should Cats have Leash laws like dogs?

[Shelties]

In my small town neighborhood we have leash laws, they even have one for cats!. They say either your cats are indoors or have them on leash.

Do you think it's cruel to have cats on leash? I used to have Cats and they were both indoors only, i think they live longer when they are indoors. Some of my family members beg to differ.

[calgal]

I think so. It's for their protection, just like dogs.

[LilacDragon]

I would imagine that keeping your cat on a leash when it is outside is less cruel that it being attacked by a dog or hit by a car.

I have an inside cat. He once got out on the porch, but it was winter and he wasn't overly fond of the snow. It was a great lesson for him.

He is seven years old and has never had to go to the vet for an illness or an injury. I hardly think I would be able to say the same thing if he was an outside cat.

[Mycavyangels]

i dont think i could keep my cats on leads!! my cats are mostly indoor cats! but it sounds like a good idea! for cats safety!

[britishbandit]

I think in high traffic areas cats should be leased or kept indoors for safety reasons, but I allow mine out around my area free to roam. It's quiet and they don't go far nor do they do things that tick off the neighbours. They are also both neutered. If I had complaints about them, I'd most certianly change things. But everyone around here seems to adore Bandit and Chubby.

I also think that cats that aren't spayed and neutered should be either kept indoors or on leashes if they are out. Unaltered they should not be left to roam. For obvious reasons.

[dollface]

Here they do- people get charged for their cats running at large- just like dogs... Which I think is great - helps with the pet population...

My neighbour lets their cat run around and it goes into my tree after the birds- I have a bird feeder in my tree which is in front of my window we get finches, woodpeckers, sparrows ect- but lately since this cat has been around in my tree I don't see them anymore- personally Iam pretty ticked- the cat has also been on my roof- do want to call the humane society but don't wanna start anything- don't get me wrong I love cats but I just wish they would keep it in their own yard!!!! plus I hate the cat mess in my garden its worse then dog mess...

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Shelties

In my small town neighborhood we have leash laws, they even have one for cats!. They say either your cats are indoors or have them on leash.

Do you think it's cruel to have cats on leash? I used to have Cats and they were both indoors only, i think they live longer when they are indoors. Some of my family members beg to differ.

I think cats should be on a leash!!!! I'm so sick of people on my street who let cats roam around. I'm tired of them spraying my front door and everything in my yard. Yuck! I don't let my dog go in other people's yard. I hate the fact cats use my yard for a litter box. It's just not fair. Why should I have to deal with this. I'm a responsible pet owner. I take care of my dog, walk her on a leash and always carry bags with me. Even when I have taught Emma to go in our yard before a walk. I've also had problems with cats walking all over my van. There have been foot prints all over the roof of my van. I've also had a few scratches on my van from the cats sliding down my front window from the roof of the van. It's just not fair!!! How would they feel if my dog walked on one of their new cars. Not that they have new cars. Maybe that's why they don't care. Just frustrates me big time.

[roman]

my sister walks her cat on a lead and harness. i like it that way lol

it is for their own protection some people dont realize that cats arent like dogs and wont come back when called (most of the time)

[Cassiepeia]

Yes absolutely. We have such a massive problem with cats down here (they're pretty much the top predator in Australia and because they're not native, and such an amazing predator is not normal for our country, our wildlife can't cope). I certainly think that there should be a law here stating that cats MUST be kept on the owners property and if outside the property must be leashed.

Sadly I'm not sure anyone would enforce it though.

Cass.

[Rivsky]

I definitely think cats should be kept on their own property and when out on a leash. As stated above it's for their own safety and it also stops them killing wildlife, teasing other pets, and using everyone else's yard as their own litter boxes

Our next door neighbour has a cat and it's ALWAYS inside - and it seems perfectly happy and content to me so I think it does work.

[kiwigirl]

I think that would be an excellent idea as over here cats are one of our main predators to native fauna. Not sure how it would be enforced though, there are so many stray/un neutered cats cruising round here
Although I would feel a tiny bit sorry for the cats not being able to do what comes naturally to them ie nightly hunting! I think the benefits to wildlife and the cat overpopulation problem would outweigh this.
My two cats are passed out on the couches right now and seem pretty content to do this day and night!

[ewarp]

It would result in fewer:

dead cats
cases of Feline Leukemia and FIV
cats in shelters
vet bills


I say yes, for obvious reasons. I learned this past weekend that the return to owner (RTO) rate on lost cats was about 3%. Dogs are at about 15%. These are nation-wide stats. Out of all of the owned cats (designated by appropriate weight, cleanliness, etc.), only 3% are returned to their owners if they're picked up and taken to a shelter.

Cats are getting hit by cars, eaten by coyotes/foxes/whatever your local predator is. They're out, interacting with strange cats and spreading FeLk/FIV. Feline Leukemia can be spread through a shared water source, or from using the same flowerbed to poop in. If they're also intact, they're out creating more kittens, which then wind up at the shelter.

I don't get it. Even if they "stay in your yard", and "never go far", all it takes is one cat passing through and drinking out of a water dish for your cats to get Feline Leukemia. It's that one time that the cat isn't careful crossing the street that it's hit by a car.

I'm sure they're okay most of the time. I worry about that one time.

[AVA]

I used to work in a town that had a leash law for cats and they inforced it. People screened in their patios so their cats could still go out. It was great. Animal control would sit and watch where a cat went (home) and then knock on the door etc. Lots of towns have passed these type of laws and it does work.