I THINK N Taylor was well out of order when he described cats and their owners as villains, while his letter praised the dog owners (You Say, July 5).

The term cat owners is a misconception because the cat is a free spirit - it comes and goes as and when it pleases.

The domestic cat has the annoying habit of marking its territory by spraying and defecating in other people's garden, but is that any worse than a dog allowed to defecate on public highways, pavements, parks and playing fields?

The humble moggy is also pretty good at catching and killing vermin - regrettably some songbirds too - but, unlike some dogs, it doesn't savage young children.

I think the responsible dog owners who pick up their pet's deposit are in the minority, judging by the amount of dog's faeces one still encounters.

Perhaps the dog licence should be reintroduced to finance the maintenance of dog bins and wardens.

L SPITERI,

Worcester.