Would you report this?

[Mrs. Jingle]

I am in a very rural area with only 1 close neighbour. A reclusive man who has a handful of cattle, a dog and a tribe of half wild cats.

Several years ago he asked me to help him to get his cats neutered or culled(!!) I managed to arrange for a chairity, at no charge to him, but considerable time and trouble to myself to get cages, round them up and be taken away to be neuterd, all kittens were re-homed.

However unknown to me and the charity, he kept one female back (his favourite). So - 5 years on the problem is massive again, he asked me to contact the charity. Needless to say they have refused to help him again, they have limited funds and the fact that he 'hoodwinked' us all and perpetuated the problem is annoying to say the least.

These cats are all interbred, most have eye infections, diarrhoea and some of the white ones are deaf. You would think that the natural law of interbreeding would lower the numbers it does not - they breed faster than they die!

They swarm over my property once my dogs are in the house at night or during the day, I can no longer have a vegetable patch for obvious reasons. The worst of it is that my dogs have now cornered and killed at least 6 cats in the last few months. I find this horrific and distressing to witness and trying to get my dogs off them is becoming more and more difficult. We return the dead bodys to him and say that we cant cope with this any more and he just shrugs and says he cannot control where they go!! We have had to shoot two of them that were so badly torn apart there would be no hope of saving them.

His house is full of cats mess, it stinks even as you approach his doorway and the times I have had to reworm and de flea our dogs is just ridiculous.

People have suggested I report him to the council and have them come in and remove all the cats as a health hazard. This is a simple man, who probably knows no better, and it would be obvious we have reported him but I really am getting seriously stressed by all this.

How would you handle it?

 

[flying solo]

For the welfare of the animals I'd phone and have the cats removed. Good luck with this awful situation x

 

[OFG]

phone the council as this is a health hazard. also contact the RSPCA and see what they will do (yes, I know there are some people on here that don't rate them whatsoever )

 

[Spring Feather]

How would you handle it?

I would go round to his house and tell him that you have no alternative but to report him. It is not healthy for him or the animals.

 

[littlescallywag]

Report to every cat charity you can think of and the council.

 

[LucyAnn3434]

Poor cats. Esp since they are being torn apart by dogs. What an awful way to die. I would ring cats protection. Even if they humanely put them to sleep, its got to be better than them being torn to shreds by dogs.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Council, as mentioned, it is a health matter, they may have a little more teeth than the charities.

 

[sarahann1]

What a horrible sad situation, the Cats Protection League might be able to help, or at least give you some advice on what to do or who to contact http://www.cats.org.uk/index.aspx fingers crossed you get it sorted out soon.

 

[crabbymare]

Could you phone the RSPCA explain the situation and ask them to visit ostensibly re having a "talk" about the neutering but knowing that they will in reality be there to take some sort of action?

 

[cobmum]

Report to both council and rspca it will be healthier for the man to live in a better environment and certainly better for the cats and yourself.

Sometimes action has to be taken although your neighboour may not see it as a positive thing to begin with.

Best of luck

 

[FairyLights]

Yes,report to every charity you can think of and contact Environmental Health at the local council too.

 

[JingleTingle]

Poor cats. Esp since they are being torn apart by dogs. What an awful way to die. I would ring cats protection. Even if they humanely put them to sleep, its got to be better than them being torn to shreds by dogs.

I agree - I am a cat lover and used to have 4 of my own before they naturally passed on and we moved here. I cannot tell you how difficult it is when this happens - it has got to the stage now where I just hide in the furthest part of the house, blocking my ears until either my OH manages to get the dogs off - or they leave it and he has to shoot them( the severely inured cats).

Trouble is - there are so many of them at times that my dogs now treat them like marauding rats, they dont seem to recognise them as cats at all!

The only thing with reporting him about it is - we worry that the authoritys would force him to be rehomed himself or taken into some sort of protective housing for his own protection. Once the sordid conditions he lives in are brought to their attention we are very concerned that this will escalate into far more than our problems with the cat infestation.

Sorry about different user name - it depends on which IP I can get connection on!

 

[Mare Stare]

I agree - I am a cat lover and used to have 4 of my own before they naturally passed on and we moved here. I cannot tell you how difficult it is when this happens - it has got to the stage now where I just hide in the furthest part of the house, blocking my ears until either my OH manages to get the dogs off - or they leave it and he has to shoot them( the severely inured cats).

Trouble is - there are so many of them at times that my dogs now treat them like marauding rats, they dont seem to recognise them as cats at all!

The only thing with reporting him about it is - we worry that the authoritys would force him to be rehomed himself or taken into some sort of protective housing for his own protection. Once the sordid conditions he lives in are brought to their attention we are very concerned that this will escalate into far more than our problems with the cat infestation.

This is going to sound harsh, but if the authorities decide that he can't look after himself it may be ini his best interest to rehome him.

At the moment he is at risk of contracting toxoplasmosis from the cat faeces, particularly at his age, which could kill him or make him blind.

 

[LucyAnn3434]

It is awful. I would be distraught like yourself. I do feel for you.

What dogs do you own? Is that normal for dogs to do that to cats? I thought most would chase but to tear them apart? I've always discouraged my dogs from chasing cats and although I think they would possibly let that slip occasionaly, I'd never know them to get hold of one to kill them. They would get one hell of a telling off if they did so much as pick one up.

 

[cobmum]

Enironmental health. This man may or may not be removed from property but sounds like his health is a big concearn. They may just organise some help / asistance for him

My dog used to chase cats and definatlley would have killed one if gotten hold off. His previous owners has taught him to do this not me!!

 

[FionaM12]

I would report too. Local authority, charities, whoever will act. I think that if they do force him to change his lifestyle, it won't be done lightly. Local authorities only interfere in this way (unless there are children at risk) as a last resort.

 

[LucyAnn3434]

" My dog used to chase cats and definatlley would have killed one if gotten hold off. His previous owners has taught him to do this not me!! "

Apologies I don't know how to quote.

My current dog was trained to chase (ex racing greyhound) but I've since trained him not to. Maybe I've just been lucky then. Just always taught mine not to ever chase or go for cats, esp since I have my own cat and would be very upset if anything happened to her.

 

[FionaM12]

It is awful. I would be distraught like yourself. I do feel for you.

What dogs do you own? Is that normal for dogs to do that to cats? I thought most would chase but to tear them apart? I've always discouraged my dogs from chasing cats and although I think they would possibly let that slip occasionaly, I'd never know them to get hold of one to kill them. They would get one hell of a telling off if they did so much as pick one up.

I think my dog would kill a cat if it caught one on in our garden. I keep him on the lead when out, but in his own property, I can't stop him. Luckily the local cats don't hang about!

He's a rescue terrier, I can't entirely undo whatever he was encouraged to do in his past.

 

[LucyAnn3434]

Our rescue terrier would chase, but if he was ever lucky enough to get anywhere near, he didn't know what to do with it lol. Bless.
It's not a dig, I just honestly didn't realise it was as common for dogs to show such savage aggression towards cats

 

[CorvusCorax]

Some dogs you can train it out of, some dogs have very high drive and there is little you can do. Not every dog is exactly the same.
It is not the OP's fault if the cats are coming into her garden. And no offence but if they are that inbred (and young fit cats should be able to run rings around a dog and get out of the way...) it is probably also not helping.

 

[FionaM12]

Apologies I don't know how to quote.

My current dog was trained to chase (ex racing greyhound) but I've since trained him not to. Maybe I've just been lucky then. Just always taught mine not to ever chase or go for cats, esp since I have my own cat and would be very upset if anything happened to her.

Just click on the "quote" box at the bottom right of the post, them type your post under the quote when it comes up.

You've done very well to train your dog out of his behaviour. Mine's a staffy cross and I do my best to re-train him. He's great with people and other dogs, but I don't trust him with other animals.

 

[JingleTingle]

I think my dog would kill a cat if it caught one on in our garden. I keep him on the lead when out, but in his own property, I can't stop him. Luckily the local cats don't hang about!

He's a rescue terrier, I can't entirely undo whatever he was encouraged to do in his past.

this is the problem I think - I have one collie x and a JRT that we had when we owned cats ourselves, they never chased cats. Since then a rather feisty rescue terrier has joined them here. She is the instigator and now they happily follow her lead.

Believe me the tellings off they have had make not a jot of difference. The reaction of all three of them if I open my backdoor and 30 plus cats then run and scatter is exactly as my JRT would deal with rats, relentless and blood thirsty in the extreme.

We even walk around the property now, shining a torch everywhere if its dark to try and scare them away before we let the dogs out. Its like being a prisoner in your own home half the time!

Sorry if I sound whinging but I am truly fed up now and at my wits end with it all.

 

[Cortez]

I think my dog would kill a cat if it caught one on in our garden. I keep him on the lead when out, but in his own property, I can't stop him. Luckily the local cats don't hang about!

He's a rescue terrier, I can't entirely undo whatever he was encouraged to do in his past.

It is natural for dogs to chase, cats or whatever, and no matter your "training" - can't blame the dogs. Sounds like an out of control situation and only right for both the cats' and the man's sake to do something about it. People, please spay/neuter your animals!

 

[LucyAnn3434]

I just feel sorry for the cats I suspect it def does have something to do with the fact they are inbred as to why they can't get away. Mine is very agile.

 

[JingleTingle]

Some dogs you can train it out of, some dogs have very high drive and there is little you can do. Not every dog is exactly the same.
It is not the OP's fault if the cats are coming into her garden. And no offence but if they are that inbred (and young fit cats should be able to run rings around a dog and get out of the way...) it is probably also not helping.

My OH and I have said the same thing - their lack of cat quick wittidness and savvy is gobsmacking. The dogs will chase it as far as a tree on the borders of our land - we mentally urge the flipping cat to run up the tree as fast as it can - but no - it runs backwards and forwards like it hasnt a clue whats going on until one of them pounces on her/him (usually the feisty little rescue)! Then they all join in!

They dont even have the sense to jump over the fence (often only about 3'6" maximum) They are seriously not right are they for cats?

 

[FionaM12]

I just feel sorry for the cats I suspect it def does have something to do with the fact they are inbred as to why they can't get away. Mine is very agile.

Inbred, undernourished, probably quite poorly with cat illnesses too. If they were in good health they'd be more likely to be alert to the dogs' approach and get out of harm's way. Poor little things.

 

[Spring Feather]

My dogs have not killed strange cats but if we were ever to have any wandering over our farm then they definitely would. They love their own cats but anything strange coming onto the property will be chased off or killed whichever comes first. It's the natural order of things. Cats are smart though and very agile so a healthy fit cat should be in no danger from my dogs.

 

[LucyAnn3434]

Yes it doesn't sound right. My cat soon gets out the way of our dog who is like a whirlwind of excitment everytime we come through the door.

What a sad situation for you

 

[oakash]

Sounds as if your best action would be to report to the local council. You could also warn the cat owner that you will shoot any cats seen on your land. He sounds as if he would not be concerned over that, anyway. Do not go to a cat charity. They may re-home cats, which kill some 9 million(or is it 50 million) song-birds a year. The cat is something wjhich we could really do without, so a clean shot is probably the most humane solution - I do it all the time.

 

[LucyAnn3434]

What a stupid answer. Good luck to anyone that shot my cat... be the last thing they did!