A stressful night
This evening, as I was out in the backyard, one of my neighbors came over and pounded on the front door, yelling. When I walked around front, she began shouting about the cats. I didn't recognize her at first, my bad eyes, which seemed to infuriate her even more.
Apparently, the cats climb the fence and get in her yard, fight with her cat, drink from her pond, and poop everywhere. She said that she has complained to Animal Control three times (mystery solved about who ratted me out) but they haven't done anything. I tried to explain that I hadn't acquired the cats but that they just showed up, that I was spaying and neutering them, that I had called all the animal welfare agencies to find a place where they could adopted out but there weren't any that would take semi-feral cats. That just made her more angry. She yelled the whole time at the top of her lungs - I could hear the guy across the street laughing.
I feel like I'm in a nightmare. What do normal people do? I guess I'm expected to catch the cats and take them to Animal Control where they will likely be euthanized or released in some other area of town, which would probably just mean a slower and more stressful death for them. If I kept just six of them (the legal limit here), how would I choose who gets sent away to die?
There are too many abandoned and homeless cats and dogs ... each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized in the US. I guess most normal people are fine with this.
Apparently, the cats climb the fence and get in her yard, fight with her cat, drink from her pond, and poop everywhere. She said that she has complained to Animal Control three times (mystery solved about who ratted me out) but they haven't done anything. I tried to explain that I hadn't acquired the cats but that they just showed up, that I was spaying and neutering them, that I had called all the animal welfare agencies to find a place where they could adopted out but there weren't any that would take semi-feral cats. That just made her more angry. She yelled the whole time at the top of her lungs - I could hear the guy across the street laughing.
I feel like I'm in a nightmare. What do normal people do? I guess I'm expected to catch the cats and take them to Animal Control where they will likely be euthanized or released in some other area of town, which would probably just mean a slower and more stressful death for them. If I kept just six of them (the legal limit here), how would I choose who gets sent away to die?
There are too many abandoned and homeless cats and dogs ... each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized in the US. I guess most normal people are fine with this.
posted by crystal | 9:34 PM
4 Comments:
We don't have a large feral cat problem in my town, but the local rescues, vets, animal control and SPCA are very active (and do their best not to euthanize if at all possible). And, we're in the central Fraser Valley of BC so there are a lot of predators, I'm sure that helps keep numbers down, as sad as that is :(
Our cat was actually from a feral litter the SPCA caught with their mother. The staff told us the mother had already begun teaching the kittens how to hunt and they were quite specific about who they would adopt out to. Our cat is amazing though - really no issues with her at all. As far as what "normal" people would do, I don't know - it seems like our town is full of animal lovers and everyone helps each other out. It seems so strange to me that your neighbours are blaming you and can't see that these are feral cats that have taken up residence in the neighbourhood; they just happen to have chosen your yard as a base. It's just that you are humane about it while they are incredibly selfish! If it were me and a neighbour was screaming, I'd just go inside and call the police asking for help with an aggressive neighbour - but, our police are pretty awesome too! Do you think that would work or just escalate the problem?
I so wish I was there to help you!
Thanks, Dyan. Just 'hearing' a friendly voice helps. That particular neighbor has a lot of issues. Before the cats came along, she was upset about the trees in my yard that hang over the fence. And I think it was her who complained about the drainage ditch that goes under my driveway too.
I live in a neighborhood that is in transition. It used to be more rural. A guy down the street had sheep, and now one of my neighbors has chickens and another has a whole bunch of bunnies in her front yard. But in the last years it's getting gentrified. Old people are dying or selling their lots and they are being split up and mini-mansions being built and sold for half a million dollars each. The neighbor who is so unhappy bought one of those.
Ahh, yes, that makes sense; doesn't make it easier though. I'm such a country girl that even our "small" town is getting too gentrified for me so I feel a lot of empathy for your situation. Glad I can at least be a friendly voice for you :)
Yes, it does help :)
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