Yet another python story...

im not going to argue anymore but i will leave you with wise words.
"If the glove don't fit, you must acquit."

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Originally Posted by MasonC2K

Apparently none of you have ever owned a cat before. Very few people keep their cat's indoors all the time. And I tell you, it's hard to do. Trying to keep 2siamese inside is a hard task. There are also no laws for keepign cat's inside or leashed. Try leashing a cat. Can't be done.

If I undertand the article correctly, the snake was just allowed to roam the backyard? If that was the case, then it's the nsake owners fault for not properly housing the snake.

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I've owned 5 cats in the last 10 years. My boyfriend has owned 7 cats in the last 7 years. All were indoor cats, never seen the outdoors. It's far better that way. My uncles cat has gone through at least 4 separate vet visits from raccoon/cat/dog bites or nasty parasites from being outside.

Very few is very wrong. Most of the people I know keep their cats indoors for obvious safety reasons. When in rural areas, not as much, but that makes much more sense.

The owners, not the animals, are the ones to blame. They shouldn't be trying to ban all 'pythons' just because they ate their cat. That's their own fault. It could have been eaten by a dog, coyote or many other wild animals. It shouldn't be in the other neighbors yard, and the burm should not have been put outside.
A mammal is a mammal to a snake. It's going to attempt eat a mammal that it can get its mouth around if possible, whether it's a cat, dog, mouse, rabbit, or even a child.

I love cats and snakes but quite frankly the snake was on its own property so I don't see how it or the owner can be blamed. Also I have seen cats that have attacked large dogs so how do you know the cat didn't start it and the snake finished it. There were no eyewitnesses they only heard sounds.
Granted the snake should have been supervised but that might not have saved the cat from injury just from being eaten and they would have still blamed the snake. And not that many owners are going to wrestle a 13ft python in feeding mode for the body of a dead cat. I would try because I wouldn't know what the cat was carrying and wouldn't want my snake to get sick but not everybody would.
As for keeping cats indoors I foster and have my own cats so I have anywhere between 6-12 cats at any time and they are all indoors, I have 6 litter boxes(including a lovely electric one) to change constantly plus any who are crated in quarantine have their own litter box but they are all strictly indoors. Also I do have a cat that I use for animal demonstrations that has to be leashed so it can be done and I am working on training a second.
If I lived in the country I would probably have a few barn cats but if they were killed off the property I would not blame anybody for an accident, I would only be upset if it was poisoning or shooting or something deliberate.
Any of you who have a snake large enough to kill a cat or small dog, say you are in your fenced yard taking pictures of your snake or scrubbing them in a kiddie pool or what not and a cat/dog darts through your yard and gets attacked is that your fault? Now I doubt my Shiroko would do anything because if it doesn't smell like a rat it is irrelevant to him and he would probably hide from the sudden movement but if he did attack then I don't think it would be his fault or mine, MY snake has a right to be in MY yard.

I love cats and snakes. But I feel if you have any animal it needs to be confined to your property no matter what it is. Ive had neighbors call animal control on me many times because I have siberian huskys who LOVE cats. And my neighbors dont keep there cats up and they come into my yard well once they get here very few ever make it out before one of the sibs snatch them up. And I feel im not at fault for that. If they come into my yard. My neighbors should keep them confined to there property!

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Originally Posted by abuja

Aww...poor kitty:tears::tears::tears:...poor kitty's family...The family shouldn't punish the python, but the owners!!

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not at all. the python owners did nothing wrong. the python was on their property.

its actually rediculous because the cat was on the neighbours property when it was attacked.
well wtf, the same happens hundreds of times a year with dogs. this is so stupid.

put your effin cat on a leash, or atleast dont complain when it wonders into someone else's property and ends up eaten.

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Originally Posted by seercirra

not at all. the python owners did nothing wrong. the python was on their property.

its actually ridiculous because the cat was on the neighbours property when it was attacked.
well wtf, the same happens hundreds of times a year with dogs. this is so stupid.

put your effin cat on a leash, or atleast dont complain when it wonders into someone else's property and ends up eaten.

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I wouldn't mind it if the cat had gotten inside the house and gotten eaten. The owners should be punished for irresponsible care of their python by keeping outside where it mess up the ecosystem. The owners, either way, shouldn't keep their python outside, I'd still say this even if a cat hadn't gotten eaten.

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Originally Posted by MasonC2K

Apparently none of you have ever owned a cat before. Very few people keep their cat's indoors all the time. And I tell you, it's hard to do. Trying to keep 2siamese inside is a hard task. There are also no laws for keepign cat's inside or leashed. Try leashing a cat. Can't be done.

If I undertand the article correctly, the snake was just allowed to roam the backyard? If that was the case, then it's the nsake owners fault for not properly housing the snake.

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We have had a cat in the family for quite a while, and has been allowed outside on rare occasions.

We do leash the cats when they roam outdoors. It most certainly can be done.

We NEVER let the cats explore unattended, and they never get outside unleashed.

Hi,

And there is already a petition circulating to control snakes "in memory of Wilbur". :mad:

Sometimes people make so flaming mad - usually when there is a "y" in the day. :rolleyes:


dr del

sadly in places where people live close to eachother stuff like this is bound to happen. i agree that the python owner should have been keeping a closer eye on the snake, after all its a snake not a dog or cat that will come back when you call it. poor kitty, it was very pretty but it was probably a nice snack for the python! too bad they couldnt have been friends like when you see dogs with baby deer and stuff like that. if you read the end of the article where it mentions how a toddler was killed by a python, it truly shows how dangerous big snakes can be and owners should be under strict conditions including keeping the snake in a confined area. (how was the owner going to get the snake back in the house anyways ? carry it??) but a licensing system wouldnt help a darn thing. this snake owner should have been more considerate of the dangers and aware of the snakes power ! i woulda chopped the snakes head off if that was my kid being strangled and im a snake lover !

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dr del

Hi,

And there is already a petition circulating to control snakes "in memory of Wilbur". :mad:

Sometimes people make so flaming mad - usually when there is a "y" in the day. :rolleyes:


dr del

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yes, here is the website http://www.justiceforwilbur.co.uk/Ju...bur_/Rant.html

and the petition:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/no-to-pythons/

note:
the petition has 3,500 votes. and its to ban all pythons and boas. the guy running with this is an idiot.

i emailed him and tried to be cordial about it:




hi,

first and foremost i'd like to say that i'm sorry for the loss of your cat.

i've never owned a cat but i have had many pets pass and its always very sad.

i do disagree with your case though - at-least to some degree.

if you allow your cat to go on to other people's property then it is very hard for you to have much defence if something happens to the cat on that other persons property.
i know its in a cats nature and i wouldn't like to see cats locked up either, i disagree with the idea of "inside cats". but unfortunately, outside = nature. and you can't blame nature for doing what it does. - and snakes are more native to england than cats. there are few if any native species of cat in england, and yet you don't see the mouse owners campaigning about it.

your case is sad because its unusual and you must feel like the most unlucky person in the world. but really there's no difference between it and the multitude of cats which are caught and killed by dogs each year. your case just stands out more because it happens to have been a snake which did it. to ask for a change in the law against snakes is, i feel, extremely unfair and unwarranted.

there are also a couple of issues with your petition which are completely unjust and outright wrong.

they are also reasons why your petition will fail.


you seem to have no concept of breeds of snake.
a burmese is a completely different creature from a ball python and yet you are trying to ban them all in a single sweeping move.

burmese are aggressive in nature, and balls aren't. burmese grow upto 15ft, and ball's grow to a maximum of 6. a burmese can kill a person, whereas a ball is truly harmless - unless your a mouse.
you also ask for a boa constrictor ban which is unwarranted as boa constrictors don't get much larger than 8ft and have no capacity to kill an adult. also, a large dog is more of a threat to any children you have, by far.


the only snakes which a licence may be considered for should be the burmese pythons and reticulated pythons. there are 39 species of boa and even the largest has never been known to eat people. there would be a strong reason to ban large anaconda's if it weren't for the fact that providing sufficient and relatively cheap housing for them in the UK is neigh impossible.

in summary,
im very sorry for the loss of your cat.
but, i think your petition is misguided on many levels. and is actually quite ill thought out because if its successful then you will be relieving many people of their much loved pets for absolutely no reason at all. as a pet owner who'se lost a pet -- i'd have thought that would be the last thing you'd want to do.

thanks for reading, i hope it makes you consider things a little more.

cheers.