Was I right to move after neighbor complained about my cat?

Question

I was renting a condo. I specifically rented a first floor on the end so I could let my cat out. There was a small private area between my condo and the backyard of the neighbors on the next street. About a month ago, one of the neighbors came to me. She said her two indoor cats were having behavioral problems and that her vet thought my cat may be peeing in their yard causing her cats to smell it. She told me I had to keep my cat out of her yard. Well, I tried to put my cat on a lead and she just tried to run, so that didn't work. I tried to keep her inside, but she started to vomit almost daily, I am assuming from the stress of going from outdoor to indoor. So, I started letting her out again. After about 2 weeks, the neighbor noticed her in their yard. I tell you, I have never had anyone be so angry with me. They threatened to call the police and told me I was a bad pet owner because I let my cat out. I was so upset afterwards. The next day I just up and moved out. My cat needed to be able to go out and she couldn't there. Anyway, it's been a week and I'm still feeling like I let them bully me. They were just so mean, I didn't think it was worth it to get into a battle.

Answer 1

It seems as though you were between a rock and a hard place. How long was she vomiting for? Personally I would have called the vet to check to make sure it wasn't a serious problem. Also, does your city have laws about stray cats? If your neighbor was being REALLY mean they could have just taken your cat to the shelter.

Did you lose money on the condo you were renting? A deposit? Did it cost you a lot of money/time to move?  If it were between moving and fighting the neighbors, I think I would have tried to work something out with them.  

Answer 2

Sorry, I agree with your neighbor. I too am a cat owner. I HATE IT when other peoples animals (cats and dogs included) decide that my yard is their toilet. The cats tend to spray, and they leave the "cutest" footprints on my car, not to mention the dead animals and blood trails. If you want a cat, keep it inside, or move out to the country.

Answer 3

They were being unreasonable.  Other cats will come and do the same, and her cats will continue to have behavioral issues.  It's probably just as well you moved, you don't need the stress of living next to a whiner.

Answer 4

You did what you felt you needed to do. It's too bad that it came to that. I'm a cat owner. I now have 3 cats and they are all indoors. I just took in a kitten that I found outdoors. She has adapted well to being indoors only. One of my other cats was an indoor-outdoor kitty and has adapted well to being an indoor only kitty. She throws up and it seems the culprit was the food I was feeding her. I changed it with the help of the vet and she doesn't throw up anymore. She's now on a low-residue food. Just because you don't see her throw up doesn't mean that she's not throwing up outside. The problem may still be there.

Do you groom her regularly? That might be a factor too.

My neighbors have indoor-outdoor kitties and I don't have a problem with it except that I feel really bad for the kitties because they face so many dangers. It is not a safe place. There are some mean and nasty people out there.

Answer 5

I think what you chose to do was not a bad choice. People like your neighbor can't be reasoned with- my neighbors' cats sometimes cause trouble and fight with my cats in my yard, however that's expected, and I don't expect anyone to keep an eye on their cats every time they go outside. You definitely don't need your old neighbor's hostility, and they clearly don't give a d**n about your own cat's welfare which is not a good sign.

edit: m**o, you have been reported. Your hate speech is unacceptable and cold-hearted.

Answer 6

You have a responsibility to keep your animals out of other people's yards.  I don't think you are a bad cat owner for letting you cat out but you are wrong for letting it roam the neighborhood.   Your neighbor wasn't wrong for expecting you to control your pet.  The neighbor wasn't bullying you, she was trying to get you to be a responsible pet owner by controlling your cat.

You could be harming your cat by letting it roam free.  I don't know if you are aware of all the diseases a cat can pick up just by coming into contact with a diseased cat, not to mention the chance you are taking with your cat getting hit, or being picked up by animal control.

You should invest in a cat fence to let your cat enjoy the outdoors but still keep him safe in your yard.  It also allows you to be a good neighbor and not letting the cat roam the neighborhood.  Check out the links.

Answer 7

If you have peace of mind now, then it was all worth it.

My cat is a 100% indoor cat. It's just not safe to let cats outside anymore.

Anyway, and I'm not saying your cat is playing you for a sucker BUT... cats are EXTREMELY manipulative and will even use vomiting to get their way. My cat hates taking his medicine so I crush a tiny pill into powder and put it into a small syringe with about 1/2 ounce of water and shoot that into my cat's mouth. To get even, sometimes he throws up.

Good luck with your cat. Sounds like he's the boss, ha ha.

Answer 8

I'm sorry you feel like you were bullied.  I actually read it as "you are a good pet owner!"  

Who knows what a ding-bat like that might have done to your cat?!  She might have done something really horrible to your cat.  I think you are a good pet owner, and did the right thing.

Sometimes it's just not worth trying to have a battle of wills or wits...especially since it sounds like you had an unarmed opponent!

You're a good pet owner....be glad you are away from whacky lady.

~Garnet

Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years

Who also believes cats are healthiest and happiest when they can go indoors and outdoors.

Answer 9

You need a Dog,

one that's not too big.

Train It on a leash, and it goes where you are.

You can't control a Cat that want to be outside.

Answer 10

I think you are really asking several questions.  First, did you have a right to let your cat out to roam in (potentially) your neighbor's yard.  Second, did your neighbor have cause to be angry with you.  Third, was moving the appropriate response.  

  First I know of no leash laws in any state that apply to cats.  It's a known fact that cats do not manage leashes well, so cats are generally exempted from leash laws.  While the popular belief is that the responsible cat owner never lets their cat outside (because the cat has a greater chance of being killed or injured), I have found that some cats can get psychotic if not let outside (particularly if they are ferel rescue).  One has to balance quality of live vs. quantity and make that judgement on a cat by cat basis and not judge others.  So bottom line is you had every right to let your cat out - legally and morally.  

  Second, your neighbor sounds completely unreasonable and frankly a little mentally unbalanced.  If her cats were fixed the smell of urine outside would have no effect on them.  If they weren't fixed they should be.  I have 8 cats (crazy cat lady attorney here) and when a foreign cat pees on someone else's territory the general response is to pee in the same spot to "remark" the territory.  I can think of no other "behavior problem" that would be caused by the smell of another cat's urine.  Unless your cat was peeing INSIDE her house I doubt your cat would have had any effect on your neighbor's cats.  She probably was making stuff up to either keep your cat out of her yard for who knows what reason or to have someone to blame for her cat's bad behavior.

Reguarding people fussing over "other people's animals" peeing on their stuff - think of all the wild animals, dogs on leashes, and ferel cats that pee/poo in everyone's yard.  It's a fact of life that animals deficate outside.  Cats at least bury their f***s.  

  The main question was were you right to move?  Were you in the wrong to let your cat out? No. Did you have to move? No.  Do you want to live next to a crazy irrational angry lady? Probably not.  If it were me and I could somewhat easily move rather than deal with an unbalanced, irrational neighbor I'd move reguardless of whether I was in the right or felt I was just avoiding being bullied.  Life is way to short to deal with crappy neighbors.  Besides, I have heard stories of people getting killed over neighbor disputes like this when someone stands their ground against an irrational neighbor.  (recently in Seattle a guy was killed for blocking traffic while he watered his garden on a traffic circle)

So don't look at it as being bullied out of your home, look at moving as making a choice for a peaceful, less stressful life for you and your cat.  You deserve it!