@llombardo @Anna Ranieri I completely disagree. I have a chicken killing dog across the street. Do I bring it to the shelter when it comes after my birds? Hell No! The family across the street adores their dog. If you start a war with your neighbors by making their cat disappear, don’t be suprised if you end up being forced to rehome your chickens. If you talk more of taking this loved pet to a shelter where it could be killed please do so in private messages. I don’t mind leaving this forum if you don’t, I want stand witness to such a Haneous idea.
First off, the shelters I use don't kill any animals, if they can't rehome them they keep them, further more I wouldnt do this unless absolutely necessary and if there were no other options.
This isn't about warring with anyone, this is about protecting my own, at present we are handling the situation doing our up most to protect our girls without taking away their freedom and the life they are used to. Taking it to a shelter would be a last resort and only if I am unable to control the situation or protect my girls, otherwise I would have done it by now. You either have forgotten or don't care that we adore our girls. I have always sat out with my birds to guard and protect them right from the start even in sub zero temps I was out here freezing to the point I got ill but I still continued because I wouldn't put my birds at risk nor would take any chances. Having to give up my ducks almost broke me, but none of these neighbours who complained thought about us and how we feel. I spend as many hours as possible sitting out with my girls so they can free range safely and I always have done so, these so called lovers of their cat just let it out then leave it to get on with it, they don't even take into consideration that it could get run over by a car let alone think about what it might be getting up to. I kept cats for years and I know the difference between a cat who is well kept and a cat who is just left to get on with it. However I gave consideration to your first post to me on this subject and I remember that the cat was bought for their young teenage daughter, whom I have heard call to it on one occasion and now know it's name is angel, and is why I am going to get a water pistol to use to deter it rather than throw stones or anything harmful. I have no idea why shooting or poisoning it has come into this subject, I would never poison anything, nor shoot - we don't even own a gun they are illegal here. A water pistol isn't going to harm it, just will scare it and possibly wet it.
When I first moved here 25 years ago I had five cats, one was a rescue cat which had belonged to my neighbour at our previous address which they moved house and abandoned it so when I moved I took it with me then rehomed it. Three of my four cats lived until they were 19 years of age, one died of cancer at age 15. One of my cats had dietary problems which meant he had to have special food and would sick up anything which wasnt on his diet list. He was extra friendly and very much loved and liked by people in this area and still now 12 years after his death neighbours still mention him to me remembering him visiting them. But on two occasions I had two separate incidents of two separate neighbours coming to me complaining he had been sick in their garden, straight away I went with bucket, disinfectant and cleaning cloths to clean up the sick from their gardens, both had fed him prior to him being sick so explained his condition then straight away bought him a collar attachment with his condition engraved on it with instructions not to feed him. This is because I am a response or owner of all pets I have and have ever had.
Directly across the road from me one neighbour has two cats and next to them has one cat. When we had the ducks one of the cats came into our garden but was chased off by the ducks, one day while chatting she asked me if her cats ever come into my garden so I told her they had but the ducks chased them off, she apologised even though I hadn't complained, also without my even mentioning anything, she straight away bought her cats collars with bells on so they can't sneak up on my birds and still to this day she regularly ask if her cats are causing me any trouble (which they are not) this to me is a responsible owner who considers others in the area. One of the things which angered me the most about the ducks is that before we housed them outside ( we had them indoors for the first few months) I went to my immediate neighbours and asked if they had any objections to us having ducks and chickens in our garden and all said no! I understand the female ducks were very noisy, I hadn't realised myself how much noise they can make so I understand the neighbours telling me in the beginning they had no objection to us having them in our garden as they wouldn't have known the level of noise they make either, but not one came to me about it, and when I asked about the noise level each claimed they didn't mind yet went behind my back and complained to the housing association to the point we got threatened with court action and here you are telling me I should consider them and their feelings!?
I get that you don't put much value on a chickens life, it is so easy for you to kill or rid yourself of a chicken but my situation is different, we love and adore our girls and judging by the neglect these neighbour bestowe on their cat, probably more than they love their cat!
Roo is the one who got attacked, she belongs to my 3 year old grandson and they have an incredibly strong bond to the point he even helps her dust bath by gently sprinkling dirt over her and she loves it. What about his feelings. How do you think he would feel if a cat had killed his chicken? Or are we not supposed to care because they love their cat? It was only down to my daughter's quick thinking that Roo didn't get seriously hurt, my daughter who is 8 months pregnant btw had to chase it off.
We do put our girls away if we away but this event happened in minutes, she had let them out of the run then had gone in to attend her son's needs.
The cat sits in next doors garden - it's house is the other side of this neighbour who is in the middle of our two properties - I have to make sure it isn't around before I can nip indoors to use the bathroom or to get a glass of water because it watches and waits and the second it sees us leave it jumps into the garden, we didn't know this before it happened but now we do we take measures to ensure our girls are safe because we are responsible owners who take the greatest care of our pets.
You are right that cats are permitted here but that doesn't give them the right to be in my garden.
Lastly, I believe it is easy for you to have this attitude about your neighbours adored dog because you don't love or adore chickens, nor put much value on a chickens life, but I wonder what your attitude would be like if it were after a pet of yours you love.
On a lighter note, my neighbour who is inbetween us and the cats home, knows the cat sits in her garden and doesnt mind it but has offered me that if she sees it heading for our garden she will deter it off for us. Hopefully I will have a water pistol by mid next week which I will use to deter it but rest assured that spraying it with water will in no way harm, injure or hurt the cat nor cause it to be at risk.
