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September 2, 2012 at 10:42 pm #604688
Myr-myrParticipantAbout six months ago new neighbors moved next door with their tom cat. The cat, neutered, had previously been an indoor pet. Now allowed out, he comes into our yard, constantly terrorizes and attacks my female cat on our back porch, has even entered our home through her little window and sprayed the living room! I have called the neighbors, exchanged emails and finally had a face-to-face conversation, mostly civil, with the woman. I was shocked and offended when she suggested that perhaps I would like to pay to have her cat put down! I stated to her that if the attacks continued their pet was not a good neighbor and he hadn’t earned the right to be outside. The attacks are not abating. What options do I have?
September 2, 2012 at 11:00 pm #769636
mehud7ParticipantIs he not neutered then? Is your cat spayed?
September 2, 2012 at 11:04 pm #769637
Myr-myrParticipantShe said he had been neutered. My cat was spayed.
September 3, 2012 at 4:33 am #769638
SJoyParticipantWOW – she wanted to split the cost to have her cat put down – really???? That is insane…. She need not have a cat, dog, rabbit, gerbil, fish – NOTHING. Very, very sad. Maybe suggest she should surrender the cat to a no kill shelter.
September 3, 2012 at 8:04 am #769639
KevinParticipantPut the cat down ???? NO way! Regardless of who pays for it!
Sounds to me that the current “owner” does NOT give a shi*, and all the “offending” cat probably needs is at most a new home.
Said cat is probably a nice cat at heart. Simply a feline personality issue?? Hardly a reason to put an animal down!
September 3, 2012 at 2:59 pm #769640
Myr-myrParticipantI want to believe her “put the cat down” offer was a transparent attempt to test my reasonableness. Her vet says it is a personality and/or territorial issue. But how neighborly is it of her to keep letting the tom out if he constantly trespasses and is a menace to my friendly, peaceable cat? What can I do?
September 3, 2012 at 3:08 pm #769641
mehud7ParticipantA ‘no kill’ shelter’s way out of killing is to say, ‘Sorry we are full,’ which they all are. That cat is not a good candidate for shelter living and would most likely be killed anyway. He sounds like he may be a good candidate for Prozac if owner is not willing to keep her cat inside. For your cat’s safetly I would also suggest she be kept inside.
September 3, 2012 at 3:15 pm #769642
Myr-myrParticipantMy cat has been wise this summer. She has elected to stay on the deck close to her open window or just inside peering out most of the time. But yesterday she was attacked again. Letting the bully win is not fair.
September 3, 2012 at 3:19 pm #769643
miwsParticipantI want to believe her “put the cat down” offer was a transparent attempt to test my reasonableness
I was thinking/hoping the same thing.
When I first read this yesterday, I considered asking if you could tell how she meant it, by voice inflection, etc.
Mike
September 3, 2012 at 4:16 pm #769644
anonymeParticipantMight be interesting to call her bluff. Tell her, “OK, hand over the cat, I’ll take him to the vet and have him put down myself”. See how fast she backpeddles. If she doesn’t, I’d take him – but try to find him a decent home instead.
What an idiot. Hope she reads this. There are a lot of people who shouldn’t be allowed to have animals. Of course, then they just have children.
September 3, 2012 at 4:51 pm #769645
DelridgeResidentMemberEvery time I read about cat menaces on this blog I am always surprised at the lack of animal control laws on this subject. In my opinion, if you own a cat then it should be living on your property and not your neighbors. Since there aren’t many laws you are limited on what you can do. There are lots of plants and spices that naturally repel cats, you could always try that…although then your cat may not want to go out in her yard, which sounds safer for her anyway.
September 3, 2012 at 5:36 pm #769646
Myr-myrParticipantI have lived in this house for six years. My previous cat (who passed at age 17 this past New Year’s Eve) and present cat have never had conflicts with other pets in the neighborhood. Why is it incumbent upon me to protect my pet on my own property while aggressive animals like the one next door are not restrained. Surely there must be something on the books that addresses this.
September 3, 2012 at 6:07 pm #769647
tom kelleyParticipantI agree. But it seems that Animal Control falls short when cats are an issue. My neighbors are having a conflict with the folks across the street whose outdoor cat is using the children’s play area as a litter box. The cat owner takes the position that that’s just the way it is.
Animal Control provided a trap that only inflamed the situation with some neighbors vehemently taking sides. What to do?
September 3, 2012 at 6:58 pm #769648
Talaki34ParticipantHave you considered building/purchasing a cat shelter so that your cat can come and go as it pleases in safety? Fairly simple to make and they can be designed from purely functional to WOW! Can I live there too? Price points vary to suit most budgets. I believe Furry Faces might have some info on them and there may be some people who post here that have them. If you would need an extra pair of hands building, I would help. :)
I know it is not fair that the owner is being a #$%@* to your cat and hers, but letting your cat out under these circumstance without protection is not wise either.
http://www.paws.org/outdoor-cat-enclosures.html
http://habitathaven.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1
http://www.cagesbydesign.com/t-suncatchercat.aspx
Just a thought; if this male cat can get to your cat so can a raccoon or a coyote.
September 4, 2012 at 12:30 am #769649
anonymeParticipantI’m totally against any form of animal cruelty, but I think a few blasts with a hose might teach the offender to keep away in a pretty humane manner. Also banging on a garbage can lid, or anything that makes a sudden, loud noise. These are just accelerated versions of indoor training methods; no harm done. I tried this with some neighbor cats that were killing baby birds in my yard and haven’t seen them in my yard since. If it irritates the human neighbor, all the better.
September 4, 2012 at 12:30 am #769650
SmytheMemberSeptember 4, 2012 at 4:17 am #769651
hammerheadParticipantYou would think with all the animal people we have on the blog we could give some better answers, but sadly this would be a situation I would get a call on and can do nothing about.
I like the hose idea, but you have to be there. Closing the cat door.
I wish I had a better answer..
FCAT
September 4, 2012 at 5:05 am #769652
JanSParticipantan enclosed outdoor cat run that can be accessed through the cat door. Yes, a bit of work and expense…but said neighbor ain’t cooperating, and your cat can sit inside and howl “neener, neener” at her cat…..
September 4, 2012 at 5:27 am #769653
Myr-myrParticipantBy asking “What to do?” I was asking what protection the law offers in situations such as this.
September 4, 2012 at 1:32 pm #769654
56bricksParticipantSome cats shouldn’t be allowed to have owners.
September 4, 2012 at 1:40 pm #769655
anonymeParticipantMyr-myr, unfortunately I don’t think there are many options legally. You could try filing a complaint with animal control, but as cats are allowed to roam in Seattle (yours included)I doubt they would respond.
One angle that you might look at is property damage. If the cat is entering your home and spraying, you could potentially sue in small claims court – but you’d have to prove damages. The situation might qualify for the cat being declared a nuisance animal and having it trapped. That could also result in the cat being put down, which I don’t think anybody wants. Is neighborhood arbitration available for cases such as this?
September 5, 2012 at 12:20 am #769656
tom kelleyParticipantWhat is neighborhood arbitration?
September 5, 2012 at 3:57 pm #769657
mtnfreakParticipantWhy not take a pellet gun and tag the offending cat every time it shows up? An air gun fires at sufficiently low velocity that you won’t break the skin, but you will make it notice. In my experience, doing this two or three times is sufficient.
You’re under no obligation to be nice to this cat. Give it a clear sign that its not welcome.
September 5, 2012 at 4:16 pm #769658
DBPMemberI won’t rest until the “Cat from Hell” is firmly established as the new WSB meme.
Sorry my cat ate your chupacabra, Mrs. Jones.
September 5, 2012 at 4:16 pm #769659
queseraMemberGo to a pet store and purchase two items:
1. Spray that deters cats with a smell they don’t like. There are usually a couple of different products available at most pet stores. Spray around the property line, and see if it keeps the tom cat from wanting to cross.
2. A cat door that opens only when the cat wearing the correct collar (with a little chip in it) approaches. You can also get one that responds to your implanted ID chip. That way, your cat can come and go and the other cat will not be able to get in.
I’m not sure why this board is so full of cat-hating people, but seriously, it’s a cat not a mountain lion. You don’t need to abuse it. Shooing it away periodically should suffice.
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