Do you allow your cats to roam outdoors?

crackin' me UP. a simple question- if your cat DOES end up getting hit by a car and in need of medical care, are you going to go after the driver for your vet bills or will you accept the possibly astronomical vet bill as part of the risk you take by allowing your cat to roam a neighborhood full of busy streets?

 

by the way- i don't ask that to be snide or rude- i would hate to be the one to hit an animal- i hit a rabbit once and cried for days. even with my dislike for cats, i would never want one DEAD. just far far away from me....

 

deus sorry to have to throw another log on the fire but i have issues with mojave as well. he visits almost daily to spray everywhere he can in my garden, on my deck, patio, and windows then will antagonize my indoor cat (and when i covered the windows to try to stop this he climbed up my neighbors deck stairs and hopped over to my deck to spray and antagonize my cat through the upstairs windows/doors.) as much as i felt bad about doing it i even tried turning the hose on him a few times but he just really doesn't seem to care, cause he'd be back within the hour, so i stopped. now that you are aware of the trouble he's been causing please please please do something about it. thx.

 

The latter.

 

you heard it here folks, print this thread in case this ends up on judge judy!

just funnin' ya Deus. in all seriousness, we've beaten this cat- sorry- HORSE to death. ball is in your court to decide what to do with your cat and i doubt anything else anyone says or does will affect your decision. i hope your cat reurns home safely and you can find a way to keep him from being a menace. he's not exactly a gang member, but a nuisance just the same, apparently. it's the neighborly thing to do.

 

Thanks for the info. I'll see what I can do about it.

 

You can't keep your outdoor-roaming cat from getting hit by a car. This happened to a friend of mine's cat. He was hit in the middle of the night within a mile of home, the driver rushed him to animal hospital. Owners were out for the evening and did not get the phone call, so vet proceeded with thousands of dollars worth of lifesaving work. My friend was quite upset - about the accident, about the treatment vs euthanasia, about the bill, everything. Now three legged cat lived years more, with ongoing medical problems with leg stump and broken tail. In the end he was euthanized anyway. Please please keep cats indoors - this is not farmland.

 

I have a 12-year-old cat that lived the first 5 years of her life as an outdoor "stray" in South Florida. "Stray" in quotes b/c she was once owned, as she had all 4 paws declawed (what vet actually did THAT?...) and was spayed before my mom adopted her -- and the groups that trap strays/ferals to neuter them don't declaw them, so that wasn't her story. She was making a living on a nearby farm but roamed the neighborhood getting fed mainly by my mom. One day, she found my mom's dog door, and moved herself into my mom's house. A few years later, I adopted her, and she became an indoor-mostly cat -- she was allowed out on my patio but not past the fence.
Here in VA where I can't reliably limit her just in my yard, she is entirely indoors, and she doesn't seem to miss it at all. sometimes when I'm home to supervise her, I'll let her into the yard or out on the deck, but she never really wants to roam... just wants to be outside with her people, and when we come inside, so does she without an argument.

So, even if they do know it, they still may not miss it.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by deusexaethera
Oh, and there's no ordinance requiring cats to be kept inside or on leashes, so good luck fining me.

Before you get too snarky with your neighbors, I suggest you read the Declaration for Broadlands, Article 8, Section 8.2, (q).

In part, it reads: "...any such pet causing or creating a nuisance or unreasonable disturbance or noise may be permanently removed from the Property upon 10 days written notice from the Board of Directors. Pets shall not be permitted on the Common Area unless accompanied by someone who can control the per and unless carried or leashed."
Earlier in the paragraph it points out that this applies to cats.

So, to paraphrase Al Gore during his failed presidential campaign: "There IS a controlling legal authority."

 

Thank you for that information, vacliff.

Now that legality has been brought into the conversation, I am no longer comfortable representing the opinions of both my father and myself; as such, I'm not going to discuss the topic any further. The problem is being discussed and addressed.

 

deus -

I have been reading the thread and I can understand (to an extent) that your cat is happier outside. I had the same issue with my adopted cat. We had no idea what her past was but knew that every time we opened the door she wanted to bolt. She finally learned to go out the doggie door and we then had no more control. Usually she just liked to sun herself on the patio and never left the yard until one day I could not find her and she ended up being gone for two weeks. Luckily she had a collar and a tag and one of our neighbors (3 streets over) called to say she had adpoted his kids playhouse and did not want to leave his yard. She was no trouble but it was time for her to come home. We installed an electrical fence around our yard (which by the way had a wooden fence already for the dogs)... I know some may disagree with electical fences but that is another topic... For years she would go out the doggie door and lay in the sun on the patio never leaving the yard because she knew the electrical fence was there. Sadly she passed recently (from old age) but I know she lived a happy AND SAFE life spending her days in the sun.

Have you considered this kind of option?

 

There are also "cat-proof" fence toppers available, but they might not meet HOA guidelines.

 

It seems that after many posts, the cat owner is being reasonable and thoughtful. Thanks!

Nice response 40 posts later. Maybe the HOA should call the Sheriffs office.

 

It looks like the point is moot - it appears the cat is moving out of the area.

What a poor state of affairs to gang up on the cat owner/your fellow neighbor.

This thread evolution and the recent thread where Deus announcing Mojave's move to Lynchburg this weekend just sickens me. Seriously I am ashamed to say I was any part of this topic.

 

Hello Ms. Bear-

I had just read the thread (not this one) where I thought it appropriate to point this out. Since the thread was getting "snarky" and an inaccurate assumption was made, I thought I would point it out.

Sorry I am not the forum police that you seem to be. Feel free to PM me when you think I need to post something sooner.

Just trying to provide some input...say...such as when I have work done at my house that was wholly inadequate and explain the circumstance to others.....but we won't go in to that!

 

Honestly - I didn't see anyone gang up. This thoughtful neighbor actually sought out comments to find out if his cat was bothering people. Found out the answer was yes, many people and their pets too, and took action to resolve it. Wow. Thank you for being so thoughtful of your community (and personally I think thoughtful of the cat's needs too).

I hope Mojave lives many happy years in what sounds like a better environment for him, and I hope you get to see him a lot.

 

Spare us the melodrama, Pea! No one "ganged up" on our neighbor. He asked for specific input as to whether his cat was causing issues. When presented with the evidence at first, he put his responsibility off on his neighbors and didn't take personal responsibility. He was more concerned with his cat and his own viewpoint than that of his neighbors.

After hearing more evidence and the intensity of his neighbor's issues with his roaming cat, he made a wise and mature decision.

So in this case, the forum worked just fine. I applaud the cat's owner for making the difficult and responsible choice. Good for him and good for Mojave. Likewise, the neighbors presented their issues with the cat. The situation was resolved for the best for everyone.