Garden covered in cat faeces

9:34am Thursday 12th April 2012 in Letters

AFTER reading Nancy Ridings letter entitled ‘Cats are filthy creatures’ in the Guardian recently voicing her concerns over cat mess I too feel compelled to speak out on this subject.

With the recent onset of spring I decided to tend to my back garden. I was accompanied by my four-year-old daughter who had chosen some seeds she wanted to plant.

To my disgust I found that the soil in the flowerbeds was completely covered in cat faeces and upon further inspection I also discovered a section of the lawn was and still is being used by cats as a latrine on a daily basis.

It is absolutely disgusting and needless to say my daughter could not plant her seeds, in fact she has not been allowed to go out at all in our garden for fear of her contracting the worm parasite Toxocara Cati which is carried in cat faeces and can cause blindness, especially in young children.

I have tried various types of cat deterrents including placing bottles of water around the area and mustard powder but nothing has worked.

If it was dogs making this filthy mess the owners would be held responsible. So why are not cat owners?

STEVEN SHAW Orford

Comments(70)

chunkymunky says...
11:12am Thu 12 Apr 12

Because there just as lazy and vile as their pets!! Im sick of the 'right to roam' rubbish they come out with! Ive sepnt a considerable amount of money over the last year on my garden for it to constantly being ruined by the filthy creatures! why should i have to buy anything to keep them away?? Ive got a cheaper option.....my boot!!!

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Cleopatra says...
5:38pm Thu 12 Apr 12

Do you feed the soil in your garden or do you expect it to yeild a high standard of plant growth and development perpetually?
You need to replenish the goodness taken from the soil by the growing plantlife so why do you not buy lion dung instead of the run of the mill fertilizers? It does two jobs. It feeds the soil and it keeps cats away from your garden so you have no excuse about not buying things to keep cats away.

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chunkymunky says...
7:53pm Thu 12 Apr 12

Cleopatra wrote:
Do you feed the soil in your garden or do you expect it to yeild a high standard of plant growth and development perpetually?
You need to replenish the goodness taken from the soil by the growing plantlife so why do you not buy lion dung instead of the run of the mill fertilizers? It does two jobs. It feeds the soil and it keeps cats away from your garden so you have no excuse about not buying things to keep cats away.
Youve mentioned this before....where can you buy it from??? Howvere can i just point out cleo, you say "you have no excuse about not buying things to keep cats away."...why should i have to buy anything to keep the cats away??

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Cleopatra says...
11:52pm Thu 12 Apr 12

You can buy it from garden centres or alternatively Chester Zoo.
In the first instance you would be buying it to feed your garden soil, with the advantage that it will keep cats away. So you would not be buying it to just keep cats away, eh?

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chunkymunky says...
10:40am Fri 13 Apr 12

I dont buy anything currently tho cleo to feed my garden.....i compost!!! so its freeeeeeeee ;-)

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Nick Tessla says...
12:43pm Fri 13 Apr 12

Cleo may be slightly biased - egyptians have a history of worshipping cats. :-)

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Cleopatra says...
7:23pm Fri 13 Apr 12

But Cleo is not Egyptian!

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chunkymunky says...
7:57pm Fri 13 Apr 12

She was he last Pharoah of Egypt!

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Cleopatra says...
9:39pm Fri 13 Apr 12

That one was but I am obviously not she and not Egyptian.

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chunkymunky says...
2:21pm Sat 14 Apr 12

Cleopatra wrote:
That one was but I am obviously not she and not Egyptian.
Prove it!!!!

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Cleopatra says...
5:34pm Sat 14 Apr 12

I don't have to prove anything.

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Cleopatra says...
5:36pm Sat 14 Apr 12

Chunky, prove that you have a beautiful well kept garden full of cat muck!!!!

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jackdo says...
11:52pm Sat 14 Apr 12

Cleopatra wrote:
Chunky, prove that you have a beautiful well kept garden full of cat muck!!!!
i am also fed up with the cats, they constantly use my garden and dig up most of my plants and bulbs, i also have tried lots of different things to keep them off, but is only short term and the cost is getting just to much, i have been told that orange peel does the trick but yet to try this, i have also tried moving the cat dirt to another area close by to me and that did work for a while, as they did go to that area, but they are now back to my garden, i have 8 cats that ive seen on my garden, and i hate cats, so im out in the garden every day to move the mess they leave. but i have been tempted to put it on the cat owners door step to see how they like it, as the smell turns me sick

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jackdo says...
11:52pm Sat 14 Apr 12

Cleopatra wrote:
Chunky, prove that you have a beautiful well kept garden full of cat muck!!!!
i am also fed up with the cats, they constantly use my garden and dig up most of my plants and bulbs, i also have tried lots of different things to keep them off, but is only short term and the cost is getting just to much, i have been told that orange peel does the trick but yet to try this, i have also tried moving the cat dirt to another area close by to me and that did work for a while, as they did go to that area, but they are now back to my garden, i have 8 cats that ive seen on my garden, and i hate cats, so im out in the garden every day to move the mess they leave. but i have been tempted to put it on the cat owners door step to see how they like it, as the smell turns me sick

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Cleopatra says...
1:03am Sun 15 Apr 12

Orange peel doesn't work. I tried that myself to no avail. Pepper doesn't work eithern, neither do water filled bottles.

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Cleopatra says...
1:20am Sun 15 Apr 12

It's well known that cat's like to roam, it's their nature. I have four cats, all Siamese, and they are all housetrained. They have their own toilet in the wc and always use it. Like any other cat they like to have the occasional wander out, but, when they are out they always come back home just to use the toilet then off out again.
It is so easy to train a cat. When you see them squatting to do what they must do you just pick them up and put them into a litter tray and tell them that is where they must do it. You only need to do it once or twice, no more, and they get the message and will always use the litter tray thereafter.

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grey_man says...
5:54am Sun 15 Apr 12

Good advice for cat owners, not so good for the rest of us.

I'm off to walk the dog in a bit. I can't be bothered to pick all of its crap up and think it's everybody else's responsibility anyway, don't want to pay for poop bags and see the dog's desire to poo as 'in its nature' so if any cat owners would like to buy some bags and follow me round picking it up behind her, then we'd be evens and I'll cheerfully continue sorting out your cat's crap in return.

I'm also training the dog to stroll around beheading birds for its own pleasure. I hope nobody minds.

:)

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Cleopatra says...
8:26am Sun 15 Apr 12

Well if you are training them to do that then you need seeing to grey man. Actually I don't really believe that you have a dog, I think you are just (pardon the pun) sh1t stirring! And as I said, my cats come home to use their own toilet, which they would hardly bother to do if they were using anybody elses garden.

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grey_man says...
9:39am Sun 15 Apr 12

I do have a dog. I'm obviously not training it to behead birds nor do I expect other people to clean up its crap.

I'm contrasting the behaviour that is expected of dog owners with the attitude of many cat owners who seem to think that Mr Tibbles can go around pooing where it likes and killing as many other animals as it chooses because 'it's in its nature' and that any problems are then somebody else's. I know a lot of cat owners who would have a problem if they saw my dog biting the head off a live duck or climbing into their garden every day for a crap, but don't have a problem when their pet does the same things.

And yes of course I know that some dog owners are equally selfish and no I don't agree with that either.

I'm glad you are a responsible cat owner. I just wish there were more like you rather than the usual band of soppy owners who think on the one hand they can anthropomorphise their pet and on the other excuse its anti-social behaviour on the basis that it's an animal.

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Cleopatra says...
9:49am Sun 15 Apr 12

Cats can be trained to do/not do many things. They are very intelligent animals but, as with some dog owners, the owners themselves need to be trained before they think of obtaining any animal as a pet.

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grey_man says...
9:56am Sun 15 Apr 12

I agree with you. I'd train some people to raise kids too

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Cleopatra says...
9:57am Sun 15 Apr 12

Just wondering, would any of you who object to cat's killing birds (which is the natre of the beast) object to same cats killing mice and rats, as many do? I certainly won't believe anone who said they would. Just imagine the alternative - being over-run with vermin in your houses, eating your food, peeing and sh1tting on it, chewing your electic wiring and cables, eating holes into the fabric of your house and furnishings. Hummmm.
Cats also kill mice and rats!

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Cleopatra says...
10:01am Sun 15 Apr 12

It should be a government edict that anyone thinking of producing children should first attend parenting school for a period and obtain a certificate of efficiency before being allowed to reproduce.

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grey_man says...
10:03am Sun 15 Apr 12

I don't have a cat and my house isn't overrun with vermin, so I don't buy the argument. Nor do I buy the argument about their nature, as I'm sure you wouldn't if you found my pet wolverine dangling from your throat.

That's another joke by the way.

I do know there are not as many birds in my garden as there used to be and the RSPB tells me that cats kills 55 million garden birds a year. I'd rather see birds in my garden than cat ****.

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Cleopatra says...
10:22am Sun 15 Apr 12

Probably because other people's cats are keeping the vermin population down - and killing them before they have a chance to enter your property. How's about that then?

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Sug says...
1:32pm Sun 15 Apr 12

There is only 1 thing that cats hate and that is water. Buy or get one from children a water pistol. It works wonders, costs next to nothing and doesn't harm the cat. Cats have very good memories and they remember being soaked with water. I watched this on a tv programme and it works. No cat poops in my garden....

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jackdo says...
1:33pm Sun 15 Apr 12

well said greyman, and cleopatra i think you need to look beyond yourself and take a good look at the rest of sad people that have cats and dont give a dam what they are doing, like ive said i have many cats around me and they never use there own gardens so the owners are very happy, its mugs like me who are cleaning up after there so called darling little pests

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grey_man says...
1:54pm Sun 15 Apr 12

To be fair to Cleo, she is taking into account other people by training her cats. So that seems a bit harsh,

Cleo - probably? Nice guess.

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Cleopatra says...
4:09pm Sun 15 Apr 12

Here's a thought for you. Maybe those people who's cats don't use their own gardens also have other people's cats using their garden instead?
I mean, surely all the cats in the neighbourhood are not all using the same handful of gardens as feline lavetorys?

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chunkymunky says...
5:49pm Sun 15 Apr 12

Cleopatra wrote:
Chunky, prove that you have a beautiful well kept garden full of cat muck!!!!
please do come round for a look, you'll love my new decking! whilst here i'll fill your pockets with all the cat cr@p ive found today, seeing as your a fan of it!

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grey_man says...
6:16pm Sun 15 Apr 12

Cleo is a self-confessed fan of the catshit of other owners :)

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Cleopatra says...
6:52pm Sun 15 Apr 12

Now you are both being a pair of ****!

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MikeJT says...
6:53pm Sun 15 Apr 12

"small common harmful or objectionable animals (as lice or fleas) that are difficult to control"............
..... are we talking about cats? Nope, thats actually an official definition of the word vermin. Oh hang on.......we are talking about cats!

In relation to faeces, cats will drop them on the boundaries of "their territory" (just like the wild big cats) BUT they will do this on the outside edge of their territory. Other cats wont c##p in a cats garden as they would have to cross into that cats territory.

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Cleopatra says...
6:54pm Sun 15 Apr 12

**** holes!

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Cleopatra says...
7:03pm Sun 15 Apr 12

Not so Mike. I have witnessed more than once cats entering into other cats territories and leaving little messages for others. it is common practice for one cat to over mark another cats. Were what you said true then we woudn't have people coming on here whinging on about all the many cats sh1tting in their lovely gardens.
Wholly depends what information a cat collects when it sniffs another cat's droppings - which brings us back to why lion dung works.

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jackdo says...
8:11pm Sun 15 Apr 12

the comments are just getting better, cleo.... no need to take offence, they are just telling the truth as they see it, cats are just dirty animals, well the ones i get in my garden are, as they dont even bother to hide what they have left, but i do like the idea of a water pistol... must try that 1, will try anything to get them off my garden as the smell is unbearable now the sun is out

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grey_man says...
8:21pm Sun 15 Apr 12

Try a paintball gun on the cats instead then defend yourself by claiming that man is a born hunter and it's just in your nature. Seems to be an acceptable defence.

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moleogod says...
7:36am Mon 16 Apr 12

i dont like cats personally. but i dont hate them or what to hunt them though lol. there is one i call "evil the cat" (earthworm jim reference) it sits on my kitchen windowsill and stares through the window at me constantly

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chunkymunky says...
9:46am Mon 16 Apr 12

grey_man wrote:
Try a paintball gun on the cats instead then defend yourself by claiming that man is a born hunter and it's just in your nature. Seems to be an acceptable defence.
Ha ha ha good come back!!! can we use spears to then cook it on a spit?!?!?

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motorhead2009 says...
12:36pm Mon 16 Apr 12

Honestly, some of these cats, they behave like animals.

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exwarringtonian says...
1:23pm Mon 16 Apr 12

I have my own cat deterrent, my DOG.

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HappyGilmore57 says...
1:42pm Mon 16 Apr 12

All I see on here is people getting themselves worked up about cats.
There are more pressing things occurring all around you, Pasty tax, Stamp increases, desert-like droughts!
GET A GRIP!!

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bear fox says...
1:59pm Mon 16 Apr 12

shock horror chunkymunky is having a rant about this, i sure do wish my life was as fun filled as yours to have it ruined by cats on a daily basis. before i got my cat i used to just put small bottles of water in the soil and this deterred all the cats from doing there business in the garden. Oh no the world is going to end and cat poo is the cause run for your lives!!!!

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chunkymunky says...
3:13pm Mon 16 Apr 12

awwww heres bear fox, another biast comment that serves no purpose...your a cat lover so you deluded too with the 'awww look at there little faces awwww' syndrome that evidently affects the same part of the brain that controls sense!!

It doesnt matter whose it is, cat, dog or human i dont want sh!t in my garden! why not leave your address for me here and i'll happily pop round and drop my trollys on your lawn and curl one out for you....lets see you 'attempt' to be sarcastic then! (its a shame you actually dont have an ability to be humorous.....a bit of humour would almost make you bearable bear fox!!) Now be a good lonely soul and pop off to continue talking to your 4 legged friends for the evident only company you get!!

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bear fox says...
3:24pm Mon 16 Apr 12

haha you make me laugh chunkymunky, you can come round and attempt that anytime you like!!i just think you get so worked up and have some much hatred for something so little

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Cleopatra says...
3:47pm Mon 16 Apr 12

jackdo wrote:
the comments are just getting better, cleo.... no need to take offence, they are just telling the truth as they see it, cats are just dirty animals, well the ones i get in my garden are, as they dont even bother to hide what they have left, but i do like the idea of a water pistol... must try that 1, will try anything to get them off my garden as the smell is unbearable now the sun is out
One can do nothing else but take offence when contributors resort to inferring that one has an interest in cat sh1t etc.,.
However, if you are finding that cat's are not bothering to cover their faeces then they must be the lazy cats with lazy owners.
It's an inate character of cats to cover what they have dropped.

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Cleopatra says...
3:56pm Mon 16 Apr 12

moleogod wrote:
i dont like cats personally. but i dont hate them or what to hunt them though lol. there is one i call "evil the cat" (earthworm jim reference) it sits on my kitchen windowsill and stares through the window at me constantly
Maybe it likes you and is wishing you were it's owner, or, it was your owner. lol

Or even, making sure you are too busy to notice if it does a whoopsie in your garden. lmao

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grey_man says...
4:15pm Mon 16 Apr 12

I think maybe you might have worked out that I was joking Cleo. I've only looked back in to the thread because I hoped the additional comments included some recipes for cat.

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Budda88 says...
10:02am Tue 17 Apr 12

Well this thread has kept me entertained for a good half hour. I hate cats, my neighbours cat made the mistake of tring to get in my babies moses basket. I let my dog play with it for a while before i took the vile creature back next door. I also find that a pellet gun and an upstairs window provide entertainment on a friday night, yobs and cats, it keeps both out of my garden.

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moleogod says...
12:53pm Tue 17 Apr 12

https://www.facebook
.com/photo.php?fbid=
281823618568148&set=
a.130200767063768.35
456.125720530845125&
type=1&theater

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HappyGilmore57 says...
1:19pm Tue 17 Apr 12

After reading these comments I think the majority of you need therapy.
Paintballing cats?
Letting Dogs maul cats?
Pellet shooting cats?
and humans wanting to go and sh!t on other peoples lawns.
WOW I should hate to see your reactions should an actual real-life problem occur...

*NEWSFLASH* Theres a whole load of Natures creatures that do their business in the great outdoors - perhaps they all need exterminating?

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chunkymunky says...
2:25pm Tue 17 Apr 12

......so you dont want a chocolate whippy on your lawn i take it happygilmore? sheeeesh...you only gotta say!!

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grey_man says...
2:33pm Tue 17 Apr 12

I think you might need to realise that people are mocking a genuine problem.

So, to be serious for a minute. I see that you think a real problem is the price of a cornish pasty. But you've got a computer. Google toxoplasmosis. See how it is passed on to children? See what its consequences are? Now ask yourself this. Would you rather pay an extra 20p for a pasty or allow your kids to be infected with toxoplasmosis? Can you see what the problem is yet?

You might also want to think about the difference between a pet that is the supposed responsibility of a human and a wild animal.

I don't have a problem with anybody owning any sort of animal so long as they take responsibility for it as Cleopatra has shown she has for her cats. The problem with too many cat owners is they think it's ok for their animals to do whatever they like.

I know that many owners of dogs can be equally selfish by not clearing up after them, and I wish they would. But it doesn't excuse why so many cat owners think that their pets are everybody else's problem.

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HappyGilmore57 says...
2:46pm Tue 17 Apr 12

I think you find that my first post was filled with sarcasm, pretty much the same as my second post.
All I see is people being irate about something that has been occurring for millions of yrs and will probably continue to do so. Cats v Dogs v Any other animal - they all need the bog at some point GET OVER IT.

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grey_man says...
3:30pm Tue 17 Apr 12

People have owned pet cats for millions of years and allowed them to crap in other people's gardens?

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chunkymunky says...
3:54pm Tue 17 Apr 12

H AH HA millions of years? really? you sure that’s when the domestication of cats first started?!?!? was man even walking up right millions of years ago?? (Unless of course you who is reading this is one of them idiots who believe the earth is only 6000 years old and made by some bloke in the sky in 6 days!) and you think were all mental and over reacting Happygilmore?!?!?

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Budda88 says...
5:25pm Tue 17 Apr 12

HappyGilmore You try stopping a rhodesian Ridgeback mauling a cat thats decided to wander into said dogs house?! The fact that the cat was in my sons moses basket with my son was more than enough reason to let my dog deal with the pest. Its worked a treat, the cat hasn't been back in the house since

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bear fox says...
12:30pm Wed 18 Apr 12

deal with a rhodesian ridgeback mauling a cat?? easy, take a knife to it! problem solved

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HappyGilmore57 says...
12:59pm Wed 18 Apr 12

chunkymunky wrote:
H AH HA millions of years? really? you sure that’s when the domestication of cats first started?!?!? was man even walking up right millions of years ago?? (Unless of course you who is reading this is one of them idiots who believe the earth is only 6000 years old and made by some bloke in the sky in 6 days!) and you think were all mental and over reacting Happygilmore?!?!?
Oh deary me, you are getting wound up aren't you.
I was merely making a point, yes I exhaggerated by saying millions of years but the point is still valid.
*PLEASE NOTE i am an athiest so daft comments about God and what not are wasted on me

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HappyGilmore57 says...
1:03pm Wed 18 Apr 12

Budda88 wrote:
HappyGilmore You try stopping a rhodesian Ridgeback mauling a cat thats decided to wander into said dogs house?! The fact that the cat was in my sons moses basket with my son was more than enough reason to let my dog deal with the pest. Its worked a treat, the cat hasn't been back in the house since
Thats fair enough, i would've been pretty p*ssed off if I found a cat in my childs moses basket too.

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Budda88 says...
2:59pm Wed 18 Apr 12

bear fox wrote:
deal with a rhodesian ridgeback mauling a cat?? easy, take a knife to it! problem solved
why on earth would i kill my dog who was doing exactly what she's supposed to by protecting my family? Cat s**t causes blindness in young children, i wouldn't hesitate to let her do it again.

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bear fox says...
3:55pm Wed 18 Apr 12

you said try stopping one, I merely gave an option in stopping one!! No excuse for "letting" your dog do that, the cat was not there to kill your child (I agree id be shocked if i found it in the Moses basket) however that sounds like a taking from lady and the tramp!! i am sure if someone was just stood there watching yourself getting mauled by someone or something a lot bigger than you just cos you were in the wrong place at the wrong time you'd be over joyed with that!!! if a cat sees an open door or window it will likely go in simple as!!! my solution to that would be dont open your windows wide enough for a cat to get in!! simple

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Bevan1 says...
4:38pm Wed 18 Apr 12

Mix some Tinned Tuna with Anti-Freeze, works a treat haven't seen a cat for ages.

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chunkymunky says...
6:47pm Wed 18 Apr 12

Bevan1 wrote:
Mix some Tinned Tuna with Anti-Freeze, works a treat haven't seen a cat for ages.
ohhh eck....you dont live in orford do you??????

Oh and happygilmore, take yourself off for a lay down flower, you'll be busting an artey in a minute flower!!

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Cleopatra says...
7:51pm Wed 18 Apr 12

Budda, some news for you, dog sh1t can also cause blindness in children.

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Budda88 says...
8:28pm Wed 18 Apr 12

hence why my garden is attacked with jeyes fluid on a daily basis.

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Cleopatra says...
9:54pm Wed 18 Apr 12

Yeah, right.

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Budda88 says...
10:43pm Wed 18 Apr 12

absolutely, my eldest soon plays out there and as its only concrete it only takes 5 mins. Your clearly not a parent

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Cleopatra says...
7:12am Thu 19 Apr 12

With 7 (yes 7) children and 17 (yes 17) grandchildren, clearly not a parent? lmao

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HappyGilmore57 says...
1:04pm Thu 19 Apr 12

chunkymunky wrote:
Bevan1 wrote: Mix some Tinned Tuna with Anti-Freeze, works a treat haven't seen a cat for ages.
ohhh eck....you dont live in orford do you?????? Oh and happygilmore, take yourself off for a lay down flower, you'll be busting an artey in a minute flower!!
ChunkyMunkey - No burst arteries for me petal. I am not the one getting my knickers in a twist over a bit of sh*t..

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