Legal advice needed, regarding cats!

[santaman2000]

Cat scat in my own garden where my kids play is not something I can just accept. Its an insanitary disgusting nuisance.

The cats here bury their scat. The birds (that would be there if it weren't for the cats) usually leave it all over my truck's windshield and hood.

[wingstoo]

I think if I had the right to roam over peoples gardens and then used their veg plots as a sand pit digging up their food crops and leaving a "richard the third" in the middle of their patch the owners might have a thing or two to say and do to me. same with cats... Responsible cat ownership is much the same as responsible rambling.

It cost me a lot of time and money to protect my raised beds to stop just a few cats who thought they had the right to roam over my patch digging up my attempts at growing food to feed myself and my family.

[Bucephalas]

Responsible cat ownership?
How does that work then?

[Kepis]

Cat scat in my own garden where my kids play is not something I can just accept. Its an insanitary disgusting nuisance.

Exactly

[ebt.]

SO, can someone please refer me to the section of law regarding my rights to get rid of them?

I understand it isn't as simple as shooting them, but I'm still unclear on what I can and cannot do and I can't find the law online.

Simple answer, the owners are under no obligation to do anything. You are not permitted to trap them, move them (they're regarded as property so thats theft) or otherwise harm them.

Welcome to a no win situation.

Options (depending on how you feel about these):

1. Talk to owners about distress/killing of childrens pets and ask them to contribute to costs for better cages etc (good luck)
2. Get one of those water sentry things
3. try one of the many fabled fixes (tiger ****, orange peel, starfish). I've got a vet mate who sniggers when any of these are mentioned.
4. 1 large supersoaker filled with a dilute mix including chilli oil. Aim for eyes/****. It works as a detterent.
5. If they're not tagged, remove them and hand into RSPCA. You won't be thanked.

Personally I like my garden to be a haven for natural species, not some introduced predator that kills indiscriminantly.

[wingstoo]

Responsible cat ownership?
How does that work then?

Well...Keep them indoors and trained to use a litter tray before an outing on a leash is a starter, a bit like those who keep these types of pets in unsuitable properties such as flats do.

Sadly it is as much a persons responsibility to keep unwanted pests out as it is for the owners of the animal. Security of the perimeter is the key, a bit like how we keep undesirables out.

[mountainm]

Responsible cat ownership?
How does that work then?

The same way as responsible dog ownership

[martsim73]

... When we had the cat puck and poo problems, I remember my parents scooping up the mess.... (whilst gagging at the smell of it), taking it round to the neighbours and depositing it on their doorstep! They soon got the idea that they needed to do something about their cats defecating in others gardens... Especially as there were small children playing around in them.

[northumbrian]

I've done my bit to ensure they are safe (my animals), but without having to shed out money I don't have on lavish and excessive protection for them because of filthyc ats just seems wrong.. and I know I'm not the only one who detests these vermin endangering or vioalting their property.

they are not vermin !

[sandbender]

they are not vermin !

If they are feral then I think it would be fair to refer to them as vermin.

(former cat owner here)

[northumbrian]

Excellent a thread at long last for animal abusers-great....

aye mention cats and all the numbnuts come out of the woodwork !

[John Fenna]

they are not vermin !

To quote several famous authors
"Oh yes they are!"
(I read a lot of Panto scripts!)

[mountainm]

aye mention cats and all the numbnuts come out of the woodwork !

... you sure did!

[northumbrian]

Simple answer, the owners are under no obligation to do anything. You are not permitted to trap them, move them (they're regarded as property so thats theft) or otherwise harm them.

Welcome to a no win situation.

Options (depending on how you feel about these):

1. Talk to owners about distress/killing of childrens pets and ask them to contribute to costs for better cages etc (good luck)
2. Get one of those water sentry things
3. try one of the many fabled fixes (tiger ****, orange peel, starfish). I've got a vet mate who sniggers when any of these are mentioned.
4. 1 large supersoaker filled with a dilute mix including chilli oil. Aim for eyes/****. It works as a detterent.
5. If they're not tagged, remove them and hand into RSPCA. You won't be thanked.

Personally I like my garden to be a haven for natural species, not some introduced predator that kills indiscriminantly.

how do youknow if they are tagged or not ?

[martsim73]

how do youknow if they are tagged or not ?

Check their collar if they have one... Often that will indicate.... Or as said previously take it to RSPCA, they usually have a scanning wand to check.

This is the discrimination I hate! Us loving dog owners have to have our dogs collared and tagged with owners contact details etc.... Yet this doesn't apply to cat owners?! And don't start with the 'but dogs are dangerous' stuff... All wild or domestic animals can be dangerous if they feel threatened. I mean the looks I get when I walk my tiger 'Fluffy' (big cat) down the street no collar or lead but my lab has to be collared....

No really.... Back to reality, this will never stop or go away. Cats are a law unto themselves and therefore difficult to keep out of your garden. I'm not a cat person at all, but hate it when they use my garden to do there business. I have now owned a dog for the past couple of years and he keeps them out for me. They wonder in now at their own peril...!

[Vulpes]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq9UOX3Dv40 I've told my girlfriend that if she wants a cat, she has to train it to use the toilet! I don't want them on the worktops or in wardrobes/drawers either...I can't stand it when people let them do that. I don't mind cats, some are alright, but if there's two general things I can't stand it's their excrement and the pleasure they take in killing things.

Best way to get rid of them used to be a slipper up the backside, if you can get the distance right. I've also used airsoft guns previously and slingshots with grapes, just don't draw the bands all the way back. Rump shots are best. Generally, if you give them an unpleasant experience, they don't come back, but it's hard to catch them in the act when time/distance/speed is against you. I know some people use grip rods on the tops of the fences too - there's a commercial variant made from plastic I think - I suppose it stops you getting sued by criminals trying to climb your fence!

My Mum is having trouble with two local cats at the moment. Every time she turns over the soil, they defecate in it... Tried every commercial deterrent so far and they haven't worked. I'm keeping the old boot and the BB gun at the back door for when I get an oppertunity.

If you're saying it's animal abuse to prevent cats from crimping off a length in your garden...I bet you have cats on your worktops and in your wardrobes... A super soaker with chilli sauce was a little extreme and verging on being cruel though.

[wingstoo]

Definition of vermin
noun

[treated as plural]

• wild animals which are believed to be harmful to crops, farm animals, or game, or which carry disease, e.g. rodents: killed as vermin or game, the pumas have gone
  
• parasitic worms or insects: his clothes are infested with vermin
  
• people perceived as despicable and as causing problems for the rest of society: the vermin who ransacked her house

Maybe we should be discussing how to distinguish between "Wild" and "Domesticated" and does a cat own you or do you own a cat and if a person owns a cat what are their liabilities for damage caused to crops, gardens, pets?

[Samon]

Give just accepting it a go it uses less energy and you can focus on something else

How about.. no? I will absolutely not just accept that someones cat is trying/going to kill more of my rabbits! would you just accept a scabby unwelcome cat scratching you, your wife's or childrens faces? I doubt it, and I don't appreciate when cats scratch my dog in the face just because he sniffsw them as the rip into bins that are feet from my home.

I think ebt. made a brilliant point here: 1. Talk to owners about distress/killing of childrens pets and ask them to contribute to costs for better cages etc (good luck)

I will certainly try this!

now will those who are loving a chance to call this an animal cruelty thread please take a chill pill, this is a serious thread about a relevant problem. So please refrain from baiting for an argument.

[ebt.]

how do youknow if they are tagged or not ?

I meant the collar tag. if it doesnt have one, I regard it as a stray.

It seems cat owners want to disavow any responsibility;

"I cant control it"
"I cant put an ID collar on it, tiddles might strangle himself"
"Its not my fault if it fouls your garden where your children play"

Cats must be smart, they've got their owners and our legal system wrapped around their evil furry paws

[mountainm]

I meant the collar tag. if it doesnt have one, I regard it as a stray.

It seems cat owners want to disavow any responsibility.

"I cant control it"
"I cant put an ID collar on it, tiddles might strangle himself"
"Its not my fault if it fouls your garden where your children play"

Cats must be smart, they've got their owners and our legal system wrapped around their evil furry paws

Yup - if my Children ran amok through my neighbours gardens I would be held legally responsible.

[martsim73]

..."now will those who are loving a chance to call this an animal cruelty thread please take a chill pill, this is a serious thread about a relevant problem. So please refrain from baiting for an argument".

Sorry Samon, you are absolutely correct. I'm with you 100% on this. Apologies for my joking if it was seen as baiting...

Martin

[resnikov]

I meant the collar tag. if it doesnt have one, I regard it as a stray.
"I cant put an ID collar on it, tiddles might strangle himself"

We dont put collars on our cats, we tried mutiple times and they kept coming back with out them. One of them nearly did strangle himself but then hes not the brightest of animals. It was almost funny watching him struggle but then realised he was in a bit of a situation and had to free him. Our cats are tattoed (in the ear) and micro-chipped to prove ownership and medical records. It was quite stringent to get our cats brought in to the UK from Australia when we moved back to the UK.

[ebt.]

Personally I think cat owners should dye their names into the cat fur. It could be a great sponsorship opportunity. Mind you, I cant see the 'Aldi' cat thanking you

[Expat]

I suppose when you've tried everything else as a reasonable person (as most here who
have this problem seem to be....), then if you happen to graze a stray with a .22 pellet
or BB while practising on your own property, then it is only an offence if you are seen
by someone who is likely to report the accident......

[sasquatch]

I suppose when you've tried everything else as a reasonable person (as most here who
have this problem seem to be....), then if you happen to graze a stray with a .22 pellet
or BB while practising on your own property, then it is only an offence if you are seen
by someone who is likely to report the accident......

Ha ha, that'll do a lot of good for us keeping air rifles responsibly! The press love stories like that...

[resnikov]

I have to say as a cat owner I would be mortified if someone came round and complained about my cats. I would do my best to see the cats didn't do what cats do in their garden.
I think the best way is to have a friendly chat to the owners, don't go in half cocked. Be nice and polite.

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk 2

[Man of Tanith]

I suppose when you've tried everything else as a reasonable person (as most here who
have this problem seem to be....), then if you happen to graze a stray with a .22 pellet
or BB while practising on your own property, then it is only an offence if you are seen
by someone who is likely to report the accident......

Or if it has been advised online
the thread is titled LEGAL ADVICE
please bear this in mind cruelty to animals is not legal and not nice either
thank you

[resnikov]

You could try Nerf Guns. Foam darts that whistle when they fly they are pretty much harmless to anything. I have been shot in eye by my daughter with one, made it water but thats about it but they do make cats move. I have used them on my own cats when they have been doing things the should not do like raid the compost heap for broccoli. Wierd or what but the cat does like broccoli a lot.

[munkiboi182]

use a BB gun and crack em across the back end with it, it'll sting but wont kill em. you could trap them in a humane fashion (deadfall trap using a box as dead fall or sprung door on a cat carrier) and take them to the nearest animal shelter. my personal preference would be to drown the dirty buggers but some would take offence

[mrcharly]

I'm amazed at the frankly moronic comments here.

Cats are 'dirty vermin'; really? Burying their poo? How many animals do that? Mink **** where they sleep - now that's dirty. Dogs take a dump whereever they feel like it and **** all over cars, trees, anything that is stationary - that's dirty.

'Introduced'? I think you'll find they are a native species, unlike the guinea pigs someone mentioned.

'Scratching my wife and children's faces'. Seriously? A cat came into your garden and attacked your wife and children, scratching their faces? Are you sure it wasn't the Dartmoor Puma?

I think I should be paid for keeping my cat and letting out at night. He catches 4-5 rats a week, that thrive in the rubbish outside the restaurants. The area would be overrun with rats without the local cats.