Dogs in the street
 

No, not the name of a new indie band! I'm talking about people walking dogs. Or any pet really, but it's basically dogs innit? You don't see people with cats lizards or hamsters on leashes. Well, not here anyway....

This is obviously aimed at pet lovers. If you're not one, then it won't apply so don't bother responding.

So my question is this, answered from two different, or possibly both, perspectives:

When you're out and see someone walking a dog do you tend to go over and pet it, or if you see a cat or other pet on the street do you generally approach it?

If you're a pet owner, do you prefer people to approach you when you're out with your dog or pet panther or snake on a skateboard or whatever, or do you prefer to be left alone? In other words, are you bugged by people coming up and saying "What a lovely dog", "Here fella" etc, or do you like it when they do?

Obviously, gender is neutral here. Us guys all love it when a hot chick comes up to us when we're out with our dog, and vice versa, but that aside: we're talking about men going up to men, old women, old men etc. So it's purely for the pleasure of petting the dog or cat. How do you feel, and what do you tend to do?

Or do you even care?

When I see a cat walking around, I go and pet it. When I see somebody walking a dog, I usually go up to them and tell them that they have a very cute dog. Most of the time they get into a conversation and you end up talking about their dog for a few minutes, which can be fun.

I personally believe that if you're going out with your dog (or cat) and you get annoyed by people saying you have a cute pet, there's something wrong with you. There's nothing wrong with just letting the person know that they shouldn't pet the dog or w/e, but to get upset about it just isn't fair.

In my neighborhood everyone pretty much knows each other already. Pets included.

I'll pet anything that's cute as long as it isn't too dirty..

I tend to pet stray cats and dogs but if they have an owner i don't usually go pet their dog unless the dog comes near me looking to be pet

Agree.

It's generally not a good idea to approach or pet feral cats, especially if you have a cat at home. They carry all kinds of diseases and one bad scratch can leave you with a wicked infection, not to mention what you're bringing home to your pet. Although I'm not one to talk, I'll do it occasionally, but only if the cat seems friendly enough and I'm not heading directly back home to my puss.

Fun fact, if you see a stray cat with the tip of it's ear missing (at least in the U.S.), it likely has been taken to a shelter before and was spayed/neutered and likely given preventative shots. They clip the ear as a universal symbol for the procedure in case the cat is captured again.

There are a lot of feral cats in my neighborhood and there's no way I'd ever pet one. As you say, I don't want to bring diseases back to my cats at home. Plus, the feral cats in my area are very wary of people, I don't think any of them would react well to me trying to touch them.

Just so you know, I'm one of those who always calls to dogs and tries to pet them when I'm out. When I had a dog and was out walking him I would have no problem with anyone coming up and petting him, though I don't remember anyone doing so.

As for cats, obviously feral cats are out. You just don't go near them. But if a cat is reasonably plump and has a collar, and seems approachable I will always try to pet them. I've made friends with quite a few cats here that way, and now when they see me they come running for their pets. There is one who always runs away though: maybe it's my cologne? ;)

Seriously though, I would not advise anyone to pet or approach a cat that looks feral, or does not allow the approach. They're flighty creatures and could easily scratch you or worse if you piss them off.

A lot people walk dogs on campus and sometimes I'll pet their dogs, yes.

Seriously. Trying to pet a feral cat is really no different than trying to pet a raccoon or a fox or something.

Over here we call it 'clapping' instead of 'petting'. I always clap dogs, cats only if they're friendly. Cats are too evasive.

Never heard of that one.
Yes, cats are evasive. Dogs will basically run up to you and jump up your leg, wagging their tails. Cats will be all suspicious, like, "what's this guy want? What's his angle?" Obviously I'm sure everyone knows you don't just grab a cat or launch yourself at them (unless you forget what the inside of a doctor's surgery looks like and need to be reminded!); you get down on their level and extend your hand, back usually, to let them sniff and confirm your attentions. You let them take the lead, and if they want to, they'll begin nuzzling up against you.

Can be very rewarding though. You can make a lot of new animal friends that way, and there's no sight quite like a cat you've befriended charging from their garden when they see you, to get some attention and affection. As long as their owner is cool with it of course...

I say hello to most dogs I meet, provided they're well-mannered and on a leash. Cats: I'm afraid I spend most of my time chasing them away from bird feeders!

1. no i don't approach random animals because contrary to the impression people have on here that i like to **** them, i really don't like animals all that much. i don't mind them either but i'm really not the type to get excited over seeing a cute animal. i might pet a dog if it comes up to me and i'm just chilling or sitting down. but usually i'll get bored of petting it and tell it to go away. cats don't trust me so they don't approach me and truth be told i usually find them boring so it's just as well. sometimes you find a friendly cat that will approach me and if it's clean looking i might pet it. though sometimes you find those attention starved cats that won't leave you alone and then once again i have to sort of shoo it off.

2. i don't necessarily care if someone approaches me if i'm walking a dog but i don't get a kick out of it either. it might annoy me if i'm just walking the dog out of obligation and honestly just trying to get it over with and they're holding me up. i know people in here said 'that's not fair' but to be fair i won't be rude to them about it. just internally i'll be waiting for it to be over so i can move on.

Instead of extending my whole hand I've taken to sticking my finger out and letting them sniff that. My logic being that a finger will be smaller and less threatening than a hand. No idea if it makes a difference though.

Your penis might be even less threatening.

Funny bone tickled. :rofl:

That's not what your mother said last night.

I love this thread so much.

Not sure either, but there is something that's supposed to be non-threatening about the back of the hand. Maybe it's that you can't make a fist of it and then hit without turning your hand around. Maybe the back of your hand smells less threatening, I don't know. But I've always been taught that's the way to do it: not the palm of the hand (guess it might look like you're gonna smack them) but the back, and holding it kind of limp so they know it's no threat. No sudden movements either.

Which is why your wang would not be a good idea! :laughing:

It's almost always better to pet a dog under their chin first and if they agree to that they might be okay with petting behind their ears and stuff.


My dog gets a lot of attention but she's got a very nervous temperament around strangers and pretty much anything new. Generally I just tell people she probably won't want to be pet and most of the time that's cool. It's the people who try and force themselves on her that piss me off. Lucky for them she's not at all aggressive or even threatening but jesus people. The dog don't want no petting, she don't want no petting. Leave it already.

I've seen a couple people walking cats on leashes to be fair :D. But I find it odd. Better than letting them out on their own though I suppose.

No never. I am a bit cautious of dogs.

I don't touch cats I don't know but I do sometimes meow at them.

I don't own a dog any more, but I prefer to be left alone, I'd regularly walk my lab and never had anyone try to pet him. I would find it a bit weird I think.

Same here. Strangers don't come up to people without dogs and just start talking to them for no reason. Why should it be any different if I'm with one?

can't tell if you're joking

When I walk my dogs I get very upset if I come across an unleashed dog.

Why is that weird? Serious. Quick meow as I'm walking past. If nobody is looking.

it's just funny to me i guess. if i saw you do it i'd find it funny. i wonder what the cat thinks about it tbh.

I wouldn't do it if people were around, but sometimes I'm walking down the street and there's a cat staring so I say hello.

I don't think they approve as I can't remember one meowing back.

i'm thinking what you think sounds like a meow probably sounds like random bull**** to them. that's just a guess but unless you're really good at mimicking cats i imagine they can tell a cat voice from an human voice.

My cat meows back but she's very vocal. She was the runt and that's how she survived but **** can it be annoying.

They probably don't respond because of how badly you butcher their language.

Because they're not interested in you, they're interested in the dog. I would tend to just make click-click noises at any dog, but if it was on its own I'd be less likely to approach it, in case it bit me or had anything. When a dog is with its owner you're relatively sure it's ok to pet him or her, if the owner is ok with it.

Actually, here (dunno about youse guyses) they have a special collar/leash you can get for a dog who does not want to be approached. It's yellow, and signals the dog is nervous or highly strung or even snappy. Good idea.

Yeah good idea. Don't think I've seen this before. Will keep an eye out.

Opening sentence of this thread makes me lol btw. Did actually think it sounded like a band name.

I noticed that people started adopting street dogs more frequently. At least I know several families that decided not to spend money on a puppy but instead, they got a street dog.

Adopting a stray dog that's out on the street is a really kind and humane thing to do. But just to avoid any future hassles, anyone wanting to do that should check to see if the dog has a microchip so that the owner can be contacted in order to make sure it isn't a stray that got lost and the owner has been trying to find it.

good point. But isn't that the first thing a shelter should do? Having dogs is the greatest thing ever, but it’s not without its challenges. My two furballs recently managed to bring fleas into the house, and I’m now looking for the best way to deal with it. I saw that Nexgard Without Vet Prescription is available, and it seems like a really good option. Has anyone had success with it? Or do you have any other go-to flea treatments? I want to make sure I’m picking the most effective solution for my pups so they can get back to being their happy, playful selves in no time

Yes, but mabres referred to street dogs, not ones from a shelter.