The Trivial Complaints Thread... number 2!

[Beth3346]

 

[Taffeta]

I don't think there's a right or wrong answer about cats going outside, because it depends a lot on the area you live, the country/wildlife you have, and a lot of other things. In the UK, if you live in a house, it's pretty common that your cat will be outside/inside. Our neighbours were great cat people before they moved away, all their cats were inside/outside pets and because they were, I had the opportunity to bond with one of them and play with him in our garden for year after year. I treasure that fact, since my mother's asthma meant no chance of having our own cat.

At the same time, we once rescued a siamese cat with that same neighbour's help, who had been an inside cat that had got out and was cowering in our garden because it had no idea what to do or where to go. So it goes both ways. I think in the UK it's a lot to do with the needs/nature of the cat and the environment rather than a blanket decision.

I don't judge people for keeping their cats inside or letting them out, honestly. So long as they are meeting that cat's needs, that's what matters most.

All the inside/outside cats I knew growing up lived to at least 16. One lived to 21 or 22. So yeah. I feel like it's not something I can judge people on.

I'm less tolerant on people who drive recklessly, especially through residential areas. As I've said before, we live on a loop which also is home to two thriving ponds,  and most people drive it carefully knowing that. But there are occasionally times when people drive recklessly through. Not just pets, but wildlife - ducks, baby geese, moorhens - and even on one occasion, a person have been victims of reckless driving through the loop (the person was a passenger in a car that sped through here, lost control and hit a wall).

I'd honestly rather in cases like this that people learned to drive their cars properly.

I don't know what kind of stray cat issue the UK has. I saw a lot of them when I was over in Israel with a friend some years back; it's the first time I've ever seen strays in that way. I've never seen it anywhere here.

[Beth3346]

Taffeta, you would not like the driving in Texas. I've seen outright hostility toward not just animals but also pedestrians. especially people riding bikes. not all Texas drivers but enough to be noticeable. personally i would be happy if cars went away and we could have mass transit. but i'm a dreamer.

I also have mixed feelings on outdoor cats. I agree that it depends on the environment. growing up I lived on a cul-de-sac street with very little traffic. and we adopted a stray cat who did stay outdoors. mostly because she hated being inside. we tried to bring her inside and she wouldn't have it. we had a nice covered patio and garage. also the neighbors all knew her and kept an eye out. but personally i really didn't like her being outside.

later when we moved to a different neighborhood with more traffic we decided that she was going to be an inside cat no matter what. she was really upset by the move and after a few days inside she bolted out the door and was missing for a few days. we were devastated. after about 5 days she showed up at the back door and never asked to go out again. we don't know what happened but she was skinnier so we think she either got stuck up a tree or locked in someone's garage. she spent the rest of her days being a spoiled inside cat but was never quite the same. after that experience i can't ever have an outside cat again.

[BlackCurtains]

The thing is, cats don't need to go outside. It's more dangerous, they can catch diseases and parasites, they kill local wildlife (this really has nothing to do with where you live... almost everywhere has birds and small burrowing animals). It is 100% the owners fault when a cat gets killed outside.

There is zero reason for a cat to be unsupervised outside. Ideally, you want a screened in area or a cattery where they can come and go inside and "outside" but still be safe, and kept away from wildlife.

the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that free-ranging domestic cats (mostly unowned) are the top human-caused threat to wildlife in the United States, killing an estimated 1.3 to 3.7 billion birds and 6.3 to 22.3 billion mammals annually.

That's just in the US. BILLIONS. Unowned cats exist because of people not spaying and neutering their pet cat.

This is a heated topic for me, obviously. See also: declawing, not spaying or neutering, de-barking (yes this still exists), off leash dogs, unsecured stallions... the list goes on.

[stjarne]

The thing is, cats don't need to go outside. It's more dangerous, they can catch diseases and parasites, they kill local wildlife (this really has nothing to do with where you live... almost everywhere has birds and small burrowing animals). It is 100% the owners fault when a cat gets killed outside.

There is zero reason for a cat to be unsupervised outside. Ideally, you want a screened in area or a cattery where they can come and go inside and "outside" but still be safe, and kept away from wildlife.

the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that free-ranging domestic cats (mostly unowned) are the top human-caused threat to wildlife in the United States, killing an estimated 1.3 to 3.7 billion birds and 6.3 to 22.3 billion mammals annually.

That's just in the US. BILLIONS. Unowned cats exist because of people not spaying and neutering their pet cat.

This is a heated topic for me, obviously. See also: declawing, not spaying or neutering, de-barking (yes this still exists), off leash dogs, unsecured stallions... the list goes on.

this is insane. my cat, Oliver, always wants to go outside but we never let him of course. we only have a deck, no 'screened in' area where he can roam around freely "outside". he's been neutered, except his front paws are de-clawed, because well, furniture. wasn't my choice, and if i were the one to choose i would have let him be claws and all. his secret weapon is his teeth now, lol

also, i've never heard of debarking before & i just looked it up. that should be illegal everywhere & i'm saddened only a handful of states have outlawed it

[Taffeta]

I'm not really sure this is the right place for a heated debate on the matter, but I'm still neutral on the subject. I think it's down to individual pets and circumstances. Not every cat should go outside. Not every cat should be kept inside. It's really a balance depending on the pet.

There are downsides to both environments if the owner is not attentive to the pet's need.

Although in terms of local wildlife, around here, aside nature itself, the biggest culprits are the idiots who go shooting pheasant and grouse in the fields or who go fishing in the local ponds (illegally) like they can't feel alive unless they kill something. Or the dogs let off their leads to chase ducks, squirrels and their babies etc in the local forestland. I won't even begin on the subject of fox hunting, which shouldn't still happen in the way that it does. I don't think cats are a very big part of the problem here, honestly. The birds used to come in the garden to taunt the local cats, knowing they were in no danger. And there's a cat down the road who either plays with the magpies or is being bullied by them. I'm genuinely not sure which.

Declawing etc are a different matter. I would agree those are unequivocally matters of animal cruelty. But just keeping a pet indoors doesn't automatically make a good pet owner, and nor does letting a cat out of doors automatically make a bad one.

I think the UK pet charities generally have the policy that cats are better off if they can get outside safely, so it seems pretty much the norm to see pets out - but that does not mean, of course, that that is the opinion of everyone. And I want to respect both sides of the debate.


That's my opinion and so I guess we agree to disagree. I don't want to monopolise the trivial complaints too much on the subject.

[SpacePinto]

I know this is super 1st world problem, but I got some cash money for my birthday from my mom and since I only use cards these days, I decided to put it away in an old toy money box I sometimes still use for storing cash, and even though it's been hidden for who knows how long deep inside a cupboard where only I know it's even there, i found quite a few large denomination bills inside, even though I have no idea how they got there Not that I'm complaining of course, but I'm kinda scared since I honestly have no idea when I put so much cash in there, I know I would never withdraw this much from an ATM and I don't remember anyone giving me that kind of money, and nobody except me even knows this box exists, so what's going on here?

[BlackCurtains]

You have a rich ghost roommate?

I'll drop the cat topic.

My complaint is my therapist always being booked already for the month when I see her. I need to see her weekly, I've decided, and she agreed to that, but she doesn't have any openings for May. I do have an appointment set up for the 24th. Luckily, June was mostly open so I got in for 3 weeks. She said the problem is that the front desk books new clients for her without her knowing until she sees her schedule. Then she said half of new clients no show. Seems like a bad way to go about things, but whatever. I know it's not her fault.

[Mewtwofan1]

My dumb bum can’t seem to get water into my mouth, and elected to spill it all over my sketchbook. You’d think I’d be better at a task I need to do in order to stay alive and functioning…but no.

[Pokeyonekenobie]

You have a rich ghost roommate?

I'll drop the cat topic.

My complaint is my therapist always being booked already for the month when I see her. I need to see her weekly, I've decided, and she agreed to that, but she doesn't have any openings for May. I do have an appointment set up for the 24th. Luckily, June was mostly open so I got in for 3 weeks. She said the problem is that the front desk books new clients for her without her knowing until she sees her schedule. Then she said half of new clients no show. Seems like a bad way to go about things, but whatever. I know it's not her fault.

Could you ask her if she'd be willing to do a phone/zoom meeting with you if someone cancels/no shows?  You could set a time (for example Wednesdays at 3) and if she doesn't call by fifteen minutes after you'll know that her client showed up.

[Ponyfan]

I don't feel well at all.    I don't know if it's due to stress from being caught in the hailstorm (see What's Your Problem post for more details as I don't want to go in to everything in this thread) or something else but I felt so nauseous this morning when I got up that I had to take some Dramamine and go back to bed. 

I've missed a lot of work due to not feeling well. 


Ponyfan

[SpacePinto]

I bought a 1970s Alpine A110 for my collection but it turns out this car was actually tiny in real life and now when I put it with others it just looks like it was wrong scale And I had already planned to buy a Mercedes, then an Alpine and then an IFA, and now the sequence will be ruined

[BlackCurtains]

Could you ask her if she'd be willing to do a phone/zoom meeting with you if someone cancels/no shows?  You could set a time (for example Wednesdays at 3) and if she doesn't call by fifteen minutes after you'll know that her client showed up.

Sorry, I missed this! I'm on the cancellation list already, but that isn't helpful for no shows. I don't think they have anything for no shows. Maybe if she ran her own office she could contact clients but she works for a network and they handle all her appointments and stuff.

--

My complaint right now is tired eyes that don't want to focus *blinks* My brain is awake. My eyes need to catch up!

[Mareacooda]

my complaint how alot local employers been so pushing proof covid19 clean tested even beyond employees but anyone in the household before allow back work... One can not mention even simple headache at work without being told go home..
Most interest case with one husband co worker who wife is pregnant and all employers hearing " sick  or not feeling well" and send gentleman home and told him he unable come back until everyone in household show proof  clean covid19 test....

I complaint about price gas... How 🤔 oddly seem almost uniform for prices? I not sure how other see on gas prices... Usually in my travels that more ranges prices in gas but lately feels someone behind keep uniform even places normal much cheaper by  .20 to .10 cent a gallon not....   

My Doc offices wants clients come in for treatments but hard someone on phone to schedule treatments... 

Cats I have 2 strictly house cats and one barn cat who been around years someone drop her off years ago... This barn cat refuse come in house any reason... Its amazing how she good not let wildlife make a meal out her where I heard other locals losing their cats to wildlife.... Last year My husband flock birds pretty wipe out by couple foxes who going around clean out alot local poultry even possible cats...

[Beth3346]

@Mareacooda it's the same thin with gas prices where i live. the place closest to me is consistently $0.30-.40 per gallon higher than some other stations. even gas stations in Austin are cheaper than this particular gas station. meanwhile Shell posted a record profit a few days ago  but supply chains...

my complaint today is another website complaint. the local news posts related articles below more recent articles. these aren't links its just the full articles posted below newer ones.  my complaint is that it's hard to know that the article is older. in this particular instance the article i looked at was about yesterday's local elections. right below was an article about the 2020 election and some food trucks being set up so voters can get food while waiting in line. one had to scroll past the headline and a large image to see the tiny date line.