A Moral Dilema

[Mike Winters]

honesty will just get them sued. people like to shoot the messenger

 

[Tiki108]

This might sound a bit harsh, but cats are an invasive species, I know only around 35% of owners keep them indoors exclusively, but they prey on native wildlife and worldwide feral cats are responsible for the extinction of at least 32 species of birds. I love cat dearly and would be devistated if any of mine were killed, but I would also understand that if you allow your cats or dogs to roam free you run that risk. I know people that allow them outside in fenced cages which are pretty neat, but allowing a predator to roam free is asking for trouble not only to native wildlife, livestock, and possibly humans (more dogs than cats, but small children can be hurt by cats easily), but you risk your pet getting killed by cars or other animals. By allowing his cats outside he has accepted this risk.
If I were in your situation I would still apologize and I would tell him that what happened. Offer to pay the adoption fee if he'd like to get another cat from the local shelter, but inform him that allowing his cats outside not only puts his animal at risk, but it's really damaging native wildlife and not something he should encourage.

 

[Tiki108]

Quote:
Well said, cats should be kept indoors, I understand people say, but they wouldn't be happy inside, well tough noodles, if your kid wouldn't be happy unless he smoked crack all day would you let him keep doing it? If they really want to be outside build them an outdoor cage they can't get out of, simple as that, not worth the risk of losing your animal and the damage they cause to native wildlife and livestock.

 

[Kikiriki]

So what did you decide?

I dont think it is a moral question simply because the cats came into the run. It isnt like your dogs were loose and brought the cat home to kill it.

However, I would wonder what was suddenly attracting them to the dog area. It may not have been the chickens. Rodents love the leftovers and feed dropped so you could have a mouse or rat infestation starting. This has happened to us a couple of times when people have moved away and their junk got cleaned up and when new construction drove the wildlife away from their home.

If you are having a drought, the creatures can smell the water you put out for animals.

Personally, I would not mention the cats, and if they ask if you've seen them, you can answer in all honesty, "Not for a while...". Perhaps if they think the cat will come back, they will not get another kitten that will just be killed because of their lack of responsibility.

I know a lot of people with big pieces of land think their pets should be free to roam, and I do not disagree as long as your pets stay on your own big piece of land. If your barn or house is next to the road and your neigbors house is right there and your farm animals are free to be a nuisance, then, no, you should not be letting them wander. If you have an escape artist and you are making your best effort to keep the animal contained, then you deserve the time to find a solution.

I feel bad for animals whose owners let them roam. The trouble they cause and get into is 100% the owners fault. If the cat owners have not come asking around even a few days after the incident, then it also points to a general lack of concern, IMO. I had a puppy run off, once and I was out knocking on doors and putting up flyers for a week until I found her. ( people had her in their garage the whole time!)

Sorry for the rant! My neighbors cats love to come poop in my yard at night. My dogs have never once done the same to their yards. I also know it is just a matter of time before the cats get run over on our busy road where people think the speed limit is 75 mph instead of 45 mph.

 

[Jakoda]

I am an animal lover, I have inside cats, dogs, etc.

If it were "me" I would want to know, it sounds like the neighbor loves his stray cats, and honestly I think the worst thing in the world is losing a pet and not knowing what happened to it. Is it alive? dead?

I would NOT tell him your dogs did it, I would just say you found him dead on your property..If they are outdoor cats, 'anything' could have killed it, coyotes, fisher etc..I'd leave your dogs out of it, but I would tell him..Just MHO
Diane

 

[MusketeerinFla]

I had a problem with my neighbors cats. I would trap them and "dispose" of them. I never said a thing about it . Out of sight, out of mind. MiF

 

[nzpouter]

I'm having an inner struggle. Our dogs have now caught and killed 2 cats in 3 days. We have never had a predator issue before because of the dogs. I figure they can't resist the lure of chickens. Our dogs are kept inside of a dog run and we have 40 acres so these cats are crossing a lot of open acreage and getting into the dog run (which connects to the chicken run/coop). I'm happy my dogs are taking care of these would be chicken eaters but I'm now struggling with what to tell my neighbor.

Your property and the other animals are roaming... what's the problem? if they care about their animals as much as you, they'll build a run to keep them in safely in their own yard.

 

[War Chicken]

Cat owners can be pretty unreasonable. Some have sued drivers for vet bills when their free-roaming cat ran in front of a car and got nailed.

 

[halo]

I had this exact same issue at our last neighborhood. We moved in, put up a really nice black vinyl-coated chainlink fence for our dogs. My older dog had a super high prey drive and in succession, over a period of time, he killed THREE cats without suffering a scratch himself. They each jumped in but never got out of the fence. The flyer would be posted "Fluffy is Missing" and I knew what happened to Fluffy each time.

I never told anyone what happened to their cat because my dog was in his fence and their cat was off their property where it did not belong. To avoid neighborhood confrontation, seemed the best course of action at the time. Our society is so litigious, people will sue over anything, even if they are clearly in the wrong.

Yep. I dont understand why people let cats roam and its okay, but its not okay for dogs. We used to have a cat issue around here; I dont know if they were owned by someone or feral, but the coyotes took care of them. The songbird population is pretty grateful. If people let their cats roam, they will eventually lose them. I dont know how much someone can care about a cat if they just let them run wild.

 

[jeepguy982001]

I feel your dilemma but i wouldn't say anything. Nowadays people are way to sue hungry. And depending on your local laws your neighbor could win. Or he could report you to animal control for having "dangerous" dogs which can lead to your homeowners insurance policy going up and maybe a few visits from animal control to make sure their secure. Just my two cents but i always hope for the best and expect the worst.