Outdoor cats/neighbor concerns - what do you do?

[blondeviolin]

We are Neighbor A. :P

 

I believe that our neighbor shouldn't have to deal with our cats, yes. I know for almost that they don't potty elsewhere as we provide an outdoor litter box and they use it very frequently.

 

We were leaning towards meeting with B and giving him a good squirt gun with permission to use it at his discretion. Our cats are not dumb. They come when called and can be trained to stay away (as they have certain spots they are not allowed in our house). I feel that's a more than fair solution.

 

And scratches woukd be pretty rare as we keep their claws trimmed short and filed.

 

One of our kitties has brought a fair share of mice, and the neighborhood skunk disappeared after only a few weeks.

 

Did I mention this is the neighbor who hangs out with our next door neighbor and allows their kids (ages 2, 4, 5, and 9) to be outside screaming and yelling beyond the time we typically go to bed (somewhere between 11 and midnight)? :glare:

 

Just another reason we would love to sell this house and move some place with acreage.

 

ETA: B does have a garage, he just chooses not to use it. Cats aren't the only threat here too, living in OK means huge thunderstorms, hail, and possible tornadoes.

Edited May 28, 2012 by blondeviolin

[Jean in Newcastle]

Really?? So how should I go about keeping my flower beds free of poo and the baby birds in the nests safe??

 

Cats should be indoors. It is safer for the cats. How many threads have we had about sad kids because Fluffy ran away, got hit by a car, got attacked by a dog, etc??

 

I do agree with you that cats should be indoors. My dear Agatha was carted off by a coyote. Our current cat is indoor only. I hope that he will live a very long and happy life because of it.

[clarkacademy]

We are Neighbor A. :P

 

I believe that our neighbor shouldn't have to deal with our cats, yes. I know for almost that they don't potty elsewhere as we provide an outdoor litter box and they use it very frequently.

 

Coming from a cat of two owner I am not being mean when I say No you don't know. Animals will go just to put their scent places That is common knowledge

 

We were leaning towards meeting with B and giving him a good squirt gun with permission to use it at his discretion. Our cats are not dumb. They come when called and can be trained to stay away (as they have certain spots they are not allowed in our house). I feel that's a more than fair solution.

 

No it is not fair. i don't wanna spend my day guarding my car on my property Keep your animals in your property That is fair

 

And scratches woukd be pretty rare as we keep their claws trimmed short and filed.

 

When your cat goes running and jumps on the hood and starts to slide I don't care how short its nails are it is gonna cause some damage. Ask me how I know?

 

One of our kitties has brought a fair share of mice, and the neighborhood skunk disappeared after only a few weeks.

 

Did I mention this is the neighbor who hangs out with our next door neighbor and allows their kids (ages 2, 4, 5, and 9) to be outside screaming and yelling beyond the time we typically go to bed (somewhere between 11 and midnight)? :glare:

 

Sadly if their not on your property it really isn't your business but I would call the police on that drama myself.

 

Just another reason we would love to sell this house and move some place with acreage.

 

I don't want to sound rude but no matter what spin you put on it they are your cats and like the neighbors kids aggravate you well your doing the same thing with your cats to this neighbor. You chose to get the cats you should take care of them properly. What is gonna happen when your cat darts off in the street after a squirrel or something? In my opinion that is neglect on your part. Your right a house in the country would be great sadly that is not your situation right now and you should be responsible for your pets

[Bluegoat]

A lot of this is about expectations. To be honest, I think the "expectation" that we should not have to be bothered by other people and their lives is pretty unreasonable. If you live in a city or suburb, you will be living near people and you will have to deal with their noise, their kids, their dogs barking, and the weird baloney bbq's they have that stink up the neighbourhood. If there is a specific area of discomfort, people should discuss it and find a mutually agreeable solution.

 

I know what would happen in our port town if cats were not allowed outside - we'd be inundated with rats. So I fence my vegetables and live with the cats.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Neighbor A should look up the leash laws for cats in your city and act accordingly.

 

Neighbor B should feel free to use a squirt gun, hose, or other means of cat repellants to keep the cats off his property and might want to look up the leash laws too. If Neighbor A is violating them by having free range cats he can call the city if the cats become a nuisance. That should be a last resort for Neighbor B as it will become tense if he does that.

 

:iagree:

 

I have 2 cats that like to hang out in my backyard. It wouldn't be so bad, but they like to poo back there and it grosses me out. I don't have pets and don't want to have to clean up after others' pets.

 

Neighbor B should be able to keep his car in his own driveway without having to worry about Neighbor A's cat. If it was a stray, then it would be Neighbor B's problem.

[Jeannie in NJ]

I live in a resort town, everyone has small unfenced yards. Our neighbors are not here except in the summer. So except for summer, my cats go outside. Well, on Friday, not thinking okay Memorial Day weekend I let 3 of them out. One of our neighbors from 2 houses down came over and politely told me that Blackie was "going" in her flowers. Well she has always been a great neighbor so in comes Blackie. Then Ginger kept going under our new neighbors brand new deck. They did not complain but they also should not have to accept a cat hanging out under their deck so in comes Ginger. Cali is very tiny, grey and hops and hawks are out so she is now inside. The rest of my cats except for Sagwa have no interest in going out. Sagwa is 10 years old and just likes to lay either on our back patio or under our pine trees, she never goes outside our unfenced yard so she can still go outside. She hates the other cats and cries constantly to go outside so she does.

 

When we move we will be getting a fence. OUr cats are pretty lazy so hopefully they will not try to climb a 6 ft vinyl fence. For now where we are living our cats (except for Sagwa) will be staying inside. We have been here 19 years and except for our new next door neighbors , everyone else has been here as long as us and we are all friends so we don't want them to be irritated at our cats or to feel awkward about saying anything to us. I don't feel that people should have to put up with other people pets.

Edited May 28, 2012 by Jeannie in NJ

[goldberry]

I don't understand in what planet it is OK for someone elses animal to aggravate me? Why is this even a question at all? No the neighbors cat has no right to get on this car. If you have ever seen the damage a cats nails can do to a paint job you wouldn't want a cat on the car either. I would call the pound or trap them and take them myself. It is her car her property the cats have no business being there.

 

I don't care if the neighbor can't tell his cat no don't do that. The neighbor owns the cats it is not suppose to be everyone else dealing with them.

 

Absolutely agree, and I am a cat owner.

 

When I was pregnant, the neighbor's cat who happened to be sick with something, decided she wanted to hang out on our front porch. She would leave diarrhea on my front porch when I was pregnant. I asked the neighbor to do something...oh well, cats roam, get over it.

 

I ended up going through a hugely stressful ordeal during which my husband had to trap the cat to turn it over to animal control. He got scratched up in the process as well as attacked by fire ants.

 

This was not my cat and should not have been my problem AT ALL. When you own a pet you are the one responsible for it.

[Plucky]

I live in a resort town, everyone has small unfenced yards. Our neighbors are not here except in the summer. So except for summer, my cats go outside. Well, on Friday, not thinking okay Memorial Day weekend I let 3 of them out. One of our neighbors from 2 houses down came over and politely told me that Blackie was "going" in her flowers. Well she has always been a great neighbor so in comes Blackie. Then Ginger kept going under our new neighbors brand new deck. They did not complain but they also should not have to accept a cat hanging out under their deck so in comes Ginger. Cali is very tiny, grey and hops and hawks are out so she is now inside. The rest of my cats except for Sagwa have no interest in going out. Sagwa is 10 years old and just likes to lay either on our back patio or under our pine trees, she never goes outside our unfenced yard so she can still go outside. She hates the other cats and cries constantly to go outside so she does.

 

When we move we will be getting a fence. OUr cats are pretty lazy so hopefully they will not try to climb a 6 ft vinyl fence. For now where we are living our cats (except for Sagwa) will be staying inside. We have been here 19 years and except for our new next door neighbors , everyone else has been here as long as us and we are all friends so we don't want them to be irritated at our cats or to feel awkward about saying anything to us. I don't feel that people should have to put up with other people pets.

 

I think every neighborhood has it's own culture. I live in town on a street that seems very rural because people live on 1-3 acres. Everyone's animals either run around the neighborhood or get out periodically.

 

My neighbors like my cats as we've all had mouse and mole problems and my cats have helped significantly. I tell them to let me know if they are a problem or spray them, but they have little yippy dogs that chase my cats so my cats stay away. Their dogs are pretty sweet too, but yippy. The other day one ran into my house when a kid opened the door and ran around chasing my cats. We laughed but my neighbor was horrified.

 

As long as the animal is pleasant and not threatening then everyone is pretty laid back about it.

[kengjw]

I have a cat that goes in and out of the house. I am responsible for my cat whether the cat is in or out. Should my cat cause trouble at my neighbor's house, I would either give my neighbor permission to shoot the cat with water (as long as I know my neighbor well that he won't harm the cat), put up an invisible fence or keep the cat indoor so she would not be a pest to other people. I do not expect other people to put up with my cat. It is nice if they would but they don't have to.

 

Julia

[Laurie4b]

Cats and dogs aren't comparable.

 

See, I think that's a problem. I feel like the laws re: dogs are quite unreasonable compared to what I grew up with. Dogs could trot around unleashed and it wasn't a big deal and no one would have expected anyone to walk their dog carrying a plastic bag to pick up poo. It was biodegradable back then! And unless someone's dog decided the neighbor's yard was its private privy, an occasional pile was nothing anyone would have thought twice about.

 

Now, dogs have to be leashed at all times and can't have the joy of just running for the fun of it unless their owner has lots of acreage. And you have to take a bag with you to pick up poo any time you walk the dog.

 

Cats, however, may roam, pee (it reeks) and poo in people's gardens & kids' sandboxes, stalk & kill birds other neighbors are feeding and enjoying and don't want to see killed, aggravate the neighbors' dogs who are inside, etc.

 

To me, it should be one way or the other. Just because dogs are easier to teach to stay in a yard doesn't mean cats should be allowed to roam because they won't stay put. And if the cat is damaging the neighbor's property, that is the cat owner's problem.

[ktgrok]

Cats can cause major damage to the car's paint job. Neighbor A needs to keep them on his property. Neighbor B should feel free to use water, sssstop devices, etc to keep the cats off the car. And I say that as a cat lover.

[nono]

I live in a resort town, everyone has small unfenced yards. Our neighbors are not here except in the summer.

 

And, those part-timers should kiss the ground your cats walk on for keeping the neighborhood clear of "things" while they aren't there. A cat, even an lousy hunter, is a deterrent.

 

Full disclosure: I am not a cat owner, and have never been. But I make friends with all outdoor cats in my area, because I was chased by a gang of raccoons one morning on our island, and it isn't fun! :tongue_smilie:

[nono]

We have a lot of strays. It doesn't bother me. Sometimes there is a mini cat convention in our yard. :D

 

 

Can my dog come for a visit? She LOVES cats, and her outdoor cat friend died two years ago, and she hasn't made a good cat friend since.

[Mama Geek]

My problem really isn't with cats or with responsible cat owners. It is really just the people who think "oh, I can have a cat and let it run around an it can go wherever it wants." I am not talking about a cat that gets out when it isn't supposed to.

 

If I wanted a cat, I would have one, I don't want someone else's cat and I still don't want a cat hanging out on my car.

 

If I found raccoons, squirrels, rabbits or any of a number of things causing problems with vehicles, they would be trapped and gotten rid of.

 

My stand isn't just for cats either, I do think people should be responsible for their dogs and that includes cleaning up after them.

[Bluegoat]

See, I think that's a problem. I feel like the laws re: dogs are quite unreasonable compared to what I grew up with. Dogs could trot around unleashed and it wasn't a big deal and no one would have expected anyone to walk their dog carrying a plastic bag to pick up poo. It was biodegradable back then! And unless someone's dog decided the neighbor's yard was its private privy, an occasional pile was nothing anyone would have thought twice about.

 

Now, dogs have to be leashed at all times and can't have the joy of just running for the fun of it unless their owner has lots of acreage. And you have to take a bag with you to pick up poo any time you walk the dog.

 

Cats, however, may roam, pee (it reeks) and poo in people's gardens & kids' sandboxes, stalk & kill birds other neighbors are feeding and enjoying and don't want to see killed, aggravate the neighbors' dogs who are inside, etc.

 

To me, it should be one way or the other. Just because dogs are easier to teach to stay in a yard doesn't mean cats should be allowed to roam because they won't stay put. And if the cat is damaging the neighbor's property, that is the cat owner's problem.

 

There's no doubt, expectations for dogs have changed considerably. I often think modern dogs have a pretty bland life.

[TravelingChris]

It would really annoy me if a cat was visiting my property and sitting on our cars or doing his business in my gardens. I do have problems with chipmunks and squirrels (not on my cars) and I am dealing with them harshly= putting strong deterrents out and making sure the snake stays around. If I could encourage the coyote to come and visit or more hawks and owls or foxes, I would do that. I do have a cat and dog but they bother no neighbors since they are inside animals except for the dog's supervised walks.

[clarkacademy]

How? I really cannot fathom that.

 

I agree on neighbor feeling free to use water.

 

Have you ever seen a cat jump up on a wet car? I have two days after it was custom painted. That stupid cat cost over 5,000 in damages to a show car. People are just going to keep making exuses why not respect that the neighbor don't want a nasty cat in their yard? Why? Even my stupid idiotic cat ran up on my car trying to get a bird and it slipped leaving HUGE scratches down the entire door.

 

Strays wild animals etc cannot be controlled. Family pets on the other hand can. It is that simple your cat your problem keep it on your property and have some respect.

[Bluegoat]

Well dogs bite and they don't bury their poop. Cats don't tend to randomly bite people.

 

I think this will depend on the area. Where I live we are packed in like sardines. It would be a dangerous place for a dog to roam. Then again we have things like dog parks.

 

I do agree that animals kind of have dull lives. My neighbor has a little dog. She is gone 15 hours or more a day while that dog sits inside the house and yaps. I've thought about asking her if she wants me to walk her dog because it seems wrong to coop a dog up for so long.

 

Oh I think there are good reasons not to let dogs roam around. (Although really it is pretty unusual for dogs to bite each other and I'm not sure having them leashed all the time helps with this.) Maybe even more in rural areas where some people seem to think it is ok to let them run around in the woods or whatever. At least in a city they are not running after deer or livestock.

 

I find it interesting to think about the changes in dogs lives though. It used to be pretty normal for dogs to just roam around and do their own dog things with other dogs. Now they are always under control, on a leash, or in a dog park setting or doggy daycare or some other thing people made up.

[ilovemy4kids]

Cats roam. Neighbor B needs to keep his windows rolled up and chill.

 

:iagree: It's a cat. They roam. They also don't like squirt guns. Squirt guns should be in every household arsenal. :)

[Bluegoat]

That's no different for humans though is it? I'm not suggesting this is a good/bad thing...just that it's a trend for more than just dogs.

 

I think you are absolutely right about that. It's all about control ultimately, IMO.

[Slartibartfast]

I think if someone is going to have a pet they should keep it in their house and not subject others to it. Cats need to be kept indoors. They are a menace and kill birds.

 

I would check city ordinances about pets.

[Walking-Iris]

I didn't read this entire thread and I don't know if this has been mentioned already, but vinegar keeps cats away. There is a cat hoarder about two streets from us and periodic cat problems have been a struggle in our yard. We don't have a fence and I don't relish the idea of them in my garden or my kid's sand box. Since I read that distilled white vinegar keeps cats away it's been less of a problem. I saturated the yard at the borders of our backyard and the sand in the box. I haven't seen a cat in our yard since. And I know they still roam the neighborhood. I'm sure I'll have to reapply at some point. We used to have acat and I clean with vinegar, maybe that's why he was crazy idk.

 

As for dogs, they shouldn't be allowed free range unless you live in the country and they are well trained. I don't like to see them leashed outside either. Owners need to either walk them on a leash regularly, erect a roomy run kennel or fence the yard and train them to behave on and off a leash. That's my biggest pet peeve (no pun intended)--- untrained dogs.

[Slartibartfast]

Well I eat birds. Should I be kept inside? :D

 

My cat has never killed a bird. Heck, she won't even kill the mice in our cellar. *sigh* She only earns her keep by her cuteness.

 

Indigenous songbirds are already threatened due to encroachment on habitat and exposure to chemicals. Having a pet is not a "right" and having a cat run amok outside is not a "right." People do not want cats in their gardens.

 

Cats need to be kept inside.

Edited May 28, 2012 by Sis

[Carrie12345]

I love cats, I really do! I have 2. I don't need or want to deal with any more than that. You can call that petty, overly sensitive, mean, or stupid, but none of those things make it okay to expect me to accept other people's animals roaming on my property.

 

If I wanted another cat around, I'd get one.

If you want a cat, keep it to your dang self!

[Jeannie in NJ]

Nono, you have raccoons on your island? I have never seen one here but we are being overrun with foxes. They have attacked dogs and cats (I always make my cats come inside before dusk, which is when the foxes are seen). We have seen the foxes in our yard at night catching rabbits. The mayor says that it is a state law that it is illlegal to trap and transport wildlife off the islands (even tho, I believe Avalon did illegally remove skunks from there). The mayor is trying to get the state to allow our town to remove the foxes (where would they go?) before they kill peoples pets or attack a person. (they do not run away from people ex. both my dd and my neighbor have been confronted by foxes that would not run away). I heard the foxes have attacked dogs and cats but as far as I know have not killed any.

 

We have a feral colony behind our house that lives in the meadows and they tend to keep the rodent pop. down but they don't seem to come onto peoples yards (probably too scared of people).

[ktgrok]

It still seems like a freak thing to me. I mean a car surface isn't the type of surface that is attractive to a cat in terms of wanting to scratch it. My cat likes to scratch something she can dig her claws into such as a tree trunk. She would be more likely to ruin someone's wood planter box than a car. And I'm not suggesting that's a good thing. Just saying it doesn't seem to me that cats scratching cars is a common problem. This feels like a major exaggeration. Maybe you had some very bad luck. I don't know.

 

Around here having a scratch free car is impossible.

 

I've had it happen numerous times, in various places. If a cat likes to hang out on your car eventually it will slip a bit and attempt to hold on with it's claws.

[Pink Fairy]

We get cat traps from animal control whenever the local cats get to be a problem. We've lived here 10 years and have only done it twice, but we didn't know who the cats belonged to and they kept spraying my sliding glass door. :( In this case, vinegar didn't work. Since we've had our dog no more cat problems.

[Julie Smith]

Well I eat birds. Should I be kept inside? :D

 

My cat has never killed a bird. Heck, she won't even kill the mice in our cellar. *sigh* She only earns her keep by her cuteness.

 

As an adult the cats we had, hunting wise were worthless. WORTHLESS. We had four cats and a serious mouse problem in the house. One cat ended up making friends with a mouse and I caught the mouse sleeping curled up by the cat. I would have to make a loud noise to scare the mouse who would then run and hide. That cat one even carried the mouse around in it's mouth and dropped it off somewhere and it crawled into a hole.

 

The other cat caught a bird once. We came home and it was waiting on the back patio with it in it's mouth. We hit the cat on the back of the head and the bird flew straight up into the sky and away. :confused:

 

Now the cat I had as a kid. It was a hunter!

[nono]

Nono, you have raccoons on your island? I have never seen one here but we are being overrun with foxes.

 

Yeah, the gang I saw was on the north end of the island, and I wasn't amused because I had already run over to 7 mi. island and was pretty darn tired. I'm on the south end, and we have more possum. I don't think we have any foxes yet. We did have a deer swim over from the south a couple years ago. I don't know what became of him though.

 

I guess living where we live, a cat outside barely registers. With those listed above and seagulls, starlings that come and terrorize pool owners in Sept... (And, that's just the animals. Don't get me started on the people after the last 3 days! :tongue_smilie:)