My neighbour's huge, planet killing new Rover

[Guest]

My neighbour's huge, planet killing new Rover

TonTon wrote:

Stop wasting resources on breeding pets.

But what about all the people who use them as surrogate children?
Which seems rather a lot.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

My neighbour's huge, planet killing new Rover

It's amazing how the pet cat population keeps growing so rapidly. It's not as if most people are "breeding" kittens for profit, like dog breeders do, most of the time when you see the ads in the local papers about "kittens for sale" they're about £5 each, or even "free to good home". (I'm talking about general moggies and tabby cats, obviously, not your predigree persian breeds etc).

You'd think for all the hassle of having a pregnant cat at home and then divesting yourself of its litter, almost every owner would have their female cats neutered. Maybe some "cat mums" get some kind of kick out of becoming "cat grandmums".

[MsD]

My neighbour's huge, planet killing new Rover

I've heard some right nonsense talked about neutering. Several people have told me how cruel I was to have my cat neutered, spoiling his fun etc. as though tom cats are out having fantastic sex lives. The truth is that few male toms have long lives, they get into fights and wander off looking for females, cross busy roads etc. and feline AIDS is rife.

Similarly, lots of people think they should let their female cats have one litter before neutering, so they can experience the joy and fulfilment of motherhood before settling down. Sentimental bollocks that does cats no favours, with all the unwanted kittens brought into the world.

[MsD]

My neighbour's huge, planet killing new Rover

Bruno wrote:

Er, that was for MsD, but what the heck, you too Tonton.

I say, steady on.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

My neighbour's huge, planet killing new Rover

You should definitely neuter Toms. not only for all the benefits you've mentioned, but for the spraying. They aggressively mark their territories if they're still complete, which basically means you end up with a house where every entrance and exit reeks of tom cat's piss.

Worse still, it's one of those things where because it's just a little bit, at a time, every night, you don't come to smell it yourself, a bit like people who live next to busy roads don't hear the traffic noise.

But then you get a visitor who's not been to your house, and you open the door and they recoil in horror, holding their nose and gagging.

[DCI Harry Batt]

My neighbour's huge, planet killing new Rover

If you will keep animals in the house, you can't really be surprised that they make it smell.

[MsD]

My neighbour's huge, planet killing new Rover

Neutered cats don't really smell .. I've had smellier gentlemen friends (from their feet, not their urine).

Another plus to neutering - having had my cat tidied up in the trouser area, there's no hint of any Funny Business when I stroke him (above the waist only; this is a respectable household). Unneutered cats of both sexes do tend to shift around so you end up tenderly caressing the wrong end if you're not paying attention. And we all know about dogs.

[DCI Harry Batt]

My neighbour's huge, planet killing new Rover

People who keep animals in their homes are the only people I've come across who think the animals they keep in their homes don't smell.

[Wyatt Earp]

My neighbour's huge, planet killing new Rover

Ah, but people who don't keep animals in their homes can surely entertain no rational opinion on whether the animals they keep in their homes smell, on the grounds that there are no entities satisfying that description (by virtue, in fact, of these people's very membership of the above class).

[linus]

My neighbour's huge, planet killing new Rover

whatchutakinboutwillis.

[ChrisJ]

My neighbour's huge, planet killing new Rover

Toro: Count On It wrote:

A canine genocide?

Hmm. OTF vegetarians to thread.

OTF vegan to thread...

We've got a couple of rescued cats* whom I adore, but I'd be quite happy if there were no pet animals of any sort in a generation. Breeding animals for pets is a shocking waste of resources of all sorts, let alone the ethical issues about creating and trafficking animals for human gratification.

(*Neutered, litter-trained and too well-fed to put much effort into hunting anything more demanding than dressing-gown ties and shoe-laces. I do feel a hypocrite when I buy their food tho'.)

[Max Payne]

My neighbour's huge, planet killing new Rover

There's loads of restaurants out there who'll feed you guys cat, if you want to do your bit for the planet, like.

[Wyatt Earp]

My neighbour's huge, planet killing new Rover

Where?

[Ball Comrade]

My neighbour's huge, planet killing new Rover

ChrisJ wrote:

Toro: Count On It wrote:

A canine genocide?

Hmm. OTF vegetarians to thread.

OTF vegan to thread...

We've got a couple of rescued cats* whom I adore, but I'd be quite happy if there were no pet animals of any sort in a generation. Breeding animals for pets is a shocking waste of resources of all sorts, let alone the ethical issues about creating and trafficking animals for human gratification.

(*Neutered, litter-trained and too well-fed to put much effort into hunting anything more demanding than dressing-gown ties and shoe-laces. I do feel a hypocrite when I buy their food tho'.)

I'm not sure exactly how 'genocide' can and should be used in relation to the meat industry or the potential removal of pets from society, but I have many fewer problems with the latter than the former.

[Max Payne]

My neighbour's huge, planet killing new Rover

Why on Earth... wrote:

Where?

woof