On our block there are probaly about 10 cats that are allowed to wander freely. Most of them are smart enough to not bother our dogs. Except these 2 black cats that belong to our neighbors. They will run on the 6ft. block wall fence and just drive the dogs crazy. I`m almost 100% sure that someday if that cat isn`t fast enough it`s going to get torn to shreds by our dogs. So my question is, Could we be in legal trouble if the owner doesn`t accept the fact that he`s stupid to let his cat run free? We`ve discussed what could happen several times and he just doesn`t seem to get it. Could our dogs be labelled vicous or dangerous? We don`t know who the other cats belong too. Our animal control doesn`t pick up cats unless they`ve bit a human. I`ve searched our state law online and can`t find anything that even mentions something like this. Hopefully nothing ever happens but the dogs really want to kill this cat.

Ummm Cathy, if your dogs kill one of those cats, who would know?

Just bury them in your backyard and keep quiet about it - problem solved.

Although I don't encourage my dogs to kill someones pet cat, I can't be responsable for them when they thin the cat gene pool of the ones to stupid to stay out of a yard full of terriers. Use the shovel!

Screw the shovel...make the transition to RAW <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

sorry couldn't resist

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

On a serious note though.. it only takes a few nut jobs to make an issue of it in the interest of "public safety.. yada yada"... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

We practice the three S's out here, shoot, shovel and shutup

They`re in the next house over so if the dogs don`t shut it up fast enough theres a good chance they`ll hear it. They certainly came out fast enough that time that Elvis managed to grab its tail. It was already over on the other side and I got him to drop it before he dragged it back over. Im not about to try and split it up if he gets ahold of that cat. Seems like a good way to get bit to me and he`s declawed anyway(idiots). I don`t have a problem with burying or trashing and not saying anything. Can`t count on my parents and brothers though. They would say something. The cats owner threatened to call animal control and say that Elvis was vicious and trained to fight. Elvis looks like a pit bull to people who don`t know dogs and I really don`t need that. Im putting sticky tape on top of the wall this weekend. Cats hate it and he can always use somebody elses yard. If that doesn`t work he`s getting hosed until he learns to avoid our yard.

Do mothballs really work? I've heard they do. Also the plastic floor protector runners, turn them upside down and cats hate the feeling-supposedly. Hey tackstrips flipped over sound good in this case as well.

So....the owners of this particular cat declawed it and allow it to roam around outside without any sort of natural defence? I'd call THAT a case of animal cruelty.

When I was in my early teens our family took a trip across the line into Washington during 4th of July, and my cat-hating father came back with a plastic bag with 1,000 firecrackers inside. He then proceeded to plant himself on our sundeck and guard the backyard. When a cat slipped into our yard, he would quietly light a firecracker and lob it over the railing. I never knew cats could run so fast. Our yard was cat free for about 5 years. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Do not use mothballs. They are very toxic, and you may end up poisoning your own dogs with them, or killing birds or other animals that may think they are food. Not to mention they leach their poisons into the soil.

I never had any luck with carpet runner. I tried it to keep my foster cat off the kitchen table and counter, but she actually enjoyed laying and rolling on it, and my own cat didn't care to walk across it either (I had it under the bed to keep him from going under there, but it didn't work).

For keeping stray cats away, I've had tremendous success with plain white vinegar. Just pour it around the top of the wall and it should keep the cats away from it. I've also heard that used coffee grounds work well, but I haven't tried that yet - I haven't collected enough of them.


Does your animal control 'rent' cat traps to the public? Here, we can 'rent' them from animal control for $50 and use them for a week or two (or longer if we call and let them know), and when they are returned, we get the $50 back. When a cat is trapped, all we have to do is call animal control and they will come and get the cat. That's how my husband and I got rid of about a dozen stray cats at our old house. A few of them were friendly enough to have been adopted out, but a few were too wild and had to be euthanized. I felt bad for that, but the life they were living was not that great - always having to scrounge around for food, getting into fights with other cats, running from people and dogs, trying to avoid being run over by cars, etc.
I wouldn't even tell your neighbors if you choose to go this route. Just trap the cats and have animal control come and get them and adopt them out to an owner that will care enough to keep them inside.

Why don't you run a hot wire (ie electric fence) around the top of your fence. That should keep them off.

If you do it since it is a block wall you would need to run a closely spaced ground wire a few inches from the hot wire.