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To answer you Gayle,

(Gayle)-One of the reasons why cat owners have cats is because dogs are simply too much responsibility so they go for the easier option.

The easier option shouldn't come into it whatever is kept the owner should take complete responsibility for it

(Gayle)-Whilst I accept the point about pooping in my neighbours garden I don't accept the point about bringing diseases home from other cats.

There are some common feline diseases to which all cats are susceptible. Like feline leukemia, feline Panleukopenia, feline infectious peritonitis, and feline respiratory disease. These viral organisms cause a wide range of disease symptoms, from sneezing to bloody diarrhea and death.

(Gayle)-Cats are solitary creatures and they do not mix with other cats, they won't even mix with cats that live in the same house as them unless they were brought up together. So the chance of them mixing with any feral cats is slim to nonexistent. They don't go out and party everynight with the neighbours pussykins. Not like dogs, who when they see another dog always like to say hello to its bottom.

If cats were solitary animals and never mixed there would not be any cats! Of course they mix with ferile cats, when it's breeding time they don't exchange addresses or ask to check the pedigree.

(Gayle)-Back to the poop question though - cats may poop in the garden but they do (on the whole) try to cover it up afterwards. Plus, if you don't want cats in your garden try spraying pepper all over your flower beds. Another good alternative is to be armed with a water pistol, that will deter them from coming in to your garden.

They will also make a bee-line for your childrens sand box, what a nice surprise that is when junior digs it up! (there are cat to human diseases that shouldn't be allowed to spread to children in this fashion). I don't want to be transplanting plants and find a gift from a stranger! No matter how cute.

As for me putting pepper down it's not my cat, it's not my responsibility to keep it out of my garden it's the owners! If you think I'm going to patrol a garden 24/7 with a water pistol you've another think coming.