[carboy]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

And, as I understand it, at least if fully developed at the time, it doesn't stop them doing anything except having babies.

It stops them from wanting and having sex, right?

Originally Posted by Ricci

We justify the violation in terms of what we want : an obedient animal with no desires or wishes of its own other than to server us, look up to us, snuggle with us , not result in feral population and puppies dying under cars and such -we want something like a teddy bear or stuffed toy but with a voice-activated recall mode. Such is human narcissism.

I agree. I know I will be doing a wrong thing, but I think I will do it anyway.

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

In a human-free world, cats wouldn't be roaming around urban cities but in the wild. In a perfect world, their life span would be 2-3 years; thanks to diseases, competition, natural predators; basically nature's way of maintaining order; instead of the 6-8 years average seen in domesticated cats (even longer in the developed countries).

Our presence and acceptance (of them as a pet) has increased their lifespan, their population and the whole dynamics of the natural order. And hence the need for neutering.

Will you exchange your gonads for a doubling of your lifespan?

[drmohitg]

My 2 cents on this neutering debate. I had amazing 14 years with my labrador until he passed away last June. When he was small this same dilemma had tormented me and we all finally felt disgusted at the thought of him suffering a surgery ( however minor it may be) for neutering. But later at a lot of occasions it was really scary and tough to take him out for walks whenever their mating season was going on. They are animals after all and its only natural and confusing for them during the mating season. All the dogs including my pet used to become extra aggressive during those days and it was quite risky taking him down for walks. I remember me and my father both used to accompany him, armed with sticks in case of a stray attacking. So in hindsight it might be a good thing to get your pet neutered.

This debate of them having rights is not justifiable as we anyways control most aspects of their lives anyways. They are not really free to live their life the way they want.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

So in hindsight it might be a good thing to get your pet neutered.

Yes, everybody agrees that it's a good thing for you to get your pet neutered.

[carboy]

The whole family is going for a vacation for 3-4 days. And I am looking for some pet boarders who can take care of the kitten. Does anyone know of any sitter in the eastern suburbs of Bombay? Chembur, Ghatopkar, Kurla, Govandi, etc will be fine. If not, somewhere further off also.

[adhiraj]

Hi guys,

Found a healthy female Labrador of ~1 year at marina beach chennai. Have brought her home for now.
Need immediate help in connecting with any NGO who deals in adoption and rehabilitation of lost pets.

- Adhiraj

[Seek]

Originally Posted by adhiraj

Hi guys,

Found a healthy female Labrador of ~1 year at marina beach chennai. Have brought her home for now.
Need immediate help in connecting with any NGO who deals in adoption and rehabilitation of lost pets.

- Adhiraj

Hi, please try reaching out to Shravan Krishnan on Facebook. I'll anyways PM you his number. Apart from being an animal lover and running a boarding place for dogs, he also runs a dog shelter.

Ankush.

[carboy]

I know everyone takes dogs for a walk, but do people take cats for a walk?

My male kitten (it's a part indoors, part outdoors kitten) is around 4-5 months old. I wish to take him to a neighbourhood ground (not too many people there). I was wondering how kittens react when taken to a new place. I don't have a leash or anything (do people put cats on a leash?) - I was wondering if there is an issue of him running away/hiding and me having to search for him. It's more for me to play with him than anything else.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by carboy

I know everyone takes dogs for a walk, but do people take cats for a walk? ...

ha ha... I take mine for a walk around the house. We go into the bedrooms, where he is not normally allowed, and walk around all the corners together. He seems to enjoy this!

But cats usually have a kind of schizophrenia, and, however much they need the approval and comfort of elder family members (us) indoors, they become wild the minute they go outdoors.

One of my friends' cats, in London, would follow her to the corner shop, wait outside, and walk home again with her. But this is fairly unusual. Probably your cat will do its own exploring, and you just have to hope that it stays safe.

Another cat, belonging to the same person, moved house with her, maybe seven or eight miles across London and disappeared soon afterwards. A few days later, she got a call from the occupants of her old place that the cat had turned up there. I think there was a film, decades ago, called something like The Incredible Journey. Yes, animals do do this stuff and do sometimes find their way across districts that they could not possibly know.

Don't let me worry you: most of my with-cat moves have been uneventful. It may help to keep the cat indoors for a few days (with a litter tray). Or the cat may not want to go out at first.

I had a huge tom cat that, after one move, became a complete wimp. If I put him out he screamed to be let in again. Much as I hate them, I had to get him a litter tray and let him be. It was a very rough area, in human and feline terms. One day, I guess he decided he'd had enough, asked to go out, and took over the district.

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by carboy

I know everyone takes dogs for a walk, but do people take cats for a walk?

My male kitten (it's a part indoors, part outdoors kitten) is around 4-5 months old. I wish to take him to a neighbourhood ground (not too many people there). I was wondering how kittens react when taken to a new place. I don't have a leash or anything (do people put cats on a leash?) - I was wondering if there is an issue of him running away/hiding and me having to search for him. It's more for me to play with him than anything else.

I would suggest against taking your cat to unknown places, he may try to run/hide, be chased by bigger cats/dos , and other unintentional things may happen. Let him explore and expand territory on his own.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by blackasta

I would suggest against taking your cat to unknown places, he may try to run/hide ...

Very true. And he can climb trees that we humans can't.

[carboy]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

Another cat, belonging to the same person, moved house with her, maybe seven or eight miles across London and disappeared soon afterwards. A few days later, she got a call from the occupants of her old place that the cat had turned up there.

I read that this is common with cats. Cats belong to a house while dogs belong to the people in the house.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

they become wild the minute they go outdoors.

Originally Posted by blackasta

I would suggest against taking your cat to unknown places, he may try to run/hide, be chased by bigger cats/dos , and other unintentional things may happen. Let him explore and expand territory on his own.

What about a leash - does that work with a cat?

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by carboy

I read that this is common with cats. Cats belong to a house while dogs belong to the people in the house.

There was one cat that did not move with me: it belonged to the area. And people belong to the cat!

What about a leash - does that work with a cat?

It's probably been done. Maybe, if from a very early age. But new to an adult? I think not.

My eccentric mother used to occasionally take one of our pet rabbits into town on a lead. It was quite happy. She judged that its nature would suit, and she was usually right about that sort of thing --- just as she was also usually intuitively right about what was wrong with the car!

[condor]

I have this thought that cats can be left behind when one goes out on a holiday. Not dogs, though. Cats can find food somewhere, and will come back home for the night at least.

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

. And people belong to the cat!

[blackasta]

Originally Posted by condor

I have this thought that cats can be left behind when one goes out on a holiday. Not dogs, though. Cats can find food somewhere, and will come back home for the night at least.

It's hard on the pets who are accustomed to getting food handed out to them to forage for food.

If all of the family members are not in the house for a day trip (that happens rarely as we are 6 family members living in a joint family), we leave food (cooked / dry) for our cats (currently we have 4) in different places, as all of them have different preferences in time/type of food/access to certain areas.

Last time we were out on a vacation together (few years back, for about 2 weeks), we left the keys with the cook and had her come in daily and prepare+leave food for them.
Though the cook was trusted, we knew this is risky. But nothing else was possible as we did not know anyone who would agree to board+feed half a dozen cats with various tantrums and preferences.

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by carboy

I know everyone takes dogs for a walk, but do people take cats for a walk?

My first cat used to go out on walks with me around my society/complex. Without a leash. He was a rescued kitten, I believe he came from a house with dogs and probably learnt the walking habits from the dogs in his early days.

Basically it's very tough to train a cat to get him to go on walks. And there are too many external factors to take care off.

Originally Posted by carboy

What about a leash - does that work with a cat?

They do work; but again you need to make them used to it at a very young age. Out here in US, you get cat leashes - I introduced them to my cats when they were 4-5 months old and yet they hated it. Never got them used to it since then. But I have seen other cats (much older) got used to it.