Neighbour traps cats

[Glen710]

Our neighbour has admitted to trapping our cat and one other in the neighbourhood.
He is an avid gardener and was having a cat problem so he decided the best way to deal with it woulkd be to set a trap.
Our cat did not frequent his yard (we have 1 acre and lots of gardens he used for his needs). The only time I did see him over there the day he disappeared. Apparently he was attracted by the baited trap.
Our neighbour then, by his admission, took the cats to the SPCA and put them over the fence because they were closed for the weekend. The compound is not secure and neither cat has been seen since.
Most people would agree that this behaviour is not acceptable. However, when I contacted both the SPCA and the RCMP they said there is not much they can do. I can't accept that. In my world someone cannot attract someone elses pet into their yard, trap it and then abandon it somewhere.
Does anyone have any specific case history for me to research? I would like to pursue this matter further.

[Etown_Chick]

Your cat was loose (ie: not under your control),it went onto his property... good luck to you.
Here we have bylaws about cat traps - the trapper can't just toss them over a fence...grrr.
But as a gardener who deals with cat leavings daily, I can understand his frustration. I suspect, though, there is more than one cat visiting his property.
Sorry to hear this happened, and I do hope your kitty makes its way home.

[TacoGrl]

I too am sorry your kit is gone :sad: ...while I don't condone the leaving over the fence thing, he could have just as easily poisoned your cat...maybe another rescue found the cat roaming around outside the SPCA and took it to their facility...if you find him and/or get another, keep him inside or build a cat run outside and he will be safe

[14+kitties]

I sympathise with you. It sucks losing a cat that way. Unfortunately you chose to let the cat run free. That's the chances you take. I know most towns don't have bylaws about free roaming cats because of the uproar that usually ensues when they try to enact laws but still, as a pet owner if you don't assume responsibility for your pet then you take chances on losing the pet.
Good luck getting the cat back. I hope he finds his way home.

[kathryn]

I can see it from both ends. My one cat frequently lets himself outside and I've not had much luck stopping him, and I have lost him before.. But at the same time I also trap cats and do knowingly take owned cats away to be spayed/neutered or found new homes if I feel the owners are being idiots.

Depending on where you live, really there may not be much you can do. Keep your cat inside if you can. Get him microchipped to try and make things easier.

Good luck :sad:

[onster]

Im really really sorry about your cat :sad: I had my beloved Ty , who was an indoor-outdoor cat, disapear on me one year. Never knew what happened to him. I know how heartbreaking it can be. I think what your neighbour did was within his rights tho....did he know it was your cat? Did he ever talk to you about the cat going in his yard?

Having said that, please if you get another cat keep them indoors/build them an enclosure/only outside on supervised time. This is what I have done with my 2 cats now and they are very happy

[Melinda]

owning a home day care gives me plenty of grieve with the neighbours cats, no fun having the kids run through their "presents" and these cats don't go in the flowerbeds, they go on top of the grass, she has them microchipped and tagged yet only allows them in her house a couple hours a day, she has a very very fancy home, some neighbours outlined their play area's with grease, she complained about how her carpets were ruined from greasy paws, me,......I took pics of them doing their business in my yard, picked them up , took them to the spca (numerous times) gave the owners name and phone number and they'd call her to come get them, she soon got fed up with paying to get them back and started keeping them in or tying them up outside during the day. Problem solved. some will say what I did was cruel, maybe it was, others were putting out poison for them, so to me, my way was best and it could have saved their lives.
you chose to let your cat(s) out loose, they pay with their lives....good luck getting it back.

[mastifflover]

Yes the guy is an ass but you have chosen to let your cat run free and unfortunately things like this can and do happen. I hope you get your cat back. I know it sounds mean but I am more concerned about the safety of your cat. I am amazed at how many cats I see on the side of roads and if they were not allowed to run free they would still be alive. This is a real pet peeve of mine. I do not want to see any animal hurt and this is pretty much a sure way of losing your cat to an accident or someone taking them.

[chico2]

I feel for you for losing your cat and hope he will find his way home
I definitely do not agree with this man dumping them over the fence,only to get lost
However,like everyone says,you let your cat roam,you are taking a chance with his life.
I have trapped cats,even my neighbors,but of course set her free right away..it's really difficult knowing which cat is a stray,which cat has a home,when they have no ID-tag.
I woukd only trap a cat,if I suspect he needs help..

I have a former friend who hates cats,she always insisted the poop in her yard was cat-poop,but it was more than likely Raccoon,Skunk or Possums.

[Love4himies]

I am so sorry you have lost your cat, it is heartbreaking.

The neighbour was an a$$ for just dumping the cats over the fence, that's for sure. However, if a person allows their cat to roam free, then there is not much that can be done to protect them. Best way: supervised outings.

[Glen710]

Thanks to all who replied to my post.
I suppose by definition my cat was running free at the time. However 90% of our yard is fenced for deer and he nomally would be in the rear yard. This time he was attracted by the bait and went out to the front and around the fence. We live some distance from a road and those related dangers so I felt we were providing a safe haven for our pets.
If I can broaden my perspective enough to see that he may have had a right to trap the cats, I can't see what would give him the right to kill or abandom them. Maybe I'm wrong but I can't see how that can be legal.

[NoahGrey]

Originally Posted by kathryn

I also trap cats and do knowingly take owned cats away to be spayed/neutered or found new homes if I feel the owners are being idiots.

Are you kidding me? This is sooo illigal

ACO22

[14+kitties]

Unfortunately any animal is fair game if it goes on a neighbour's property. Especially in the country. I trap cats all the time. Most, and I mean most, are feral. Those ones get fixed and either released or go to my sanctuary if they are healthy. If I find one that seems to be tame I try to find the owner. Did your neighbour know the cat was yours?
My suggestion, and I am not trying to be mean, is to either keep your cats indoors or build the fence all the way around and make it kitty proof or supervised all the time when outside. You really do not have much hope of winning any battle with him. He was within his rights to protect his property. Cats are not looked at as exactly a valuble asset by the law.

[chico2]

Glen,I am pretty sure that nobody is allowed to KILL cats or wildlife,also trapping cats and dumping them elsewhere might not be against the law,but IMO highly unethical and cruel.
Most people I know who live in the country,let their pet-cats roam outside,unfortunately their lifespan is usually really short..:sad:
We are visiting friends today,who last summer lost a beautiful Calico to some kind of wild-life,probably Coyotes,they now have another little girl-kitty and still doing the same.

[NoahGrey]

Originally Posted by 14+kitties

Unfortunately any animal is fair game if it goes on a neighbour's property.Cats are not looked at as exactly a valuble asset by the law.

actually while yes, it is in yours rights to trap a cat that comes in your property, but cats are seen as property in the eyes of the law. You can't just give the animal to someone else with out the owners consent. For is is considered stolen property and the person could sue you in court. Yes you could go into the cat being a nesnous, ruining your garden and so on...but in the end, this is someones property.

It's like someone taking your tv and giving it to someone else. As sad as it is, tv + kitty=property.

ACO22

[14+kitties]

Originally Posted by ACO22

actually while yes, it is in yours rights to trap a cat that comes in your property, but cats are seen as property in the eyes of the law. You can't just give the animal to someone else with out the owners consent. For is is considered stolen property and the person could sue you in court. Yes you could go into the cat being a nesnous, ruining your garden and so on...but in the end, this is someones property.

It's like someone taking your tv and giving it to someone else. As sad as it is, tv + kitty=property.

ACO22

Don't think I said a cat wasn't looked upon as property. I said it was not exactly a valuable asset in the eyes of the law. Which means yes, he can take his neighbour to court. Most likely the judge would slap the neighbour on the wrist, tell him not to do it again, and, unless the OP could prove the cat was a valuable purebred cat with fantastic breeding lines, in all probability he would only get the cost of replacing the cat at a pound. Not exactly worth going through all the court crap.
And you would probably get more for a stolen tv than you would a cat.