Why Can't We Have Ordinances to Control Cats? Please?

[sourland]

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Anyone who creates a situation like that knows absolutely nothing about animal husbandry let alone common sense. Slobs are just that. There is absolutely no reasons such conditions should exist unless people don't care. This appears to be completely illogical and nonsensical.

 

[chikinwing]

I am not certain what the point of the toxoplasmosis reference was. Cats, most definitely can become carriers of toxoplasmosis, whether they are indoor or outdoor, because if they had a mother who was not indoor her entire life then that would transfer to her babies. Therefore, there is a strong warning to all preganant women to be tested if they own indoor cats especially, because they would have a greater risk of coming in contact with cat feces via changing the litter box. It is vital and important to wash your hands after cleaning the litter box. Chicken feces can also be very dangerous and full of nasties that can affect people. That is why when cleaning the coop, wearing a mask is suggested, and again washing your hands.

Please understand that I agree that another persons pet pooping in your garden or yard is a big no no. Let's face it poop is dirty and full of undesirable things, which is why it is expelled from the bodies of all living beings (waste). Many people on this site live any many different areas and follow different state to state laws. What the law may be in one area, may be completely different somewhere else. I am in an area full of horse and cattle farms, and I hate black flies, which come and multiply in the poop of the horses and cattle, and flies can carry disease. But, this is where I chose to live. Again everyone has a right to their own feelings and opinions, and if they live in a neighborhood with fences and home owners associations they may have greater laws to district free roaming pet cats as well as they should because they chose to live there.

It seems that some people live in rural areas where there are barns and large farms where cats are an integral part of that farm life. Some live in suburban or even urban areas where the neighbors cat can become a big problem. That can also become true about people's feelings on their neighbors owning chickens. Many places won't allow roosters. What if there was a law that did not allow anyone to own a rooster, would everyone think that was acceptable? I doubt it. If you own a cat and live in a neighborhood that is urban, suburban, then yes it is much safer to keep your cat indoors. But, if you live in a rural farm area where it would take the cat awhile to leave your property, which by the way they don't wander if they are spayed/nuetered, then I don't think someone should be able to tell you that you have to keep your cat indoors only.

 

[sourland]

Chikinwing, "they don't wander if they are spayed/neutered?" Then why do they continue to show up at my place?


To the tune of 20+ in the last 5 or 6 years.

 

[PulletSurpriseWinner]

I'm afraid it will never happen. All the cat lovers want to get together and sing Kumbaya while congratulating themselves on how truly enlightened they are and how great their darlings are for the planet. There is a lot of selective perception going on among these people, and unfortunately they are legion. They are also the types to go to every single town meeting and overwhelm cat detractors with sheer weight of numbers.

Loose cats and dogs are illegal in my town, and the laws are on the books for us all to see. The laws are seldom enforced. AC will trap and remove nuisance cats, but they are VERY leisurely about it and won't help with any nuisance animals of any kind on private roads.

I had a problem with a neighbor about his feeding of three feral cats (STRICTLY illegal in NH) after they began killing songbirds on my property. He is nuts and refuses outright to even discuss the matter. He just stomps away muttering and shaking his head, flapping his hand at me like I'm a troublesome fly. When someone declines to treat you with courtesy, next step is try the legal route.

The town refused to enforce the stray cat law, and I'm getting nowhere getting the state to do something about the feeding feral cat laws. So what I've got to share with you is even if you can see the laws put on the books, they're useless without enforcement. The thing to do is search for other ways.

The way that finally turned up for us is an owners' association. We belong to a small private community association that all PROPERTY OWNERS may join. Since the nut next door rents, he isn't directly under the association rules. On the other hand, he hasn't any of the privileges either! All I need to do is apply pressure to his landlord to do something about this guy; if he chooses not to, all I need to do is get the association on his case. It's doubtful he's going to take that kind of heat for a tenant!

If that doesn't work, I can always fall back on trapping and turning in to the pound.

The point here is even if it looks like you're beaten, don't give up. If you keep on looking, the solution(s) will turn up!

 

[Nambroth]

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I am curious, and am not trying to bait you. For dogs, we must either fence or leash our pets so that they cannot leave our property and run 'at large', possibly damaging the property of others and harassing wildlife. I know a cat is not a dog, however I have read many, many successful stories of people creating outdoor enclosures for their cats to enjoy time outside, or doing some simple leash training. While I agree it is one thing to have a farm cat that stays on your property and helps with rodent control, I suspect the vast majority of loose pet cats are not farm cats.
So: For pet cats that are not needed for their utility (hunting rodent populations, especially in farm situations), why not find a way to safely keep them in your yard if you want to grant outdoor time (the same way dogs and livestock must be kept on one's property)? I am not talking about individual cases of "My cat would never tolerate that!" (which, by the way, after working with training animals for some time-- most of them not even domesticated-- I think is sometimes a lazy response), but in general...

 

[chikinwing]

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Sorry I don't know those cats to ask them. What I was saying was cats are territorial and tend to stay near their homes. If they are not spayed or neutered then they wander long distances to find a mate. The same can be said of dogs

Which by the way, I am more of a dog person than a cat. I just take issue with someone saying that all cats should only be indoors. I believe if any animal comes on your property and causes destruction or damage you have a right to protect yours and your own. Believe me I DO.

 

[darkmatter]

Pass all the Ordinances you want, Cats aren't going to pay them any mind. According to Scientists, cats are the only mammal that domesticated itself. (In order to enslave humans to their will, must of worked, cats have spread all over the world forcing humans to feed and care for them.)

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

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Thank you for the links. i actually have a scarecrow, well, two. i can't use them as i would be soaking my goats all day. i used to use them at night to scare off raccoons, but we don't have raccoons anymore since we got the goats.

The shake-a-way i have used before to deter cats. Unfortunately, it stinks a lot and didn't seem to keep cats away.

The third link wouldn't open for me. The last one, that emits a high-pitched sound, i suspect that would be more terrifying to my chickens than the cats.

i appreciate your time to provide these links. That last item would be great for inside problems, like cats on counters or where they aren't supposed to be.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

i'm not saying that all cat owners should keep their cats inside. If someone has a big piece of property, chances are their cats will stay within the perimeters. i live in a residential neighborhood, in a court or cul-de-sac. Our driveways are close together, then the backyard fans out. We have half an acre, the largest lot in the court. Lots of trees, bushes, and hidey-places for kitties. i sometimes see one in particular out back, curled up sleeping. That's fine. My issue is with the two cats owned by my next door neighbor. They don't just stay in back. They are constantly on top of my pens, drinking out of the duck and goose pools, acting like they own the place and scaring the birds. My goats will slowly follow them, if they are out in that area. But the cats have learned the goats won't hurt them. Perhaps my geese will chase them when they get older, but they're still kids. Even then, the geese can't get them when they're on top of the pens.

Anyhow, it has been quiet the last day here. The vet bill for Veronica came to $65. Lucky for her, only the top of the upper bill was sheared off. She still has viable material underneath that will heal and harden in time. i haven't sent the bill over to the neighbors yet as i've been busy with other things, but will do that in the next day or so. i tell you, i am exhausted from all the anger and frustration. i don't want to live in that energy. To quote a Seinfeld episode "Serenity now!".

 

[MuckyPuppy]

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Actually this is not correct. According to the CDC, Keeping cats indoors is recomended to avoid a cat getting toxoplasmosis as long as a person only feeds the indoor cat canned or dried commercial food or well cooked table food. Also, a cat/kitten will only spread toxoplasmosis in their feces for a few weeks following an infection with the parasite.