What do you do about....

[Nicole_Rose]

cat haters. we have a few people in the neighborhood who really don't like cats. one guy i can't blame him for being upset with them, they poo in his food garden. but there's a couple of guys who trap the cats and take them to the shelter, or, it's rumored, take them out of town and kill them.

they caught one of our cat's once and we were lucky to find it at the humane society. apparently trapping someones cat and taking them to the shelter is legal here so people don't have a legal recourse.

[Dragon]

Originally Posted by Nicole_Rose

cat haters. we have a few people in the neighborhood who really don't like cats. one guy i can't blame him for being upset with them, they poo in his food garden. but there's a couple of guys who trap the cats and take them to the shelter, or, it's rumored, take them out of town and kill them.

I'd do the same thing. Take them out of town and kill them.

Not recommending that to anyone else though...

they caught one of our cat's once and we were lucky to find it at the humane society. apparently trapping someones cat and taking them to the shelter is legal here so people don't have a legal recourse.

You let your precious cats out of your house? Don't you realize that puts them at risk from anyone and anything...including cat haters?

[Nicole_Rose]

Originally Posted by Dragon

You let your precious cats out of your house? Don't you realize that puts them at risk from anyone and anything...including cat haters?

we let two of them out. one of them is too dominant to let out. he attacks our female and chases her away. she doesn't like him so she lives outside and only comes in in the coldest of winter days.

yes they are vulnerable if we let them out, but i don't have it in me to keep them in like a caged animal, (except for snickers like i was saying). Cat's are people too, and i certainly wouldn't want anyone telling me i couldn't go out.

[legionserial]

Take some pictures of your cats to the known cat haters. Also take a picture of someone's busted kneecaps. Show them the pictures. Say "these are my cats. If any of my cats go missing, these will be your kneecaps. I won't try to ascertain who is responsible. I will just kneecap every suspect."

Make sure you have a piece of wood in your hand that has been spattered with claret while doing this.

Ok so maybe its OTT, but that's how that sort of thing makes me feel. I'm very protective of my cat. If anyone hurt him I'd exact the same revenge. Luckily over here, people aren't allowed to just take someones cat to an impound. In fact, apparently it's illegal over here to interrupt or obstruct a cat in the course of its daily goings on if it's outside.

[Nicole_Rose]

Originally Posted by legionserial

Take some pictures of your cats to the known cat haters. Also take a picture of someone's busted kneecaps. Show them the pictures. Say "these are my cats. If any of my cats go missing, these will be your kneecaps. I won't try to ascertain who is responsible. I will just kneecap every suspect."

Make sure you have a piece of wood in your hand that has been spattered with claret while doing this.

Ok so maybe its OTT, but that's how that sort of thing makes me feel. I'm very protective of my cat. If anyone hurt him I'd exact the same revenge. Luckily over here, people aren't allowed to just take someones cat to an impound. In fact, apparently it's illegal over here to interrupt or obstruct a cat in the course of its daily goings on if it's outside.

your pet protection laws are better developed than ours are. could use a law like that here for sure.

[legionserial]

Originally Posted by Nicole_Rose

your pet protection laws are better developed than ours are. could use a law like that here for sure.

A new law has also just come into place, that protects pets almost like children. Anyone who is keeping a pet in a unfit environment, or not providing their pet with what they need for a comfortable life, or otherwise displaying neglegent or abusive behaviour towards their pet, can have their pet taken away by the RSPCA, and be prosecuted for animal abuse, resulting in a possible jail sentence.

[fraserhutch]

The way I see it, if you cat cat come on to my property, I have every right to take it to the shelter.

Don't get me wrong, I love cats, and up until the time I moved to the states I had two. But cat owners need to be aware that you rights as pet owners do not supersede my rights as a property owner. I don't want your cat crap all over my property. I don't want your cat spaying my yard.

That said, I do believe a warning or two is in order before hauling off the offending animal.

[legionserial]

Originally Posted by fraserhutch

The way I see it, if you cat cat come on to my property, I have every right to take it to the shelter.

Don't get me wrong, I love cats, and up until the time I moved to the states I had two. But cat owners need to be aware that you rights as pet owners do not supersede my rights as a property owner. I don't want your cat crap all over my property. I don't want your cat spaying my yard.

That said, I do believe a warning or two is in order before hauling off the offending animal.

How does a cat owner train a cat to not go somewhere that cats wants to go, but the owners can't? If the person who doesn't want the cat on their property keeps just chasing the cat off, it will eventually learn to stay away. But people prefer to take the more spiteful approach and take someones cat to the shelter. Why the shelter? Why not to the owners house? That's spite right there. A deliberate attempt to antagonise the owners. I have other peoples cats coming in to my house all the time. I chase them off. Eventually they learn not to come in. Unfortunately there seem to be an infinite supply of new cats in my neighbourhood that I have to keep teaching to stay out (I wouldn't care but they eat my cats food). Eventually the same cat doesn't come back though.

And Cat's, unlike dogs, don't leave crap laying around. Unless they are stupid or very old and senile. They do it somewhere where it won't be found, and bury it very carefully, so as not to give the scent away to would be predators.

A lot of people use that reason for not wanting cats on their property, when really they just don't like cats (I'm not implying that this includes you BTW), and want an excuse to be spiteful to their owners, because they are bitter old bastards..

I think that's part of the reason that we have the laws we have over here. Partially to stop pointless fueds. Here, once a cat is outside, it is considered a wild animal, and therefore, unless lame, cannot be interfered with or taken to a shelter. Something along those lines.

Why don't these people who don't want cats on their property seem to be ok with other wild animals? Because no one owns or lives with those animals. It's about people, not animals. It's one persons attempt at their own brand of territorial pissing, and it's kinda pathetic IMHO.

[Jack Russell]

Although I think dogs are on a higher level than cats (to each their own), I'm hoping that the Michael Vick case will lead to better protection legislation in the States for both dogs and cats.

I suppose some people could then demand the same protection for pets such as:

rats
gerbils
parakeets
lizards
snakes
giant cockroaches...
ants in ant farms...

[Jack Russell]

Originally Posted by legionserial

How does a cat owner train a cat to not go somewhere that cats wants to go, but the owners can't? If the person who doesn't want the cat on their property keeps just chasing the cat off, it will eventually learn to stay away. But people prefer to take the more spiteful approach and take someones cat to the shelter. Why the shelter? Why not to the owners house?

Well, one thing I've found with our cat is that it is impossible to keep an identification collar on her neck. If you let your cat ourside, it will inevitably get stuck somewhere, so you should use a tear-away collar, so it won't choke. How are other owners supposed to know whose cat is whose if they don't have collars?

Or, for that matter, how would you know whether it was a stray or not?

[Dogman]

Originally Posted by Jack Russell

Although I think dogs are on a higher level than cats (to each their own), I'm hoping that the Michael Vick case will lead to better protection legislation in the States for both dogs and cats.

I suppose some people could then demand the same protection for pets such as:

rats
gerbils
parakeets
lizards
snakes
giant cockroaches...
ants in ant farms...

Now that the Vick thing hit the news, Idaho is looking to change their stance...my wife has been sending messeges to these dumbasses for years, and the reply has always been "it's not a problem". A few months ago, it became a problem....


And we do have a rabbit, and 2 guinea pigs...

[Mrs Dogman]

Originally Posted by Jack Russell

Well, one thing I've found with our cat is that it is impossible to keep an identification collar on her neck. If you let your cat ourside, it will inevitably get stuck somewhere, so you should use a tear-away collar, so it won't choke. How are other owners supposed to know whose cat is whose if they don't have collars?

Or, for that matter, how would you know whether it was a stray or not?

microchips

[ez_willis]

If anyone trapped my cat and took him anywhere and I found out about it, I'd knock their fucking teeth out and deal with the consequences.

I am not a big fan of anyone who harms ANY animal. I yelled at a heavily "Christian" coworker for using those fucking glue traps that stick rodents on them until they struggle so hard to get off they crap their intestines out of their ass. He thought it was funny to watch the little guy suffering.

I'm not opposed to ridding the home and workplace of filthy vermin, but use a snap-trap so they at least go quickly.

[ez_willis]

Originally Posted by Jack Russell

Well, one thing I've found with our cat is that it is impossible to keep an identification collar on her neck. If you let your cat ourside, it will inevitably get stuck somewhere, so you should use a tear-away collar, so it won't choke. How are other owners supposed to know whose cat is whose if they don't have collars?

Or, for that matter, how would you know whether it was a stray or not?

My cat knows where he lives and doesn't go farther than two houses in either direction.

[legionserial]

Originally Posted by Jack Russell

Well, one thing I've found with our cat is that it is impossible to keep an identification collar on her neck. If you let your cat ourside, it will inevitably get stuck somewhere, so you should use a tear-away collar, so it won't choke. How are other owners supposed to know whose cat is whose if they don't have collars?

Or, for that matter, how would you know whether it was a stray or not?

I use a tearaway collar too on my cat. But still, it doesn't matter if it's a stray or not, they can just chase it off if they don't want it there.

And similar to EZ's cat, a lot of cats really don't go much further than 2 gardens down. If there's a cat in your garden it's more than likely a neighbour's cat. All it takes is to ask the neighbours. Then you know not to take it to the shelter. Fair enough taking a stray cat to the shelter. May find it a home. But as I say, cat's over here are considered wild animals when they are out, so taking a cat to shelter because it's in your garden would be the same as trapping every bird you see and taking them to the shelter too. The shelter would probably tell you to put it back where you found it if it was likely that the cat belonged to someone.

I still say in a lot of cases that sort of thing is an act of spite against the neighbours. Every person I have seen who gets all uppity about a cat being in their garden is a very bitter person who wants to make a big deal out of the smallest little thing just because they want to be a neighbour from hell. Way I see it, if a cat in the garden is the biggest problem someone has, then I envy them.

I suppose some people could then demand the same protection for pets such as:

rats
gerbils
parakeets
lizards
snakes
giant cockroaches...
ants in ant farms...

A lot of those creatures are considered pests or vermin. As far as I'm aware, cats don't fall into those categories.

[Wide Awake]

Originally Posted by legionserial

The shelter would probably tell you to put it back where you found it if it was likely that the cat belonged to someone.

Everyone should have their cat microchip'ed. It's fairly inexpensive to do, and if a cat does wind up in a shelter they scan the chip and will contact you immediately.

[ez_willis]

Originally Posted by Wide Awake

Everyone should have their cat microchip'ed. It's fairly inexpensive to do, and if a cat does wind up in a shelter they scan the chip and will contact you immediately.

Read something in the news the other day that had a report linking those chips to cancer in animals.

[fraserhutch]

I've tried that. Doesn't work.

If you can't keep your cat on your property, keep him inside. I did. My cats were very happy, in fact, they never wanted out really.

Now this is all hypothetical, because I have yet to haul a cat away, but I'm close:

I don't find it spiteful to take them to the shelter. How the hell do I know who the owner is? If the cat has an identification tag on, I would probably take it to the owner the first couple of times. But I know a lot of other people who wouldn't because no one knows how the hell another neighbor is going to react to something like this.

I have a problem with pet cats because they hunt for sport on my property, they tear up my garden, they hiss at my 3 year old daughter, and they have no natural predators anymore. There's no controls for them, and nothing to keep them off of my property.

If you want the right to have cat as a pet and let it run wild on my property, I have the same right to treat it as I could a rat, no? Now I would never do that, but the parallels exist.

Originally Posted by legionserial

How does a cat owner train a cat to not go somewhere that cats wants to go, but the owners can't? If the person who doesn't want the cat on their property keeps just chasing the cat off, it will eventually learn to stay away. But people prefer to take the more spiteful approach and take someones cat to the shelter. Why the shelter? Why not to the owners house? That's spite right there. A deliberate attempt to antagonise the owners. I have other peoples cats coming in to my house all the time. I chase them off. Eventually they learn not to come in. Unfortunately there seem to be an infinite supply of new cats in my neighbourhood that I have to keep teaching to stay out (I wouldn't care but they eat my cats food). Eventually the same cat doesn't come back though.

And Cat's, unlike dogs, don't leave crap laying around. Unless they are stupid or very old and senile. They do it somewhere where it won't be found, and bury it very carefully, so as not to give the scent away to would be predators.

A lot of people use that reason for not wanting cats on their property, when really they just don't like cats (I'm not implying that this includes you BTW), and want an excuse to be spiteful to their owners, because they are bitter old bastards..

I think that's part of the reason that we have the laws we have over here. Partially to stop pointless fueds. Here, once a cat is outside, it is considered a wild animal, and therefore, unless lame, cannot be interfered with or taken to a shelter. Something along those lines.

Why don't these people who don't want cats on their property seem to be ok with other wild animals? Because no one owns or lives with those animals. It's about people, not animals. It's one persons attempt at their own brand of territorial pissing, and it's kinda pathetic IMHO.

[Wide Awake]

Originally Posted by ez_willis

Read something in the news the other day that had a report linking those chips to cancer in animals.

I had not read that, I will look into it. All the cats from the animal shelters here (San Diego) are microchipped before they get adopted.

[ez_willis]

Originally Posted by fraserhutch

they tear up my garden, .

Put down chicken wire on the ground with a little dirt to cover it. Cats will NOT walk on chicken wire. They'll hit it once and never return to that spot.

As far as your 3 year old, you'll need to get rid of her.

[jpw23]

In kentucky, cats are considered to be vermin(this is not a joke) and can be taken by any means(gun, bow, club...ect,ect.) Kentucky does not recognize pedigree as far as cats go.....they are just another animal that tears up stuff. If you like your cat, you keep it inside or on a leash.

[Lt. Bob]

Originally Posted by Nicole_Rose

yes they are vulnerable if we let them out, but i don't have it in me to keep them in like a caged animal, (except for snickers like i was saying). Cat's are people too, and i certainly wouldn't want anyone telling me i couldn't go out.

That's a people way of thinking. Fact is, the cats have th whole house to run around in and after a while, they quit stressing about going outside. They're not 'caged animals' in a house.
And I doubt that when they get squished under a cars' wheels that their last thought is, "At least I wasn't trapped in a house"
One of the responsibilities of pet ownership is to do what's best for the animal regardless of their preferences.

[Dragon]

Originally Posted by jpw23

In kentucky, cats are considered to be vermin(this is not a joke) and can be taken by any means(gun, bow, club...ect,ect.) Kentucky does not recognize pedigree as far as cats go.....they are just another animal that tears up stuff. If you like your cat, you keep it inside or on a leash.

Isn't Kentucky one of those states that doesn't recognize pedigree when it comes to marriage licenses either?

[jpw23]

Originally Posted by Dragon

Isn't Kentucky one of those states that doesn't recognize pedigree when it comes to marriage licenses either?

Sadly......yes

[andycerrone]

Originally Posted by ez_willis

If anyone trapped my cat and took him anywhere and I found out about it, I'd knock their fucking teeth out and deal with the consequences.

I am not a big fan of anyone who harms ANY animal. I yelled at a heavily "Christian" coworker for using those fucking glue traps that stick rodents on them until they struggle so hard to get off they crap their intestines out of their ass. He thought it was funny to watch the little guy suffering.

I'm not opposed to ridding the home and workplace of filthy vermin, but use a snap-trap so they at least go quickly.

That might be the most caring thing I've ever seen you say.