Re: Man traps neighbors cats, takes to shelter

"dgk" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> On Mon, 17 Nov 2003 06:07:49 GMT, "Agua Girl" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> wrote:
>
> >First off..this has been discussed ad nauseum in here, and is
> >usually brought up by trolls; but I will take your post on face
> >value and assume you have no ulterior motive for rehashing the
> >debate.
> >I have a couple of comments.  Number one, there are all kinds of
> >wild animals that leave droppings. ...
>
> >> A Portland man, upset at his neighbor's cats continually coming over
> >> and killing birds and crapping in his flower beds decided to take
> >> matters into his own hands.  He started trapping the cats and taking
> >> them down and dropping them off at the animal shelter.  Most neighbors
> >> eventually thought to check the shelter when their cats disappeared,
> >> but one cat had no ID and was euthanized within a few days.  ...
>
>
> There are a few things missing here that are pertinent. First, how
> many cats and neighbors are we talking about? The quoted article
> indicates that the missing cats belonged to "most neighbors", so can I
> assume that at least three neighbors were missing cats? How many cats
> were involved? Belonging to how many neighbors? Was there a cat
> convention in this guy's yard?

> And it isn't cat poop that most people find a problem, although it can
> be. Cat fights outside disturb me and my cats. Some local cats poop
> down a short flight of stairs leading to my basement door. There is no
> dirt there so they just leave it. (not any more since I put up a fence
> to keep mine in and theirs out).

You did the logical thing..you put up a fence. You didn't trap them
and drop them off to be killed..but then I suppose since your own
cats were part of the problem, discarding was not a good solution.

> The real problem is urine. Remember, our feline friends like to mark
> their territory. It stinks. Much more of a problem than the poop. And
> Agua Girl, we can tell the difference between a cat killing a bird and
> a bird dying of West Nile. The severed head is the giveaway. That is
> normal cat behavior but I like birds also.

I didn't bring up the killing of the birds..that was someone else. It's
admirable to want to protect birds..but not at the death of another
animal.  We are supposed to be the higher life form.  We have
compassion, conscience, and the ability to reason.  It pained me
when my other cat used to kill birds (in my back yard)  but I understood
the way nature works.  I didn't punish the cat, told her how great she
was...but I did discourage birds from coming into my yard.  Put up
those flappy wind things that keep birds away in place of the bird
feeder.  We are supposed to be a reasonable life nurturing society...
and we should be smart enough to come up with solutions that don't
involve just discarding an animal.

> If there are so many cats that this guy can't use his yard because it
> stinks and is full of crap, then a problem exists. Maybe he is nuts,
> or maybe he just wants his neighbors to be responsible for their pets.

His neighbors should be responsible but his actions make him just
as hateful.  He may not have owned the cats but he is still human..and
he should still revere life.  There were half a dozen other courses of
action.  What about trapping the cats, taking them back to their owners?
What about a mailer to the neighborhood explaining the problem and
stating his right to trap?  How about dropping them off at a rescue group
rather than a kill shelter?   The thing is..he didn't care what happened
to the cats as long as they stopped pooping, spraying whatever in his
yard.  Didn't care.  Wasn't responsible, wasn't his problem.  Then to
top it off half the posters in here wasn't concerned about what happened
to the cat that was killed but was more intent about whether he was
within his rights.  I say again..he may have been legally right but it was
morally wrong...and a little scary since we don't know where else he
displays this lack of compassion for life.

AG