I have two dogs (one Doberman and one Miniature Dachshund) who are always either on their cables or on their leashes when they are outside.  This is the law in the state where I live.

For the last two months, there have been two cats that have been wandering around my neighborhood and my property, doing their "business" in my yard, slam into my windows while trying to kill birds and send my dogs into a barking frenzy every time they come onto my property.  I am sure my other neighbors don't appreciate the barking at 5:30 AM and I don't appreciate someone letting their freaking cats wander into my yard whenever the hell they please.

I have seen these cats go in and out of my neighbor's house and when I confronted her with the problems her response was, "They are not my cats, they are outside cats.  I just feed them".

If my Doberman ever gets hold of one of these cats it will be Bye, Bye Kitty for sure.  I am worried that my dogs are being exposed to these freakin' cats that I am sure have had no vaccinatons/inoculations and are leaving nasty critter infested piles of crap in my yard.

This "outside cat" excuse is just not cutting it for me.  If they are "outside cats" keep them outside in your own backyard.   GRRRRRRR!

Any suggestions from responsible cat owners will be appreciated.

Cyn,
I'd call the local Humane Shelter or Animal Control and ask them what the laws are.....take it from there.

Quote:


I have done this Cyn and it works great.

There just isn't any way to make an irresponsible cat "caretaker" a responsible one.

Gary and I trap-neuter-release feral cats.  We also rescue adoptables and have them rehomed.

This person says they're not her cats, so finding a shelter to take them isn't like stealing them.

Just FYI, if you call animal control, they will most likely be trapped and killed.  Don't know if you care.

If you care about finding a humane solution for the kitties (like they wind up in a shelter where they have a chance to be adopted out to a better home), do a little searching before you make that call to animal control.

Try Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or  Go to find shelters & rescue, and type in your zip code.  Call around if any show up.

If that doesn't turn up anything, IF you're willing to put a little more work into it, go to Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or and scroll through the cat adoptions in your zip code - the organizations that have them up for adoption are listed, and often there are a lot of orgs there that are not listed on pets911.  There is usually a link to a blurb about the org, where you can find an e-mail address or phone number.

You can also just try buying coyote urine scent from a hunting store and put it out around the edge of the yard.  Often works to stop the cats from coming over - though I don't know how that will affect the dogs.  

Laurie

Redd, if you're seriously considering declawing, please PM me for solutions before you try that route. 

Laurie

Quote:


SURELY you are joking.


  Right?

Why has a freak like Perediablo not yet be banned ?  He's insulting about half of the board members.


                     

Redd wrote on Mar 11^th, 2009 at 11:23pm:


I don't want to hijack the thread, but there are options to try first.

A few cheap throw rugs or car carpets (they tend to work best especially if you can find the ones with the little bumps on the back to keep them in place) - especially if there's particular places he likes to scratch.  Cats tend to be drawn to stuff like that like frogs to a lily pad.  ....and keep an old sweatshirt handy for your lap.

Cats tend to like to stretch and knead when they wake up, so strategically placed mats or scratching posts or pads often help solve the carpet problem.

There are problems with declawing.  Not always, but someone who didn't know the dangers just had her cat die from an infection as a complication of declawing.  This is not as rare as you'd hope.

There is a product called Soft Paws.  They are nail covers for cats:

Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or  
(Obviously you don't have to choose blue!)

Soft Paws:  Multimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or

Just please make an informed decision.  It's actually illegal in 23 countries, and Norfolk, VA.   Removing their claws is not like removing fingernails.  The construction of their foot is such that the nail is attached to the tendon, so they have to remove the entire joint.  So it's like cutting off your fingertips at the joint.  Cats walk on their toes, not their feet, so it can cause problems, like arthritis and lameness.

18% of declawed cats begin biting after the declaw procedure.
33% of declawed cats developed some type of behavior problem.
16% of declawed cats stopped using the litter box.
10% of declawed cats have problems with nail regrowth (requiring another declaw)

70% of cats surrendered to shelters for behavior problems are declawed;
75% of cats surrendered to shelters for litter box avoidance problems are declawed.

I can provide all the references to the stats if you like.

Sorry for the thread hijack.  But too many vets don't provide any information, and it is a traumatic procedure that often has consequences that people don't know they risk.

Laurie

If you don't get any luck getting the humane society come to you then maybe you can catch the kitty and bring it to the humane society??? Lisa and some of the other guards did this at a pool she worked at. They just left an open cage out and trapped the cat. It took a few days. Good luck!!

Charlotte

Laurie,

Thanks for your info. and suggestions.

I would never hurt any animal but when it comes down to the possibility of my dogs getting sick from being exposed to cats that most likely have not received any shots/immunizations, that are using my yard as their litter box and are causing destruction to my property, this is when I get ticked off.  Why should I have to face paying vet bills for my dogs if/when they get sick because of another person's ignorance?  If my dogs were out running around the neighborhood, I'm sure no one would hesitate to complain.

I just let my dogs outside this morning @ 5:30 so I could get my work day started and both cats were once again in the back yard digging and crapping in my garden.  I now have dirt all over my patio and who knows what other "little presents" they left for me to clean up.  I also noticed that one of the cats is pregnant.  Oh joy!  Now we will have more "feral" cats running around the neighborhood.

I applaud you for doing what you do to help the cats in your area.  I really do.  There are too many irresponsible pet owners these days so it's great to see there are some people who care about the welfare of animals.

Most of my dogs have been rescues or adopted from shelters and they have been great pets but when I adopted them, I also took on the responsibility of caring for them and doing my best to be sure they did not bother anyone, cause any property damage to my neighbor's property and that they have all of their shots. 

Last summer a rabbit had babies in the far corner of my yard.  One day they were there but  the next day, I saw a cat making a meal out of the babies and, of course, I had to clean up the nasty mess that was left behind.  Not cool at all.

Cyn,
Unless the cats have rabies or are wormy (and if your dogs are on heartworm prevent, that should protect against worms), there's not much they can give your dogs.  I really sympathize with you though.  My neighbor's cat ened up in my back yard, up a tree.  If that cat had hit the ground, my two dogs would have had a field day (and I would have felt horrible).  Their cat is a tom and not neutered and I don't think they have any intentions of neutering him.

We live in the country and all our neighbors think it's their *right* to let their animals run free.

We have a dozens of stray cats around my neighborhood. 

Our neighbor bought one of those no-kill box traps of the type that Animal Control uses.  When she catches one she drops it off near some random farm.  Farmers around here seem to appreciate having loads of cats around for rodent control near their grain stocks.

Well, the SPCA and Animal Control said they could do nothing since cats are allowed to roam free.......sheesh. 

Still have to call the Humane Society when they open later this morning.

Some shelters around here actually charge you $$ if you drop off strays at their facility.   

Think it's time to call John to borrow his trap that we used to relocate a few squirrels that got into his attic and my basement last year, take the kitties on a road trip and give them a change of address somewhere in Slower Delaware around the farms.

Slower Delawareans talk funny (house = howse, mouse = mowse, etc) so I guess the kitties will have a little learnin' to do.