lost 2 friends!!

Dave_4

Even Texas has a law against killing pets.
http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/4683141.html
http://www.animal-law.org/statutes/texas.htm

You're probably better off posting to misc.legal.moderated.
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.legal.moderated

People here are making a lot of assumptions that may or may not apply.

None of the above applies if "taken for a ride" means that your neighbor tricked your cats into giving him all their kibble or something.

jerryb

Lost 2 friends!!

What would you guy's do if some creep that lives across from you traped two of your house cats in three days and took them for a ride.?I'm so mad i could ,i don't know what i could do.

Timco

When you say took them for a ride, do you mean....

Techman

Furrie Friends

I hope they have 8 more lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

jerryb

Ride

yes!your on your own

Robert O'Brien

Unless

He came in your house to trap them,they're not house cats! If they are allowed outside they prey on songbirds and other small indigenous wildlife.Keep your cats where they belong.

Patrick Mullaney

details

1) did he come on to your property and take them

2) did they go on his property and he took them

3) go talk to a lawyer, but basically, there is nothing monetarilly, or otherwise, that is going to happen if you go to court.

Leo

If they

If they went in his garage and into his workshop then urinated that "cat stink" like one did in my garage I don't blame him. It is my choice to not have animals, I don't need to put up with other peoples. Now, if this guy set out food and attracted them that's a whole different story.

Leo

jp_2

animal cruelty

i think the sheriff handles animal cruelty situations,

I'd think most states have animal laws.

Brad White_148

True, but....

Get the animal rights folks and PETA involved and stand back. I agree, courts treat cases like this as a waste of their time.

In some areas, here in MA, the penalties are high for hurting an animal. Hit a kid, fine (maybe). Kick a dog or a cat and you are toast.

Seriously, I hate it when people mistreat animals.

Good luck.

B.

Joe@buderus_2

Unwanted kitty visits

Had the problem a few years back. Neighbors cat would use my kids sandbox as a "litterbox". Wanted a non lethal way to stop this from happening. Old person told me to spread pepper where you don't want the cat to be and after a "sniff" or two there gone! Works with skunks digging up the lawn for grubs as well.

lthiesen

Kitty Visits

Pepper did not work for me, seemed to attract more of them!
The only thing that worked was having animal control trap them.

Dave_4

Dear Miss Manners,

My neighbor's cat peed in my garage. Is it alright to kill it?

Vexed in PA

ishmael2k

PETA and animal rights...

Oh give me a break... If you are going to let your cats run wild (Yes WILD, once out of your house dear old Tabby will revert to what he/she was designed for: a hunter pure and simple.) you are, in effect, saying "Hope none of my neighbors really like birds, chipmunks and such.."

Around here feral (As far as I am concerned once out of your yard your cat is "feral") cats are considered open game.

Now I do not happen to care if my neighbors cats cross my yard, have "cat proofed" my pole barn and could care less if they get the occasional bird or chipmunk so I do not hunt them. But if they were to become a problem then they would probably disappear.

Call PETA and the animal rights (What rights?) groups all you want, unless your neighbor is bbq'ing them out in the open you have nothing to complain about. (Plus unless you have proof that he did something you'd be opening yourself up to some court time yourself I'd think.)

BTW most states do have anti-cruelty laws, but if you read them closely most of them are worded so that "eliminating" problem animals is not considered cruelty.

Dave_4

.

"But if they were to become a problem then they would probably disappear."

hope your neighbor isn't the 'eye for an eye' type.

Joannie_12

That's Horrible

And he IS a creep. I can't say what I'd do. This site shouldn't have such language on it.

Sorry to hear about that. I'd be pretty devistated if I was you.

MIke_Jonas

House Cats?

I have to agree, if they made it to his property, they are no longer "house" cats. Before you biatch about what he did, look at yourself as to why they made it over there in the first place.
And by the way...

You don't have, like, 20 or 30 more, still in your house, do ya?

Perry_2

Jerry

I understand how you feel when you loose your pets. People often have an emotional attachment - and it hurts.

On the other hand... "Pets" on the loose create a lot of other problems; and if they ranged off of your property then their is an offsetting issue of how to deal with the nusance they create. You may not see it that way - but a lot of other people do.

I feel for your loss, but if you are going to cherish your pets you also need to take care of them. In my book that means not allowing them to run unsupervised on others properties.

Unless your locality has some uncommon laws the person who removed these cats from the community did nothing wrong.


In my case - I am highly allergic to cats and do not need any making me sick. Dogs are OK from an allergy standpoint - but have you ever seen dogs run a deer. In both cases though - I would try to contact the owner once; and advise them to keep their animals under control. Past that I would have no qualms with removing the "stray" animals (dog or cat). Should I see a dog running a deer and I have access to a good rifle - it gets shot at once (with no warning to the owner). I know that does not help you with your loss - but you should consider that is how other people can and will act when you get your next pet. Please take proper care of your pets.

Perry

Leo

I didn't say

I didn't say I would kill it. I wouldn't kill it. But if someone else did so be it. I can't control what others do. As a kid they used my sand box as a litter box. I hate cats period. On the other hand, while working in peoples houses I always ask if the cat can go out. Some people want the door kept closed and I respect that, it's their home, please respect mine.

Leo

Larry Weingarten

This thread...

...sure would sound different if you substituted the word "dog" for the word "cat". They are both pets. Anybody who resorts to killing pets that have not threatened human life, needs an authority figure in their life.

Yours, Larry

Pinball

P.E.T.A.



People. Eating. Tasty. Animals. ?

Robert O'Brien

Larry

They're pets when they are in your house where they belong.
"Although rural free-ranging cats have greater access to wild animals and undoubtedly take the greatest toll, even urban house pets take live prey when allowed outside. Extensive studies of the feeding habits of free-ranging domestic cats over 50 years and four continents [6] indicate that small mammals make up approximately 70% of these cats' prey while birds make up about 20%. The remaining 10% is a variety of other animals. The diets of free-ranging cat populations, however, reflect the food locally available.

Observation of free-ranging domestic cats shows that some individuals can kill over 1000 wild animals per year [7], although smaller numbers are more typical. Some of the data on kills suggest that free-ranging cats living in small towns kill an average of 14 wild animals each per year. Rural cats kill many more wild animals than do urban, or suburban cats [8]. Several studies found that up to 90% of free-ranging rural cats' diet was wild animals, and less than 10% of rural cats killed no wild animals [9]. Recent research [10] suggests that rural free-ranging domestic cats in Wisconsin may be killing between 8 and 217 million birds each year. The most reasonable estimates indicate that 39 million birds are killed in the state each year. Nationwide, rural cats probably kill over a billion small mammals and hundreds of millions of birds each year. Urban and suburban cats add to this toll. Some of these kills are house mice, rats and other species considered pests, but many are native songbirds and mammals
whose populations are already stressed by other factors, such as habitat destruction and pesticide pollution.

Despite the difficulties in showing the effect most predators have on their prey, cats are known to have serious impacts on small mammals and birds. Worldwide, cats may have been involved in the extinction of more bird species than any other cause, except habitat destruction. Cats are contributing to the endangerment of populations of birds such as Least Terns, Piping Plovers and Loggerhead Shrikes. In Florida, marsh rabbits in Key West have been threatened by predation from domestic cats [11]. Cats introduced by people living on the barrier islands of Florida's coast have depleted several unique species of mice and woodrats to near extinction [12, 13].

Not only do cats prey on many small mammals and birds, but they can outnumber and compete with native predators. Domestic cats eat many of the same animals that native predators do. When present in large numbers, cats can reduce the availability of prey for native predators, such as hawks [14] and weasels [15].

Free-ranging domestic cats may also transmit new diseases to wild animals. Domestic cats have spread feline leukemia virus to mountain lions [16] and may have recently infected the endangered Florida Panther with feline panleukopenia (feline distemper) and an immune deficiency disease [17].

Perry_2

Not true in rural america

Ask any "farmer" who is raising some form of animals: cattle, cows, emus, chickens, turkeys, mink, and a variety of other modern exotic animals how much trouble a free running dog that likes to chase animals is... They get shot on site.

It seems that people who live in larger communities and cities dont understand that so well. They like to bring their dogs out to run in the country - and think it is funny that their dog is chasing other animals. We even had a case in Wisconsin a decade or so where the offending city slicker called the sherrif and complained. The sherrif issued him a ticket for allowing his dog to run wild and chase livestock. Then this guy sued everyone involved for "animal cruelty" and "pain and suffering" and "harrassment." It did not end well for this guy as he endid up paying all the legal fees for the farmer who shot his dog and the sherrifs department who countercharged.

I grew up in a family with multiple pets. I understand how much they mean to people. However, I also grew up in a rural community in the middle of the dairy belt in Wisconsin - and learned from all the farmers that it was our responsibility to ensure that our pets did not create a nusance for other people - or affect the various game and livestock in the area.

Being a pet owner can bring great comfort and stability - and yes you morne their passing.

However, being a pet owner also means you have some responsibilities as well. Keeping your pet on your property - or under control when off of your property is one of them.

Perry

csmclean

cats

IF I CAUGHT ANYONE HARMING EITHER OF OUR CATS, NO MATTER WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE WOULD BE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. IT IS PLAIN SICK TO HARM SOMEONE ELSE'S COMPANION ANIMALS. I HAVE THE VET BILLS TO PROVE IT. SO THOSE OF YOU WHO WOULD PURPOSEFULLY TRAP, SHOOT, RUN OVER, SIC DOGS UPON, MY CATS, WATCH OUT!!! COOL IT!!! THEY ARE SENTIENT BEINGS!!! WITH SOME OF THE ATTITUDES EXPRESSED ON THIS THREAD, I THINK IT'D BE BEST FOR US WHO LOVE OUR CATS TO KEEP THEM FENCED IN, SO YOU SICKOES DON'T HARM THEM.

csmclean

MIKE, YOU TOO ARE A SICKOE!!! STICK TO SHOOTING AT CANS, BOTTLES AND PAPER TARGETS, OR BETTER YET, GIVE UP YOUR DAMN GUNS!!!

Timco

You know...I feel the same about the birds I try soo hard to bring into my back yard. Maybe someday a law will be passed to control cats. I do not advocate killing them, but have trapped many ferral cats in my neighborhood and brought them to the animal shelter. You have the right to allow your animal to harm my property and pee & poop all over my yard? WHO ARE YOU??? And get off the gun thing, pal. My guns have never killed anything.

Tim

EJW

Feral Cats

One word for the feral cats,...........COYOTE.


EJW

Ken D.

cat

Sounds like you have major neighbor probems, rather than anything else. Unfortunately, that can be a problem you can't do anything about, except move.

Plumdog_2

lions and tigers and bears

Coyotes have eaten two of my cats; and Mtn lions have eaten many nearby. And even tried to get inside a ladies home, with a toddler present, to get her cat. I would not harm a lion, but I sure would like to make a hat out of a coyote. They are mangy and worthless. And besides, it's the Circle of Life so get over it Muostafah.

Perry_2

Agreed that

if the neighbor either entered the pets owners properties - or deliberatly induced the pets off of the owners properites - then the neighbor is both moraly and legally wrong.

On the other hand - if the pets left the owners properties (and routinely do so) and were not in the control of the owner (or owners representative); then a number of places will define them as "strays." Of course, can't speak for every location in the US. Most cities have "animal control officers" (or departements) - and if they pick up your "stray pet" you're not getting them back without paying a fine. That gives a clue how the law sees the issues.

The case that is troubling is how do you treat a situation where the pet is usually properly controlled - but gets loose on rare occasions.

Perry

Mark Wolff_2

guns

Guns were not in this topic till you brought them up. If you don't like guns, move to Canada. The preferred method of murder there is chainsaw, I believe.

Steamhead (in transit)

I agree, you have a mental case for a neighbor

jeez, even Texas has a law against killing pets so it's probably the case in many other places as well......

There are ways to deal with "neighbors from hell". If you can hear them playing their music, or see them drinking beer outside in violation of an open-container law etc etc, call the police. If you see something on their property that might be a housing code or zoning violation, call the AHJ. In most cases you don't have to give your name, and most telephone exchanges let you block Caller ID by pressing *67 before dialing the number so there will be no record of who called (though not if you dial 911- use the non-emergency number instead). Enough of these calls and most places will flag that address as a problem and crack down on it.

Then the idiots will get tired of it and move.

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Perry_2

Steamhead

I can't suggest your solution. Do not count on calls not being traced back to you if you call any officials office. Especially repeatedly. Their are exceptions to the blocked call list.

Methinks that the person doing the calling will get tagged as the problem person. I've a brother who was a Sherrifs deputy (now retired on disability), and know a few cops - and they are not real freindly to people who routinely call for trivial matters. Get labled as that... and what are you going to do when you really need them (or when you get stopped for that minor traffic violation).

Perry

Steamhead (in transit)

As far as I know

at least in Maryland, the exception is only for emergency call centers- 911.

In Maryland, the law states that you do not have to give your name or any other information when calling in. It further prevents officials from refusing to respond if you do not want them to know who you are. Most 911 call centers have access to the number, address and subscriber info on incoming calls, but can only use them under certain conditions, for example if someone dials 911 and the line is disconnected before they can say anything. Misuse of this information can- and I believe has- resulted in criminal prosecution.

The intent of this is to protect a caller's anonymity, since some people- criminal and otherwise- like to intimidate people so they won't call for help.

Police who behave in the manner you describe are not doing their job in an impartial manner.

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Plumber7

Cats?

I'm trying to figure out the relevence to Heating help.com? Did they throw the cats into your boiler? Are you trying to figure out the BTU rating?