Accidentally getting rid of neighbor’s cat.

[Keekeemykitty]

Sorry didn’t know where to put this thread but I have a question.

say, you have one or two outdoor cats in a fenced yard, one of the two comes in indoors and comes out outdoors.

they have flea collars.

they only stay in the fenced yard and don’t leave.

what if, suddenly, this random cat comes into the fenced yard by going over the fence and begins to fight and terrorize the more smaller flea collared cats. Almost every day.

what if, you trap the bully cat in a cage and move him miles away or put him in a shelter.

and what if, you find out that bully cat, was actually your neighbor’s cat. But you had already moved the cat far away or the cat already got adopted at the shelter.

what if you didn’t know that cat wasn’t a stray but your neighbors cat?

the bully cat has no collar. And your neighborhood is known to have stray cats.

can the neighbor take any legal action?

 

[Kflowers]

It is possible the cat escaped from his house and got into your yard. Your cats could do the same thing. Remember that when you think about this cat, it could well happen to your cats.

If you take a cat to an area he doesn't know and abandon him, you have left him to die a slow and horrible death. You have left his people to never know what happened to him and worry about him and grieve for the rest of their lives. This is your guilt to carry the rest of your life.

The best thing you can do, is go to where you dumped him and try to find him. This could take weeks and more of searching for him and knocking on every door in the area. If you are very lucky you'll be able to find him and bring him home to his people.

But never forget that this could happen to your cats as well.

 

[fionasmom]

I agree with the above. This is not the way to handle the situation.

can the neighbor take any legal action?

Yes. Your neighbor can take legal action against you as you have damaged or otherwise harmed or interfered with their property.

 

[Furballsmom]

what if, you trap the bully cat in a cage and move him miles away or put him in a shelter.

Did you already do this or was your question hypothetical?

 

[Keekeemykitty]

I agree with the above. This is not the way to handle the situation.

Yes. Your neighbor can take legal action against you as you have damaged or otherwise harmed or interfered with their property.

I don’t think a neighbor can if you factor in a couple things from my original post.
1. The cat is on another property
2. The cat has no collar or identification
3. The area is known for stray cats
4. The cat causes a constant disturbance in said other property, causing trauma and possible damage to other cats who do have a form of identification In a fenced area.
5. Even if the neighbor did take legal action, there is no proof that it was done purposefully since the person who took the cat away didn’t know they had an owner. So I don’t think they would win a court case against the person who took the cat away to a shelter or dropping it off further away.
these are just my opinions though.

 

[Keekeemykitty]

Did you already do this or was your question hypothetical?

No, this didn’t happen with me.

 

[Kflowers]

In that case you need to tell the neighbor you think the cat was dumped in whatever area it was so they will have a chance to find it. Or if the person took it to the shelter, they need to know in time to get it back. Many shelters put an adult cat who doesn't cuddle or is afraid down after three days. If the person took the cat to such a shelter, that was their intent.

Some cats take off their collars as soon as they leave the house. More than one person has found a number of collars tucked under the bushes.

Cats get out when people don't plan for them to. You need to know this in case it happens to your cats. Friends and family will let cats out because they think the cats want to go out. Or they will do it accidentally, especially small children. Or they will let the cat out when they are angry with the owner. We have incidents mentioned on this board where an angry grandchild tossed the cat out and the cat ran away. Another - EMTs went to the wrong house and broke a window attempting to find the person, realized they were in the wrong place left and the cat got out never to be found. In another case the police SWATTED the wrong house (this happens a lot) the member's cat got out ( sometimes the police just toss them into the yard. The cat disappeared never to be found.

The thing is you don't know why the cat was out. Since the cat is often out, it's possible the angry partner throws the cat out every time they fight and the one who loves the cat is desperately looking for them. This would explain the cat's aggression, he's treated badly at home by that partner, and why he keeps returning to the one who cares for him. You don't know why the one who cares for the cat stays. It may be the only way to keep themselves and the cat from being homeless.

If your cat found itself in another cat's territory, it would fight as hard as it could. The neighbor's cat isn't a bully, he's doing what he evolved to do which is survive where he's abandoned.

 

[Keekeemykitty]

In that case you need to tell the neighbor you think the cat was dumped in whatever area it was so they will have a chance to find it. Or if the person took it to the shelter, they need to know in time to get it back. Many shelters put an adult cat who doesn't cuddle or is afraid down after three days. If the person took the cat to such a shelter, that was their intent.

Some cats take off their collars as soon as they leave the house. More than one person has found a number of collars tucked under the bushes.

Cats get out when people don't plan for them to. You need to know this in case it happens to your cats. Friends and family will let cats out because they think the cats want to go out. Or they will do it accidentally, especially small children. Or they will let the cat out when they are angry with the owner. We have incidents mentioned on this board where an angry grandchild tossed the cat out and the cat ran away. Another - EMTs went to the wrong house and broke a window attempting to find the person, realized they were in the wrong place left and the cat got out never to be found. In another case the police SWATTED the wrong house (this happens a lot) the member's cat got out ( sometimes the police just toss them into the yard. The cat disappeared never to be found.

The thing is you don't know why the cat was out. Since the cat is often out, it's possible the angry partner throws the cat out every time they fight and the one who loves the cat is desperately looking for them. This would explain the cat's aggression, he's treated badly at home by that partner, and why he keeps returning to the one who cares for him. You don't know why the one who cares for the cat stays. It may be the only way to keep themselves and the cat from being homeless.

If your cat found itself in another cat's territory, it would fight as hard as it could. The neighbor's cat isn't a bully, he's doing what he evolved to do which is survive where he's abandoned.

I understand. in this setting each neighbor in the neighborhood aren’t actually too close together, each neighbor has a house length space between them.
the two cats who are collared has never actually left the fenced area Even when outside.
If the person didn’t relocate the “bully” cat, what would be the solution to the problem of having a cat coming into someone else’s fenced property and attack the other cats?

 

[game misconduct]

use peppermint oil to spray your fence line to discourage that other cat from coming around. or just build a secured area that other cat has zero access to.

 

[mani]

When this happens I attach a note on a breakable collar to the cat saying 'this cat is often in my yard. Could you please collect him/her?' and my phone number.. If they respond,I tell them that they have to keep their cat within their space. I don't do it in the note, or they could ignore it. In this case, it worked. Every now and then the cat would escape and I rang the family to come and get him.

Where I live (QLd, Australia) it's against Council regulations to have a cat go outside it's yard.

But I must reinforce what the others have said.. dumping a cat is just an awful thing to do.. it's not the cat's fault and it would be condemning it to absolute misery until it inevitably died.

 

[Keekeemykitty]

When this happens I attach a note on a breakable collar to the cat saying 'this cat is often in my yard. Could you please collect him/her?' and my phone number.. If they respond,I tell them that they have to keep their cat within their space. I don't do it in the note, or they could ignore it. In this case, it worked. Every now and then the cat would escape and I rang the family to come and get him.

Where I live (QLd, Australia) it's against Council regulations to have a cat go outside it's yard.

But I must reinforce what the others have said.. dumping a cat is just an awful thing to do.. it's not the cat's fault and it would be condemning it to absolute misery until it inevitably died.

Personally I also believe dumping a cat far away from their familiar surroundings and home isn’t right, but cats do have survival instinct, especially outside cats so I don’t think their fate would to just be to die.
plus, in this setting, the “bully” cat doesn’t get close to humans and trapping them is the only way to actually getting them Since they run when a person is near.

 

[Keekeemykitty]

use peppermint oil to spray your fence line to discourage that other cat from coming around. or just build a secured area that other cat has zero access to.

That’s a good idea. Using something like a strong smell could possibly help Keep any cat from coming in.

 

[game misconduct]

That’s a good idea. Using something like a strong smell could possibly help Keep any cat from coming in.

i have used peppermint oils mixed with water in one of those 1 or 2 gallon weed sprayers to good effect even vinegar works. you must apply it several times a week . if you use the vinegar mix make sure to clean out the sprayer after it will destroy the rubber seals inside it that allow you to pump in the air pressure to spray

 

[Seymour]

I don’t think a neighbor can if you factor in a couple things from my original post.
1. The cat is on another property
2. The cat has no collar or identification
3. The area is known for stray cats
4. The cat causes a constant disturbance in said other property, causing trauma and possible damage to other cats who do have a form of identification In a fenced area.
5. Even if the neighbor did take legal action, there is no proof that it was done purposefully since the person who took the cat away didn’t know they had an owner. So I don’t think they would win a court case against the person who took the cat away to a shelter or dropping it off further away.
these are just my opinions though.

Abandoning an animal is a crime where I live. People who do that can be prosecuted. And morally it's reprehensible. I knew a woman who thought she was doing a local stray a favor by dropping it off at a fish market. The fish market had an established colony. Colony cats normally don't allow new cats to join it. I agree that dumping a cat far from its home is consigning it to a miserable death. Domesticated animals do not usually thrive when left to their own devices and, personally, I think dumping an animal is cruel and inhumane.

 

[Keekeemykitty]

Abandoning an animal is a crime where I live. People who do that can be prosecuted. And morally it's reprehensible. I knew a woman who thought she was doing a local stray a favor by dropping it off at a fish market. The fish market had an established colony. Colony cats normally don't allow new cats to join it. I agree that dumping a cat far from its home is consigning it to a miserable death. Domesticated animals do not usually thrive when left to their own devices and, personally, I think dumping an animal is cruel and inhumane.

Your right. Though cats are still built to survive the outside, they aren’t meant purely for indoors. also there are places that make you pay a fee to drop an animal off at a shelter. Which could be hard, especially if you’re not well financially. So I could see why, not agreeing, but why some people drop an animal off without actually taking them inside a shelter.

 

[mani]

K Keekeemykitty you'll find that many of our members have indoor only cats, myself included. Cats have been domesticated for a very long time and adapt well to indoor life when given stimulation and good care.

TCS members care deeply about the welfare of cats. Dropping cats off to fend themselves is anathema to our values. There are always alternatives.

 

[Keekeemykitty]

K Keekeemykitty you'll find that many of our members have indoor only cats, myself included. Cats have been domesticated for a very long time and adapt well to indoor life when given stimulation and good care.

TCS members care deeply about the welfare of cats. Dropping cats off to fend themselves is anathema to our values. There are always alternatives.

I get what you mean. But there are two types of cats. Cats who spent their entire life indoors and cats who spent their time outside.
even so, both cats still have their instincts, but outdoor cats do have more survival skills. But I’m pretty sure I heard somewhere that it’s healthier for a cat to have some outside time in their life.
which I think is true because I also have a cat who spent his life indoors but his immune system was way weaker than my outside cat.
I do think it’s cruel to drop an animal off somewhere but there are rare times where I get why a person would do it.

 

[Norachan]

K Keekeemykitty Cats that live outside do have survival skills and are able to fend for themselves in the territory they know. Picking up a cat and transporting out of it's familiar environment is very cruel and will most likely lead to the cat being killed. It will try to make it's way back home and possibly get hit by a car or attacked by another animal.

So if you are considering dumping this cat away from home please don't do that. You have been given more humane options of how to deal with a cat coming into your yard and bullying your cats. I suggest you think about those.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

While outdoor-only cats do, perhaps, have stronger immune systems, their life expectancy is also about half that of their indoor counterparts. So there's that to consider.