Please help! Police, Neighbor, & Cat

Long story short is, tonight we were startled awake at 2 in the morning by Bandit knocking over our filing cabinet. I woke up and screamed, then Ricky screamed at me. He is nuts, our neighbor is certifiable (this is the third time he has called the cops for nonsense) Last time it was because we were BBQing at 6 pm and had a party.

Enter police knocking on our door- Er- 1 Officer, a Sheriff, and state trooper. That being said, they thought there was some domestic violence or something going on!! We get pulled out, questioned, and searched.

Enter the problem: Housing has to be contacted when the police are called for any reason- and now they will know we have 2 cats. I can't be in trouble all the time (see my incessant crying/meowing problem on behavior forum)..... I really think Bandit has to go this is the last warning from the cops, so if something happens again we may get fined and/or arrested for disturbing the peace...... We were just as startled as my neighbor..

I LOVE BANDIT.. I do and he is my baby, but I can't risk losing my house or being arrested because of him.. someone please tell me what I can do, I am literally at my wits end. It kills me to even thin of gving him away, but I can't do this again.

Someone please help?

Did you tell the police it was Bandit that made you scream out?

They searched your house or you said 2 cats?  So one is being watched for your friend xyz here is her number call her. 

I would have said I had a bad dream and he screamed in response.  If your neighbor is the issue of calling in nonsense why are the police saying YOU are the issue and not the neighbor? I mean he called in for a 6 pm dinner party????
 

They said they legally have to respond to any calls, no matter how petty,.........

I think the cops were convinced there was some domestic violence going on, and they wanted to just look to see the filing cabinet (luckilly we were leaving it till overnight...) I dont think the cops care how many cats we have, its the neighbor who might report us. Housing MAY follow up on the report, I plan on going to get a copy of what the report actually says next week once its ready.

Gaah I'm so going crazy- why does God give us neighbors from hell? lol

I would have just said that I knocked over the filing cabinet and screamed and not blame it on Bandit. GEESH - your neighbor has to take a chill pill or something :lol3: I can see calling the Police thinking you were being robbed or something and wanted to make sure you were alright?! I have not seen your other thread on Bandit so I can't comment on that. I do hope that everything will work our for you and your cats.

Feralvr said:

I would have just said that I knocked over the filing cabinet and screamed and not blame it on Bandit. GEESH - your neighbor has to take a chill pill or something

I can see calling the Police thinking you were being robbed or something and wanted to make sure you were alright?! I have not seen your other thread on Bandit so I can't comment on that. I do hope that everything will work our for you and your cats.

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I'm not takiing the rap for bandit's psychotic behavior as of late lol. At the moment, he is outside- I'm just not up to dealing with it today. I asked the cops if they had a "scared straight" program for cats.. they don't. But the cop was playing with him, he shined his flashlight beam for him to chase - gosh.......

How the heck does a cat knock over a filing cabinet? Those things are squat and heavy, I can't even tip one unless the bottom drawers are empty and I open up a full top drawer... At any rate, sounds like your neighbor lives WAY too close, or he's a Gladys Kravitz. 

Am I missing something-why would you get the final warning from the cops if it is the other guy making calls?  I mean people live stuff happens, I have had a huge spier in bed with me and screamed at 2 am or gotten up and flushed toilet to have it back up early am and screamed. 

I get they must respond to calls but...really?  if you guys are normally quiet whats the big deal-not like you have cops every few days for domestic YOU/hubby called in. 

Is the going outside a newer thing? maybe he is crying to go out?  I don't think letting him out is a long term solution as in my experience once a cat goes out it demands it more and more loudly and often.

Have you taken him to the vet to see if he is medically ok with some bloodwork?  Some diseases can cause changes like that.
 

If someone keeps calling the cops over to your house for nothing, that is harassment.  You could bring up charges against your neighbor. Seriously.

First step is get copies af all the police reports.

Carefully document all this. Complain about your neighbor to housing describing each of his frivolous complaints. Life happens and if he can't stand some occasional noise he should not be living in an apartment complex.

The cat is not to blame because the neighbor complains about every little noise, right? It could have been you who knocked something over getting up in the middle of the night to pee. 

Know what I'm saying?

Also, do you know if your other neighbors have had problems with this individual? Has he called the cops on other neighbors too? It would be good if you could establish a pattern. 

The best defense is a good offense, especially when dealing with crazy people.

I would definitely call the cops if I heard screaming from the neighbor's house, especially at 2 am. That's not harrassment; that's what keeps people safe in a society. Now calling for a 6 pm party that isn't out of hand, maybe that's harrassment, but there are 2 sides to every story so I can't say for sure.

I do think the way the cops handled it was kind of weird. . .if my neighbor's called the police because they heard screaming from my house, I would expect them to ask "everything OK?", and I'd say "yep! The cat knocked something over so I screamed" and they'd say "well, call us if you need us, have a nice night!" And that would be the end of it. Searching you is odd, and searching the house without permission is illegal (although I don't know the rules about public housing). So unless one or both of you have a record, that's just strange.

I think you're overthinking that cat situation, though. They rarely care about your cats unless there are a lot of complaints or you're letting them destroy the place. If you start getting warnings, that's one thing, but until then there's probably nothing to worry about. If you really think they'll make you get rid of him start looking for someone who might be able to take him (but don't actually give him to them unless they make you)---I think we all know what would probably happen if he ended up at a shelter .

Willowy said:

I would definitely call the cops if I heard screaming from the neighbor's house, especially at 2 am. That's not harrassment; that's what keeps people safe in a society.

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I would too depending on how long it went on and if it really sounded like some one was in danger - in other words a real emergency. 

I do know for fact that high conflict personality types (Axis II personality disorders) love litigation and calling cops for no reason. If you let things slide with people like this, things escalate.

You could try baking the neighbor a pie and apologizing for the noise and promise you will try to be as quiet as possible in the future.

Have you tried talking to the neighbor?

aeevr said:

I would too depending on how long it went on and if it really sounded like some one was in danger - in other words a real emergency. 

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See, I wouldn't feel comfortable making that determination myself. I'd hate for someone to die because I didn't think it sounded like a real emergency, ya know? But this is a small town and the cops aren't busy; they'd be glad for something to do at 2 am other than playing solitaire at the station. Maybe it's different in a city. But I wouldn't want to take a risk on not reporting screaming or other "possible emergency" noises.

Willowy said:

See, I wouldn't feel comfortable making that determination myself. I'd hate for someone to die because I didn't think it sounded like a real emergency, ya know? But this is a small town and the cops aren't busy; they'd be glad for something to do at 2 am other than playing solitaire at the station. Maybe it's different in a city. But I wouldn't want to take a risk on not reporting screaming or other "possible emergency" noises.

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Obviously, we're speculating as we were not there, but it seems unlikely that the neighbor called the cops because he was afraid for someone's safety. When things escalate to that level, multiple neighbors call the police.

Only the OP knows for sure what the real deal is. I just hate to see anyone get bullied because they don't have a full understanding of their rights and/or what avenues of recourse are available to them.

Okay-- Thanks for all the replies, I will now answer them...

The police report is not ready yet- but it will be on Monday.

Our neighbor has Psychozophrenia and PTSD from the war, so any noise sets him off. The other neighbors as far as I know haven't had any problems out of him- I live in a duplex so he is directly attached to us, and no others.

It wasn't an actual filing cabinet, it was one of these that we use and it sits on top of the dresser in the bedroom....... Bandit is big fat and strong, he easily knocked it over (it now sits on the floor....)


We talked to the neighbor today, and it seems things are OK for now. He said he understood. The cops took a pic of the fallen cabinet, and we showed it to Mike.

I'm not getting rid of Bandit, I was just frustrated... I would have also called if I heard screaming and banging at 2 AM

I probably would have called the police, too. I don't mean to offend you, but I guess my question is why on earth would you be screaming over something like that, to the point where your neighbor felt that he had to call the police? We've had our cats do stuff, really loud stuff, in the middle of the night, and by this time, I realize that it is the cats. I get up, check it out, make sure everybody's OK and go back to bed. I guess it's just me, but screaming over something like this seems to be a little out of the ordinary in itself, even if it is at 2:00 in the morning.

Nebula said:

I'm not takiing the rap for bandit's psychotic behavior as of late 

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You love Bandit but you wouldn't make up a different story as to why you screamed?.

There's no way l woulod have blamed my cats. Like someone said l would have said it was a bad dream, but how much screaming did you make for all this to happen?!

Rosiemac said:

You love Bandit but you wouldn't make up a different story as to why you screamed?.

There's no way l woulod have blamed my cats. Like someone said l would have said it was a bad dream, but how much screaming did you make for all this to happen?!

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I am sorry, I was not going to say anything.... But I will now.... I have been watching plenty of your posts Nebula, and I don't understand that either..... It seems to me that they are either about giving Bandit away, it putting Smokie to sleep, due to his arthritis.
I am sorry to say, I don't get either. Not if you REALLY love your cats. Those should not be options taken so lightly.... Imho you protect the ones you love with tooth and nails, and you make a commitment for life.
Again, sorry, but that's the way I feel about this entire thing.
I hope your love for your babies IS really real, and getting rid of them stops being an option in the future. They shouldn't be disposable.

If I screamed every time my cats knocked something over the police may as well live here.  I hear things falling all the time and I know its them.  I have to agree with Carolina and Rosie.
 

zohdee said:

If I screamed every time my cats knocked something over the police may as well live here.  I hear things falling all the time and I know its them.  I have to agree with Carolina and Rosie.
 

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Only time I scream is when I have gotten jumped on in the middle of the night off a 6 foot cat tree.  Thankfully I have no trees near the bed anymore!  They knock the trees or other things over often enough, even when near a wall or 2 walls. 

I still say you need to get blood work done to see if there is a reason why the behaviors have come in so strong.