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

[carolsmith7878]

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So you are saying that it is o.k. to not obey the law and lie to your neighbors. Really?

Also, are you are only worried about doing something cruel to an animal, simply because of the trouble you might get into, rather than the fact that it is inhumane and sadistic?

I worry for the human race.

 

[carolsmith7878]

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Nambroth, you raise some good questions. We don't have the same rules for all domestic species because they all have different habits and needs, and pose different problems for neighbors, and to differing degrees. However, in our town there is actually no leash law, so dogs can, in fact, roam free. Sometimes this creates conflict between neighbors, but most people are able to work it out amicably.

My next door neighbors have 2 large, loud dogs. They have an electric fence for their dogs, but fences are not 100% effective. To protect my chickens, I fenced in a 1/3 acre area. There have been some problems (one of their dogs killed one of my chicken, and there have been additional close calls), but we have worked out a schedule: they let their dogs roam in the morning if they want, and I keep my chickens in until noon. It works for us. Friends tell me I'm nuts for letting their big, loud dogs in my yard at all, but I feel strongly that we should all solve these problems peacefully, while doing everything possible to provide all of the involved animals with the opportunity for a good life. Most people are quite reasonable if you are reasonable yourself. I don't intend to ever call the police or animal control.

You are right, sometimes it is unfair to wait until you have a complaint about your free roaming animals. Therefore, it is good practice to ask your neighbors if they have any problems with your animals, and if they do, work at something that satisfies the involved people, without making the animals suffer. I have done so, and I have bent over backwards to accommodate all of them without depriving their animals of a good quality of life. Other than the neighbors with the 2 big dogs, all my neighbors have cats, and I don't mind in the least when they roam into my yard.

Great Post!!!

 

[bertman]

Nambroth, I appreciate your civil attempts at conversation about this obviously sensitive topic.

Tonight as our six pullets were wandering around scratchin' and catchin' in the yard, our twelve-year old kitty was just hanging out in the tall grass where she likes to lounge. I was filling the deer feeder and cleaning the turtle's water feature when I noticed that our two dominant pullets started quietly closing in on the cat. When they got about two feet away kitty got up and sauntered off--a bit miffed that her privacy had been invaded. Then, while our Lab was napping under a tree the same two pullets, followed closely by the other four, kept creeping closer and closer to her. Finally, I asked the birds what in the world they thought they were doing. At which point they all started acting all innocent and not interested in the dog. My question disrupted an attempted mugging I'm pretty sure.

True story.

We had a guy nearby who had some big cats in some seriously flimsy cages. One day he got a call from the sheriff saying that a distraught neighbor had called him after seeing his cat in her back yard. The lady was concerned for the safety of her three year old who liked to play in the yard. The cat that had escaped was an almost full-grown Siberian tiger.

On another occasion, the same guy asked some friends if they would be willing to come out to his farm and beat the bushes to scare one of his cats out of her hiding place so he could put her back in the cage. She had escaped from one of his crappy cages. This cat was a full-grown African leopard. We declined the offer to be 'beaters'. Next day he got a guy with some 'cat dogs' to come and track the cat down and keep her at bay while they tranquilized her. The guy with the 'cat dogs' was just itching to let the dogs go on the leopard, so the crappy-cat-cage guy told him NOT to let the dogs go after the cat because the leopard would kill the dogs. 'Cat dog' man's macho got out of control and he let the dogs go after the cat. The cat killed both the dogs.

Now, there definitely should be a LAW about letting that kind of cat run loose.

That too is a true story.

My apologies if that was too far off topic, but I thought a little levity might help.

 

[RHRanch]

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Now that puts all this into perspective, doesn't it?

 

[nzpouter]

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What are you planning to do when one of your neighbours asked you to keep your cats off their property?

 

[janinepeters]

Nambroth said:

Ironically, given the OP of this topic, a few dogs ran into my yard today and harassed my chickens. My strong run and electric fence made sure they did no direct damage, but in a panic one of my pet pullets broke her beak against the coop. I just got home from the veterinarian, my pocketbook is about $400 lighter and I have an injured pet, just for one person's carelessness and lack of respect.

I am sorry to hear about your loss. As I have said, I have experienced loss due to neighborhood dogs. I've lost some to wild predators, as well. I have occasionally taken certain pet chickens to the vet, and racked up a bill, as you have. I accept these, though, as part of keeping chickens, delicate prey animals that they are. The only way to keep them entirely safe is to coop them up. However, we make choices to give them a little more freedom to improve quality of life, and with that comes some risk. I accept that risk.

Our farm is certified Predator Friendly, and while certification requires that I be "Friendly" only to wild predators, I include domestic animals as well. I am resolved to never kill or trap predators, or to call wildlife officials, the police, or animal control. As far as dogs, I've described in a past post how we worked it out with neighbors -- But still I accept that there will be the occasional conflict and maybe even loss. That goes with the territory.

Now, I am not pointing at you, Nambroth, as you seem to be more reasonable than many. But, really, I have popped on and off this forum at various times over the past several years, and the intolerance, hostility, anger and hatred that so many people seem to have towards wildlife, neighbors, and neighbors' animals, never cease to amaze me. The world is crowded, and increasingly so everyday. Conflict with both neighbors and wildlife will only become more frequent as our population balloons, and I cannot see any reasonable survival strategy other than an attitude of tolerance, and give and take.​

 

[speckledhen]

Conflict with both neighbors and wildlife will only become more frequent as our population balloons, and I cannot see any reasonable survival strategy other than an attitude of tolerance, and give and take.

Maybe a review of the sticky at the top of this section might be in order for some of you, in truth (ETAosting as a member, not a moderator)

Give and take, hmm, how to address that statement? Well, I won't give my birds to the neighbor's dog or cat and I won't let them take my flock one by one. I won't tolerate the neighbor breaking the law by not controlling their animals and keeping them on their own property as I do, so I'm not really sure how to take that statement. Am I intolerant if I insist the neighbor keep their animals on their own property? Then, guilty as charged.

If good neighbor relations require that I don't stop their roaming animals from killing my birds, or that I don't take action if one does, then there was no real true relationship/friendship in the first place. Their offer of "well, if he kills one, I'll pay for it" isn't satisfactory. In fact, it's insulting and tells me they really don't value the "relationship".​

 

[janinepeters]

What are you planning to do when one of your neighbours asked you to keep your cats off their property?

Invite them over to dinner, get to know them better, and hear their side: try to understand why my cats bother them, and make sure they understand what they do that I have to tolerate. I've never had it fail. In the few different neighborhoods I've lived in over the years, I have found that everyone has something or does something that annoys others. A barking dog, loud rooster, loud machinery of some sort, a screaming child, loud parties, etc. Once they realize what I tolerate of them, they are more tolerant of me and mine.​

 

[janinepeters]

Maybe a review of the sticky at the top of this section might be in order for some of you, in truth. Give and take, hmm, how to address that statement? Well, I won't give my birds to the neighbor's dog or cat and I won't let them take my flock one by one. I won't tolerate the neighbor breaking the law by not controlling their animals and keeping them on their own property as I do, so I'm not really sure how to take that statement. Am I intolerant if I insist the neighbor keep their animals on their own property? Then, guilty as charged. hu

If good neighbor relations require that I don't stop their roaming animals from killing my birds, or that I don't take action if one does, then there was no real true relationship/friendship in the first place. Their offer of "well, if he kills one, I'll pay for it" isn't satisfactory. In fact, it's insulting and tells me they really don't value the "relationship".

Oh, come now. Read the rest of my posts. It's about talking to neighbors and working it out, not about letting their animals kill your birds.​

 

[speckledhen]

A barking dog, loud rooster, loud machinery of some sort, a screaming child, loud parties, etc. Once they realize what I tolerate of them, they are more tolerant of me and mine.

Ok, those are sounds. Sounds don't kill birds. My neighbor's tractor, ATV, guns and loud music are tolerated because I have roosters. Tit for tat. BUT, my dog is contained on my property and theirs darn well better be contained on theirs because theirs can kill my birds. Not all neighbors live in Disney movies, Janine. Some are quite unreasonable.


Cats may not be the worst predator of chickens but they can wreak havoc, certainly. They can be a nuisance to a neighbor. And they do kill chicks-my broodies run free within the fence perimeter with their chicks and cats are a danger to that.

You said:

It's about talking to neighbors and working it out

and what it seems like you mean is you want to convince them to allow your cats to keep roaming at will and pooping on their property by soothing their objections. At least, that's what I get when I read that.

If my animal was causing a problem on someone else's property, the only "working it out", IMO, should be getting them to accept my apology and my promise that I would not allow it to happen again. Then, I'd make sure it didn't. But, then, I don't have cats, partly because I don't want an animal that I have to keep in the house because I can't keep it from roaming.​