Keep the cats indoors as long as you live in that location. Buy them some indoor scratching posts/condominiums. Eventually, they will settle down and be happy there. I rescued a cat that was a outdoor cat/kitten begging food at a motel. She was not allowed out here as we have coyotes. Eventually, she settled down and joined the other indoor cats in their indoor activities.
I think the neighbor has been very nice about the cat getting on his car and has made a reasonable offer. Just my opinion here.
Caveat: I have not bothered reading 50+ replies yet.
BTW, cats CAN scratch cars. Our cats have scratched up our cars, even if it’s only light from basic jumping up and down.
I remember some time ago there were ads for a special cover that would ward off cats on cars. I haven’t seen it in a decade or so, so don’t know if something like that still exists.
What kind of car is this? Can you give me any description if not the exact model? I’m curious because if this person is so interested in his “rare” car, I can’t believe he can’t get a nice heavy-duty cover from California Car Cover custom-made (indeed, a mere tarp is just as bad as a cat). I can’t believe he wouldn’t want to cover it - are you saying it’s exposed to the elements outside, much less without a cover? This is partly why I’m curious what this “rare” car is and why he seems to treat it with such disregard unless you’re not mentioning something.
BTW, mouse traps are GREAT for scaring the bejeebers out of pets from various things. Perhaps this man could put some nice covers on the car’s horizontal surfaces, set mousetraps on them, and a light cover over that both to keep the cat from putting paws in and to set it off if he “pulls” on the sheet. A cat getting up on the edge will set them off and they are usually scared stiff - do it several times and they won’t touch it. It could be risky (maybe hard to keep traps set with a sheet on it), but maybe.
I have one cat now, had up to nine at one time, I have two dogs now, had up to five at one time; I live in the city.
I also average five to six legitimate rescues per year and other neighbors account for maybe ten more.
I have five cars that don't have room to be under a roof most of the time (TBird, Torino, Mustang, Fairlane (57), and an F100...out in the sticks are two Falcons, a Maverick, and homeless 327/4-speed & factory tri-power 390/4 speed).
The 'Bird is red, bright red, and several years ago I lived in an apartment and had a neighbor who had a cat that would only pee on bright red cars. There was something really, really, ugly going on inside that cat!
I've learned to live with the effects of cat urine on chrome rims but boiling off my paint job was not acceptable. At all.
That particular cat learned to live happily indoors after absorbing a lug nut in the butt; I was the official bad guy but I noticed that two other neighbors moved a Corvette and a Jag back into the garage after kitty became domestic.
I no longer live in an apartment but lately we had one (really nice, friendly but heedless) cat and one (really nice, needy, friendly, and BIG) brown dog roaming the neighborhood. Neither is a threat, neither pees on anyone's car, and both their owners have been warned, pleaded with, and even threatened that they have the responsibly to take care of their pets.
Roaming the neighborhood is NOT responsible, someone's unfettered Chow taught me that lesson.
As of today the cat is indoors, but still not neutered, and the dog has a new family quite distant from here.
If the cat returns to his old ways, he's up for adoption by someone capable as well as loving.
Sorry.
Has a hallway that goes to the cat door built into the side of the house so they can go indoors if they want to. Cost, including lumber, was under $300. Each of the posts goes down into cement filled 5 gallon buckets to dodge his city's permit process (temporary backyard structure.)
Only problem is that local animal control takes the shelter as permission to enter the back yard and inspect to see if the cats are wearing the proper license.
I could lend your neighbor my dog Goober ... she hates cats, grackles, and Democrats. I would suspect one encounter with Goob would eliminate the cats desire to go to the neighbors yard. Our yard is cat free and several of my neighbors yards are cat free courtesy of Goob.
Offer to buy a car cover to cover the car when it is not in use (particularly if the collectors item doesn’t hit the streets often). That way, the cat cannot possibly damage the car and can roam free.
If this is unacceptable, I suggest giving the cat a new home with a friend or family member before the neighbor chooses the cat’s fate.
Confining the cat is not going to work and it’s not up to the neighbors to live by your rules.
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Wanna pay for a new custom paint job -
- to original equipment specs
- after the car is completely sanded and primed and resanded again
- it is not your car
- it is not on your property
- civil court can be so much fun
- why are you acting as if you are the injured party?
- you may end up facing your neighbor’s new GS when you attempt to gain access to your own car or house
- you obviously have no legal experience
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“...on catching him the second time in the trap he will simply carry him off.”
BTW, I have to say, this is simply beyond the pale.
If he wants to be drastic, he could send the cat to Animal Control. Gets the idea across without being truly cruel to either the cat or the owner.
That threat is akin to all the big-talkers here who say they’ll shoot any cop (or FR dealing with like) who shoots at their dog. If they do, it’s stupid and asinine.
ping
I can’t say that I blame your neighbor a bit. Any animal carries sand/dirt on its feet so when it jumps onto something with a fine finish, the finish is going to be scratched.
I would never declaw a cat and then expect it to survive outside. It’s not a reasonable solution.
I see cats in our neighborhood who haven’t been neutered, and oh my gosh do they stink! Virtually everything gets sprayed from fences to tires, to lawn chairs and tables. Lavender neutralizes it.
I personally prefer birds to cats and so I sympathize with the neighbor. Echoing the others, it IS your responsibility to contain and control all of your pets. They depend on you for their lives and safety. If it doesn’t want to stay inside, that’s too bad (as in tough sh...). It has to be done unless you’re willing to construct a safe structure which allows the animal to enjoy sunshine and fresh air, safely and contained with plenty of places to safely hide and escape from any direction. Some dogs DO tear into a cage with teeth...lost some rabbits like that once.
I hope you are able to settle in on a reasonable solution for you, your cat, and the neighbors. It’s good that he’s willing to talk and set limits. Not everyone would do that. In some areas, cats are fair game 24/7 x 365 so please, if you actually do love your kitty with something more than just warmth and affection, PLEASE take care of it.
soak its paws in brake fluid? coca cola works the same/ sc
You’re kidding, right!?? This is a problem worthy of JimRob’s bandwidth??
My wife and I currently have 9 cats and 7 dogs . . . . . . and a fish. ALL are rescues and ALL are indoor animals. We’ve lived in subdivisions and currently live on acreage. No matter where a we live, our animals are indoor animals. It’s for their protection and our peace of mind.
We always know where our animals are and, when the dogs have to take care of business, they go outside into a fenced backyard. All in all, it’s better for them, better for the neighborhood and better for us.
If you love your cats, show them by keeping them safe from dogs, cars, angry neighbors, animal control and sickos who would perform unspeakably cruel things to your cats. Buy some litter boxes and keep them inside.
How about those cat runs? They’re made of sturdy screen material, and the cat can run around outside, but he’s contained. I think you can add on segments to make them as big as you want.
If I were you, I’d take the neighbor seriously. If the cat ends up over there again, it might be the last you see of him. But please, please don’t have him de-clawed. They remove joint bones as well as claws, and some cats never walk properly afterward. You’d also be making him defenseless against other animals.
Buy a big stuffed plush dog and see if the neighbor will set it on the roof of the car. Maybe the kitty won’t go near it, or at least won’t want to jump up there with Cujo.
Train the cat not to go on the car. You can easily do this with a shock collar and a remote. Get two remotes and give one to your neighbor. After a few shocks the cat will stay away from the car. Easy fix.
I sympathize with your problem, but I am going to have to say that cats should NOT be allowed to roam outside. Not anymore. There is an epidemic of feline AIDS, feline leukemia, not to mention being run over by cars, other cats fighting, etc. Unless you live on a farm and have acres for them to run around on and keep mice under control, it just isn’t kind and loving to let them go out.
I have a friend that felt it was MORE cruel to NOT let them go out. Even when three of her cats over the years all died from one thing or another that came directly from being outside, she still would not think of keeping her cats inside. She doesn’t have any animals now, and I think it is for the best. On average, an outdoor cat lives maybe 5 years where indoor only cats live 15-20 years. That should tell you the obvious.
Your cats WILL get used to being inside and if you give them fun things to play with, a cat tree where they can look outside through a window and play time with you, they will be happy AND healthy. If you love them, PLEASE keep them inside.