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A few weeks ago, the Florham Park Department of Health knocked on our door inquiring if we had a cat on our premises. Yes, we do and were told that we needed to register him ASAP with the Borough or face a summons. We totally forgot about it and got our second warning today. We adopted the cat in March, so the shelter must have sent notice to the health department or something.
It just shocks me the Department of Health cares so much about my indoor, declawed, neutured cat than it does the family of 4 foxes (1 mommy and 3 adolescents) that have been on our property. Our property is only .37 acres, so they are in close company. We don't have any wooded areas, just a few trees. One of the foxes came less than a foot from my 2 year old as he was running across our property.
I called the Department of Health several times. All I get is that it is nature, live with it, they aren't rabid, etc. I'm not asking to kill the foxes....at least come out and evaluate the situation. The foxes should be relocated and should stop posing a possible threat to my young kids. You aren't even allowed to talk to Animal Control. It is some special, unreachable group that does not interact with the public. I've asked several times to speak them but was told no.
Nope, they care about my indoor cat and getting their $12 registration fee.
A few weeks ago, the Florham Park Department of Health knocked on our door inquiring if we had a cat on our premises. Yes, we do and were told that we needed to register him ASAP with the Borough or face a summons. We totally forgot about it and got our second warning today. We adopted the cat in March, so the shelter must have sent notice to the health department or something.
It just shocks me the Department of Health cares so much about my indoor, declawed, neutured cat than it does the family of 4 foxes (1 mommy and 3 adolescents) that have been on our property. Our property is only .37 acres, so they are in close company. We don't have any wooded areas, just a few trees. One of the foxes came less than a foot from my 2 year old as he was running across our property.
I called the Department of Health several times. All I get is that it is nature, live with it, they aren't rabid, etc. I'm not asking to kill the foxes....at least come out and evaluate the situation. The foxes should be relocated and should stop posing a possible threat to my young kids. You aren't even allowed to talk to Animal Control. It is some special, unreachable group that does not interact with the public. I've asked several times to speak them but was told no.
Nope, they care about my indoor cat and getting their $12 registration fee.
Sounds like typical bureaucratic nonsense to me. People will pay good $ for fox fur...just saying.
They care that your cat has it's rabies vaccine. Indoor cats get out all the time and get in trouble with wildlife. My neighbor had bats in her house that came in through the attic; they could have been rabid. I picked up a bat off of my front yard [gave it to a bat rehabber]. It turned out to have rabies. An indoor cat escapee could have easily picked it up and taken it inside to show you (and your kids) what he caught. The foxes aren't doing anything wrong and unless the fox are acting unusual, no one is going to bother with them. I don't know why someone told you they don't have rabies. Chances are they don't, but you should be mindful that they are near and just watch their behavior. The fox aren't going to eat your kids.
"It is mostly nocturnal in nature but may be seen at dawn or dusk.
They are creatures of opportunity and have a varied diet. It will eat berries, corn, grapes, cherries, apples and other fruits or vegetables. The Red Fox will also eat birds, mice, rabbits, squirrels, crayfish, grasshoppers, crickets and caterpillars."
Fox are typical in suburban communities. They are generally harmless. Like deer. The health department won't come out to your property to assess a fox presence anymore than they will a deer presence. Most towns in Morris County don't even want you calling about bear sightings...unless the bear is being aggressive or causes property damage, don't call.
As for your cat, I'll echo timneh5--they care that you are keeping your pet up to date on its vaccinations. It is also in your benefit to have your cat licensed/registered in case it gets loose and escapes. If your pet is on record there is a better chance that they will know who to return it to. It's actually nice that they gave you 2 warnings. Some towns would have slapped you with a summons by now and you'd have to appear in municipal court to straighten it out. The warnings are saving you from that nuisance.
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