# Are you afraid of stray animals?



## anoldfashionedgirl (Sep 30, 2013)

I'm not. In fact in my family, we have always have pets... we've never "bought" a dog or cat. All the animals we have had are pets we found that were stray. They all, except one that we had to have put down, were awesome pets. ♥ I love stray animals. If they hang around and I gain their trust and no one claims them, who knows, maybe they'll be mine!
Of course if they are someones then they can have their pet back and if the animal is aggressive then yes, I'm scared of them. But if they are not, then I have no fear of them at all. ☺


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## MRH3LLMAN (Oct 21, 2013)

PowerShell said:


> So when we are referring to stray animals are they animals that are traditionally pets such as a dog or cat or all wild animals?


I hope we are talking about household pets. I would love to see a stray cat, but a stray mountain lion is a different story.


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## Bronzework (Oct 23, 2013)

I would be cautious of the animal at first.
Just in case it has a disease of some type which could be passed on to humans or exhibit feral behavior.


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## Wilv (Sep 8, 2013)

No because if a stray dog attacks you, nobody is there to mourn it when you kick it in it's stupid face.


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## Thief Noctis (Jan 6, 2012)

Not particularly. I've made friends with 2 cats recently who decided they love me enough to try and follow me home, at least for a little while. They weren't stray but obviously cats just wander off, so any animal on its own can be referred to as a stray really. I think the animal can sense if you're scared of it, which I'm definitely not, so they seem mostly alright with me. I'm also doing an animal welfare & management course at college for 2 years at the moment, and I'm hoping to work in the RSPCA when I leave (which is basically centered around dealing with strays and abused animals). So I can't afford to be afraid of them.


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## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

Wilv said:


> No because if a stray dog attacks you, nobody is there to mourn it when you kick it in it's stupid face.


And shoot the damn thing if you can. Get rid of the threat before it attacks someone else.


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## Wilv (Sep 8, 2013)

PowerShell said:


> And shoot the damn thing if you can. Get rid of the threat before it attacks someone else.


Aye. Althought I think that's a bit overkill.

Kick something hard enough and it'll die.


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## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

Wilv said:


> Aye. Althought I think that's a bit overkill.
> 
> Kick something hard enough and it'll die.


Well if you get a chance to do that. If you don't, finish it off with a high speed lead injection.


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## Wilv (Sep 8, 2013)

PowerShell said:


> Well if you get a chance to do that. If you don't, finish it off with a high speed lead injection.


I live in the UK, so it would be Steel, not lead!


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## nrcoggin (Mar 18, 2012)

I'm afraid that stray animals won't have a warm place to sleep so I try to take them home with me or find who they belong to.


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## Purpleseaturtle (Sep 19, 2013)

I'm fine with cats and small lizards and such but when I run into coyotes and bears I'm a bit afraid.


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## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

Wilv said:


> I live in the UK, so it would be Steel, not lead!


If you were in the UK, you probably wouldn't have a gun in the first place and if you did brandish it, they'd lock you away.


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## braided pain (Jul 6, 2012)

I always try to pet strays and find their owners, if possible. Or take them in, if not. Got a ditch kitty asleep on my bed right now.

I'm only wary of large rabid-looking dogs.


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## Ligerman30 (Oct 23, 2013)

My family adopted a stray cat!  She is older now and in better health then when she was a kitten even thought she gets herself into trouble sometimes. So in short, nope!


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## OldManRivers (Mar 22, 2012)

Caution is usually advised but not fear. Preditors can detect fear by smell (adrinalin) and that triggers the hunt/kill instinct. Domestic animals are rather helpless except feral dogs and coyote-dog crossbreeds. Cougars have started stalking people as easy kills - not strays, but wild in their habitat. Dangerous, but not fearful: a compact car coming at you at 30 mph is far more likely to kill. All wild mammals may carry rabies and should not be approached anyway. But fear gives them the upper hand.


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## Wilv (Sep 8, 2013)

PowerShell said:


> If you were in the UK, you probably wouldn't have a gun in the first place and if you did brandish it, they'd lock you away.


*cough* steel meaning knife.


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## Kittynip (Mar 24, 2013)

Stray is the key word, yes? Not wild. 

Nah, wouldn't be afraid unless they were aggressive. 
If they're domestic animals that have wandered away from their home, they're more likely to be the ones frightened.


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## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

Ligerman30 said:


> My family adopted a stray cat!  She is older now and in better health then when she was a kitten even thought she gets herself into trouble sometimes. So in short, nope!


That's how wew got a cat for my grandma. There was this stray black kitten that my mom called in while they were having a campfire (this is out in the country in the middle of nowhere). There was obviously no owner and my grandma wanted a cat so we brought it to her. 9 years later, she still has the cat. The cat is weird as hell and pretty much hides all time anyone comes to visit. My grandma has this bond with it and typically when you do first come to her house, the cat is always by her on on her lap. It makes her very happy so that's always a good thing.


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## knightingling (Oct 15, 2013)

I am not afraid of stray animals at all, unless they are extremely aggressive, of course. Generally, however, I find them to be quite harmless if _I am_ the same towards them. I believe that when you are scared towards an animal, stray or otherwise, the animal would also react negatively towards you. As long as you know how to approach and deal with [stray] animals correctly, you would be fine, I think.

I had this experience once when I went out with my friends. There was this stray dog everyone in th neighborhood found threatening, because it kept on barking at every single person that came by or tried to get closer to it. I, however, ended up befriending that dog. All of my friends kept on telling to back away because it bites anybody that tries to come near it, but it didn't bite me at all. What I did was let it get accustomed and get familiar to my scent first while slowly approaching it. When it did happen, we were all playful around each other already.

I honestly think humans are the ones we should truly be more afraid of.


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## ifyouinsist (Dec 2, 2013)

Depends on the kind of animal. I have no reason to fear stray cats or dogs, they're long sense domesticated. Now, a stray lion? That can be tricky.


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## Conspiracy (Dec 1, 2013)

Not at all. If I see a stray dog or cat I normally end up going "hello" and try to befriend it :') I probably shouldn't because one day one may turn nasty.


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## Eagle9615 (Nov 16, 2013)

I usually go up to them and try to befriend them and see if a person who could be their owner is near by.


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## EmileeArsenic (Jun 8, 2012)

If my dog's with me, I tend to be more wary of them, but usually no. Depends on the stray.


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## Zombie Devil Duckie (Apr 11, 2012)

Only if it has rabies, or if it's dangerous enough to eat me (bears, etc...)


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## GoosePeelings (Nov 10, 2013)

There ain't any here in Finland so...


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## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

GoosePeelings said:


> There ain't any here in Finland so...


Do you shoot them all or something?


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

Stray dogs here that live in the city are harmless. Most are neutered, named and friendly, so I usually just befriend them.
There is a stray cat living in my street that is adorable and likes being petted, but most cats don't come close to people.


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## intjonn (Apr 20, 2013)

Hell yes!! I've run like hell all of my life from wild stray bitches...........





*<<<<<<<----------------------------Take it frum a koon!*


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## sinshred (Dec 1, 2013)

ATLeow said:


> With the exception of stray lions and crocodiles I'll try to make friends with everything.
> If it goes wrong I'll just bare my teeth. Most likely I figure they're scared and curious too. But I'm bigger and have shinier teeth, what could possibly go wrong?!


Instead I wish I had a pet lion. Cool if I have tame lions, Lefty had one at Donnie Brasco.


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## stargazing grasshopper (Oct 25, 2013)

I live in a rural area, there are plenty of animals around all year round but Wild Turkeys are the worst pains in the ass because they get into the garden & fruit trees but it's illegal to shoot them except during hunting season.

We have racoons sometimes come up on the deck to lick the barbecue but they're smart enough to flee. 
Coyotes kill & eat domestic cats so no need to give details regarding their fate.
We once had a bear on the deck, it was figuring out how to reel in the clothesline in an attempt to retrieve an onion bag full of bird suet that was suspended from it.

I don't really see any stray domestic animals but anything the size of a German Shepard or smaller isn't cause for concern.


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## angeleyes (Feb 20, 2013)

I sometimes wonder about those white alligators living in the NYC sewer system.


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## AetherDays (Dec 7, 2013)

If an animal approaches me and it seems to be in a healthy state and not aggressive I do not mind.


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## PowerShell (Feb 3, 2013)

angeleyes said:


> I sometimes wonder about those white alligators living in the NYC sewer system.


I don't think I'd want to approach anything living in the sewer system to be honest.


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## angeleyes (Feb 20, 2013)

PowerShell said:


> I don't think I'd want to approach anything living in the sewer system to be honest.


Good point.


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## Spanks (Dec 8, 2013)

I used to be scared of stray animals and animals that other people had but that was when I was a kid and didn't really relate to them. As I've gotten older, I've grown a better understanding and admiration for animals and they in turn love me. I like getting to know stray cats more than anything. Being able to break them out of their shell and let them get comfortable around you is such a great feeling.


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## Inveniet (Aug 21, 2009)

Only if I hve a reason to.
Most stray animals are harmless.
If they are dangerous society usually hunts them down, long before I meet them.


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## Preciselyd (Mar 18, 2018)

I voted at times yes as not sure their risks. As they say looks are deceiving. So I'm very wary.


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## LindsyClarke80s (Mar 30, 2018)

Definitely


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## Taileile (Jul 2, 2016)

I've met lots of stray dogs and I LOVE dogs so much, but I spent my childhood being chased up trees because my neighbors decided that their dogs could just wander around freely. Recently they got a large bully-breed dog who unfortunately fits the pitbull stereotype and tried to kill my brother. We also only had one dog growing up, so I tend to be really wary around strange, large dogs without their owners because I don't really understand their body language that well and I have a healthy respect for the fact that some of them are capable of ripping my throat out.

I'm less nervous around strange cats and I go out of my way to pet them all the time. One day I'll get bit, probably.


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## Highway Nights (Nov 26, 2014)

A majority of the animal attacks I hear about happened because the victim or victim's friends did something stupid (hey guys, I'm gonna take a selfie with this Bison!), or at the very least, weren't paying enough attention to their surroundings.

No, I'm not particularly afraid of animals. I have a healthy nervousness if I'm in an area where you get large predators, but anything more than that is excessive and unrealistic., We get bears on my college campus all the time; don't bother them and they won't bother you.

Edit: That's not to say that a little healthy nervousness when you're out and about outside a city is a bad thing, (as I said, most animal attacks I hear about are because people aren't being cautious enough), or that I would be completely zen if I'm getting charged by a rabid dog. 

Just that you're in much more danger of cars, natural disaster, or other people.

I also notice that OP used "stray" in the subject line, but is talking about wild animals in their actual posts. I would be more worried about strays, because they have less fear of humans. Hungry or rabid stray dogs, or insufficiently trained guard dogs who've gotten loose are far and away the most formidable things on the face of the planet.


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