A new neighbor with dogs

[FindersKeepers]

It is a separate issue if my cat goes looking for trouble and finds some. This trouble came to my back door.

Yes. That's unacceptable.

Still, a good dog owner trains his pooch not to harm cats.

[FindersKeepers]

The dogs run across my back yard every day. Of course, dogs poop where they choose to. And the large dog poops close to my patio. The privacy fence will take care of that.

That's another sign of a poor owner.

[Tahuyaman]

The problem with cats, though, is that they'll climb a privacy fence--just because they can. Then, the fence can be a barrier to the cats being able to get quickly back to safety.

Puppies should be trained from the time they're very young to like cats.

I'm always a little leery of people who own dogs that will harm cats. It makes me wonder what kind of people they are.

If you have a dog and it’s confined to your yard by fencing and a cat climbs that fence and gets mailed by the dog…. Oh well. The cat owner should have maintained better control of the cat.

[MisterVeritis]

A privacy fence is needed. Is that dog owner even responsible enough to build one? Seems that if he lets his dogs run wild, maybe he's not.

He has already told me that is his plan. This is the same neighbor who cut down a half dozen trees in his yard. It does make his property look completely different.

[Tahuyaman]

Yes. That's unacceptable.

Still, a good dog owner trains his pooch not to harm cats.

No. Why are cat owners so elitist in nature? Cat owners should train their cat to avoid confronting a dog.

[MisterVeritis]

No. Why are cat owners so elitist in nature? Cat owners should train their cat to avoid confronting a dog.

I have done all I can to train my cat not to take on dogs that outweigh her by 50 pounds.

[Tahuyaman]

I have done all I can to train my cat not to take on dogs that outweigh her by 50 pounds.

My comment was in response to someone who said the onus is all on dog owners. If your cat climbs a fence and gets torn to pieces by a confined Doberman, that’s on the cat owner.

[MisterVeritis]

My comment was in response to someone who said the onus is all on dog owners. If your cat climbs a fence and gets torn to pieces by a confined Doberman, that’s on the cat owner.

That may happen from time to time with a young cat. Mine is as old as me in cat years.

[Tahuyaman]

I love people who love dogs. I love people who love cats.

But, people have to take care of their pets! They must never be allowed to harm other animals or humans.

Certain animals are natural enemies. A responsible pet owner knows that.

[Standing Wolf]

Yes. That's unacceptable.

Still, a good dog owner trains his pooch not to harm cats.

Unfortunately, there are dog owners, and I've met a few, who have a very negative view of cats (probably from never having lived with one) and couldn't care less if their dog kills a cat or anything else. They'd probably tell you that it's "natural".

Our cats are strictly indoors now, since I lost my big cat Herschell to a coyote in '01. We had a 10'x10' enclosure, sort of a screened-in porch affair, built, which they access through a cat door in a window of the laundry room, so they can get fresh air. All of our cats are rescues and of the only two who were old enough to remember living outside when we got them, one has absolutely no interest in being outside - she runs away from an open door to the outside - and the other, an odd little orange tiger named Gonzo, will run outside occasionally, realize he doesn't really want to be out there, and meekly ask to be taken back inside.

Our Lily, a full-blooded AmStaff (so, a "pit bull") loves her cats and goes out of her way to be close to them. In return a couple of them treat her like furniture.