Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Another Freakin Cat Post.....

About five weeks ago, it was brought to my attention that our sweet kitten - Bella - had been visiting one of our neighbours and using their ridiculously huge sandpit as a litter box.  Said neighbour came a door knocking to ask if I had a little black cat with a blue tag (council tag)?  Ummm, yes, I said.  He proceeded to tell me that he had trapped her in his back yard and I should come and get her.

WTF?

I walked with this imbecile to his home, about five houses away, all the time asking him incredulously that when he said "trapped her" did he actually trap her?  Yep.  I was greeted at his home by his ever so delightful cranky and mouthy wife, telling me how disgusting it was that my cat was shitting in her kid's sandpit.  I agreed, with a pleasant but confused smile on my face.  As I rounded the corner in to their back yard I was horrified to see our little Bella in a metal trap, freakin out.  My Chelsea (Bella's human mummy) was equally if not more horrified and quickly ran to get her out.  It was a very warm day - we're talking 27 degrees - and Bella had been in this trap for who knows how long, without any water or food.  Cranky pants wifey was talking and I wasn't really listening, as I watched Chelsea take Bella home.  I kept asking cranky and her dickhead husband what exactly it was that they expected me to do?  She's a cat.......

They suggested I needed to keep Bella from entering their property.  Ahuh....right.  I repeated that she was a cat, and perhaps they could look at getting a cover for their sandpit - LIKE MOST PEOPLE WITH COMMON SENSE WOULD DO.  Nope.  Nope, not something they would consider.  So after a few more minutes of banter, and me telling them I would do my best, and perhaps they could think of some natural deterrents to keep cat/s away from their sandpit, I wandered off - bewildered.

I mean, is it me, or is going to the trouble of hiring a trap from the council to willingly trap a beautiful little kitten - who just happens to be registered with the council and is not some random stray - just bizarre?

For the following week, I kept Bella inside the house because I was basically too scared to let her out, for fear they would either trap her again, or do something worse.....

Fast forward to last week.  I was sitting upstairs and saw a council van pull in to the driveway.  Didn't take me long to figure out why they were here.......  Ever so lovely ranger tells me that he has my cat in his van.  It had been trapped by someone in the neighbourhood.  I asked him by who, and when he said he couldn't tell me - I told him.  With some very choice words.  I was not a lady.....

I asked HIM what the f*ck I was expected to do?  Well, his suggestions were nothing short of amusing.  Apparently "people" cut slits in pvc pipes, and put them over their fences so cats can't jump over them. Mmmmmmm, that's fabulous!  Cos I want my home to look like some kind of DYI disaster?  I'm thinking razor wire would be equally as effective?  Give it that "detention centre" shine?

Orrrr, we could build/buy a cat run?  Oh yeh, cos that's why you have a pet cat.  So it can be trapped in a f*cking wire enclosed building.  Sure.

Orrrrrr, we could just keep the cat inside - like - forever.

I very politely sarcastically, with a touch of f*ck you, told the ranger that the use of common sense was lacking in some people's brains, and that the council's  willingness to go along with those lacking common sense made me very cranky.  Collected Bella from the TRAP in his van and gave him a generous wave and smile and sent him on his way.

A few days later, he returned with the official letter of complaint and warning, that if Bella steps paw on their property again, we will incur a fine and Bella would be impounded.  Nice.


Now - the husband and I have had a few interesting conversations about the predicament we have found ourselves in.  He suggested we could go and shovel some of our dog shit on to their front yard, but hey, that wouldn't be very neighbourly would it?  I had a friend on Facebook offer us some chicken shit to share with them, but I thought that was too kind, because at least you can use chicken poop to fertilise your garden?  All I've managed to do is give the a*sehole a good case of staring as I drove past their home this afternoon.  Time will tell.......

In the meantime, I am trying not to lose my proverbial mind over the fact that I now have a kitty-cat trying not to lose HER mind at the fact that she can no longer go out and enjoy the great outdoors.  Long gone are her days of climbing the trees in our front yard, or wrestling with our two puppy dogs in the backyard.  Now her days are spent staring longingly out the windows, meowing incessantly and clawing any or all the furniture she can possibly manage without copping an earful from me.

Not to mention the fact that every time I hear the front or back door open everyone yells "DON'T LET BELLA OUT'!!!!!!!  Followed by the sound of running as the closest person to the door chases after her if she's managed to escape.

Soooooo, friends.  I ask you this - what would you do?  I understand, I really do, that there are cat haters out there.  In fact, I used to be one myself.  Before I was a cat owner, I had to go and buy sandpit covers begrudgingly to keep the neighbourhood cats from deficating in said sandpit.  It's common sense yes?  And even now, as a cat lover liker I have had to throw things at random cats who've come a knocking at our door to pester our own cats.  Once again, common sense?

I'm seriously at a loss.  Help.

***  Cat haters and non-constructive comments will not be appreciated.  Although if they're highly amusing comments I may laugh.

****  We are responsible cat owners who bring their cat inside at night and register her too.

12 comments:

  1. Hi there :)

    My cats, and I have a few as I breed them lol, happily live in the house and in their enclosures. The idea of a cat enclosure isn't a bad one as you can get really amazing ones... and very large!! They can come and go as they please if you attach it to a window. Catnip parks are one such company. You can then fill them with poles etc and she would grow to love it...

    You can also train her to harness and take her for walks...

    I know these are not things you wish to do BUT these people sound like they will stop at nothing to get rid of her and I would be afraid of them poisoning her.

    Cats can be trained to happily live inside though it is a bit more work once they've been outside.

    I hope this helps :)

    Cheers
    Jen

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    1. Thanks Jennifer. I went to reply to you by email but you're a no reply'er. I shall have to google that company and see whether it's even a possibility, which unfortunately I think it may not be given the layout of our house. And I would LOVE to see the look on my husband's face if I went and got her a harness and started taking her for walks! I wonder if I could walk past said neighbour's house and watch her poo on their lawn? heheheh xxx

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    2. Please feel free!!! smudgedesign@hotmail.com More than happy to help :)

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  2. Humans. Gah. Too annoyed for words. I've, unfortunately, developed an allergy so can't ever have a kitty of my own, but I'd never keep on indoors anyway. My nan's were roamers and that's how it should be. I've experienced some truly disturbed indoor cats. Not all of them can deal with it. Further, they're not actually attacking people. Which brings me to my dog owner hate.. leash them, you idiots. It's not just me who's phobic (fear isn't equal to hatred, you're 30kg "puppy" might be cute and totally sweet but I'm scared, dammit) and you're on public transport/in the city ffs. Oh, sorry for hijacking this. Your neighbours are proper arseholes. Boo. Trapping a kitty is bad enough, not taking care she has water during the torment..gah..

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    1. Really? You think "that's how it should be"? I pay for my land. Just as your 'personal space' shouldn't be invaded by some "idiot" (nice, by the way) dog owner's pet, the land that I pay for shouldn't be a toilet for your animal. I like cats; don't own any, but I like them. I also have neighbors who let their cats run throughout our neighborhood every day. And every couple of days I have to go out in to my back yard and clean up their crap which includes literal crap and whatever they've killed recently. Including the birds who've chosen my yard to build their nests. Yes, I have bird houses and feeders MEANT to attract them to my yard. Before you claim that I don't KNOW it was a cat that did the killing; yes, yes I do. My kitchen sink faces the back yard and many times I've witnessed the cats actually stalking or carrying the fresh kill. This is DESPITE our neighborhood watch sending out a note asking all cat owners to put a bell on their cat's collars to warn the prey. I haven't heard one yet. I'm an animal lover. Period. No one should ever hurt an animal. I have two dogs who frequently walk with me - most of the time on a leash, sometimes off leash. They've both been trained to never approach anyone, or EVER to jump on anyone. Both are to sit and remain seated whenever I command, which is normally when there is a jogger or bike rider approaching. I cross the street if I see someone walking without a pet. Most people in my neighborhood have them. I realize that not all dog owners, or as you call them "idiots", have trained their's that way; I have. You should also realize not everyone's as neurotic with their phobia as you are. Some have true phobias like finding grown women on posts who use dolls as their preview image. http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/outdoor-cats-are-prolific-killers-study-finds http://indoorpet.osu.edu/ http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/cats/index.html

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  3. That is horrible. I'm a cat lover but I don't have one right now. We do have cover for our sandpit. I don't understand why you shouldn't have one. Those people are unbeliavable. Anyway our neighbor has couple of cats and they just go over to our place and leave the poops at the most frequently used placed. It sucks! I have two little girls so you can imagine but I can not imagine hearting the cats. That's just something I don't understand. Is getting your cat her own sandpit an option?

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  4. Not sure how you can deal with this Midge. Cats are roamers by nature, and yours will move around its neighbourhood if allowed out. I have owned many cats over time. Some go outside all day long, others, like my current one Tibby, are more than happy to stay curled up close by me inside all day, although she has access to the garden.
    I guess you could buy a sandpit cover and present it to the neighbours? They may use it if there is no outlay to themselves. Also, you didn't say if they were owners or renters. If the latter, then you can be hopeful that they will eventually move away. A friend of mine has a cat run, and her 2 cats are perfectly happy with that. You will also find that as your kitty ages, she may well be less active.
    I feel for you. Would hate it if my Tibs were locked up in a trap by a neighbour!

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  5. Some people have nothing to better to do than to complain and try and make others lives as miserable as theirs oviously must be. I would start watching said neighbor like a hawk. I am assuming you have a home owners association tha thas some rules you mus tor must not follow. If so I would start reporting and complaing about everything said neighbor does tha tis a infraction be it real or imagined. Siad neighobr could have magically correction such real or "imagined violations before home owners association showed up. I would also contact your local animal control or humane society. Trapping pet animlas I would imagine to be considered animal cruelty and where I live that is against the law.. They may be fined or charged and or put on a list of violaters which would make each time they did similar things be worse violations or fines. Also the animal control or Humane society could tell you what your rights are in your area as far as cats go. It wouldn't hurt. But those complainers need to rembers tables can be tured and they can be reported for said violations just as you were to this "council" which I am thinking must be the same as a homeowners association. My advice... Otherwise I guess I would be forced to keep my cat indoors and turn her into a inside cat. Do the nasty neighbors hav ea dog is it outside? Does it bark at night or day ? Complain... Are they suppoed to only park in the garage or drive way not in the street. If they are parked in the street or have comapny parked in the street complain. Do their kids run across your property compalin they are trustpasssing. Do they leave their trash can out after the hours of trash removal...complain. Do they have parties too many vehicles on the street...complain...Do they play loud music ..complain. Do they speed through the neighbor hood complain...That is a major safety isses in subdivision/ communities on account of small children... Do they operate a business out of their home. Most home owners associtaions to not allow such. Read the rules or covenants & restrictions for your area and see which rules they break and once again ...COMPLAIN.....Make their life a living Hell...I bet they wan't like the tables being turned on them... And next time they complain or try and be nice either ignore them or tell them to get a life and kiss your a--! Sorry this just taicks me off to know they trapped your animal and held it hostage for hours with no food or water, It could have traumatized your cat. He may need expesive kitty mental health visits...Due to their excessive animal cruelty.. Ask other neighbors if they have done similar to them in the past get them to report it as animal cruelty as well...

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  6. I simply cannot believe that people can be so anal!!!!! Please excuse my language but I am sitting here fuming that your neighbours can be so ridiculous. If they are so concerned about their sand pit they should put a cover on it or use some or other deterrent! BUT as they clearly aren't sane they won't listen to reason. I cannot agree that cats should have their freedom curbed by encaging them. I do have a suggestion that may seem a tad unorthodox ... how about offering a sand pit for your cat in your own back yard if that is what it seems to prefer ... perhaps it won't be tempted to use theirs. However your cat probably feels the same way about these neighbours that you do and is showing it in his/her own way ;-)

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  7. I keep my cats indoors and on a screened-in porch, too many savage dogs in my neighborhood, but I wonder could you use a wireless fence and collar on a cat like you can a dog??? I guess that would be a question for your veterinarian?

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  8. Well in my experience as a veterinary receptionist the old saying applies: " Kill them with kindness". These folks clearly have nothing better to do than make a small problem really complicated. I agree with above statements of getting them a sandbox cover, getting your own sandbox and making some sort of outdoor enclosure for your kitty. Short of groveling at their feet, I would take any measure to insure your cat doesn't do anything to offend them again . These people have it in for your kitty and are just looking for her to make another "mistake". Sometimes even when they are wrong people just want someone to tell them they're right! Go with it and move on. My neighbors actually installed a motion sensor spotlight that goes on at night if a dog comes near their front lawn and they have posted 2 little yappy schnauzers to charge at you within an inch of the edge of their lawn during the day. Id love for my Newfoundland to make a snack out of them both but instead I have trained him to walk on the other side of the street, I'll take animals over humans any day!

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  9. My sister lived in a neighborhood where her kitty couldn't wander too far(traffic, etc), so she got one of those lightweight cables and would snap her kitty onto it outdoors and it seemed to agree with the kitty, and saved my sister the worry of where she was. Hope everything works out.

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