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I had sort of a similar experience in the summer. A house at the end of our street always lets their small calico cat roam free. There are no other cats that roam in our neighborhood, so you most always saw this particular kitty just walking around. He had a collar on, but looked dirty a lot. However, he also took refuge in the storm drains at the corners of the street. My across-the-street neighbor saw him go into the storm drain one afternoon and called animal control on him, told them that the cat was wearing tags.
The officers came out and at first the cat wouldn't come to them, but somehow they might have tranquilized it cause my neighbor said it was biting and swiping at them. I'm not sure what happened to the cat after that, because we haven't seen him around since. And he used to roam a lot. I have two bird feeders and a bird bath in my backyard and sometimes he'd be either in the bath or staring up at the birds on the feeders. We have a dog so he didn't stay in the yard long.
Cats are a nuisance around here, and animal control in our area has come out for roaming little dogs too. I would suggest what Kittymom said - send a letter to them with photos of their cats on your property.
We have two cats but they are never ever allowed outside. When the calico cat was roaming, there'd be cat poop in our garden (and many of the other houses' gardens too), and my dog would go nuts cause he'd smell cat urine on our backyard grass too. If my neighbor hadn't have called AC, I probably would have.
Several houses down, a resident has two cats, who enjoy getting up to the 2nd balcony (haven't figured out how they do it), where I have 4 birdfeeders, and hunt my wild birds.
First of all, they aren't YOUR wild birds. They are simply wild birds. And, wild birds often are eaten by other things, including marauding cats (and foxes, and other birds like hawks).
It is unfortunate that the cats are not better cared for because the aforementioned foxes, and birds of prey can also kill cats! However, many people (too many) are of the mindset that cats need to be free to kill things willy-nilly and that is simply that.
Most likely, the irresponsible pet owners will not change their behavior patterns to suit you or the wild birds that frequent your balcony. You cannot change other people's behavior no matter how offensive and preposterous it might be.
The only way that you are going to solve this is to make your property unattractive to the cats so they will hunt elsewhere. Making the balcony inaccessible to them might be once solution although most people would not relish the thought of putting chicken wire around their balcony to keep the cats out. There are also certain smells that cats do not like such as citrus. I am told that putting orange peels in a garden will prevent cats from using it as a litter box.
Being in the country, there is probably no ordinance governing the behavior of animals and no one to enforce it if there were.
You could always threaten them that the cats might "go missing" if they continue to trespass on your balcony, but you have no idea what these people are capable of, and it might cause you considerably more heartache than losing a few wild birds. People are pretty damn crazy these days.
You could scoop the little dears up and take them to the pound, but there is a very good chance that they would be replaced by another batch in very short order.
The best thing to do would be to make the balcony as inaccessible and inhospitable as possible to the felines.
At least today I figured out how they get to my 2nd story balcony. It is about a 6-foot leap from a ledge to the ballusters under the railing, (where they squeeze between), over a 20-foot drop.
Looks like the easiest solution is a piece of clear lexan over the ballusters.
That will solve it in short order.
Well, now you're making progress, anyway. Might I suggest a barrier the cats can see, instead of a clear barrier? It doesn't have to be there forever, just until they learn they can't make the jump any longer.
How are they getting up onto the ledge? Preventing that might also deter them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperSparkle928
If I can demonstrate a 'nuisance animal', which will be easy, I am in luck.
"Nuisance" most likely is defined a little more strongly than you just don't like the cats on your porch.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperSparkle928
On the 4th of July, I personally ask my neighbors if they mind if I shoot off really big fireworks (it's legal here, but I ask anyway). I think it all boils down to respect for others.
I thought you didn't talk to your neighbors?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Debsi
It's not fair that the neighbor lets their cats out to wreak havoc on other people's property but it is happening. It is what it is, so a solution to the problem is most likely in OP's court regardless of whether that's fair.
Agreed. There are plenty of simple deterrents one can use to keep cats off the porch.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson
You could scoop the little dears up and take them to the pound, but there is a very good chance that they would be replaced by another batch in very short order.
And chances are, depending on local laws, that such an action might constitute theft.
If it were me I would send a letter to them in the mail with a copy of your local animal laws regarding letting cats roam free with a picture taken of their cats out and about on your property.
As some of the OP's stated, I think the anonymity approach is the best. Why **** off your neighbors (at you)?
First, no letter. Our legal system works as "Ignorance of the law is no excuse."
Second, the pictures go to the Animal Control Officer.
Third, I picked up some lexan, and I hope they can fly.
Fourth, chicken feed appropriately placed.
Without even executing the second effort, the problem should almost entirely self-resolve.
If your blocking action resolves the issue, then there's no reason to escalate further to contacting animal control. If animal control responds to your complaint, you think you're going to be able to remain anonymous through it all? You may, but I doubt it. People have a way of figuring this stuff out, even if animal control maintains your privacy.
Indeed if the blocking works you can skip the letter at this point too, because what would be the point?
If a problem persists after the blocking attempts, the letter is a neighborly matter of first assuming the neighbors have decent intentions and are simply unaware of this unusual behavior on the part of their cats. Cats from a few houses away climbing up onto a second story part of a house is pretty unusual, and they likely would never suspect this is happening unless someone tells them. (You don't have to be specific about what the cats are doing in the letter if that gives away whose house it is or whatever.)
If you've given up on the idea that your neighbors have decent intentions without even contacting them first, then society is well and truly eff'd.
I think one sure way to antagonize a neighbor and have less of a chance of them wanting to help you, is to contact authorities, before you've ever contacted them. I think you should let them know you have a problem, and give them a chance to resolve it themselves. If they aren't cooperating, that's different. Maybe they don't care about anyone else, but you're just assuming that, and that's not right. I know if someone had a problem with something I did, I'd want them to talk to me first, or let me know in some reasonable way, before sending animal control or the cops to my door.
Well, now you're making progress, anyway. Might I suggest a barrier the cats can see, instead of a clear barrier? It doesn't have to be there forever, just until they learn they can't make the jump any longer.
How are they getting up onto the ledge? Preventing that might also deter them.
"Nuisance" most likely is defined a little more strongly than you just don't like the cats on your porch.
I thought you didn't talk to your neighbors?
Agreed. There are plenty of simple deterrents one can use to keep cats off the porch.
And chances are, depending on local laws, that such an action might constitute theft.
If the lexan doesn't work.. I am reminded of something on that Cat Daddy show (the true name is just to opposite to deal with ).. he said cats don't like jumping into a 45degree angle! so while some cats may manage all sorts of high jumps and scrambling over prison fencing, placing the lexan at a 45degree angle might be enough to deter them. worth a thought anyway.
I think one sure way to antagonize a neighbor and have less of a chance of them wanting to help you, is to contact authorities, before you've ever contacted them. I think you should let them know you have a problem, and give them a chance to resolve it themselves. If they aren't cooperating, that's different. Maybe they don't care about anyone else, but you're just assuming that, and that's not right. I know if someone had a problem with something I did, I'd want them to talk to me first, or let me know in some reasonable way, before sending animal control or the cops to my door.
I agree. I had a neighbor that was okay, we didnt talk much but he seemed like an okay guy. One day he came up to me puffed up. He was somewhat polite when he complained but I could tell he was ready for a big confrontation or something. He told me that my garage light shines into his bedroom at night. He said its been keeping him up for the past week. I was miffed. I had no idea. Turns out the wind blew it and it moved a bit sending a steady stream right into his bedroom window. So when he told me all this, I asked him why he waited a week to say something. He completely deflated. Honestly, I think I shocked the hell out of him by not getting pissed. He stammered and said he didnt want to tell me how to live my life and all but well he was just getting tired of not sleeping. I told him no problem. The light will be turned off until we install a better one that doesn't blast him at night. The next day I went in the back yard and he had hung a huge bag of fresh tomatoes on my fence for me, from his garden. We still didnt talk much, kept to ourselves but I loved having those tomatoes and told him so. I had fresh tomatoes every summer for the 5 yrs I lived in that house.
To the OP I would take the photo, knock on the door and politely explain that the cats are climbing up on your balcony. See what their reaction is. They may have no idea the cats are bothering anyone or climbing up on someone's house. If they react negatively then take the suggestions from others on squirting the cats, placing tin foil etc. It may deter them from coming back. I am a cat lover but mine have always been indoor cats. In the first house I lived in, our neighborhood was over run with stray cats. It was horrible. You could hear them mating at night, knocking over trash cans, cat poo in my flower beds all the time. I even found a litter of kittens in our dog house. The mother must have been killed because she never made it back. Finally animal control took over.
that's sorta part of the problem: they've been strays so they are used to being outside and she can't stand the constant yowling & scratching at the door to go outside, so she obliges them.
This is understandable. That yowling can drive a crazy person sane. That's why I mentioned a kitten (or two). They don't yowl and cry to go outside when they've never been there. She wont get any complaints from the neighbors with indoor-only cats.
Last edited by =^..^=; 01-26-2012 at 04:48 AM..
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).. he said cats don't like jumping into a 45degree angle! so while some cats may manage all sorts of high jumps and scrambling over prison fencing, placing the lexan at a 45degree angle might be enough to deter them. worth a thought anyway.
She wont get any complaints from the neighbors with indoor-only cats.
