Free Roaming Dogs

[Oldgringo]

I can't comment on the why-let-your-dog-roam-free issue, but I do have a free-roaming cat.

When we moved into our current house, we decided that the big kitty (20 pounder) could no longer stay indoors without supervision. He had a bad habit of urinating on our things (MAJOR problem IMO), and getting into our cabinets and taking things out. Since we have a fenced back yard, he goes in the back during the daytime, and into the garage at night. I thought that he was too heavy to jump or climb the fence, and too fat to crawl under it. I discovered from another neighbor, who also has a daytime free-roaming cat, that they both leave the fence at about 9am each day and head for the greenbelt across the street. (I think they're smoking catnip out there, but I can't prove it.) He seems happier. When I do let him inside, he doesn't urinate on my things or pull things out of my cabinets. (He does still open them up and rummage through, however.)

Before having problems with big kitty, I always thought that letting an animal outside unattended was cruel. Now, I do it because it retains my property value, and he appears happy with the arrangement.

(Finding him another home was not an option. He's ten years old, he's irritable, and has some health problems. Also, how do you ask someone, "Can you take my cat? Oh, by the way, he likes to urinate on things. I hope that's not a problem.") KWIM?

I don't like free-roaming dogs either, especially the large variety. I guess people just don't want to fool with them.

Maybe your cat will get run over and that will end all all of your cat problems...except the last one.

[frazzled]

I'll say this. If you've lost a "special pet", you're probably not the kind of person who would let a dog roam free or drop off an unwanted puppy, dog, kitten or cat on a deserted rural road. If you had a pet and it wasn't special to you, please don't get another one. It isn't so much the animal as it is the owner. If you have a pet now and you are ambivalent towards it, you should try to find it a new home and not get another one. Not everyone is cut out to be a pet owner.

True words