On Mon 07 Mar 2005 09:36:01a,  wrote in rec.pets.cats.health+behav
(news:27033-422C66D1-130@storefull-3273.bay.webtv.net):

Jane,  This is a text only newsgroup.  Please remove your signature
(HTML) before posting to it.

                 ---MIKE---

What needs to be done about it--except supporting it?

Look I have 3 cats and except for the occasional irritation from where
they've hopped onto places I don't like them hopping onto--and even that
I've managed to break them from doing lately--I like them a lot, and would
NOT want anyone shooting at them. But I live in an apartment and they are
kept strictly indoors.

The urge that some feel towards shooting an offending cat--this wouldn't be
an issue if the victim's neighbor would control their animals. Too often
they don't, even when they're warned of the problem; they think everyone
around them is just supposed to put up with the problems their pet is
bringing. No wonder some feel the need to shoot.

And really, where I grew up was in a very rural setting, and it was nothing
for people to shoot stray animals with their pistol or rifle; in fact, my
own mother, herself a very strong cat lover, though nothing of doing it,
especially if the animal was a dog. If a stray dog or cat--usually dog--was
bothering your own pets or getting in the trash, you shot it--that was it.
No problems. No need to involve animal control, you handled it yourself.

If someone has a cat or dog bothering them in anyway with regards to the
animal trespassing into another's yard and creating problems, the victim
should be able to do whatever they have to do to remedy the problem. Period.
Now they of course should first let the neighbor know of the issues and give
the neighbor a chance to rectify it--to control their animals. But if they
fail to, the victim shouldn't have to indefinitely keep having to put up
with the problems bought on by the offending animal.

Of course it's not the animal's fault, it's the fault of the irresponsible
owner. But the victim needs a quick remedy without endless visits or waiting
on hold on the phone dealing with animal control if they can handle the
problem themselves. It's simply a case of speedy rectification; shooting is
a lot quicker than all the legwork one would have to do to have animal
control handle things.

And if the owner doesn't want their cat or dog shot, they should take
responsibility for their animal and control it. There is no excuses, not
even "I can't help what they do when I'm not home." No excuses, period.

So--by all means, try & reason with your neighbor first. But if they won't
listen to reason, I say--bang bang bang.

LRH