Horrid neighbour

[mountain mummy]

I had a very disturbing visit from a neighbour the other day (in that she bashed on the kitchen window instead of knocking on the front door like a normal person!) and then accused my cats of killing KANGAROOS!! FFS, really, a cat against a kangaroo, I wonder which one would come out worse for wear ... unless the cats were tigers or panthers (which they are not!)

Anyway, she swore at me, I swore at her and told her I didn't need a lecture from her about my own cats. she seemed astounded that I even let them outside! Mind you, I am not the only one in the street with cats, there are always dogs out loose (isn't that against the law?) and my cats are ALWAYS inside at night. But I just had a niggly feeling that something was gonna happen ...

So today, we let the cats out at around 9.30am and by 12.30pm we had a call from the RSPCA saying that one of our cats had been handed in. Apparently she had been "found" by a man in a suburb easily 10 minutes drive down the highway from where we live and the RSPCA is another half hour or so from there. Go figure!

I KNOW that this crazy environmental wildlife fanatic lady is behind it BUT I can't prove it and there is nothing I can do about it as apparently anyone is allowed to just pick up an animal and hand it in, regardless of whether it has a tag (which our cats do). This woman is also known in our street as an avid CAT HATER (she has done the same thing to us before and also to other people in the street).

HOW on earth do we stop this maniac from her absurd behaviour? It's not fair because she causes everyone else so much grief and it's US who have to pay to get our furbabies back when they have been as good as kidnapped!

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm baffled!

[Arimeh]

Melly bashin time?

[Kailani]

Oh my...what a weirdo.

I could think of numerous things I'd want to do, but none legal!

But seriously, if someone did that to my cat, and the only way to get back at them was with solid proof, I would do a stake out (yes, I have too much time on my hands ), let the cats out, wait for the stupid opportunistic biatch to strike and get it all on camera. Is that possible?

On another note...are cats in your area actually destroying wildlife (obviously not kangaroos!)? If so, then maybe make an outside enclosure for your cats so they can't get onto neighbouring properties or outside the gate - then she will have nothing to complain about and the wildlife & your cats are safe Although this neighbour has gone over the top and doesn't seem too friendly, at least she cares enough about the native animals!

[thepixie]

Definite Melly-bashing time! Might have to get the Bear in on it too!
MM that's soooooo not on!

[feeb]

Melly bashin time?

we will have to bail you out soon if you keep bashin people!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[mountain mummy]

Melly bashin time?

Yeah baby!!

I could think of numerous things I'd want to do, but none legal!

LOL! Yeah, none of what i wanted to do was legal either!! LOL!

With 4 kids and not being home ALL the time, stake out isn't really an option but I did think of that too!!

A couple of the cats catch wild mice (and rats too), they have also been known to catch the little finches on occasion, and one has caught wild rabbits a couple of times, and another has caught lizards and snakes But they tend to leave their catch as a present on our doorstep. There have also been times when we have found the decapitated rear end of a possum in the yard, but those occasions have always been first thing in the morning when they have been inside all night

I do know that there are other cats roaming the streets at night, as we have floor to ceiling glass doors and windows and our cats growl at the cats outside

Definite Melly-bashing time! Might have to get the Bear in on it too!
MM that's soooooo not on!

pmsl!!

Hey on a brighter note, at least we're moving on the weekend!! But have t try and keep the cats inside all week so this doesn't happen again!

[Arimeh]

we will have to bail you out soon if you keep bashin people!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its alright - I know a good lawyer

hehe

[AliBaby]

You poor thing.

I know how stressed I got when someone complained to the coucil that our dogs were barking and we had a visit from the ranger.

I feel for you because I know my biggest worry and still is is what these crazy people might do to my animals during the day if I leave them out the back.

I now leave them inside all day out of fear of what someone might do to them if they bark (I know for a fact that they only bark if there is a reason to as my nice next door neighbours on one side have told me).

I am not a cat lover but let me tell you I do not believe for one minute that your cat would be responsible for killing a kangaroo.
1) cats hunt at night
2) kangaroos are massive and powerful and could hurt a cat easily
3) kangaroos are faster than cats and could get away quite easily

This woman needs to get a life. I would maybe have a chat to some other neighbours in your area who have pets and let them know what happened to you. They might be able to keep an eye and ear out for any suspicious catnapping activity.

Good luck and I hope this problem goes away.

[LimeSlice]

Is this neighbour immediately next to you?
You can buy a product form the supermarket called Pheynil (sp?) with the cleaning products.
Cats HATE it, like WILLNOT go anywhere near it.
If she is taking your cats when they go near her house to the RSPCA, put the stuff along the fence and around the perimimeter of her property. you will need to redo it as the rain adn sun wash it away, but you cats will not go near it, therefore nowhere on her property....
She wouldnt take the cat of the middle of the street in broad day light would she?? what a knobbish woman!

Anyway, hope she gets of your case and finds a new way to save the world soon

[mountain mummy]

Is this neighbour immediately next to you?
You can buy a product form the supermarket called Pheynil (sp?) with the cleaning products.
....
She wouldnt take the cat of the middle of the street in broad day light would she?? what a knobbish woman!

Might look into that!! And yes she would!!

[krysalyss]

Hmm. tough one. I also doubt that a cat would win against a kangaroo. She may be crazy but dont hold it against her for being an environmentalist or considering native wildlife a priority over a domestic animal as natives are constantly making way for development. But definitely hold it against her for being rude and aggressive. And especially if she did take your cat. Good luck keeping your cats safe until your move.

[christy]

Hmm. tough one. I also doubt that a cat would win against a kangaroo. She may be crazy but dont hold it against her for being an environmentalist or considering native wildlife a priority over a domestic animal as natives are constantly making way for development. But definitely hold it against her for being rude and aggressive. And especially if she did take your cat. Good luck keeping your cats safe until your move.

I agree. I've reared native animals before and love native wildlife, its true that cats are killing machines.... its what they do. BUT it doesn't give rise to being rude, and hurting cats either.

There are things that you can do as a cat owner but not things you can do about being a rude neighbour!! I think I would complain to the RSPCA about her anyway and let them know. If they start building a case against her she may have to learn a lesson the hard way. Let others in the street who have complaints against her to do the same. Who knows, her punishment for cruelity to animals could be having to volunteer cleaning the cat kennels

[Heaven]

OMG I am PMSL at that stupid woman saying your cats are killing kangaroos, she could of at least come up with a better story than that.

I have no idea what you should do about her though!!!!

[mountain mummy]

I'm not saying ALL environmentalists are crazy - just her!! Hey, I love seeing kangaroos in my back yard! And I'm not saying cats don't hunt or kill - I have admitted mine do, but like I said, I'd like to see them take on a kangaroo!!

We asked the RSPCA what we could do and all they suggested was contact the council ... I understand about her putting native animals before domestic ones, but when you are doing something bad to an animal which has a loving home and family, and scouring the streets to rid them of very much loved and looked after pets - to me that's putting native animals before human beings too.

Some people are just so passionate about what they do that they are blinded by it!

[krysalyss]

Hey. My post was more as a general comment. I didnt really think you were saying that.
But just for the record...I put natives before humans too! In fact I would put pets in front of humans! LOL

[mountain mummy]

Krysalyss - sorry, I didn't mean to sound so abrupt!

[krysalyss]

You didn't really. It's all good!