Bothered About Moron Next Door And My Cat?

smarty

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Hi and sorry for a pretty strange first post, just wanted some advice from other cat lovers. Basically I live in a semi-detached house and have 2 cats that I got from rescue shelters around 10 years ago. One of them very rarely goes out and is terrified of strange humans which is pretty good. Probably something to do with her being poisoned and apparently lost her sight temporarily. The other cat I have is a male cat that loves to go outside and is always hunting. Unfortunately for some strange reason I have upset the weirdo next door and we no longer speak. We used to speak as I have lived here for ten years, but I always thought he was an oddball as he told me he had issues with the previous 2 owners of my house and now I am No 3. The problem is this nasty piece of work hates cats and is often shouting at my cat when it enters his garden ( he never used to just since we stopped speaking, about a year ago). If the garden was nice I could maybe understand, but it is like a bomb site with grass about 3ft tall and infested with vermin that the cat obviously loves. On one occasion on a lovely summers night at around 7pm last year I heard this idiot shouting at the cat at the top of his voice, he shouted "Get out you little F*****g B*****d. I must add that I live in a decent area and I am probably not the only one who thinks this guy has problems. I have heard him shouting at the cat several times and it worries me. I dare not approach him as A) I despise him and may end up doing something that I really regret and might get into trouble for. B) I think he is obviously an idiot and I am bothered that he may poison my cat if I bother him.

My girlfriend thinks that I overreact and as long as it is just shouting it is just a major annoyance. I on the other hand am slightly paranoid about it as I have seen this guy being cruel to a dog that he used to own, which he also got put to sleep, and another one that he had after that. My girlfriend reckons that it is cruel keeping a cat indoors that is used to going out. She is probably right but I am just worried as I really think this guy has issues. I feel like such an idiot as I still go into his garden to cut a dividing hedge that is in my garden that overhangs into his, I have been doing this for ten years. I only do it because of the cat and again my girlfriend thinks that I am silly for doing it, but I am just paranoid that he harms my cat if I do not, as if I didn't have the cat I would do nothing for a low life like that. I guess it is silly to think that if I stop doing something that I have been doing for ten years may cause him to harm my cat, but then again somebody that swears at the top of his voice at a cat on a decent residential housing estate is obviously a bit of an idiot. The guy has lived by himself for ages now which is hardly surprising and his garden is a major eyesore.

I guess I have a few options ignore him, move house (a huge expense, but I am going to sometime as the house is to small and I detest my neighbour), or keep the cat in, which is hard work as he cries constantly if he cannot get out. Or do you think I just overreact like my girlfriend states? Here is my cat Tom by the way.
 

missymotus

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I'm sorry but I think your neighbour has every right to get upset when your cat goes into his yard.
I would keep the cats inside, they will adjust in time. You can also harness/leash train them so they still get some supervised yard time but won't bother anyone.
 

hissy

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I live with twenty socialized feral cats. Although most were rescued at an older age wandering the world, some were bottle babies as well. My cats stay inside the house and they have access to a cat enclosure my husband and I built. It attaches to the house through two kitty tunnels running out of our dining room window. In our house, cats DO get on the dining room table.

I would suggest that because you have to deal with a cat-hater that you keep your cats indoors 24/7 I know full well what people such as you describe are capable of doing to cats.


If you have the property then build an enclosure for them. Make sure it is far enough away that your neighbor can't toss in poisoned meat. If you have to, board up one side, the side toward your neighbor to keep your cats safe.

If you don't have property there are alternatives www.wildwhiskers.com
http://www.thecatsden.net/ http://www.finickyfelines.com/

I have tested the feline funhouse outdoor version with my ferals and it has withstood the test.

Ask your girlfriend what is crueler? Keeping cats indoor, occupied and happy, or find them laying in the yard the victim of a cat abuser?


Good luck
 
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smarty

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Originally Posted by missymotus

I'm sorry but I think your neighbour has every right to get upset when your cat goes into his yard.
I would keep the cats inside, they will adjust in time. You can also harness/leash train them so they still get some supervised yard time but won't bother anyone.
I agree but at the end of the day he never used to bother and his issues are with me. I never used to object when his stupid dog used to jump over my wall and s**t in my garden many years ago, and I never used to object when he put the stupid mutt in a dog run that he built when he went to work and it woke me up with it's barking every morning at 6.a.m until it all of a sudden disappeared.

But I agree it is the idiots land even if it is like a bomb site he can do what he likes. I just pray that he moves or dies, as I shall certainly be having a party if that happens.

Thanks for the advice though I shall tell my girlfriend as she thinks it is so cruel to keep the cat locked up, even though I do live next door to a lunatic
 
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smarty

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Originally Posted by hissy

Ask your girlfriend what is crueler? Keeping cats indoor, occupied and happy, or find them laying in the yard the victim of a cat abuser?


Good luck
I agree totally but have you ever tried to tell a woman these things? I work in a factory full of men and I know what some men are capable of, yet she thinks that I go over the top. Thanks for the great advice though


Oh by the way I forgot to mention that I live in England by the way. And we are supposed to love animals and have RSPCA etc to prosecute people that harm animals, even though they are plenty of idiots about that that means nothing too.
 

bonnie1965

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Hi,
First you aren't silly at all. These are valid concerns and bravo to you for caring!
My Sebastian was an indoor/outdoor cat for 9 years or so until I moved to this current apartment between two busy streets and on the third floor. There is no way he is going out. He hated it at first but has adjusted. If you can construct some type of enclosure Tom would be safe and still get his outdoor time. Kittywalk makes enclosures, they are expensive for me but may give you some ideas if you are handy with tools. http://www.midnightpass.com/kien.html Plus, you can rearrange them and take them with you if you move.

I used to think it was cruel to keep Seb locked up, too. If he would be safe outside, he would still be able to go. However, since his life is endangered by the busy streets there is no way he is going out there. Tom may need extra attention/play time but it is a small price to pay to keep them safe.

Another thing, if any of your neighbors put out poison for the mice and rats, he could get sick from eating an infected "catch". Not that you don't already have enough to worry about.

In a perfect world this idiotic neighbor would leave. Don't blame yourself for his issues. This is just another challenge for you. Ignore the dork and just concentrate on keeping your beautiful Tom safe


Welcome
 

carolpetunia

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Well, I started to point out that, if you have ordinances like most cities over here, your neighbor would be in violation of code for letting his yard become an overgrown haven for rodents... but that's really beside the point.

The point is keeping your cat safe, and you can only do that by keeping him indoors, possibly with access to an outdoor enclosure such as Hissy describes. As your cat gets older and less able to defend himself, this will be a better choice for him, anyway.

I hope a wonderful new house comes along for you, and you can move away from this bizarre individual!
 

swampwitch

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Your Tom is a beautiful kitty!

If you think that your neighbor might hurt Tom, you should seriously consider making him an indoor kitty, at least until the situation changes. He will get used to it; it's better to have him go without the outside for a while than be hurt or killed. If you could get him a tall cat tree and a place to hang out by a window, he'll adjust. (And be safe.)

BTW, is he neutered? If not, that will help tremendously in keeping him inside. Tell your girlfriend you have to keep him safe right now, and that's not as cruel as allowing him to be hurt or killed. Good luck!
 

fred&nermal

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I just can't understand people who don't at least like cats. It totally baffles me that a cat can't bring out their softer side. I know some humans who don't change however. I don't trust anyone who doesn't like animals, at least a little bit.
 

rvman

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Simple, do as we did, live in an RV, don't like the moron next door just move, seriously my 2 new cats are very happy in our 37' by 8' wide RV. They play, run, love us and purr a lot so they are very happy indoors which is where they are going to stay, safe and sound.


Kelly
 

gailuvscats

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1) you should keep the cat indoors, or build an enclosure not visible to the jerk.
2) He WILL harm your cat either with poison or some other method.
3) While he is a jerk, he is absolutely right, your cat has no right to kill the vermin in his yard or do anything else in his yard.
4)Call the twp. and report the eyesore that he calls a yard.
5) Your girlfriend is naive and obviously hasn't been exposed to the underbelly of humanity. This could turn out to be a rude awakening for her.
6) Along the hedge install some ten foot posts, 4 feet apart, put a nylon trellis ataching them and grow some sweet autumn clematis or another fast growing vine that will block your vision of him and his yard.
 

epona

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I would advise building an outdoor enclosure for your cats so that they can enjoy the outdoors in safety.

Originally Posted by RvMan

Simple, do as we did, live in an RV, don't like the moron next door just move, seriously my 2 new cats are very happy in our 37' by 8' wide RV. They play, run, love us and purr a lot so they are very happy indoors which is where they are going to stay, safe and sound.


Kelly
Unfortunately due to absolutely despicable legislation, police harassment, and vilification in the tabloid press (who would paint you as being lowlife scum criminal element for not having a fixed address
), this sort of lifestyle is all but impossible in the UK these days. But that's another (highly politically charged) story and not for this thread.
 

rockcat

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Smarty, you are obviously very concerned about your sweet kitty. You are among friends.


You probably don't know, but Hissy is quite an athority on cats. Anything that you and I are inquiring about now, she has already probably already written about and published. Please consider her advise.
 
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smarty

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Thanks for all the replies, your help and advice is very much appreciated. I have showed my g/friend this thread and she is coming round to my way of thinking. I just need to keep the cat indoors and ignore the nearanderthal next door as he is just pond life! Thanks again will for the great advice, great forum btw
 
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