Town limits cat ownership?

[RICHARD]

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/33610057/ns/today-today_pets_and_animals/?GT1=43001

Hmmm,
I am split on this one.:confused:

[katladyd]

As long as the cats are kept responsibly, there should be no laws requiring any special license. People who don't keep cats in a responsible manner should not be allowed to have even one! It's not the numbers, it's the person who has the cats!:rolleyes:

[Medusa]

It's the feral cats that appear to be the problem. Apparently, they consider the ferals to be hers because she does TNR or tries to find homes for them. She said that she keeps her cats indoors so if their property is being ruined, it's more than likely from the ferals. That one writer spoke correctly by saying that after the woman leaves the neighborhood, it's doubtful that anyone will pick up where she left off and the feral population will get worse. They just hurt themselves by trying to hurt her. I guess if you feed strays, they're considered to be yours.

[Laura's Babies]

It's the feral cats that appear to be the problem. Apparently, they consider the ferals to be hers because she does TNR or tries to find homes for them. She said that she keeps her cats indoors so if their property is being ruined, it's more than likely from the ferals. That one writer spoke correctly by saying that after the woman leaves the neighborhood, it's doubtful that anyone will pick up where she left off and the feral population will get worse. They just hurt themselves by trying to hurt her. I guess if you feed strays, they're considered to be yours.

I agree with you 100% on that Medusa and the post above by katladyd..

As long as the cats are kept responsibly, there should be no laws requiring any special license. People who don't keep cats in a responsible manner should not be allowed to have even one! It's not the numbers, it's the person who has the cats

Why is it the people who don't like cats always rule?

[happylabs]

If it is just one payment of $50.00 I would just pay it. Some battles are not worth fighting.

[Medusa]

If it is just one payment of $50.00 I would just pay it. Some battles are not worth fighting.

Good point. I doubt that would satisfy the neighbors, though. Some people just do not like cats. I have a friend who is that way; she feels that it's unfair to her to allow cats to roam the neighborhood and I don't disagree but even so, when she comes to my home, my Fur Posse can feel her dislike of them and they steer clear, even my CH baby Creamsicle who loves everyone. She never once has gone up to B for attention. My friend would never hurt an animal or we wouldn't be friends but you can tell by the expression on her face and her body language that she just doesn't get why people like cats. This neighbors of the woman in the article are more than likely the same way, although I must add that I don't take kindly to cats in my yard either if they spray on my stainless steel grill and refrigerator. Yes, it's their nature to mark their territory but it's irritating and damaging to my property nonetheless.

[catmandu]

Someone called the Animal Control on me saying that My Found Cats were living in squalor and were ill.
When the officer came in, she saw that it was a lie, and gave me a special permit for the then 10 Found Cats!!
:D:D:D
But I cannot adopt any more, although if the Right Cat came along and needed a home, they would be a Found Cat!!!
:cool::cool::cool:

[Pinot's Mom]

I'm about to say something that may not make me very popular, but I'm going to say it anyway. I fully agree with some type of license for larger numbers of ANIMALS (not just cats) in a home, with this caveat: that the purpose is to monitor for abuse and neglect to said animals. We have that in our area; you can not have any more than three animals in your home (it is not specified dogs or cats), BUT, if there is a visit from animal control (after a complaint), and they deem the animals well cared for and under control, there is no violation nor action. There have been way too many cases of neglect and abuse in cases of large numbers of animals (of all kinds) and if this gives some ability for immediate recourse to a situation, then so be it. I would rather those animals that need it be given immediate relief when possible, and I know the people on this site, as many others, would never be cited, so they have a slight inconvenience to help the others.

That's my two cents.

[Prairie Purrs]

I would have happily gotten a $ 50 dollar license in Denver if they'd given me the option. Instead, they cited me for feeding the neighborhood ferals and insisted on searching my house. I managed to postpone the search until I could get my cats moved to other locations. And it's a good thing I did, because three animal control people showed up with carriers, ready to take my cats away.

Also, Denver is notorious for refusing to cooperate with TNR groups. I was in touch with a rescue group at the time, trying to set up a neighborhood TNR program, but the city wanted no part of that. They simply wanted the cats to die. Horrible people!

[Medusa]

Stories such as this really get me riled. I believe that pomtzu came up against the same thing. People want the problem eradicated, they want the cats gone and yet they punish and penalize the people who are working day and night to please these people and help the poor cats at the same time.

When I had houses set up all over the place for ferals, my landlord turned a blind eye and I'm so thankful that he did. Even after I moved away, I had have-a-heart traps set to catch any cats that I still hadn't been able to round up and he was cooperative and let me leave the traps there until I had trapped every last feral, 27 of them not counting the dozens and dozens prior to them. But he was one in a million. I live in an allotment but the community itself is rural and the main method of solving the cat population is to shoot them. I can easily get on my soap box but it only serves to annoy people rather than get their cooperation so I've stopped.

[katladyd]

I rent an apartment and the property management company limits us to two cats. That is fine, it is their property and I abide by their rules. They have had problems with irresponsible pet owners in the past and understand where they are coming from. But, if it is my own house, I should be allowed to have as many cats as I want, as long as they are kept indoors or in runs and are well taken care of. Just my views on the subject.

[GILL]

New Jersey is trying too set a 6 cat limit for the state.

[carole]

Gosh i support so many of you on this issue, i can see every point of view and it is always the good pet owners who get punished because of the bad ones, we get a raw deal.

However licencing in this country could be beneficial i think, as i personally have come up against a problem that maybe could have been fixed if licencing were in place.

For me it would be hard to find extra cash to pay for it, but if it mean't other pets were being protected then so be it, i think offering people maybe a small incentive reward would be the way to go for licencing their pets.


When i reported nikki and ellie's former bad owner to the SPCA, because of neglect of one of their kittens which was now a young cat and had been badly injured, they could do nothing as she denied ownership, that is where licencing can sort that problem out,this poor kitty was left suffering,in a terrible state, however don't worry folks i managed to capture it and end its suffering, but this is just one case of how this could indeed be helpful.

I think 50 dollars is a reasonable amount,not outrageous and one that i would be prepare to pay.

The one thing that riles me is the people of that town, give this woman no thanks for stopping ferals from breeding,they should be thankful that someone is doing the right thing.

It is the same for me, if i had not spayed ellie and nikki and Zara we would have been unindated by ferals here,then all of a sudden everyone would have cared, and they would have all been killed, i often think of that when i look at nikki and ellie knowing how sweet they are and shudder at the thought, i must remind my elderly neighbour when she has a moan to me about the cats, of course it is only my cats, could never be anyone elses, although we have hundreds in the neighbourhood lol.

[lvpets2002]

;) Yes Most towns have a cat & dog limit.. I would say pay the $50.00 & go on.. Around here nobody even checks on you unless you have been reported by a neighbor.. Just like this story the neighbors had reported this lady..

[pomtzu]

I guess if you feed strays, they're considered to be yours.

Yup - that's the stupid law in Delaware. If you provide food for a stray for 3 days - then you are considered the owner and responsible for the animal. That's how I ended up in court! Great message being sent. Send Animal Control to issue a summons because I was trying to help a cat in distress, but don't take the time to send Animal Control after the people that abuse and neglect animals. What's wrong with that picture??? :mad:

[Freedom]

Several of you mentioned, just pay the $50. Not that easy. it is a kennel license, which means you MUST have certain facilities. No idea what that would be for cats. For dogs they want runs, indoor / outdoor areas, fencing, and so forth.

Same law here, if you feed ferals, they are considered yours. You have to have proof of spay / neuter, rabies shots and so forth. Some areas, the law allows if you are working with a feral cat rescue, and it is the folks who try to go it alone who end up in trouble. With a rescue, you get the ear tipping so everyone can tell which cat has been fixed. Still hard to show up to date rabies.

It is quite frustrating, and I am surprised she wasn't grandfathered in when they changed the law in Dudley Mass. Every city and town here in RI is different. One will say 3 dogs, 5 cats max; the very next one will be 4 dogs, 3 cats max.

Some have antihoarding laws rather than a set limit. Which is also ticky to comply with. I have 10 cats, all vetted, up to date, fixed, and the house is spotless. Yet I COULD be considered a hoarder if the Animal Control Officer wanted to interpret it that way. :rolleyes:

As usual, the problem starts a few steps back, with cat owners who let their cats out to roam, cats which are not fixed. One stray meets another, over a dinner of mouse tartare, under the moonlight and next thing you know, there is a litter of kittens out side.

[Medusa]

As usual, the problem starts a few steps back, with cat owners who let their cats out to roam, cats which are not fixed. One stray meets another, over a dinner of mouse tartare, under the moonlight and next thing you know, there is a litter of kittens out side.

Exactly. I often wonder, though, how farmers get away w/it. One woman that I spoke with told me that the cats at her farm numbered into the hundreds now and she couldn't afford to vet them and have them altered. She could barely afford to feed them all. If she had listened to me when she had around a dozen or so, the problem could have been averted or at least lessened in severity. Cat people are called crazy, hoarders, etc. but most of us are just trying, usually in vain, to clean up other people's messes.

[Freedom]

Mary, remember that not all those cats came from the original few. For some reason, folks seem to think it is OK to drop their excess cats and kittens at the local farm, without even notifying the farm family.