ointment applied. Any sign of wound inflammation, persistent swelling or fever should be referred to the doctor as it may require oral antibiotics. Most healthy adults will recover without treatment; but you may not wish to risk your health.
Salmonella bacteria is more common in the faeces of cats fed raw meat or those that catch wild birds. Infection follows a faecal-oral route (you clean the litter tray and scratch your lip without first washing your hands).
Cat Scratch Disease (Cat Scratch Fever, Bartonellosis)
Cat Scratch Disease (called Cat Scratch Fever in the UK) is caused by the bacteria Bartonella henselae (formerly called Rochalimaea henselae). Despite its British common name, it does not usually cause fever. The bacteria is carried by cat fleas. Cat Scratch Disease causes systemic illness and lymph node lesions and can be very serious in individuals with poor immune response. Antibiotic therapy usually cures the disease without complications in healthy young adults. Clearing the bacteria from infected cats requires long term antibiotic treatment, however, and cats may be continuously or intermittently infected indefinitely. Studies in the United States suggest 20-40% of cats carry the disease.
Helicobacter pylori
Helicobacter pylori is also found in cats. This organism causes gastric ulcers in humans and the cat-human link caused panic among cat owners in the mid 1990s. It is found in the stomach. It has been suggested that it may be transmitted to humans if a cat walks across a food preparation area which is then not disinfected before food is next prepared on it. Simple hygiene, including keeping cats off of counters, is recommended though it isn’t known what percentage of cats carry helicobacter.
PROTOZOAL DISEASES
Feline strains of coccidia and giardia do not appear to be infectious to humans. Giardia cause diarrhoea in cats and normal precautions should be followed when cleaning up; normally cats and humans are infected by the same source (contaminated water) not by each other.
Media attention is sometimes focussed on Toxoplasmosis, a type of coccidia that can cause birth defects in unborn babies. Toxoplasmosis, a disease of cats and other mammalian species, is caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
Toxoplasmosis
Cats acquire Toxoplasma infection by ingesting infected prey. The organisms multiply in the wall of the small intestine and produce oocysts, which are then excreted in the faeces for 2-3 weeks. Most cats shed oocysts only once after infection and are then effectively immune. Within 5 days the shed oocysts become infectious to other animals and to humans. Infectious “sporulated oocysts” are highly resistant to environmental conditions and can survive in moist shaded soil or sand for many months. Some Toxoplasma organisms migrate from the cat’s intestine to muscle and brain but usually remain dormant. The same migration can also occur in humans. Congenital infection (transmission from mother to foetus) occurs in sheep, goats, and humans.
In humans, toxoplasmosis symptoms may be flu-like, in most cases there are no symptoms. Infection is more serious in individuals with poor immune response. If such people contract toxoplasmosis for the first time it can run riot in the body with the immune system unable to keep it in check. In people who have previously been infected, the dormant tissue cysts are activated. Stress can also activate dormant cysts. Activated tissue cysts can produce millions of toxoplasmas which can lodge in the heart or brain and other major organs.
A study in 2002 has suggested that toxoplasmosis, which some people carry as a latent infection, can have neurological effects such as slowed reaction times. One very controversial idea is that latent toxoplasmosis infection might trigger some forms of schizophrenia. Fuller Torrey (Stanley Medical Research Institute, Maryland, USA) found that schizophrenics were statistically more likely to be cat owners and to have latent toxoplasmosis. Test-tube studies indicated that drugs used to control schizophrenia affected the toxoplasmosis parasite and could explain how the drugs worked. Sceptics point out that the drugs might affect the parasite as a side-effect, rather than a primary effect and that persons genetically pre-disposed to schizophrenia (it is a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental triggers) might also be pre-disposed to liking cats; in addition many people with latent toxoplasmosis do not develop schizophrenia.
Toxoplasmosis may also enter the water cycle through flushable cat litter or through infected soil being washed into drains. The oocysts are extremely reistant to water treatment and in 1995, a large human outbreak of toxoplasmosis was traced to the municipal water supply of the Greater Victoria area of British Columbia, Canada. Elsewhere, the parasite is flushed out to sea and has been responsible for the deaths of Sea Otters. Cat owners in coastal areas of the North America are advised to incinerate used cat litter (complete with faeces) or to bag it and dispose of it with household rubbish.
MYCOBACTERIA
Tuberculosis – Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related tuberculosis-causing mycobacteria can infect cats and be transmitted to humans. It is particularly dangerous to humans with poor immune systems e.g. with HIV. Since there is no fully effective treatment in cats, euthanasia is recommended to reduce the risk to humans.
VIRUSES
As well as rabies, there are a few feline viral infections which can cause illness in humans.
Rotaviruses cause diarrhoea in a number of species; the infection is usually transient and remedied with diarrhoea treatments. Rotaviruses can cross species and though affected cats are not considered infectious to humans, rubber gloves should be worn when clearing up diarrhoea and the affected area (litter trays, floors, carpets etc) disinfected as a precaution.
Rabies
Rabies is a viral infection spread through saliva e.g. via biting or by saliva entering an open wound. It attacks the central nervous system causing a variety of symptoms (including behaviour changes) and is almost always fatal. Documented cases of human recovery are extremely rare. Carriers do exist but are uncommon. Rabies vaccines are available for cats and for humans, but post-exposure treatment is also required. Oral vaccines may be given to wildlife to limit the spread of rabies in the mammal population. An infected animal which has bitten a human is destroyed and presented for necropsy to confirm whether it was infected by rabies. Rabid cats generally exhibit the passive form or the disease and rarely become furious biters (the classical image of the disease) hence cat to human transmission is not common.
Feline Leukaemia (FeLV)
The potential transmissibility of FeLV was highlighted by a Cambridge researcher (Jarrett) in 1994 in a work related to cancer-causing viruses. In cats, FeLV causes leukaemia, lymphoma (a cancer), anaemia and immunosuppression (immune system failure). Most cats die due to immunosuppression. According to the Vet Record in 1989, in the UK, about 18% of sick cats and 5% of healthy cats are FeLV positive.
The idea of an infectious agent being the cause of a childhood leukaemia led researchers to wonder whether acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in children was caused by FeLV through close contact between children and cats. They had several reasons for suspicion. Firstly, FeLV is spread “horizontally” i.e. from cat to cat through close contact and interaction. Secondly FeLV can infect and multiply in cells from other species in laboratory conditions – in the laboratory, FeLV was able to multiply within human bone marrow cells. Thirdly there have been reported clusters of cancers or leukaemia in human patients and simultaneously in their pets.
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV, Feline AIDS)
A comparison between FIV and HIV shows that the two viruses differ virologicallv, pathologically, and epidemiologically. Although there is no evidence that FIV can infect or cause disease in humans, from a public health perspective it is often recommended that immunosuppressed people should have limited contact with infected cats. However, the risks are considered extremely small and for most patients, the benefits of feline companionship greatly outweighs any risk.humans.
Chlamydia and Psittacosis
Chlamydia causes conjunctivitis in cats and, less commonly, respiratory symptoms. In humans it can cause pneumonia; however human infection (psittacosis) is generally from parrots and cage birds. There are only isolated cases of chlamydia being spread from cat to human.
Coronaviruses
This section is included because of media confusion over the cat’s role in SARS and headlines such as “SARS triggered by cat eating” which fail to distinguish between civet cats and true cats.
The Galveston researchers suggested cats could be a reservoir for the virus and suggested quarantining cats as well as humans.
Asian Bird Flu & Feline H5N1
In February 2004, scientists in Thailand confirmed the first cases of Asian Bird Flu in cats.
By April 2006, there are still no known cases of bird flu transmitted from cats to humans.
However, it is recommended that cats be kept indoors (and dogs be kept on the leash) in areas where H5N1 is confirmed. There is no data on how easily cats become infected or whether they can excrete the virus in a form infectious to humans or back to birds once infected. Infected cats get lung or gut infections. In areas where H5N1 is not endemic there is little cause for owners to be concerned. Cat welfare groups fear a witch-hunt against feral cats and an increase in abandoned or unwanted cats. Preventing cats from coming into contact with infected birds keeps cats – and their owners – safe. As with any other illness, sick cats should be isolated from other cats and gloves should be worn when emptying litter trays.
Feline H5N1 has been found in other areas where H5N1 is prevalent in poultry: Thailand, Indonesia (where the disease is common among cats) and Iraq. In March 2006, 3 cats were infected in Germany on an island where wildfowl were infected. Being predators, cats pick off weak and sick birds; birds weakened by the virus are easy prey. Any animal that hunts birds or scavenge dead birds are potentially at risk e.g. dogs, foxes and seals. On the Baltic Sea island or Ruegen it has been found in a stone marten. There are reports of H5N1 in pigs, weasels and civets.
PRION DISEASE (MAD COW DISEASE)
Feline Spongiform Encephalitis is a prion disease rather than a virus. As with human vCJD, it may be related to consumption of infected cow products although another chemical agent (producing BSE-like symptoms) has been implicated in the past. Since transmission is believed to be by eating contaminated food, an infected cat does not pose a threat to its owners. Veterinarians handling FSE-infected cats (especially post mortem) should take standard precautions to avoid tissue or fluids coming into contact with open wounds.
EXTERNAL PARASITES
Certain parasites may be transferred from cat to human. Fleas are the most common and cause itchy, sometimes inflamed, spots. Some people are more prone to flea bites than others and some people react worse than others. Ticks may also attach to humans but are picked up from long grass where a gorged tick has fallen off of its former host; a tick attached to a cat stays there until it is gorged or until it is removed by the owner/veterinarian.
Some feline intestinal parasites can also be transmitted to humans. Roundworm eggs infect humans, particularly children, through a faecal to oral route. Tapeworm eggs are not directly infectious to people.
Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, January 05, 2004
China to kill rats, civet cats amid SARS fears
In a campaign to stop another SARS outbreak, China will kill 10 thousand civet cats and try to wipe out rats and cockroaches as fears of new cases of the flu-like disease spread in the Guangdong province and to the Philippines.
http://english.people.com.cn/200401/05/eng20040105_131862.shtml
As usual the neo-cons only solution is to kill something.
“Cats or not dogs and can not be treated the same. Only an idiot will think that could be, totally different animals with totally different natures.”
Walker, Walker, Walker, it’s not the animals. It’s the humans.
Your rights end where my property line begins. Cat owners cannot just let their cats roam free – because it’s the “nature” of cats.
Well, I guess you can, but if they stroll onto my property – or as some would say, trample MY rights, your cat is fair game. I’ll tell you one formula that works. On trash day, open a can of Charlies Tuna. Add ant poison. Place the tuna can next to the trash can.
It is BS to think that you can offend me, and expose me to allergy attacks because your little “kitty” longs to roam free.
Or are you one of those who look up and down the street – when you open your door to let the cat roam the neighborhood at night?
You are old school Catch up. It’s not good for the environment, nor your cat – to allow it to roam free.
Dead cat carcusses could be sold like pig bellies and cattle. There is a market (cat futures) in SE Asia, as one poster stated once: This could help our balance of trade, by exporting cats.
Gee AW what ever did a cat do to you? Some people just do not like cats I hear. Mainly because cats are not like dogs. A dog can be kicked and beaten and still come to you. It s matter of control and some want to be in control of everything in their lives. People and pets it does not matter.
Cats are not like that you do not control a cat and it drives some nuts. The only need a cat has for its owner is food and even then if hungry they fed themselves.
Cats that wander the neighborhood become vermin. As has been written, they urinate and defecate everywhere – eat songbirds and other wildlife.
They are a menace.
Bang!
Kill the cats then you have a bird overpopulation problem and then you have to go out and shoot the birds. Conservative short sighted thinking always leading to more and more problems.
I don’t mind cats, kind of like them and have one that’s a nice affectionate little animal, and for the most part an ‘inside cat’.
But I have a friend, who though his wife has a cat or two, he himself has a ‘Cat Hammer’.
He claims it solves cat problems very effectively and at low cost.
I prefer not to think about it.
But, gosh….doesn’t the city have more important things to contend with.
Bureaucrats…ugh, help us all from their constant meddling.
Outie,
“Thousands of years ago, cats were worshiped as gods. Cats have never forgotten this.”
According to one Cat who owned me, Cats are the Gods and Goddesses who created people to have opposable thumbs and run can openers, and be handy for Cats to pet themselves on.
Ps. I don’t know about fires, but this same Cat once woke me in the middle of the night to warn me about the possum that had come in the Cat flap and was eating all the Catfood.
I have trouble with dogs and cats roaming thru my yard at night. I don’t mind the roaming so much as I mind the dog poop (it’s always a big dog) or cats wanting to fight with my pets.
I believe the feral problem is due to a lack of responsible pet ownership regarding spay and neutering, as well as many who dump their animals in the country. Anyone who does that should be shot. Shame on them.
Please folks…if you have pets (cats or dogs, do the responsible thing and spay or neuter your pet. There is a new clinic in town that offers low cost services now for those with limited incomes. My vet told me that an un-neutered male cat’s roaming area was 10 square miles! The catch and release spay/neuter program also helps control the feral population, if you can please participate or support that. eventually the feral population will die down if this program is continued.
As for keeping them out of flower beds, I spray them with water. In fact, that’s my method of discipline inside the house. It doesn’t hurt them but they sure don’t like it and avoid it like the plague. Someone told me that you could get motion detector type sprayers but I haven’t checked it out.
There are also ’scat mats’ available online. They have either an alarm sound or electric pulse that goes off when the mat is stepped on…very useful in training while you’re not home and won’t hurt the animal, just scares them.
WichiWoman,
I figure you were just using this as a figure of speech, but you better be careful around here.
Posters like WS Clark, MonkeyHawk, and others will be going on for years about how you want to shoot people now.
“Anyone who does that should be shot.”
American_way I had a neighbor once like you, he thought it was cute to put out dog food spiked with crushed glass in my dogs food. I ended up thinking it was cute to pour a bottle of Karo syrup down his mustangs gas tank, and my girlfriend thought is was funny pretending to be the guys girlfriend on the phone with his wife, she even wrote letters croped photos whole nine yards. made my little revenge look pretty sad.
Nathan,
Ok, how about they should be hung? beaten? left in a cage in the sun with no water? I’m not picky when it comes to what I think an animal (child or spouse) abuser’s punishment should be. I have an even more callous remedy for rapists. Remember, I’m the lib that believes in the death penalty too. I call ‘em as I see ‘em. : ) But I understand your point and yes it was a figure of speech. I don’t even own a gun.
I have had 2 of the motion type detection water sprayers. Each one worked about 3 days. Don’t waste your money buying one.
Hank posted July 16, 2008 at 9:22 am
“HOW TO GIVE YOUR CAT A PILL IN TWENTY EASY STEPS”
—————
Just get a “pet piller” from your vet, and have them show you how to use it properly.
To stop cats from “digging” in flower gardens, try sprinkling coffee grounds on top of the ground.
And most cats can be kept in a yard, with a properly built cat fence. It uses plastic netting, and cats don’t like the unstable motion if/when they try to climb it.
Help put fluffy and muffy on a leash, or face doing time in the bighouse with bugsy:
http://www.petitiononline.com/CatLeash/petition.html
This is terrible! A documented killer cat stalking an endangered, and beautiful Eastern Bluebird.
http://www.loudounwildlife.org/HHImpactPets.htm
“A research study done in Great Britain calculated that the island’s 5 million house cats were responsible for the death of approximately 70 million animals and birds annually (Journal of Zoology 212:439-455, 1987). That is a death toll of 14 creatures per cat per year. Extrapolate those numbers to the estimated 100 million free-roaming cats in the United States and even the most relaxed pet owner should see cause for concern. Other research studies indicate that wildlife and bird deaths caused by cats may be even greater! (NWRA Quarterly 12(3): 14-15, 1994)”
Please before it is too late for the Bluebirds, help put Muffy and Fluffy on a rope.
MORE THAN OIL SPILLS!!!! (that alone should strike even the most hardened of bleeding liberals hearts)
“Cat predation is the number one cause of admission into many wildlife centers. In many areas, cats cause more injuries than cars, pesticides, oil spills and all other causes. Victims of cat attacks stand little chance of recovery even with proper care because of the massive internal injuries that occur and because of the life threatening bacterial infections that take hold secondary to bite wounds.”
MORE THAN PESTICIDES!! For God’s sake act now!
Americans are so wasteful. Simple answer for cat problems. Eat them. Cat is an excellent source for lean protein. Cherry glazed cat is a meal fit for a king. In China, cat is a common food source.
My neighbors love my cats because they keep their yard free of snakes and mice…of course they bring the poor things home along with other small creatures who have the misfortune of letting their presence be known. My kittys don’t kill the snakes, they play with them until they’re cold and don’t move anymore, then they get bored and walk away…leaving them for me to banish from the house. They rarely catch a bird, they’re much more interested in frogs, snakes, moles, and mice…the easy stuff.
My old, deaf cat even slapped around my neighbor’s 120 lb dog the other day…we don’t call him “Bad Ass Bob” for nothing.
I learned how to give a cat a pill from a Veterinarian.
*The “little finger is the key.
*Grasping the upper jaw behind the canines,
use the little finger to push the lower jaw down
*With the pill between thumb and forefinger, shove the pill to the back of the throat
*Hold mouth closed with hand, stroke the throat to make it swallow. Worked 100 percent of the time.
“Posters like WS Clark, MonkeyHawk, and others will be going on for years about how you want to shoot people now.”
I guess I really do get under your skin, Price.
Ya’ better grow some alligator hide if ya’ wanna play this game, cherry boy.
I enjoyed Hank Price’s story – very funny – but this is how I give my cat his medicine……………..
Buy a can of cat food – buy liquid cat medicine – mix both – let cat eat – end of story.
This is how I give my dog his medicine – take doggy pill – wrap in heal of the bread load – dogs eats it, thinking that he just got a treat – repeat following morning.
This is how I take my medicine – pick seeds out of stash, remove stems – buying rolling papers………………………………………….
*shock*
Hey! Golf Nutz, you are back with us! Cool! What does your lawyer say about your chances of beating the rap? Any hope that your victim will “refuse” to testify against you?
We are betting on you, Golfie.
Really, we have a pool going and the odds are that you are going up the river. The big money is on a twenty year to life sentence.
Hey, but there is A chance that your victim will disappear – ya’ never know…………
See kids…DA is your brain on drugs.
See kids…………………..Golfie is your brain without psycho drugs.
You know, the ones that help him resist “those” urges.
WS Clark,
I thought you didn’t do illegal drugs anymore?
“I thought you didn’t do illegal drugs anymore?”
I do what ever the Hell I like – what’s your point, cherry boy?
(Damn, do you think I would be so forken stupid as to confess to current marijuana use on this god damned blog with all you self righteous haters watching? You sons of bitches would just LOVE to have a chance to have me busted. In forty years, it hasn’t happened yet – so keep on dreaming, you forken losers.)
WS Clark,
You just basically admitted to 40 years of illegal drug use where no one has ever busted you.
Further proof…
Ol’ DA ain’t too bright.
Are you still fat golfie?
Or did prison slim ya down?
This is an extremely extraordinary text. Keep up the great job!!
Hank,
regarding your 20 step method of giving a cat a pill, after several painful trips to the ER involving numerous stitches, I’ve developed a somewhat easier way. After donning a leather apron, welding gloves and face shield, grab the cat and place it in a heavy canvas zipper bag and have my assistant zip the bag tightly aroung the cat’s neck. Then pry open the cat’s mouth, toss pill as far back into it as possible and hold it’s mouth shut until it has swallowed 3 times. Then place the bag containing the cat on the floor, leave the house immediately and go get a new canvas bag for the next day’s pill.
I sit on my cats back (not putting my weight on them of course) to imobilize them with my legs and leave my hands free, then hold their heads back, place the pill in the back of their throat and hold their mouth closed until they swallow…it’s quick, easy, and works like a charm everytime.
I have two strays that I adopted, Mama and kitten. The kitten is now an adult and is pretty strong willed and spirited, but if I wrap her in a towel I can probably get something down her. I won’t even TRY Mama, she has ‘issues’ with touching her head and doesn’t like to be picked up. She’s still getting warmed up to being petted after two years. She was either partly feral or had some abuse,so although she’s easily spooked I just treat her with kindness to win her over and she’s become a pretty good kitty I’m doing good to get their flea and ear mite meds on them. :o
I used to bathe my previous cat once a month…I won’t even attempt it with these two, but they get brushed daily and compete for their turn.
Mary,
Your method will probably work on most cats, but if I’d tried holding the above-mentioned cat with my legs, I’d be considerably shorter now. He was one tough tomcat named Bad Bad LeRoy Brown, with everything it took to back up his attitude, including razors in all four shoes. I once saw him shred a pair of attacking Afghan hounds- one died! I didn’t want to be next.
Wichiwoman…there is a cat lady in town that will come to your house and groom your cats. She shaves mine every summer so he can be cool….she’s like the “cat” whisperer. You can get her name from the Wichita Cat Hospital.