Eλευθερί
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Post by Eλευθερί on Jun 6, 2019 17:05:10 GMT
when they are out and about outside, that passing cars are machines with people in them. Cars that are not the cars of the humans they live with? Do they think cars are large animals?
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Post by rachelcarson1953 on Jun 6, 2019 21:36:17 GMT
when they are out and about outside, that passing cars are machines with people in them. Cars that are not the cars of the humans they live with? Do they think cars are large animals? Well, that's an interesting topic! I have one outdoor kitty - she doesn't want to be a housecat, even in the freezing cold weather - and she knows my car, and has hopped into the car to sleep there for a night, and has ridden in the car down to the dumpster at the end of my driveway. She freaks a little when it's moving, but she's always waiting for me to come home when the car is gone. She meets me, halfway down the driveway, then saunters s l o w l y in front of me, leading me up the driveway. It's a game we play. When the car stops, she hops up on the hood, then walks up to the windshield to look at me. She also knows my best friend's car, and she gets the same treatment. But my kitty never goes all the way down the driveway to the street, she sees those cars and trucks zooming by, and apparently knows better than to go out there. I live in a rural area, and she can wander around my acreage to hunt and do other cat things. Now, my housecats, who have access to an outdoor secure area, only experience the car when they are in a carrier, headed for the veterinarian's office. Some are okay with it, others, not so much. But since their exposure is limited, one wonders what they think.
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Post by Catman on Jun 6, 2019 21:43:46 GMT
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Eλευθερί
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Post by Eλευθερί on Jun 6, 2019 21:57:34 GMT
rachelcarson1953We have a lot of cats in our neighborhood, and they love to roam at night. I have to be careful driving because they often run or walk out into the street, oblivious (or acting oblivious) to the oncoming car, and they don't seem to understand that if they don't hurry up and get their butts out of the street, they might quickly turn into roadkill if the driver doesn't see them in time.
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Post by rachelcarson1953 on Jun 6, 2019 22:27:02 GMT
rachelcarson1953 We have a lot of cats in our neighborhood, and they love to roam at night. I have to be careful driving because they often run or walk out into the street, oblivious (or acting oblivious) to the oncoming car, and they don't seem to understand that if they don't hurry up and get their butts out of the street, they might quickly turn into roadkill if the driver doesn't see them in time. Yeah, I am always on the lookout for cats and dogs in the street, plus any other critters that are out at night. Possums, raccoons, the occasional muskrat, especially on the back country roads. Squirrels and bunnies are notorious for running out suddenly. When I lived in a suburb, years ago, cats weren't allowed outside, and that suburb still enforces that. There are a few feral cats, but they know which little old lady will put out a dish of food, and they stay away from the road. Dogs have to be on a leash when out and about. It's interesting that your neighborhood has this much cat activity at night. Most shelters and rescue groups insist on adopted animals being kept safe indoors. Cars, attacking dogs, mean people, exposure to disease - there are so many risks. Do you have a neighborhood association, where residents can bring up these issues? Or a local Animal Control office? It seems like there should be some restrictions in place, where there is a lot of car traffic. In this context, no, I don't think cats know what cars are, unless they have had a close call, and have lived long enough to learn.
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Eλευθερί
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Post by Eλευθερί on Jun 6, 2019 22:37:33 GMT
It's a very densely populated neighborhood. The yards are tiny, some of the streets don't even have sidewalks so pedestrians have to walk in the street. The people and the city are pretty non-chalant about stuff like keeping small animals indoors or on leashes, whatever the actual law might be on paper.
Dogs are mostly kept on leashes so they won't run in the street and get hurt or get into fights with other dogs. But I think most people would assume that cats are supposed to be able to roam freely at night and that it would be inhumane to keep they locked up indoors all the time.
Even though it's not rural at all, some people do keep chickens in their yards!
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Post by rachelcarson1953 on Jun 6, 2019 23:10:42 GMT
It's a very densely populated neighborhood. The yards are tiny, some of the streets don't even have sidewalks so pedestrians have to walk in the street. The people and the city are pretty non-chalant about stuff like keeping small animals indoors or on leashes, whatever the actual law might be on paper. Dogs are mostly kept on leashes so they won't run in the street and get hurt or get into fights with other dogs. But I think most people would assume that cats are supposed to be able to roam freely at night and that it would be inhumane to keep they locked up indoors all the time. Even though it's not rural at all, some people do keep chickens in their yards! LOL to the chickens; I know that's a growing trend, but find it odd in a populated area. It is NOT inhumane to keep cats indoors. My indoor kitties have a secure area to go out and smell the air, but dash back in if it is raining or too hot. They are total couch potatoes, and love their fluffy beds, always-available food and water, and a mama that dotes on them. So many people have a casual attitude about letting cats roam, and not spaying and neutering to control the pet overpopulation problem. They don't see animal life as valuable, I guess. Having been in shelters and rescue groups my whole adult life, I have a very different view. My four-legged friends are my family, and are protected as such. Needless to say, my veterinarian loves me - I think I've put at least 2 of his 5 kids through college.
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Post by MCDemuth on Jun 6, 2019 23:59:38 GMT
Well, my best cat friend, started her life as an outdoor TNR feral cat... She started coming by to visit me, and became real friendly.... Now she spends about half the day inside with me... She's a real sweatheart... She meows when she needs to go outside to go potty... and even lets me trims her nails to elimiate those razor tips, so we can cuddle... She does frequently groom herself, and will just stop wherever she is, when she detects an itch, to scratch/lick it... I have to keep an eye out for her, when I am walking because she will stop right in front of me, to scratch/lick. I don't want to step on her or trip over her... When I go to the store and come back, she seems to at least recognize the car and comes over to greet me... Beyond that, she does seem to know that cars are big and dangerous, and will usually steer clear of the street... However, every once in while, when I let her out, I'll see her cross the street... To be honest, I see no reason for her to cross the street, but I guess "cats are going to do what cats want to do", and you just can't stop them... But, this still worries me, because on a few of those rare occasions where she crossed the street, she has stopped in the middle of the street to scratch/lick... I guess the scratching/licking is more important to her, than avoiding the cars... Perhaps as Eλευθερί pointed out: " they don't seem to understand that if they don't hurry up and get their butts out of the street, they might quickly turn into roadkill if the driver doesn't see them in time." Sadly, a couple years ago, another friendly kitten in my neighborhood, was hit in the street by a car... I am certain it was for the same reason... But cats or children.. In my neighborhood, it's usually the Unobservant Speeding Drivers that are the problem... and not the large community of slow moving feral cats or unsupervised children... Thankfully, in my 24 years of living in my home, I've only seen one squirrel and one kitten killed by a car... But I have heard that a dog was killed last year just down the street... Not TOO bad, considering people are regularly doing over 25 MPH in a 15 MPH Neighborhood, filled with children and animals roaming everywhere you look... |
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Eλευθερί
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Post by Eλευθερί on Jun 7, 2019 0:07:24 GMT
To be honest, I see no reason for her to cross the street (1) Sex (2) Hunting for critters to kill
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Post by Admin on Jun 7, 2019 0:12:15 GMT
To be honest, I see no reason for her to cross the street (1) Sex (2) Hunting for critters to kill (3) To get to the other side.
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Post by MCDemuth on Jun 7, 2019 0:12:54 GMT
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Post by rachelcarson1953 on Jun 7, 2019 1:31:36 GMT
Well, my best cat friend, started her life as an outdoor TNR feral cat... She started coming by to visit me, and became real friendly.... Now she spends about half the day inside with me... She's a real sweatheart... She meows when she needs to go outside to go potty... and even lets me trims her nails to elimiate those razor tips, so we can cuddle... She does frequently groom herself, and will just stop wherever she is, when she detects an itch, to scratch/lick it... I have to keep an eye out for her, when I am walking because she will stop right in front of me, to scratch/lick. I don't want to step on her or trip over her... When I go to the store and come back, she seems to at least recognize the car and comes over to greet me... Beyond that, she does seem to know that cars are big and dangerous, and will usually steer clear of the street... However, every once in while, when I let her out, I'll see her cross the street... To be honest, I see no reason for her to cross the street, but I guess "cats are going to do what cats want to do", and you just can't stop them... But, this still worries me, because on a few of those rare occasions where she crossed the street, she has stopped in the middle of the street to scratch/lick... I guess the scratching/licking is more important to her, than avoiding the cars... Perhaps as Eλευθερί pointed out: " they don't seem to understand that if they don't hurry up and get their butts out of the street, they might quickly turn into roadkill if the driver doesn't see them in time." Sadly, a couple years ago, another friendly kitten in my neighborhood, was hit in the street by a car... I am certain it was for the same reason... But cats or children.. In my neighborhood, it's usually the Unobservant Speeding Drivers that are the problem... and not the large community of slow moving feral cats or unsupervised children... Thankfully, in my 24 years of living in my home, I've only seen one squirrel and one kitten killed by a car... But I have heard that a dog was killed last year just down the street... Not TOO bad, considering people are regularly doing over 25 MPH in a 15 MPH Neighborhood, filled with children and animals roaming everywhere you look... Good for you, taking in a TNR. My outdoor kitty came to me as a half-grown stray cat, and my vet did the neuter. If only more people were aware of TNR - good that you provided a link. I hope your girl has a long and happy life!  
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Eλευθερί
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Post by Eλευθερί on Jun 7, 2019 13:03:48 GMT
I did not know what tnr means.
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Post by lenlenlen1 on Jun 7, 2019 16:08:22 GMT
when they are out and about outside, that passing cars are machines with people in them. Cars that are not the cars of the humans they live with? Do they think cars are large animals? I believe that they understand cars are not large animals. I believe that they interpret living things as smelling different than machines. Have you ever seen a cat behave lovingly toward a car? Whereas we have seen cats behave lovingly towards other animals regardless of size.
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Post by teleadm on Jun 7, 2019 17:58:36 GMT
My sad experience working at the Railroad companies for many years, lots of rabbits and rats in those areas so it's understandable it's atractive to cats. Swedish trains has three lights on their fronts and that somehow paralyses cats passing rails, they just stops and looks and then sadly are gone.
Sound I think they can understand what is good and those who hide from. I hade a so called cat comb, whenever it drew the nail over the comb, one of the cats came running (from somewhere) running, jumping and gliding over the once expensive mat...
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Eλευθερί
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Post by Eλευθερί on Jun 9, 2019 0:55:08 GMT
My sad experience working at the Railroad companies for many years, lots of rabbits and rats in those areas so it's understandable it's atractive to cats. Swedish trains has three lights on their fronts and that somehow paralyses cats passing rails, they just stops and looks and then sadly are gone. Sound I think they can understand what is good and those who hide from. I hade a so called cat comb, whenever it drew the nail over the comb, one of the cats came running (from somewhere) running, jumping and gliding over the once expensive mat... You're Swedish?
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Post by teleadm on Jun 9, 2019 2:35:30 GMT
My sad experience working at the Railroad companies for many years, lots of rabbits and rats in those areas so it's understandable it's atractive to cats. Swedish trains has three lights on their fronts and that somehow paralyses cats passing rails, they just stops and looks and then sadly are gone. Sound I think they can understand what is good and those who hide from. I hade a so called cat comb, whenever it drew the nail over the comb, one of the cats came running (from somewhere) running, jumping and gliding over the once expensive mat... You're Swedish? Oui!
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Post by poelzig on Jun 9, 2019 3:04:48 GMT
when they are out and about outside, that passing cars are machines with people in them. Cars that are not the cars of the humans they live with? Do they think cars are large animals? I believe that they understand cars are not large animals. I believe that they interpret living things as smelling different than machines. Have you ever seen a cat behave lovingly toward a car? Whereas we have seen cats behave lovingly towards other animals regardless of size.
They do really enjoy sleeping on them and under them but it's not the same is it? I also had a male cat that really really enjoyed spraying the front seats of visitors cars if they left the windows even slightly open. He never did it to my car but everyone elses was in danger of that pee smell. His ability to target even the tiniest of openings while standing who knows where was quite impressive.
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Eλευθερί
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Post by Eλευθερί on Jun 9, 2019 20:29:44 GMT
I believe that they understand cars are not large animals. I believe that they interpret living things as smelling different than machines. Have you ever seen a cat behave lovingly toward a car? Whereas we have seen cats behave lovingly towards other animals regardless of size.
They do really enjoy sleeping on them and under them but it's not the same is it? I also had a male cat that really really enjoyed spraying the front seats of visitors cars if they left the windows even slightly open. He never did it to my car but everyone elses was in danger of that pee smell. His ability to target even the tiniest of openings while standing who knows where was quite impressive. That's funny, but I meant moving cars that they don't already know.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 9, 2019 23:19:46 GMT
Yes. The local cat can see me inside my car because I have on several occasions gotten out of my car to feed that cat who did not come by until when I was just leaving for work. She knows I'm in there and she will judge me if I dont come back out to feed her.
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