Posted on 05/21/2012 6:12:05 PM PDT by Zionist Conspirator
Last year our little household was forced to move from its home of 28 years to a new one. One thing we're having to deal with now that we've never had to worry about before is neighbors.
We have cats. Two of them are fairly settled, but one (the sweetest one of course) is a little spitfire who enjoys going to the neighbor's house and getting on his cars. One of these cars is very rare (only so many were made), and apparently this little cat has been getting on it.
Now our neighbor has no desire to be unpleasant or demanding, but he has told me that he has a live trap set for the cat and will only return it to us once. He will not harm it (or any animal, since he is an animal lover himself) but has said on catching him the second time in the trap he will simply carry him off.
You may perhaps imagine what this did to my day.
I am at my wit's end. The little fellow is running all over the house now crying and we're afraid to let him out. We're afraid to let the other two out to make him feel worse. I've offered the man a tarp to cover his car but he says a tarp can damage a car as well.
What do we do? It would take time and a great deal of expense to build a fence, and even then the cat could simply go around it. Keeping him in the house is the simplest solution, but it's very painful to hear him begging to be let out. I have no idea why he insists on going over there and getting on that car when he has a front and back yard (and a car) here.
I've been doing some research online about keeping cats off cars and have read conflicting claims as to whether cats can even scratch a car at all. I've read that citrus odor will keep them off a car.
Does any FReeper have any advice as to how our neighbor (who has never caused us any trouble whatsoever) can keep our cat off this particular car and solve this problem? Right now I am terribly upset.
Please help if you can.
First of all, you’re right. I won’t do it. Second, that’s not going to solve the muddy footprints.
Cats don’t sharpen their claws on the smooth surface of a car, so if your neighbor’s car is getting scratches on it, this is not due to your cat. Frankly, I wonder why he doesn’t put this rare car in his garage, if he values it so damn much. Outside, much worse things can happen to it than tiny scratches or pawprints. Squirrels, possums, coons, wild rats, birds, and other animals that don’t have retractable claws are much more likely to cause damage to a car’s finish than a cat.
But he has now issued a specific and clear threat to the life of your cat. If someone threatened one of my animals that way, and the animal then went missing, the car would—oopsies!—suddenly end up with far worse damage than muddy pawprints. I have no wish to be unpleasant either, but a living creature is more important than pawprints.
With all that, the fact is that your kitty will live a lot longer if kept inside. No chance to pick up parasites, get into fights with other cats, get eaten by coyotes or dogs, get hit by cars, or get carried off by a vicious neighbor. I’ve learned my lesson on that score.
Cats do, indeed, despise the smell of citrus. I have used orange peels to keep cats out of the garden (where they liked to potty), but it only works so well, and only for so long.
Cats can indeed scratch up a car (as a youth, ours scratched up my dad’s station wagon). The biggest issue that you have is that you’ve got to control your animal, and you cannot do that while it roams freely. An electric collar may work on the cat, but I’m not certain of that, because I’ve only known them for dogs. In my area they run just over $100. The only safe bet that I know you have is to keep the cat indoors.
I think that you should be very, very, grateful to have such a compromising and congenial neighbor. Make sure that you thank him for being so polite and kind. Your cat, is, after all, infringing upon his property rights, and you are a new comer. It sounds like you’re trying to be responsible, and I’m sure that he appreciates that. But the truth is, that your safest bet is to keep the cat indoors, all the time.
If you have a fenced yard, put it out on a harness (not a collar) and a clothesline. I had a semi-feral cat that was not happy at first, but quickly came to appreciate the opportunity to go out on the line. Anchor the line in the middle of the yard, short enough so it can’t hang itself over any fences, and provide shade and some water if you are going to leave it out more than an hour or so at a time. Provide it something to hide in, as well.
No fence? Put it out only when you can supervise.
Otherwise, make it into a house cat. The cat will punish you, but it’s better than losing your kitty.
>>Communities have leash laws, and they apply apply to cats as well as dogs.<
Think again.
Most leash laws DO NOT apply to cats.
ZC, a fence won’t work but an outdoor cat run will.
I’ve known lots of kitty owners who have gotten these and their feline friends are happy and content to be outside, without being in anyone else’s yard.
Buy your neighbors car for whatever price it takes for him to sell it, and give it to your cat.
Apparently you are unaware of the fact that cats don't understand the concept of human property lines.
That’s why I’d put something as close to the neighbor’s car as possible for the cat to choose to lay on. Of course, if the cat figures out that you want him there, he’ll never touch it. That’s just how they roll.
I would ask the neighbor why his uber-valuable “collectible” car sits in the driveway.
But if the cat persists, something bad will happen, so the cat might have to learn to live indoors. I built a screen room on the back of my house for my cats. They get to go outside without really going anywhere. That may require declawing to save the screens.
Not trying to get personal, but your pet is your personal responsibility.
I have 3 big shepherds, and no fencing on my property. The only time any of them have left our property without my express permission is to stick themselves between a neighbor kid and a stranger on our street (and the parents are grateful for it).
If your kitty is causing problems with your neighbor, it is your problem. Lock it up indoors - it’s not your neighbor’s fault your cat finds his car irresistable. And it’s not his problem to deal with.
I imagine a neighbor telling me to spray citrus or lemon all over my vehicle to keep their straying pet off it. I’d give them the same response i’m telling you now - “It ain’t my problem, it’s yours. and it’ll be a bigger problem when Hello Kitty doesn’t come home because I’ve plinked her furry butt off my collectible car”
Sorry, people who let their pets roam at will piss me off, and I’ve had cats all my life.
Call your vet for tips on keeping your pet entertained indoors or on your own cockadoodie property, where it belongs.
I’d build a 10x10 screen house for the cat. Large potted plants, something for the cat to lay on in the sun. He’ll be outside but contained.
I would not put a cat on a line unless it was fenced in - a great BIG fence. My sister had a cat that was hit by a car. Her next cat she decided to protect from the same fate by tying it on a string so that it could enjoy a deck (up a long flight of stairs). Somehow 3 dogs got into the yard, ran up the stairs & eviscerated the cat.
Your cat has to be able to escape or get shelter if it’s outside. Best option is still becoming an indoor kitty.
In the summers, I used to put the cats out in the garage. A couple windows were out, so I put up chicken wire. That worked pretty well. Maybe you live in a milder area where there are no garages but just car ports.
It is your responsibility to keep the cat out of your neighbor's territory but still. If he values the car that much, there's plenty of other things that can happen to it if he doesn't keep it in a locked garage.
You need to make the cat associate that area with unpleasantness. What can work is when the naybor catches the cat, to let the naybor get ruff with kitty right next to the car. Ruffness, such as rolling the cage with kitty inside, yelling, banging, spray water on kitty while in cage, etc. All things that will not harm kitty, but certainly scare him. Guaranteed, kitty will not return to that area. Plus naybor is happy to oblige as well.
You said the car is kept in an open carport. How about something to cover the carport so the cat can’t get to the car?
I sympathize. Hope you work out something satisfactory to both of you.
He’ll complain for a while but then get adjusted to being an indoor cat. The vast majority of cats live long happy lives as indoor cats.
I concur, keep the cats inside for their own safety. It will stop fussing in very little time and all will be well, and quiet.
Our current cat we took from our daughter when she married a man who is allergic. The cat was used to roaming free and had for about 8 years. He has a split ear and had teeth mising from fights he survived during his roaming years. But he settled down immediately and doesn’t make any move to go outside.
You can really tell those of us who A) Have property B) Have taken care of our “animal property” and C) Respect the property of others, vs. those who think the world is THEIR (and their pets’) oyster.
We have many dozens of animals (and many species) on our property. The first thing we did when we moved to our new home was build the containment for the animals. This came BEFORE unpacking. When we first looked at the property, we came over with the realtor and had the discussion with the neighbors about our animals, and how we would do our best not to disturb them. This included discussing what animals we would and would not be getting in the future and their feelings about them. We’ve never just let our animals leave the property, to have someone else deal with them. And it never got to the point that a neighbor had to talk to us (granted, we have few neighbors out here.
“Sorry, people who let their pets roam at will piss me off.”
I applaud you for being so polite. Some of these responses reflect the disrespectful attitudes of the disrespectful people they belong to. Shortly after moving here, there was a teenager walking his leash-less dogs down the street that came onto our property, then made their way deep into the yard and nearly hopped and inner fence and killed some ducklings. Luckily I was already outside when he came by, and got to them before the dogs could attack. Ignorant, irresponsible pet owners disturb me too. As a side note, they almost always have undisciplined children as well. The OP is looking for real, legitimate answers, and the irresponsible cheer squad is doing them no service by telling them to essentially stick it to their neighbors. Unbelievable.
I maintain there is little civility and almost no responsibility left in this world. My goodness.
..neighbor of mine had a cat stroller that used to sit outside with her in the summer months...looked like a mini pop camper for cats...
Kinda wonder how he keeps birds from crapping on the car.
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