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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / September 2004Accused of spraying!
Hi, Hoping for some advice here. For 18 years I had just the one cat - a beautiful maine-coon style moggie who unfortunately succumbed to that most typical of Maine Coon diseases -- renal failure -- on November 4th 2001. I wasn't going to get another cat -- she was irreplacable. However, when a neighbour was 'given' a cat as a pet, which she abandoned, I took the emaciated, unvaccinated, unspayed creature in while trying to find her a good home. Within a month, she RAPIDLY gained weight and gave birth to four beautiful babies on September 1 2002. Unfortunately, all four babies have severe congenital HCM and so I now have the mother and the four babies, all of whom have been vaccinated and desexed and who now have a loving home with me where their medical, nutritional and emotional needs are met. Today I received an aggressive anonymous handwritten note from one of my neighbours, saying if I can't control my cats then they'll report me to my council! In particular, it says that the "male without a collar sprays" their house. Now, all 5 of my cats have collars and registration tags. I have never observed them spraying anywhere, but HAVE seen TWO other cats in our yard, neither of whom has a collar and BOTH of whom spray. I've also had two dogs in our yard, tearing up the garden and stealing items which they drag to their homes. I'm 5 foot 4, so hardly intimidating in stature, and not confrontational by nature, which is why I hadn't addressed the barking, wandering dog from the right hand side, the snarling, stealing labrador from out back or the noisy left-hand neighbours and their barking black poodle. I *think* the note came from the right-hand neighbour, but I have no way to confirm, as the note was anonymous. If it *is* him, then this could be a problem, as his grey cat was one of the two I observed spraying in my yard, and taking 2-inch holes out of the rumps of the heartsick cats, and when I mentioned in passing a few months ago that we often saw his cat in our yard -- that was it! We haven't seen the cat since, not even on his own property! I don't know what to do! Advice, anyone? Thankyou! Catherine > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > > Catherine Could you take the note to the council and explain that you don't have a male cat without a collar and that the person who wrote the note is incorrect thinking you own the cat in question? W Wendy <wendypart@nospam.com> quoth: >Could you take the note to the council and explain that you don't have a >male cat without a collar and that the person who wrote the note is >incorrect thinking you own the cat in question? I'd write a friendly little note to all my surrounding neighbors, saying that I'd gotten an anonymous note and what it said, and then explaining that it's not your cat. I'd probably then put in a helpful little paragraph about the necessity of collars and tags (and make myself an example of doing it), and then call upon "us all" to find ways to be responsible for our pets. I'd then probably ask that if anyone would be interested in discussing pets in the neighborhood, how to care for them and so on, and suggest a possibility for getting together for coffee or the like. IOW, turn it into a positive... someone else has raised this issue, how about we find ways to improve the lot of our pets and learn a bit in the process. Like that. Spin it into a positive while making it very clear that you've been accused of something you haven't done. Frankly I'd also put in a line about how anonymous notes are not helpful because it prevents the possibility of follow-up conversation and community building. But then I'm big on neighbors connecting. ;-) My nextdoor neighbors and I care for a small colony of ferals whom we've TNRed. We provide food and water year round and warm shelter during our nasty winters here in Boston. Good luck, and keep us posted! Priscilla > Today I received an aggressive anonymous handwritten note from one of > my neighbours, saying if I can't control my cats then they'll report > me to my council! In particular, it says that the "male without a > collar sprays" their house. I don't know much about where you live and all (council?), but don't they have to prove it? I mean, around here, if someone were to complain about my pet destroying their property, they'd have to file a report, with their name and everything, and they'd have to be able to prove that it was my animal that damaged their property. How worried are you, and why? What could happen if someone "reported you to council"? If it isn't your cat, what can they possibly do about it?  Signature-- ~kaeli~ You feel stuck with your debt if you can't budge it. http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace [...] > How worried are you, and why? What could happen if someone "reported you to > council"? If it isn't your cat, what can they possibly do about it? > > -- The reason why I'm worried is that my cats are registered on the National database, but not the local council database. The council permits only 2 cats (and 2 dogs, 2 rabbits etc) ... I have 5 cats, but nothing else. Apparently exemptions can be made, but only with the written agreement of 2 out of 3 neighbours. My neighbours on all sides are 'dog-people' not 'cat-people'. More to the point, the left-hand neighbours have young kids which yell, scream and climb the fence. The back neighbour has a large labrador which keeps digging entrance into our property, breaking the garden and stealing anything which isn't tied down to take back to its place as a toy. The right-hand neighbours are elderly, and the man keeps screaming abuse at his wife, who appears to have alzheimer's. Their dog has large protruding lumps in its chest which I can only assume are tumors. I actually live in a good neighbourhood, just with some 'iffy' neighbours. But I'd need the approval of those neighbours to register my own animals. So, even if the council found that my heart-sick kitties had NOT been spraying, they'd still be duty-bound to impound them and impose strong fines. Moreover, while impounded, the council does NOT medicate the animals as they would require because of their congenital heart disease, and they would not receive adequate monitoring. The extra stress that being impounded would cause, combined with the lack of monitoring and medication, could easily see them die in a short period of time. Even if that did not happen, it would significantly shorten their lives. So yes, I have causes for concern! Catherine "OzFree" <OzFree@gmail.com> wrote in message> > Moreover, while impounded, the council does NOT medicate the animals > as they would require because of their congenital heart disease, and > they would not receive adequate monitoring. The extra stress that > being impounded would cause, combined with the lack of monitoring and > medication, could easily see them die in a short period of time. Even > if that did not happen, it would significantly shorten their lives. IMPOUND them? Move. > So yes, I have causes for concern! > > Catherine > I actually live in a good neighbourhood, just with some 'iffy' neighbours. But I'd need the approval of those neighbours to register my own animals. So, even if the council found that my heart-sick kitties had NOT been spraying, they'd still be duty-bound to impound > them and impose strong fines. > > Moreover, while impounded, the council does NOT medicate the animals as they would require because of their congenital heart disease, and they would not receive adequate monitoring. Okay, I know you can't just move. But I could never live while knowing that anyone for any reason could take my cats. Surely the council would give you the chance to get rid of them, i.e. take them to a friend's or even to a kennel where they could receive proper care, before they just siezed them. I just cannot see homeowner's associations storming in and taking sick animals and refusing to medicate them. When we bought this house, we passed up on several properties that had these kinds of rules. > Okay, I know you can't just move. But I could never live while knowing that > anyone for any reason could take my cats. Surely the council would give you [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > and refusing to medicate them. When we bought this house, we passed up on > several properties that had these kinds of rules. I live in Canada and it is against the law for someone to storm in and seize animals, even in a strata home, which mine is. Not that I have 5 cats, I only have one, but even if I did, if someone came in here, I would call the cops and they would be charged. If we had any rules, the most they could do would be to fine me. ~Melanie <snip> > I actually live in a good neighbourhood, just with some 'iffy' > neighbours. But I'd need the approval of those neighbours to register [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > So yes, I have causes for concern! My thoughts, without really knowing where you live, conditions, and so on... 1. Can you move somewhere more cat tolerant? 2. Can you have an enclosure in your yard for your cats and not permit them to roam at all, thus nullifying any possible complaint? 3. Same as #2, but keep them indoors for awhile until things chill out. Or at least keep the male accused of spraying indoors... 4. From what I've read, HCM usually kills by the age of 3. I don't know overmuch about it, so I could be totally off, but if the kittens will only live until 3, and you told your neighbors this, might they be more tolerant of them in general? I'm just thinking out loud... 5. Is the council (I still don't know what that is) allowed to just come into your home and count cats based on an anonymous complaint? If not, my response to them is "prove it". As is my response to my association, since I'm also over my limit of 2 pets. *heh* 6. Make notes accusing all the neighbors of acts of animals that aren't theirs and put them up. See how they like it. Okay, probably not feasible, but an amusing thought. Honestly, if it were me, I'd just keep all my cats inside until the whole thing blows over, but I don't know how feasible that is for you. Signature-- ~kaeli~ The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered. http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace More questions about spraying, just so that I'm better informed: 1. Do neutered cats spray? 2. Are neutered cats capable of that really stinky tomcat spray? 3. One of our cats does do this thing when she's really happy -- she stands up straight on all fours and shivers her tail -- nothing comes out the back though! But what is this, if it isn't spraying? Thanks! Catherine > More questions about spraying, just so that I'm better informed: > > 1. Do neutered cats spray? Not usually. But they can. They just don't have the same desire to most of the time, as neutering reduces that territorial urge to a minimum. However, lots of strange cats on his property might make him to this, especially if other toms are spraying what he considers to be his territory. I've never heard of a neutered male spraying someone else's house. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen, just that I don't think it's overly common. > 2. Are neutered cats capable of that really stinky tomcat spray? No, the smell is not the same. It smells, of course, but not like tomcat urine. I don't think there's anything in the world that smells like tomcat urine. I've only ever smelled one thing worse, and that was skunk spray. > 3. One of our cats does do this thing when she's really happy -- she > stands up straight on all fours and shivers her tail -- nothing comes > out the back though! But what is this, if it isn't spraying? Just extreme excitement. My boy Jeffrey does this. He is neutered and doesn't spray (he's an indoor cat). It's like a little kid jumping up and down when they get a good Christmas present. :) Signature-- ~kaeli~ Persons disagreeing with facts are always emotional and employ faulty reasoning. http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace kaeli <tiny_one@nospam.comcast.net> quoth: >> 3. One of our cats does do this thing when she's really happy -- she >> stands up straight on all fours and shivers her tail -- nothing comes >> out the back though! But what is this, if it isn't spraying? >Just extreme excitement. My boy Jeffrey does this. He is neutered and doesn't >spray (he's an indoor cat). It's like a little kid jumping up and down when >they get a good Christmas present. :) I know many people who call that "happy tail." Priscilla >More questions about spraying, just so that I'm better informed: > >1. Do neutered cats spray? They may, particularly if they did it before they were neutered or are under stress. >2. Are neutered cats capable of that really stinky tomcat spray? No, it won't have that wonderful odor eau-de-tom.:) >3. One of our cats does do this thing when she's really happy -- she >stands up straight on all fours and shivers her tail -- nothing comes >out the back though! But what is this, if it isn't spraying? Some call it happy tail. BarB |
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