I'm pretty sure Bruiser is ok. He is a really dark brindle color so it is so hard to tell if he gets scratches where as it shows against Frankie's white coat. He is a little more sturdy too. He seems fine, no discomfort while giving him a look over. I think his spirit is broken, he's more upset the cat got away.

So... same neighbor's outdoor black cat has been hanging around our house. SERIOUSLY? LUCKILY our dogs have been very good and stayed contained in the backyard and we've had no more incidents with guests letting them out the front door, but the cat is hanging out in our driveway and has made a bed next to our front door....

I'm debating calling animal control but does anyone know of a way to make an anonymous tip? I really don't want the neighbor knowing it was us but I am honestly afraid of what would happen if I called or spoke with them about their black cat hanging around our yard. A) What would they do about it? and B) I'm afraid hubby will use it as an excuse to go mental on us and our dogs again. I don't want to dredge up any bad feelings especially when things have been very peaceful. This black cat was the one that the neighbor said, "You're lucky it wasn't our other cat or you and I would be having a very different conversation right now."

Suggestions?

Oh yeah, that guy. A call to animal control might help you decide what to do. In our county they will not go after cats unless they're visibly injured. And even then some people have told me they bring you a trap to catch it yourself. I found out because cats were using our barrel planters for toilets.

You could also try to desensitize Koda to that particular animal. That's what I've been doing with our one remaining neighborhood cat.

harrise wrote:

You could also try to desensitize Koda to that particular animal. That's what I've been doing with our one remaining neighborhood cat.

I'm not entirely sure how to do that without killing a cat. I also don't have anyone that would be willing to volunteer their cat to do this. If you have some practical suggestions, I'd be very willing to listen.

Well, it sounds like this cat is regularly in your yard. The cat in our hood doesn't sleep around here, but hangs out around the same 8-10 houses all of the time. Whenever I would see it out there I would slip a chain on the dog (to avoid the collar slip), grab a lead, head out the door and just stand there.

At first the cat just bolted away and I was left standing there right outside the front door with a bounding screaming husky. That didn't last long as the cat realized the dog was restrained. Soon the cat was no longer bolting but standing his ground watching us closely. This is where the annoying part came in. I just continue to stand there while the cat doesn't move and the husky has a panic attack. Depending on my mood, I would stay put until the dogs decided it was boring and shut up.

Repeated ad nauseum until seeing the cat produces little response in the dog. After each individual was performing to my liking, I started adding the others until I was able to walk all five dogs up to a couple of yards away from the cat. Only works on this one cat though. Lately he's been following us down the street when we get back from Kosmo runs. The dogs look at him but don't become reactive unless he starts growling and hissing. But that's usually because I'm getting to close to the cat's reaction zone.



Or you could trap it and drive to a shelter somewhere. I've heard of people doing that too.

Animal control down here won't take an anonymous tip, but you could try. I would worry that the hubby would retailiate and call about the previous incident. That's a sticky situation. I would probably go out and shoe it away with a broom. Maybe if you chase it away enough times it will give up and realize that it's not very comfy spot to hang out.

Dee&Frankie wrote:

Animal control down here won't take an anonymous tip, but you could try. I would worry that the hubby would retailiate and call about the previous incident. That's a sticky situation. I would probably go out and shoe it away with a broom. Maybe if you chase it away enough times it will give up and realize that it's not very comfy spot to hang out.

They already called animal control about the last incident. I don't believe they can legally call again about the same incident.

I might do what Eddy said and just leash Koda and bring him out everytime to either desensitize him or convince the cat to stay the F away...

Spray bottle of water to keep kitty away. Or put stuff around the edge of the property to deter the cats - stuff the dogs can't get to : orange peel, moth balls, etc

We haven't had cats in the yard since we got Frosti and put up coyote rollers - our property is completely enclosed in fencing (corner lot). We were so happy because they had been using our property as a kitty litter box for years - sigh. Not everyone can do that - and I know the moth balls work - my mom used those at her house to keep kitties out of the flower beds.

Good luck!!

I don't think animal control will come after a cat around here unless you suspect rabies or something like that. They don't want any more cats sent to the shelters. I think it also has something to do with cats not being personal property and, therefore, charges or fines cannot be issued to an "owner" since technically they have no owner.

I am one of those people who has a cat who wanders around 3-4 yards here in the neighborhood. I actually did not go and rescue a cat or buy a cat to give him a life like this. She adopted us and we just did not try too hard to find her another home. Even though she spends most nights in the basement, I am responsible enough to know that anything can happen to an outside cat left to fend for himself. Our vet even told us stories of small cats even being nabbed by birds of prey! I have also heard that wind is a cat's enemy since it whistles in his ears and provents him from being on full allert.

I don't know what you should do. I think I might tell the cat's "owner" that his cat is spending alot of time outside your front door and that your dogs occasionally escape out the front door. Rather than sound like the dogs will violently charge the cat with the intention to kill, perhaps you can explain that your dogs play rough and will try to play that way with this cat. That could even have been the case when Koda got their other cat...couldn't it...perhaps...??

Desensitizing Koda may work. But, in my experience, when the cat sees a dog on leash it will even give him more security. Our cat knows exactly how long the leash is. So if Sabaka is pulling toward the cat and she knows she is out of reach, she will just be yawning and stretching and lovin' life!

Good luck!

hollywoodhuskies wrote:

Spray bottle of water to keep kitty away. Or put stuff around the edge of the property to deter the cats - stuff the dogs can't get to : orange peel, moth balls, etc

A co-worker of mine used the orange peel and it worked. She also used lime peel and that worked also.

I've been doing a lot of research on cat deterrents as well, since our yard seems to be the neighborhood litter box. That's all well and good, but Ghost (and as of today Lulu) thinks that cat turds are quite the delicacy. Any citrus scent will deter cats, apparently they hate the smell. The downside to that is that you're going to have to go out and spray every few weeks. Cats also HATE mint, and will avoid it at all costs. I'm planning on getting some mint plants and planting them along our back fence, because that is the most likely point of entry for cats. I have been told that you have to be really careful with mint though, because if you just let it go it will take over the yard. I'm pretty sure our landlord wouldn't like that very much... I just don't want one of the dogs to get sick from eating cat poop, and I don't think I can go through watching them die like I did my cat earlier this year.

Good luck, I hope you are able to come up with a good solution to the problem.

Oh my what a Weekend I guess. Poor little cat. Around here you get into serious trouble if something like this happens.

my mother got bit and scratched by a cat two yers ago, she had to stay in hospital for two weeks, they said if a cat bites or scratches you real hard, you can lose your arm if you don´t get proper treatment. Actually I never believed this but who knows.

Pepper spray that'll shoo the damn things away. Get a brand that shoots a strong stream other wise they won't scoot until your up real close.

I'll have to try some of these cat repelling tips. I'm so sick of prying cat poo out of the dogs mouth.

As for the black cat, if it were me, I would trap it and drop it off at a humane society. I just found a humane society here that loans out traps. Probably going to get a trap next week. Good luck!

I am so sick of the dogs eating cat crap in the yard. We've had to start taking Ghost out on a leash because if we don't she runs around the yard finding every bit of cat poop and eating it. Now Lulu has decided she likes cat poop too. So Lulu just came in REEKING of cat poop, which made Ghost interested. Ghost got too close, Lulu attacked. I'm so sick of the poop eating and dog fighting in this house. I don't think Lulu will ever relax to the point where she isn't trying to rip Ghost's face off constantly.

Here4thePics wrote:

Pepper spray that'll shoo the damn things away. Get a brand that shoots a strong stream other wise they won't scoot until your up real close.

That got me thinking... I carry Citronella Animal Shield from Petsmart on my walks (along with mace for more vicious dogs) - and maybe shooting that in her direction will help? Since they hate citrus... and it's non-toxic to animals...