The Backyard Cat: “Ball and Chain” for Your Cat

• Sylvain
  January 22nd, 2008 at 5:31 am

  I can’t understand the need regarding this kind of device… If you don’t want a cat that jumps … don’t get a cat ! Get a snake or other animal.

  I find this kind of product very cruel to restraint the natural instincts of your animal. I agree with a reasonable education to live in community with animals but this kind of stuff …

  Why don’t you cut the wings of your parrot ? It wouldn’t need a cage !
  Why don’t you tie you dog’s legs ? It would stay quiet in you living room…

• Sandi
  January 22nd, 2008 at 5:55 am

  So the first time my cat tries to jump the fence, but ends up hanging himself in the bushes, I’m going to sue the manufacturer for everything they have!

• Mindpimp
  January 22nd, 2008 at 6:03 am

  Many people don’t put collars on their cats to avoid them strangling themselves as they push through bushes etc. This seems guaranteed to cause your pet more anguish than a sticky toddler. If you’re worried about a pet escaping, a) don’t buy that pet or b) give it somewhere better to roam than your crappy yard. That’s bound to cause mental distress (it sure as hell doesn’t look too happy in that photo), imagine whipping someone every time they tried to stand up further than a crouch.

• Sid Morrison
  January 22nd, 2008 at 8:31 am

  I hope the random loose dog doesn’t look upon this as an invitation to chase poor kitty.

  Stupid people. Keep your cat in the house.

• ted
  January 22nd, 2008 at 9:35 am

  hehe.

  The picture of her children with the caption “The Entire Family Helps”. I wondered if they had balls and chains for them.

  “No tv until you meet your quota, kids!”

  I’m still waiting for a light, affordable cat and dog GPS tracking system.

• Meg
  January 22nd, 2008 at 10:18 am

  This looks like a horrible idea, “has been tested under the supervision of a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.” What kind of vet doesn’t see the choking potential? It just seems mean to limit their activity like that. Why even put them outside if all they can do is walk around slowly?

• SW
  January 22nd, 2008 at 10:24 am

  what a sad looking cat. ‘i can has freedom?’

• Ick
  January 22nd, 2008 at 10:27 am

  “Cat should be adjusted to collar and leash provided before using the Backyard Cat
  • Do not leave cat unattended.
  • Read all FAQs to fully understand product. Pet owner assumes all risk.”

  I read the FAQs. The website states that it “Allows your cat to move among the bushes without getting tangled.” I haven’t found an explanation for that claim yet, but I have found warnings AGAINST breakaway collars because of runaway animals, and suggestions of a weighted bag for cats that still jump.

• Vako
  January 22nd, 2008 at 11:36 am

  This is really a pathetically stupid product. I am good with animals, and I know that part of an outdoor animal’s life is based on its ability to defend its self. How could it run from a dog or a coyote? How could it defend its self from meaner cats? I’m not one of these bleeding heart “animal lovers”, but come on. seriously. I think the only people who would actually buy that product are the same kind of people who walk their sons on leashes, abuse their daughters for hanging their garments on wire hangers, and feed dead rats to their invalid siblings.

  “But you are tied to a sinker, cat… but you are”…

• Per
  January 22nd, 2008 at 12:01 pm

  This product can only be regarded as animal cruelty. To restrict a cat’s jumping behaviour is to deprive it of its natural behaviour. It’s as bad as declawing. If you want a cat then you have to accept its natural behaviour.

• l'elk!
  January 22nd, 2008 at 12:05 pm

  ohhhhh is see you find master wong’s secret ball n’ chain kitty collar kung fu weapon of death. it once said master wong rid whole village of rats with ball n’ chain wielding kitty assassins. master wong use spike balls though. spike balls better.

• Courageous Grace
  January 22nd, 2008 at 12:39 pm

  I agree that this weighted collar is rather cruel. The ONLY time I ever put a collar on my cat (well, a harness, really) is when we travel with her, which is not very often. The reason for that is that her harness has an ID tag and updated vaccination information in case she gets lost. As soon as we get to where we’re going, the harness comes off. She’s an indoor only kitty because her previous owners had her declawed (I would never do that to a cat but I am willing to adopt one that is already declawed) and there’s no way I’m letting her outside with no defense. On the plus side she is agoraphobic…

• fluff
  January 22nd, 2008 at 1:11 pm

  This is a joke right?

  (*sileently starts to cry for all the poor cats that have to endure sadistic and / or stupid owners…)

• Pudifoot
  January 22nd, 2008 at 1:22 pm

  I think the San Francisco should have purchased one of the “extra large” versions of this device.

  //too soon?

• Dan U
  January 22nd, 2008 at 1:34 pm

  I see pros and cons for this device. I watched the video and see a cat chasing something around the yard and seemingly enjoying being outside. I know that the stray cat problem is getting very bad in urban and suburban southern cities. It is probably best to keep your cats indoors, but that seems to be against their “nature” as well. Should we allow them all to roam free and multiply? When did Neotorama become the the Free-willy website?

• James C
  January 22nd, 2008 at 2:58 pm

  Read Up Folks. Charlie has fooled you all. There is nothing around the cat’s neck. Charlie has never spoke with the company nor has he tried the product. The product comes with a harness. I got this response when I wrote the company. They should show more pictures of the harness.

  Thank you for your inquiry of the Backyard Cat. A product that is Veterinary tested and Animal Humane Society approved.
  The cats love being outdoors in their own fenced backyard.
  The Backyard Cat is a training device which includes a long lead, a harness, and the Backyard Cat weighted bag.
  Please note, A HARNESS Is used, nothing is around the neck.

  First your cat will get used to the harness.
  Second, you walk around with your cat in there own fence backyard with the longer lead.
  Third, once your cat is used to the longer lead and collar, replace the lead with the Backyard cat.
  Now your cat is trained and your cat will love going outdoors on nice days. You’ll love having your cat safe in your own backyard.
  The Backyard Cat is waterproof and twist and turn so that it doesn’t get stuck in bushes.
  Backyard Cat makes your cat a safe and happy outdoor cat that will enjoy nice weather days just like we all do!

  Please don’t let your cats become a stray.
  Instead, let them go out each day to play!
  The BackyardCat Team

• Betty
  January 22nd, 2008 at 3:01 pm

  There are about 15 other pictures on the website. It looks like Charlie picked the one that best suited his writing. I like the product and my cats to do. I was taken back when I was forwarded this website. Charlie should do his homework. Ask people who have tried it. Talk to the owner. All these people who have a negative comment, maybe you shouldn’t believe Charlie. I bet his own cat doesn’t like him.

• Christophe
  January 22nd, 2008 at 3:14 pm

  That’s why I have a fish tank. They’re quiet and behaved.

• Nicole
  January 22nd, 2008 at 3:48 pm

  Harness, harness, harness. The cat is able to run, jump, play be outside in their own fenced backyard. The cats on the website look happy. I don’t agree with this article. I lived in the south. Stray cats are a real problem. This product is great! I emailed the company to say so.

• avraamov
  January 22nd, 2008 at 6:02 pm

  i was trying out that psychopath test in ‘damned interesting’ (from the newer post above) - my mum’s cat is a complete psycho! amazing! i thnk it mandatory that it is fitted with a harness and weight now.

• otterly
  January 22nd, 2008 at 6:44 pm

  My cat wouldn’t have this LOL She would have it off in a second, and would choke herself to death doing it if she had to.

• Pudifoot
  January 22nd, 2008 at 6:57 pm

  Christophe: That’s horrible! You shouldn’t keep your keep in a fish tank, it is inhumane!

• Reechard
  January 22nd, 2008 at 8:23 pm

  Hmm, I’m missing something in the sudden defense wave. Who the hell is Charlie?

• Gaby
  January 22nd, 2008 at 8:26 pm

  @ Dan U: don’t let them multiply, that’s the whole purpose of spaying and neutering campaigns.

  My cat would kill me in my sleep if I put one of those things on him, and really, I wouldn’t. My cat is an outside cat that loves to sleep in my bed (¬¬) and while roams around the neighborhood he always comes back, the fact tat he likes to go out doesn’t really bother me as long as he’s got his tag on.

• Oliver
  January 23rd, 2008 at 2:25 am

  I don’t really think this is the best idea.. though this article does make the harness look worse then it actually is,actually stopping a cat from wanting to jump around like cats do seems a little disturbing.. a tag bulit around a similar system might be better

• Alex
  January 23rd, 2008 at 6:53 am

  You guys take cats waaaay too seriously. My pound kitty’s paws were declawed and she’s as cat-like as ever, with no emotional trauma or anything like that (she’s now about 16 years old).

  The only thing she doesn’t do is scratch the living crap out of my furniture, which makes me happy. And that, in turn, should make her happy because I didn’t toss her butt out on the street.

• MoonCake
  January 23rd, 2008 at 7:12 am

  don’t want your cat to get away when you let it outside? DON’T LET IT OUTSIDE! simple solution to a simple problem.

  i have a cat with no front claws, or a collar. if i had a fear that he would get away, i wouldn’t let him out. but he always comes back because he knows where the food, warmth, and love is.

• Skipweasel
  January 23rd, 2008 at 6:01 pm

  Our cats don’t wander off - in fact, the way all our cats have arrived over the years is that they’ve wandered /in/. The oldest is twenty in a few weeks (we think - we’ve had her 18 years) and she only goes out under hydraulic pressure these days anyway.
  Why anyone would amputate the last joint of an animal’s fingers is beyond me. If the cat prefers being somewhere else, then somewhere else is where it belongs.

• Allison
  January 23rd, 2008 at 7:39 pm

  My grandma used to only have dogs but as she got older she wanted a cat. We got her one but we quickly decided the cat was not fit to be an outdoor cat. So, we blocked off the sideyard that lead off her room from the backyard. Then we put up some lattice work from the roof to the fence and left half of it with some netting to allow more sun. She has grown all kinds of plants out there and it looks like amazing. The cat can go in and out as it likes, it has a wonderful place to roam and there is no worry.

  That is what responsible pet owners do.

• Dan U
  January 25th, 2008 at 9:29 pm

  Spay and neuter by all means.

  Keep your cats inside, by all means.

  You are not supposed to leave it on inside. Just when it goes outside.

  My neighbors put up over $1500 of extra fencing etc. It looks ugly, but works pretty well.

  I ran this idea by my Vet and he thought it was a good idea. He said he would never endorse it because cat owners are psychotic and he is afraid of repercussions. I guess you folks are proving him correct.

• Dillon
  March 29th, 2008 at 11:25 am

  I just stumbled upon this and am shocked at how narrow minded most of the owners on here are. My indoor cat loves being outside. He sits at the window all day long looking outside, but when we let him roam in our small fenced in back yard he scales the fence and escapes. Is it crueler to keep him inside forever or keep him from escaping and getting run over in my densely packed neighborhood?

  We already have a harness for him and we have a leash we walk him on, and a tether that is staked and prevents him from reaching the fence even though he struggles against it. The harness and tether work well, but he can get out of it if he gets in the right situation. So the option is to buy $500 worth of netting for the top of the fence, or some alternate means. I haven’t tried this product, but it looks promising based on those that have actually used it!

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