Question:
It's a big debate ongoing in Ottawa, as the city is poised to put into effect starting January 1, 2004 a bylaw that states cats aren't allowed to leave their owners' property. If someone complains to bylaw about a "stray" cat on their property, then a bylaw officer will come to remove the animal.
I've always been a big "cats should be inside" fanatic. I grew up in a small town, and three of my neighbours had big backyard gardens. These neighbours did some not-very-nice things to cats that visited their properties. It was out of compassion (and witnessing a fast turnover in neighbourhood cats) that I felt cats would be better off inside, or at least harnessed. In my teenage years, my family got a cat and we only let him outside on a harness. He's almost 13 years old, and he still only goes outside on a leash.
Now I work at an animal shelter, and only 6% of the stray cats that enter the building are claimed by their owners. Fewer than that have identification, and less than half are spayed/neutered. As well, we operate a "stray animal ambulance", and if I had any doubts before, the first time I saw a cat lacerated by a fan belt settled it. Cats, in my opinion, have not evolved fast enough to cope with the dangers of 21st century outdoor living.
Opinions and thoughts?


Answer:
we have the same thing in our area, stray cats are being picked up left and right.
I strongly believe that cats should be kept indoors, out of harms way. The people who live across the street from us have had three cats killed in our road, it breaks my heart to see their cats laying in the road


Answer:
I also believe that cats should stay inside. And if you really feel that they should be outside, then get them harness trained or build an outdoor run for them. It is so bizarre that dogs must be kept in a fenced yard but cats can have free roam?!


Answer:
Well hopefully I don't get yelled at My cat is an indoor/outdoor cat. She can not have babies as she has been spayed for yearsand has been an out door cat since she was a kitten which has been 7yrs now. I am not saying nothing bad can happen but in 7yrs nothing bad has happened , knocking on woood nothing will. She does not go far just a couple steps outside she mostly likes to go in the trees around the house, then she is inside eating or sleeping. I mean I see a lot of cats out side that don't have homes and I believe they should be picked up , but that is mostly because 99% of them aren't spayed.


Answer:
speaking of harness, our next door neighbors have an outdoor cat with a harness on. That thing sits in trees with the harness on and it worries me that he's going to get caught on a branch and not be able to get down without hurting himself, or not at all.
In fact, I haven't seen him around for a couple weeks now, he usually sits on our front porch looking in our house at our cats. He's so scared of people though, I've tried to go out to pet him *sigh*


Answer:
I am in favour of cat licenses & the total prohibition on roaming cats. There is no reason a cat can't walk on a leash. Hank does it & loves it & we have no problems. All the things that can happen to outdoor cats are awful: fights with cats, attacks from other animals, infestation by fleas & ticks, abuse & torture by scumbags, accidental mutilation in car hoods or other machinery, exposure to contagious diseases, getting hit by cars, getting stuck in trees or fences, being captured & euthanized @ the "humane" society (which in some areas may even be selling the cats to animal experimenters), unwanted kittens, etc., etc., etc.
Shannon, I am not yelling @ you, but I am concerned for your cat. Aren't you worried about the inevitable day when she just won't come home, as happened with all of my free-roaming cats growing up?


Answer:
Aspen is an indoor cat. he goes outside with out a leash/harness on but supervised. he goes just to the sidewalk. if he tries to go further then he will either get picked up and put back in the house or we will walk toward him and tell him no in a stern voice.. then he hunkers down and turns around. the one and only time that he was out without supervision was when he broke thru the screen. now we keep our windows open only so far .. not far enough that he would be able to get thru. I dont know if he was an outdoor cat before or not. when we got him we found him. so we dont know if he was someones cat. he was not fixed. he was skin and bones. a little scared but more hungry. and it took a long time for him to warm up to us. he is such a lovebug now!!! anyway... we dont even let him out once a day. maybe once or twice a week... more in the summer than in the winter. in winter its more like 1 time every month or 2..


Answer:
If I had a cat it would be an indoor cat and I would let it outside with a harness. I was at my friends this weekend and she has a harness for the cat and I though it was a great idea. The cat waited by the door for the harness to be put on. I just think there are too many strays and dead cats found on the road or cat getting hit by cars. Also someone can pick the cat up thinking it's a stray and bring it home. I just think too many bad things can happened and herd this horror story about a dog attacking a cat and literally just tearing it apart. It was my Aunt's, friends cat.


Answer:
My cat has always been an indoor cat (for 20 years )
She has a harness but she hardly uses it anymore.
When she was young I used to put her on it and bring her into the backyard. Now I can just let her out and she stays back there. She has never attempted to jump the fence (although she very easily could). She is more than content to sit on the patio and sun bathe
I believe that cats should be kept indoors. There is a problem with it in Ottawa, although I suppose it is everywhere. I have heard countless stories of cats using kids playgrounds as 'litterboxes' and thus infecting children with some horrid things.
Carrots mom has cats in her backyard all the time. She is constantly chasing them out of her garden. Their next door neighbour has two. One recently got lost. I would hate to have to explain to two young children why Max isn't coming home
All in all, I think they should pass the law. It is safer for people and for the cats if they are monitored more closely.


Answer:
neuro, I don't see Brandy's post, did you mean Shannon? I am so tired right now I shouldn't be posting, so feel free to correct me, I am going to lie down after this post, lol!
Since it is very possible to walk cats on a leash, I don't see a reason why they shouldn't be walked on a leash and supervised.