Cats

[gruntygiggles]

So...a friend on another forum is moaning that her local residents are discussing making a complaint to the council about her Bengal cat.

It goes into other peoples houses to taunt their dogs. It has had one elderly dog in such a state that it needed vet treatment, but her response to that is, "it's not my fault their dog is afraid of cats". It has crapped on peoples kitchen floors and tables, will run out and jump on dogs passing by the house on leads and will bite or scratch people when they try to pick it up. The owner has bought water pistols for all the neighbours, but not all are happy with this and she is calling them ungreatful.

Is it just me that finds her attitude appalling?
She thinks it is good that she has written them all letters advising them to do things like...

Not leave food out, including cat or dog food
Not leave windows or doors open
use ONLY the water pistol provided as any chasing or mistreatment will be reported
Not stroke the cat
Not clear away any dead animals it leaves at doorways as this will just make it bring more
...the list went on.

If I received a note like that I would probably burst into laughter first, then get very very angry.

Why should her neighbours all have to make such changes just because she has a complete nuisance of a cat. Why should they have to put up with a cat coming into their house and taunting their dogs? Why should they have to clean away dead wildlife?

I genuinely don't understand why this woman thinks it is her neighbours that are being unreasonable...please enlighten me.

[jambo]

I would not be entirely happy getting these notes but I've seen the other side too with people being told to stop their cats going into other people's gardens. The general response is "how?".

Cats are not like dogs, they don't follow you, do as you tell them or do as you ask. The alternative to her mind may be giving the cat to a shelter, where the chances are it'll be destroyed. You can understand why she'd rather that didn't happen.

Personally I think she'd have done better not to pick a breed of cat that can often show these traits, but as I'm sure you're aware, picking a particular breed doesn't always determine personality either.

I suspect this will end badly for the cat.

Jambo

Edit: Just to be clear I think her approach of calling people ungrateful is not going to help her one little bit as essentially she's asking for everyone else's understanding on this one...

[L3nny]

Not really much the owner can do, it's not like she can issue a curfew. I have cats come in my garden all the time, they get in the bins and cause a right mess but don't really blame the animal as it's just doing what animals do and can't really blame the owners as they don't know the cat's doing it. It's my fault for not bagging it up properly.

EDIT: The dog owners can try one of those sonic cat scarer thing's. They work pretty well.

[Popy Fresco]

Why doesn't she make sure the cat doesn't leave the house??

Originally Posted by Popy Fresco

Why doesn't she make sure the cat doesn't leave the house??

If you had cats that is easier said than done.

I'm guessing you're not an all-out 'cat person'.

OK, it's a Bengal, so just a little bit more of a handful than your average moggy I suppose. But considering the number of people who have downright dangerous, uncontrolled/uncontrollable dogs (and it's not unusual that the same people tend to have a 'couldn't give a s#1t' attitude about their dogs behaviour) - I'd say genuinely that cats are much less problematic.

To back it up, as a postman I deliver to around 400 houses every day, at the last count 80 have dogs, more with cats. In 12 years I've encountered ONE cat attack but every day there are around 30 houses that I don't even approach if the dog is present in the garden. Got bitten last Monday twice in ten minutes. Sorry,... back to cats!

I'd much rather a cat bring a dead mouse or bird to my door, than a dog carping on it.
Also the general thought is that cats reward those who provide food on a regular basis. So if someone other than the owner is getting 'presents' it's because the cat is regularly getting a feed at that house. If you don't want a neighbours cat around your garden feed your own pets indoors. It's not difficult.

[Mauler]

Tell her to get a 50 metre length of twine, tie one end to something secure in her house and tie it to the cat's collar.

I'll annoy the cat and keep it out of houses 51 metres away if nothing else.

[timwilky]

I cured some of my neighbours cat problems, but then had to give up my FAC.

Gripper rod on the fence tops helps. A lazy Jack encourages them back onto the gripper rod.

Irrespective of how you look at it,be it cat or dog,the owner is responsible.
What if the cat jumps into a babies pram and attacks the baby,would she send a nice letter telling the parents to keep their baby indoors.
Sod the water pistols,brick and boot would be the consequence in my house.
I am an animal lover and have a cat and if you can't control your pet and accept responsibility for it you should not have it.

Our neighbor once asked us to stop our cat eating his carp fish because they are very expensive.
Luckily the cat arrived home whilst the neighbor was stood at our door.

We explained to the cat, that his carp were expensive and that he is not to eat the fish and that he is not to go into his garden.

Neighbor began swearing.

Thus, Ungrateful neighbor.