For sale: Omlet outdoor catio, tunnels, tower and accessories - Cambridge (CB3)

[migsy]

I am considering moving to a house that has a railway line at the bottom of the garden. It is a local line and the trains would not be that fast as they would have just pulled out of the station. The house has a large garden and would be ideal for my chickens. However, I have 2 cats, who are getting on a bit so they are not very adventurous now.

 

I am wondering if any of you have experience of living near a railway line and have cats. Could they get electrocuted if they wandered on to the line?

[Seagazer]

When I lived with my parents we moved to a house that had a small strip of park (literally about 50 feet) behind our garden and then a main line into London. We had two cats at the time and never had a problem. Hope this helps

[migsy]

Thanks. From what I can gather, peoples' cats don't seem to come to any harm in general.

[Minnie&Moose]

Unfortunately I had a cat killed on a railway line - I retrieved him from the line (please "Ooops, word censored!"ody else consider doing this - it was a very stupid thing to do on reflection) so I know there's no question as to how he died. Fortunately his brother is still with us, 13.5 years on.

[Daphne]

When we were house hunting my OH had a phrase 'Boris wouldn't like it'. Boris was the cat, and although I'm sure OH sometimes meant that he didn't like the property, there were a few houses we didn't go and look at because they were near a railway. Having said that, like most people, we've always lived on a road, and Boris managed to navigate those safely for many years (although many years before this his brother had been killed on the road). So, all in all I'd say - know your cat. My current 2 are terrified of the road and won't go out the front of the house. As I say, Boris was streetwise (and a bit nervous, so didn't take risks), and his brother was a terrible show-off cocky cat who just didn't take enough care. My Mum lives near a railway line (about 50 ft away) and for years she had a cat who lived to be 20, he never went near the line and when he came to live with me he never went on the road, although he did walk along the pavement! Its down to you - are your cats hugely curious or quite content at home/scared of engine noise? All in all, personally I'd take the risk right now with my mogs, on the understanding that it is a risk. It was bad enough finding a body after being hit by a car, it must be worse after a rail accident.