I'm at the end of my rope with this and need to vent and sort my thoughts at the same time. We've lived in this house for a year and a half now. Shortly after moving in this cat showed up. He acted like he was starving and my kids sometimes took food outside to him. He has a name tag (Luke) and a phone number so a little while later we called it to see if he did in fact have a home, since he was here a lot! Owner said yes, he's fine. Well he was very aggressive to our cats. We chase him off when we see him around, but he is still here an awful lot. We called owner again and told them he had been fighting with our cats and hanging around and to please keep him in/close to their yard (we live around the corner and a few houses down the street). They say there is nothing they can do. She said throw water on him so he will stay away. So we started doing that, but he isn't scared of water because they leave him outside in the pouring rain and snow-- the cat is not scared of much of anything.
So this goes on and the cat is a nuisance to us and to another neighbor (who thought he was OUR cat since he is in our yard so much and that neighbor told us Luke fights with his cat too. About 6 days ago he gets into another fight with my cat (who doesn't leave the area of his yard and the next door neighbors yard-- my neighbors on that side have one cat and my cats get along fine with theirs and we don't have any issues at all.) My cat comes home bleeding and has Luke's gray fur stuck to his feet like defense wounds. I walk over to Luke's house to talk to owner face to face. She come to the door with several kids in tow looking overwhelmed and is trying to block her big dog from escaping. I start by confirming it is indeed Luke's home and she says it is. I tell her about how we've called before and are still having problems and how he just beat up my cat again. She goes into this denial mode saying how she can't believe he would be aggressive, that he isn't like that at all. I tell her that I have had to chase him away after seeing him act aggressive. She goes to say that Luke is always home and then a few minutes later contradicts herself and says he disappears for days at a time and who knows where he goes. I tell her that I am tired of the problems and am at the point where I will take Luke to the pound if he is at our house again. She says that will make her "so angry" and that there is no way I should do that and to call her when I see him instead. I tell her to keep him indoors since he is unable to stay close to their house. She says that is not an option but if I have any other ideas she is open to hearing them. I leave, still frustrated.
Luke is back at our house the same day. Because of her attitude I didn't bother calling her.
Then my Dh goes out of town and takes the cell so I am home w/o a phone and with sick kids. Luke is around several more times.
Today my cats came outside with me while I was gardening. A little while later I go in for a short time. When I head back out my cat is at the door with another bloody gash on his face.
What should I do? It does no good to complain to his owners. My cats are inside most of the time, but at times like when I am outside in the garden they do follow me. Plus since the weather is getting nicer we will be keeping windows open and doors open and they will go in the yard. Both of my cats are fixed. I believe Luke is fixed as well or else I might just offer to get him to the vet for a snip.
My husband thinks we should trap him with the cat carrier and some food and then make the neighbors come pick him up. Do you think that is extreme? Do you think taking him to the pound after repeated attempts to solve it with them have failed? I just don't know what to do!
The only other time I had trouble with a cat and a neighbor it was a cat we were fostering that was aggressive to another neighbor cat in our old neighborhood and we saw we had a responsibility to stop that and kept that cat inside until he was re-homed. I like cats, so having trouble with one is extra frustrating to me.
What would you do?
1|1|Does your town/city not have pet laws?|bluh2oeyes|bluh2oeyes@yahoo.com|16:26:10|04/03/2012|
Jennifer in North Carolina...the Tar Heel State
2|2|Just dog leash laws but I can't find any city ordinances that deal with cats. |sunriver|sunriver@gmail.com|16:31:15|04/03/2012|
:( 3|3|Call animal control and see if they can go and warn her and maybe she'll get it then also is he fixed? Matbe if he isn't she copuld get it done via the humane society That may help|teener|teenerzacsneenee@yahoo.com|17:26:59|04/03/2012|
>Posted on Apr-03-12 at 04:31 PM (Eastern)
>by 66.241.90.246:(
4|4|There may not be leash laws for cats....but I bet they have something about cats that fight. You need to let her know that you WILL be taking your cat to the vet whenever injured by her cat and documenting it with animal control. She has to make the choice...whether or not to be responsible for her pet. She may not have to leash him, but she has to be responsible for his damages. Your cat could get ill from the fights...her cat is obviously exposed to more than yours. You don't want your children's pet to die in the next fight!!|Barb09|Barb0969@AOL.com|17:33:33|04/03/2012|
I looked and looked and found no coupons for troll food......SO, I don't feed the trolls!! 5|1|Since you have asked her to keep him home....|Quietwaters|Quietwaters39@hotmail.com|18:06:01|04/03/2012|
and right away she is not complying, I would call animal control and let them deal with her. Anytime I have had a stray here, I have had them come pick it up but not sure they do that in all places. Since her phone number is on him, I would think they would call her.
I would worry about one of my kids being bit or scratched.
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I feel bad doing that, but they are out of my good graces now. I wound up catching him inside a cat carrier and walking him home. She said and I quote "he's been in for three days" to which I said well then why did he attack my cat again and why does my cat have a bloody gash on his face and why was I able to catch him in my yard. All that while he was inside her house. Interesting reality that she lives in.
I didn't say much because her two little boys were right there and so was my 6 year old, but I hope that seeing me there with him in a cat cage was enough to get it through her head that he has to stay inside or be re-homed or something because next she can deal with animal control and will face fines to pick him up, I would think. Thanks for the animal control suggestion. I forgot that I could even do that and was thinking I had to take him to them, but I think at least they must have some sort of a complaint process. When Luke comes back that is my next step! 7|3|If you have to call....|Quietwaters|Quietwaters39@hotmail.com|06:58:51|04/04/2012|
I would tell them that he is agressive. I think you have already bent over backwards to try and get her to do the right thing.
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I'd bet doughnuts to dollars that she doesn't have a box in her house... it's far easier to let the cat outside to do his business... which is why she said keeping him inside is not an option.
How do you know her cat even has all its shots? If she leaves it outside, it could be hunting rabid raccoons for all you know.
Horrible, but have you ever thought of just taking his collar off and calling animal control and pretending he's a stray? If he's chipped, she'll get a call.
My two cats stay inside. I don't have a hard time keeping the doors shut! My neighbors do let their cat out to roam, but at least he's well behaved and timid. We don't feed him though. The sad thing is that you don't want anyone in the neighborhood resorting to other means to make him go away (antifreeze or shooting it....)
I don't think she'll want a visit from animal control... she'll blame you. As the owner of her cat, she doesn't seem very concerned. 9|1|Try documenting it. Use a camera with a time/date stamp. Maybe for the next week or something. That way when you call you can say he was in my yard this day, this etc, and take pictures of your cat and the damages|Kristy|mi3zons1@yahoo.com|10:49:53|04/04/2012|
"Women should not have children after 35. Thirty-five children are enough." - anonymous (Only 27 to GO!)
"You're so open minded that your brain leaked out." - Steve Taylor 10|2|I agree with Kristy. Write every sighting down and keep your kids away from it. It could be carrying disease: something is making it hostile.|missy|lovetotrade@hotmail.com|13:23:54|04/04/2012|
Take care