# some neighbor



## CJinCA (Dec 5, 2011)

saw this article..I guess some neighbors are not pet friendly. Who traps neighborhood cats and dumps them at shelter?


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## spotty cats (Sep 23, 2011)

Someone who's fed up with someone else's pet roaming free and onto their property. quite understandable really, though in this case apparently as accident as they were trapping for strays. Perhaps the cats owner should keep him on her own property, indoors or in a cat proof backyard and it won't be an issue.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I agree. There's a man on our block who has many cats. He even has two houses that only cats live in. He leaves food out in the alley every day and night, so he's basically feeding cats, raccoons, skunks, etc. Two of his cats live in my yard and it's their personal litter box. Well, it's actually the litter box for several cats. I walk up to my porch at night and that's the lovely smell that greets me. 

I can actually pet one of the cats and I would turn her in to the local shelter, but she would probably be put down. Although I'm not sure which is worse, living outside with no human contact, starved for attention, or being put to sleep.


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

There are cat traps all over my city in out-of-the-way public places. Animals services goes around and picks up the cats every day or two. Cheshire cat wandered into one once when he was still rarely escaping the yard. They gave us a call, because he was licensed, and actually _drove him home_ in their air conditioned van. That's how I learned about the city traps.

Cats aren't allowed to be 'at large' here. If they're licensed, they get to go home (and their owners get a talking to) like Cheshire Cat. If not, they go to the shelter where the owners have to pay to get them out + fines for not having a liscence, OR they get adopted to a family who will care about them more. 

I guess that's a little OT, sorry. But if this women had some ID on her cat it wouldn't have been treated as a stray, and probably wouldn't have had to pay $300.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Agreed. If it's yours collar it, chip it, and license it so it can find it's way home. Better it be caught in a trap and turned in than get run over by cars, eaten by wildlife, attacked by dogs, or hurt by terrible humans.


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## blossombeautiful (Jul 21, 2012)

poor kitty!


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## lyle (Oct 28, 2010)

I'm confused. Are some of the posters here advocating trapping and turning in ALL cats on the street, including ferals and strays? Or just those "pet" cats that are allowed to roam at will?


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## hoofmaiden (Sep 28, 2009)

Any cat running free in my neighborhood with out collar and tag or microchip is a STRAY as far as I'm concerned. I can keep it or take it to a shelter. Either way it's better off!

Keep cats safely indoors. They will live longer and they won't bother the neighbors!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

The cats that live in my front yard have always been outside cats, homeless cats. The black one that used to live there got hit and killed by a car a few weeks ago.


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

lyle said:


> I'm confused. Are some of the posters here advocating trapping and turning in ALL cats on the street, including ferals and strays? Or just those "pet" cats that are allowed to roam at will?


Well, I think it depends where you live and the other circumstances. I could see maybe not having that attitude if you're in a high kill area like NY, or in a neighbourhood with a lot of neighbourhood pets wandering around.

Sorry I keep talking about my city like it's El Dorado, but there are 4 "city-sanctioned" feral colonies that I know of. Animal services doesn't trap the cats around there, because they know the rescue groups are feeding and TNR'ing them. These are "allowed ferals", and I know that city does make revenue on them by selling "family units" of these cats for rural people to stock their barns with.

If I had unlimited means and lived in the right kind of area, I think I would set out a trap. Maybe not turn them in, but I would trap ALL kitties on my property, and bring them in for vet care. If they have a house, maybe I'd put a little note on them to say "Don't let me roam!" - if they didn't, one less intact kitty wandering around.


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## blossombeautiful (Jul 21, 2012)

marie73 said:


> The cats that live in my front yard have always been outside cats, homeless cats. The black one that used to live there got hit and killed by a car a few weeks ago.


Poor kitty  At least now he's in heaven


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Because he puts the food out in the alley every night, the stupid skunk won't move on and he sprays *every single night*. At least he stopped putting the food under our cars. idiot.


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## Arianwen (Jun 3, 2012)

This is totally alien to me. Where I live there are no licences and the vast majority of cats are indoor / outdoor. I know no-one with a "cat proof" garden in which to confine their pets. I would say that most cat arond here still live to good old ages (including the one I had to have PTS in October at oer 20 years of age).


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

I've done this too...accidentally, but I'm considering doing it again.

There's a very cute little tabby I saw for the first time last summer, she was in our alley crying her little head off. I went out and 'caught her' (aka picked her up) and took her to the humane society. If she had been quieter I'd have left her, we do have roaming cats but I know all of the ones within a few blocks. Between her being new, and her crying I figured she'd been dumped. Now we see her pretty frequently, and she's shown me her home a few times.

If I saw a cat that was poorly taken care of and roaming I'd take it to the shelter regardless of if I knew it had an owner or not. If they don't want to take care of their pet then they can pay a fine to get it back, or let it get medical care and a good home...IMO.


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## spotty cats (Sep 23, 2011)

lyle said:


> I'm confused. Are some of the posters here advocating trapping and turning in ALL cats on the street, including ferals and strays? Or just those "pet" cats that are allowed to roam at will?


I have no issue with anyone trapping animals that free roam onto their private properly, cats are no different to dogs and people don't hesitate to call the council about wandering dogs. Cats should be contained as well, and the owners made to be responsible for them.


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## The Divine Miss M (Oct 4, 2011)

My thoughts on the matter are simple: Karma.

I feel that when we let our cats go out, which I do, we do so with the understanding that certain things can occur.

However, I do not feel that anyone should be trapping a cat they know to have an owner just because they do not agree with how that owner raises his/her cat. You and I both looked at the risks, after which you opted to make your cat indoor only and I chose to let my cat go out when she pleases. I feel it's common courtesy to let me know if she's causing you any grief so that I can attempt to rectify the situation.

Things have a way of coming around. One day it will be your cat that squeaks through an open door or gets let out by a maintenance man that isn't paying attention. What kind of reputation do you want to have with your neighbors that day?


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

The Divine Miss M said:


> However, I do not feel that anyone should be trapping a cat they know to have an owner just because they do not agree with how that owner raises his/her cat. You and I both looked at the risks, after which you opted to make your cat indoor only and I chose to let my cat go out when she pleases. I feel it's common courtesy to let me know if she's causing you any grief so that I can attempt to rectify the situation.


I agreed with this until I got to the word attempt. I had a really bad situation about 7 years ago where my neighbors cat would be on my farmers porch at all hours of the night, causing my cats to start yowling and waking me up at 3 or 4 am. Then there was the redirected aggression episode that ended up causing Maggie & Kobi to get in a fight that resulted in $600 in vet bills (both had abscesses) and the need for a re-introduction process that took 3 months. And Maggie was was still in fear of Kobi for the next 2 years. I spoke to these people 3 times before they finally fixed the situation. If it didn't work the 3rd time, my last ditch effort was going to be to call them the next time I was woken up at 3am...figured the phone ringing in the middle of the night with a 4 year old and 1 year old twins might make an impression. And if that didn't work the trap was coming out. Fortunately I didn't have to go that far.

After that experience, I won't ever be that patient again. My cats will not suffer and the harmony in my house won't be destroyed because of someone else's free roaming cat. If I ever have a similar problem, I will tell the owner once that there's an issue and if it happens again the cat will be removed.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

My sister had this problem with a tom cat that kept coming into her (fenced) yard and spraying. Then her (inside) cat got upset and tore the screens in the windows up, starting peeing, and things went downhill from there.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

I don't agree with the woman leaving it outside the humane society to wait until they opened but the woman who had to pay 300 to spring her pet wouldn't have had to DO that if she had licensed her cat.

I agree with Doodlebug, I'm ok with wandering cats but if it causes trouble for my fur kids it'll be a one strike and your OUT situation for me.


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## The Divine Miss M (Oct 4, 2011)

doodlebug I would ask for two talks. The first time I may try a cat topper or something else if that didn't work then I'd keep her inside.

I also want to point out that your situation is different. You attempted to talk to the neighbor and were ignored multiple times. 

Again I just find it a courtesy that should be extended regardless of the situation to protect your own pets from people that might be vindictive. Where I live you don't see a lot of indoor only cats so we just deal with cats and have an attitude of yeah your cat is in my yard, but then again mine's probably in yours, so ok. But I have seen it with dogs. The really nice neighbor had his dogs returned to him the day they managed to get out of the yard. The not so nice neighbor had animal control called. It really highlighted to me that you should always remember that one day the shoe could very well be on the other foot.


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## spotty cats (Sep 23, 2011)

The Divine Miss M said:


> Again I just find it a courtesy that should be extended regardless of the situation to protect your own pets from people that might be vindictive.


Don't you owe the same courtesy to your pets to protect them from vindictive people in the first place?

Many "vindictive" cat haters are only that way because of someone else's "pet" coming onto their private property.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

The Divine Miss M said:


> doodlebug I would ask for two talks.


Maybe someone else who didn't have the experience I had would be willing to do that, but no I'm not risking that situation happening ever again. I know just how quickly it can get completely out of control. Remember...*2 years!!!* before Maggie was completely comfortable in her own home again.

What's a cat topper?


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## cinderflower (Apr 22, 2012)

marie73 said:


> Because he puts the food out in the alley every night, the stupid skunk won't move on and he sprays *every single night*. At least he stopped putting the food under our cars. idiot.


what a numbskull. don't you wonder how people like that are actually able to put their clothes on in the morning and not forget to breathe?


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## The Divine Miss M (Oct 4, 2011)

An attachment for fences to keep kitty inside.

As to vindictive people, where I live people aren't generally going to do anything to you without you doing something first. Again the dogs are a perfect example:

Neighbor A: He is friendly polite, friendly, always looking for a way to be helpful, minds his own business, and never causes problems. His visiting son let the dog out while trying to take out the boat for a trip to the beach. His dog was put on a leash and walked right up to his front door.

Neighbor B: Not so nice, he drinks and parties until all hours of the night - LOUDLY. He always blocks driveways and controls none of his pets. He's a nuisance. His dog jumped the fence - animal control was called.

Also, just because your cat is indoor only does not make them safe. All it takes is one careless cat sitter, or one moment where you aren't paying attention because your cat doesn't usually rush the door for your cat to suddenly be outside. How often are there posts on this forum. ________ got out, HELP!? When that day comes what kind of reputation do you want with your neighbors? 

This lady was clearly in the wrong. She abandoned this injured cat in the middle of the night.

I'm all for TNR. Ferals face a lot of problems just look at those two kittens Miss M brought me that both had BB injuries. Even around here, we know each other so everyone knows whose cat is whose and respects them as we want our own cats respected, but for some people ferals are free game. However, I do feel that if you live in an area like mine and apparently like the one in the article with a high indoor/outdoor population warn people. It takes all of two minutes to make some notices saying there will be traps out the week of ?/?-?/?. And definitely don't just dump the cats you catch.


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## lyle (Oct 28, 2010)

So, we're talking about irresponsible pet owners here who allow their pets to roam the neighborhood, not the stray/ ferals that roam or the TNR cats. Correct?


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