Neighbor's cat killed 8 of my homing pigeons

[Drahthaardogs]

She acted like it was no big deal. "Cats kill birds, it's what they do" she told me. I told her my dogs would gladly kill her cats, but they don't because I am a responsible pet owner and keep them locked up - that her cat was in MY pigeon loft.

I don't think it sunk in. Those birds were easily worth $50 each. Peoplee can be real jackasses.

[msongs]

1. if u have proof can you get damages? send her a bill nt

[Drahthaardogs]

4. She's not going to pay it

She doesn't care. I will start live trapping the cat and taking it to the shelter. Once she spends a few hundred dollars to get it out of jail, she will get the message.

[magicarpet]

2. Sorry to hear you went through this.

[Nictuku]

3. I'm so sorry for having to find them

... and sorry your have such a terrible neighbor.

[zipplewrath]

5. How'd it get in

How'd the cat get in? We lost a pet rabbit to a dog because it broke into the rabbit's cage.

[Drahthaardogs]

7. Bob doors to let the pigeons in

But not out. Luckily I have it compartmentalized so it only killed my returning birds and not my hens on nests

[sinkingfeeling]

6. How sad. Both for your loss and that you have such a neighbor.

[blm]

8. So sorry this happened

[MontanaMama]

9. I'm so sorry! This is awful.

I am in tears over what happened to your birds. I know you must be sick about it.

Last summer, I caught my next door neighbor’s cat sitting on the mini picnic table where I give my chickens grain and mealworms every morning. The damn cat was sitting right next to the bowl. I squirted it with the hose and it hoisted its fat body back over the fence to his house. I talked to the neighbor about it and said my chickens were young and have no way to defend themselves against a cat. Her response? “ Well, when will they be old enough to defend themselves?” I told her, “your cat is not welcome in my backyard. Ever. I raise chickens inside my backyard and have a 6 foot privacy fence around it to keep them safe. It is up to you to keep your cat in your yard and out of mine. A week later, her cat killed my Speckled Sussex, Starla. I saw the cat on the carcass. I again chased it away. When I brought it to the neighbors attention, I told her that I have trail cams set up in my backyard and a live trap. If I catch the cat I will give it back once. Not long after that, I got the cat in trap. True to my word, I gave it back. The cat has recently been prowling again. If I catch it in the trap, it won’t be going home. I have no patience for people who let their cats out to randomly kill whatever and poop in other people’s landscaping which this cat does. I know it’s the owners fault, but if I catch the cat again it’s gone. I am done.

I’m very sorry for your loss.

[TDale313]

10. I'm so sorry.

This is why my cat is indoor only. Safer for him, for the local wildlife, and never want to be in a situation where my little guy is causing issues for my neighbors. I am a huge cat lover, which is why irresponsible cat owners seriously piss me off.

[safeinOhio]

11. Easy to live traps cats in your yard.

Take it to animal control. Tell them it was killing your animals. Up to the owner to get their cat back. Time and money. You don’t have to tell them who’s cat it is.
I have a house cat and it is just that, never goes out. If I didn’t care about her life or well being I might let her out.

[Major Nikon]

15. I've done that before

Animal control came out, set and baited the trap, and removed the cat once it was trapped.

I'm not sure all municipalities will do this. Cat's aren't allowed to free roam in my town.

[safeinOhio]

16. I had a neighbor that had a big tom

that owned the block. The guy had a big Confederate in his yard too. Then one day I noticed he wasn’t roaming the street anymore. Later the nice lady across the street told me not to tell him, but she trapped that ole Tom, took him to the vet and had him neutered. After that the never left his yard.

[Major Nikon]

17. Don't think I would either

[panader0]

21. I rarely go to town.

[Tom Traubert]

12. She is responsible for damages caused by her pet.

Gather proof of the value of the birds and send her a bill (by first-class mail). When she declines to pay, file an action in small claims court. You might never collect a judgment, but you will inconvenience her.

[TomSlick]

18. Perhaps. It depends on the facts and law of the jurisdiction.

As a general proposition, a pet owner is liable only it they have been negligent. I don't expect that you could convince a judge that a common domesticated cat is a necessarily dangerous animal, the keeping of which exposes the owner to strict liability.

In a "one-bite" jurisdiction, the cat owner would be liable if the cat had done similar damage in the past. If there is a local law that requires cats to be confined, you might convince a judge and jury that violation of the law is evidence of negligence.

[Tom Traubert]

20. There aren't many states with specific laws.

The recent trend appears to be the address feral cats rather than pets. It’s certainly worth checking to see if there are state of local laws that could be applicable. This is a good resource, but doesn’t provide much help here. https://www.animallaw.info/article/detailed-discussion-state-cat-laws#id-7

But would it really matter if there are no applicable laws, which is more likely than not. There’s a non-frivolous argument to be made despite the absence of statutory authority that the owner of the car was aware of the danger her cat presented to others’ property (she admitted that she is aware that roaming cats kill birds, albeit without distinguishing between wild and domesticated birds). And it’s small claims court where there generally are no lawyers and attorneys fees aren’t an issue. Like I said, collecting a judgment may prove impossible, but if the OP wants to make a point, what’s the harm? A couple of hours of time plus whatever filing fee is required to start a small claims action. Maybe the OP wins. Maybe the OP collects a judgment. If the OP loses, there’s no harm. But it could be worth it to the OP just to drag the neighbor to court some evening and inconvenience her. If it makes the OP happy, why not?

[TomSlick]

22. Well.....

A good homeowners policy would cover such a claim. That means a judgment could be collected. It also means that the insurance company would hire some schmuck like me to defend the lawsuit.

I don't know what happens in other states, but when I appear in a small claims case in Arkansas, it is immediately moved to the "regular" civil docket. At that point, the plaintiff can either hire a lawyer or play my game, in my arena, with rules that I know but the plaintiff does not. I assure you I will inconvenience the plaintiff one whole lot more than I am inconvenienced.

Not to talk myself out of work but not all slights by neighbors justify a lawsuit. Lawsuits rarely convince people they were wrong. I have never heard of a case in which a lawsuit results in the parties becoming good neighbors.

[TomSlick]

23. Well.....

A good homeowners policy would cover such a claim. That means a judgment could be collected. It also means that the insurance company would hire some schmuck like me to defend the lawsuit.

I don't know what happens in other states, but when I appear in a small claims case in Arkansas, it is immediately moved to the "regular" civil docket. At that point, the plaintiff can either hire a lawyer or play my game, in my arena, with rules that I know but the plaintiff does not. I assure you I will inconvenience the plaintiff one whole lot more than I am inconvenienced.

Not to talk myself out of work but not all slights by neighbors justify a lawsuit. Lawsuits rarely convince people they were wrong. The end result of a lawsuit against a neighbor is most likely years of hard feelings. No one will win but the lawyers.

[JudyM]

24. This.

Small claims court.

[peacebuzzard]

13. That's terrible. I am sorry. She needs to be taken to court.

“That’s what they do” doesn’t cut it.
Those were valuable, trained pets.
What are the laws for roaming pets in your community.?
I am so sorry for this horrific carnage of your pets.

[Ferrets are Cool]

14. I am so sorry

It's not the money. It's so much more than that.
I would call animal control.

[localroger]

19. condolances, and a suggestion

We had a similar problem years ago with cats sitting atop our makeshift backyard aviary. I strung wires here and there so that no cat could access that place without touching one of them, and wired them to a "pet safe electric fence controller." Cost about $50. Second night after I put it all in place, as I was drifting off to sleep I heard YEEEOWOWWWWWW and THUMP. And wow, that was the last time the cats seemed to bother my birds.

[MFM008]

25. We have 3 cats

All indoor.
Cats dont need to go outside.
Thats what lions and
Stuff are for...to live outside...
not a house cat.

[TuxedoKat]

26. So sorry this happened

I love cats and birds. Not compatible and despite my best efforts to keep them indoors, sometimes they still manage to escape, usually another family member lets them out accidentally. I've given CPR to a rabbit and a mouse caught by one of my cats. Just finished building my cats a catio, so I don't have this worry anymore. Maybe offer to help her build a catio for her cat?

[Drahthaardogs]

27. If my dogs got loose and killed her cats

Do you think she would be over offering to help me build kennel runs?

[TuxedoKat]

29. No

She sounds irresponsible, but it's just a suggestion. Maybe she would consider buying a pre-built one. I hate what happened to your birds, so sorry again.

[Codeine]

28. People need to keep their animals inside.

I can’t stand outdoor cats or free-roaming dogs. Your pet, your yard.