My neighbor has cats

[Ponietz]

Unvaccinated, unneutered, unspayed cats. I live in a migratory corridor for several endangered species like the gray vireo and willow flycatcher. The cats are coming onto my property to hunt. They get in the trash cans. They howl at 4 a.m.

I confronted the adult daughter, the instigator, two weeks ago. When trash was strewn in front of my house a few days ago, I tried to talk to her again. She blew me off and told me to talk to her father, who happened to be out of town, but is returning again later today.

I rush ordered a havaheart humane cat trap, and lo, found it occupied this morning.

I am going over to confront the father later. This gets resolved today. I HATE this! I love cats (indoors) and like my neighbors but this is ridiculous!

Any advice here from fellow birdwatchers is appreciated—in case we come to loggerheads.

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[handmade34]

1. you are nicer than me

I have and would take the trapped cat to the humane society... irresponsible people shouldn't have pets and the shelter will at least take care of vaccinations and neutering

[Ponietz]

5. I think there are 4 cats right now--

I don’t know whether to tell him I caught the cat. It might be better to confront him—then, if it goes south, just take the cat to county animal control and make a complaint—but that could also mean making an enemy in this culturally sensitive area. If I just take the cat to the humane society there’ll still be, at least, 3 cats to deal with.

Wish I could bring the National Audubon Society down on them like a ton of bricks.

[handmade34]

6. I would not tell the neighbor...

if he cares so little that he lets his cats roam, then better for the cat and for you (and relationship with neighbor) that you just trap them and take them to shelter (just tell them you trapped a stray cat )... I have no sympathy for people who don't care for pets properly

I value the wildlife around my property, especially the birds and I will not tolerate neighbors who are careless...

feral cats and indoor pets allowed to roam outdoors kill from 1.4 billion to as many as 3.7 billion birds in the continental U.S. each year (study from 2013... probably more now)

as to possible trapping other wildlife... I trap skunks, raccoons and squirrels (who are troublesome), often in my traps... I rehome them to a safer place that in not heavily populated (I acknowledge that is not perfect but better than killing)

[Ponietz]

8. Thanks, that's the kind of advice I was looking for.

[LakeArenal]

27. However, that is illegal here.

You can’t make feral cats someone else’s problem.

It’s also illegal to shoot them.

🤷🏼?♀️

[handmade34]

38. when trapping

I never move a feral cat... feral cats need permanent removal; to a shelter or otherwise

only if I trap other wildlife (skunks, squirrels, etc..) do I move the critter and then only to a large forest where there are no homes (I have the luxury of living near spaces like that)

[LakeArenal]

39. Thanks.

Still I do wish sometimes I were the type to make it someone else’s problem or be able to shoot one.

We have no shelters or rescues in the county.

[CurtEastPoint]

2. Thank you for trapping him/her. They all need fixing. Many bad behaviors

go away or are lessened when neutered. You are kind.

[Kali]

3. good luck with that

looks like you live where animals other than cats could be getting into your trash, you may be catching them in your trap soon.

[Ponietz]

11. Maybe, but I did surprise two cats while they were feasting on garbage a few days ago

[patricia92243]

4. We have ferrel cats, therefore no birds or squirrels. I'm afraid of them to try to trap them.

[Ponietz]

14. I am impressed with the cat trap I bought. Very safe.

[Delmette2.0]

7. The cats in my neighborhood have killed off the rabbits.

I loved to see the rabbits that lived under my shed, but people have let their cats out to run around the neighborhood and I haven't seen a rabbit in two years.

Every year there are different cats going through my yard. There is no way to tell who they belong too.

[Ponietz]

40. As others note, it's not just rabbits that disappear

[Delmette2.0]

41. Oh, I totally understand.

[Farmer-Rick]

9. There was a moment in time when I had no dogs on the farm.

I usually have dogs for guardians and pets and rescues. But when my last dog died of natural causes, I had no dogs for about 3 months. I noticed then that cats slowly stated showing up to chase and kill my chickens and hunt mice, birds, salamanders and lizards. Also the coyotes got braver. When I got two rescue puppies, the cats stopped coming around. When the dogs got bigger, the coyotes backed off.

It's been five years now and still no cats have come around.

[Ponietz]

10. I caught this cat near where my German Shepherd relieves herself!

[Farmer-Rick]

26. All I can say is that there must be more scaredy cats around here

My dogs are outside dogs. They live with the sheep and chickens or in a huge dog house. That maybe the difference. I've never seen them kill a cat, but the cats stay away.

[patricia92243]

21. My dog weighs a whole 6 pounds and the cats just look at her and don't move a muscle :)

[Mosby]

12. a lot of cities/counties have ordinances

About outdoor cats and feeding feral cats. Maybe a visit from a official explaining the laws will change their behavior, and you can avoid a confrontation.

I've done this with other issues (like green pools and parking cars on yards) with my neighbors, they probably don't know who called and it took care of the issue.

[Ponietz]

15. Thanks, I checked the county ordinance

Nothing like that to help here. I already blew my anonymity, ack!

[msdogi]

16. This worked for us

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D4feEceifGMU&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjoyc2t2MDhAhXeGTQIHQfgCKEQtwIwAnoECAoQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0xiJhxVJ9h-GlCZ8tdZVAg

[Ponietz]

17. Thanks

[LakeArenal]

18. I posted this very topic last year.

I was accused of cat hate and cats get to go wherever they want to go.

My final comment was: OK you win. Cats everywhere even on private property.

I was so frustrated at Fed feral cats andDU I screamed!!!

A year later, I just chased the big gold one out of the yard for the second time today.

Needless to say, there has been no solution from anywhere. As a county agent said: you didn’t here this from me, but if it was my yard, I’d shoot them.

So I feel your pain. And the pain of all the feathers I have found in the yard.

Yesterday I found a different neighbor’s dead chicken in my yard. We are all pretty sure it’s cats.

[Ponietz]

19. Thanks

Hopefully, no cat propaganda will crop up here in the Birders group. 😉

[Botany]

20. Feral Cats are an ecological hammer .... even declawed ones (which is cruel)

They kill snakes, toads, salamanders, birds, insects, mammals, pollinators, and invertebrates
by the truck load. People are not doing any favors when they catch, have them fixed, and then
release them because their hunting instinct is so strong and so they kill and kill and kill.

Outdoor cats don't live very long and they have a very hard life so please keep your kitties inside.

[LakeArenal]

22. Feral cats kill just to kill as well.

They are a deadly invasive species.

In fairness, there are DUers that trap them and relocate them or home them or something.

[Botany]

23. One of the big reasons you almost never see a garter snake anymore too.

I know of people who go out and feed populations of feral cats
and think that they are "helping" and I plant native plants and wildflowers
for my job and my neighbors (good people) let their cats run wild and they
are always hunting in my front yard.

[LakeArenal]

24. ARRRRGH!!!!!

[Ponietz]

25. x2!!!

[MontanaMama]

28. I'm for not confronting the neighbor

and taking the kitty to the humane society. Cats don’t belong outside...they are hell on birds. I’ve asked and asked my next door neighbor to keep his cat inside and he refuses. I have seen his cat catch birds and native pine squirrels. I’ve got a trap set and if I catch him, he’ll go to the HS and I will keep it to myself. We have raccoons, skunks, bears and owls in my neighborhood...if I don’t catch this kitty...another critter will. Oh well.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

29. Another vote for don't confront.

Humanely trap the cats and bring them to a shelter.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

31. I agree. Most rescue organizations will adopt cats only to people

who promise to keep them indoors. Trap the cats, take them to a no-kill shelter where they will be neutered, vaccinated and adopted to good (indoor) homes. That way everybody is happy - you, the birds, the cats, and the cats' new humans. Maybe not the neighbor, but too bad for them.

[playaseeker]

30. Tough, but only realistic solution

Trap them and whack them, then take them down the road a hundred yards and run over the body with your car - in the dead of the night. The neighbors will get the message that outdoor cats are at risk. Or not.

You are not killing nice kitties, you are defending the wild birds and other animals. If I could get away with it, I would put little cat faces under my car window like fighter pilots recording enemy kills. I stand for the wild environment and if cats come in our yard, they get whacked.

OR, if you just can't do that, trap them and take them to animal services..... your choice

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

32. That's horrible and cruel.

[playaseeker]

37. Seems that way, but....

....I was watching a mother Quail cross our backyard with about eight tiny chicks when the neighbors cat ran out and killed the mom Quail. Over the next couple of days I found dead baby chicks in the yard. Seems like allowing the neighbors cat to have free run over all the wildlife is a greater sin than "disposing" of the problem. And you are always free to take them to animal services

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

33. Aside from what a terrible thing that would be to do,

those neighbors would not get the message intended.

I got into an argument with my sister recently who thinks that it's perfectly fine to have a cat be mostly outdoors, as her last cat was, and that it's okay that it dies by being hit by a car.

Fortunately, she has no interest in acquiring another cat, nor a dog.

[Ponietz]

35. I have to admit that is creative

Was that in a Pulp Fiction sequel?
Thank you for the advice, and I might have considered it in the past.
🙏

[lettucebe]

34. People rarely change behaviors

So keep that in mind. I'd think it pretty unlikely the neighbor is going to suddenly change because you explain why he should.

Last thing you probably want is war with the neighbors

[Ponietz]

36. A follow up:

I took the cat to the Humane Society and decided upon no further confrontations with my neighbors (though the cats had gotten into my garbage again while I was gone!)
Thank you all for your considered advice. I will continue to set the cat trap at night.