aja
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Post by aja on Nov 10, 2016 13:18:58 GMT
I mainly lurk but yay my first post  My neighbor across the street has 2 homes, the one she lives in and one she rents out to her ex daughter in law. I absolutely adore my neighbor and I hate to possibly cause any friction with her. Ex DIL just moved in a couple months ago. She brought 2 cats with her that are inside/outside cats. The one cat has jumped in my vehicle and has tried to get into my house. I find it sitting in my yard daily. I've nearly ran over it several times. I spoke with the neighbor (since I never see the DIL, only see her car there in the morning & she leaves while I'm at the bus stop) and told her I don't want to be the asshole neighbor who smooshes her cat in the road. She said she'd talk to DIL. We just bought a new car less than a month ago. My not so dear husband hit a parked car last week so the issue I have will be fixed because the hood has to be replaced. But getting to the point, I walked outside yesterday to cat paw prints and scratches all over the hood. No one else in the neighborhood has cats and the scratches were not part of the accident. You could clearly see the prints matching up to the scratches. I did not see her cat do it but based on the earlier encounters with the cat, I can only assume it was the DIL's. (I know what happens when you assume though.) I want to say something to neighbor because after I get my car fixed, I won't be happy if this happens again but I don't want to cause any problems between us and I didn't actually see the cat do it. It's bad enough DH wrecked it but this makes me even less happy because if she kept her cats inside, it could have been prevented. Do you think I should say something? WWYD? |
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Kerri W
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Location: Kentucky
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Post by Kerri W on Nov 10, 2016 13:34:42 GMT
I think you should make a point of catching the ex-dil and speaking to her about it.
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blue tulip
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Post by blue tulip on Nov 10, 2016 13:43:07 GMT
I think you should make a point of catching the ex-dil and speaking to her about it. this, and invite her over to look at the matching prints and scratches. if you can't get her in time, take a pic of them. do you know anyone with a game trail camera you could borrow? set it up, when a cat is near your car it will be triggered by the motion and record it if you need proof. |
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Post by Spongemom Scrappants on Nov 10, 2016 14:02:04 GMT
My goodness... how big is the cat? I've had cats most of my life and have never had one scratch the paint on a car. Paw prints, sure, but personally I have never experienced scratches. If a neighbor came to me about that, I'm afraid I would need some kind of proof as I honestly would not be inclined to believe it.
I am not saying you aren't being truthful. I'm pointing out that *I* would be incredulous so you might want to keep that in mind in trying to get the lady and her tenant to take your complaints seriously.
Hopefully, you can all find some agreeable solution!
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Peamac
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea # 418
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Post by Peamac on Nov 10, 2016 14:04:23 GMT
Welcome, and thanks for posting! Be careful- this place is addicting!
When you talk to exDIL, be sure to mention that you've already had to talk to the owner about her cat and don't want to have to go to her again.
Are there laws/regulations in your area about letting pets run loose? Are there any loose dogs that could harm her cat while it's running around the neighborhood? Any wild animals? If so, be sure to mention those to her as good reasons to keep a closer eye on her cat.
Do you have catmint growing in your yard? Maybe that's why the cat keeps going across the street to your place.
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paigepea
Drama Llama
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Location: BC, Canada
Jun 26, 2014 4:28:55 GMT
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Post by paigepea on Nov 10, 2016 14:09:44 GMT
Can you get a cover for your car?
It seems to me that a cat / animal can come from anywhere. I don't see how talking to the tenant will help you with the cat if it is an outside cat. Cats go where they want. Unless the cat is using your car as a litter box everything sounds normal to me. I also don't get the scratches on your car from a walking cat. We've seen paw prints from cats or raccoons but haven't had scratches. Is the cat setting its territory somehow? I'd look into a car cover. Not ideal bit easier for keeping animals off your car if you're regally unhappy / seeing scratches.
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Post by Outspoken on Nov 10, 2016 14:22:52 GMT
I have 3 cats and also another neighborhood cat. The neighborhood cat climbs all over my car (we allow him in my garage to eat) but my car isn't scratched. Paw prints from his feet but no scratches. I, also, think maybe you should try to get in on camera. Other critters that roam the night may be the culprit as well.
I would speak to DIL but be nice and have plenty of information.
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tincin
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,368
Jul 25, 2014 4:55:32 GMT
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Post by tincin on Nov 10, 2016 14:25:49 GMT
Live trap it and take it to a shelter. If she doesn't care enough about it to keep it inside then she needs to pay the fine to retrieve it.
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Post by myshelly on Nov 10, 2016 14:33:09 GMT
Outside cats are illegal here.
Check your city code. I'd trap it and call animal control to come get it.
It's a $250 fine to get it back here and we have kill shelters so if they don't go get it soon, it's bye bye cat.
(The city actually has a very aggressive program against feral cats, so if you find a cat outside the city responds very fast)
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basketdiva
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,619
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Post by basketdiva on Nov 10, 2016 14:41:23 GMT
Ypu should not be asking the landlord to deal with this since she allows the tenant to have the pets. You need to be dealing directly with the tenant. Leave a note on the door explaining the issue and ask her to stop by or call to discuss the issue.
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Post by beachbum on Nov 10, 2016 15:00:01 GMT
We had a car scratched by a cat too. One night we heard a dog barking and a cat hissing and then heard the cat scrambling up our car. Yep, scratches. We weren't sure which cat it was since there were a couple of cats that wandered the neighborhood.
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Post by gracieplusthree on Nov 10, 2016 15:04:55 GMT
I'd take it to the shelter. over and over if necessary. I'd also certainly try to get a picture of the cat on the car if possible, as proof that THAT cat has been on the car in the event of any future scratches..
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Post by scrapmaven on Nov 10, 2016 15:16:41 GMT
Talk to the cat owner, not your friend. Show her the scratches. I've had numerous paw prints on vehicles over the course of my lifetime, but never scratches. Your friend can transition an outdoor kitty to an indoor kitty. It's not easy, but it can be done. Talk openly w/your new neighbor, so that you create open communication in the future. Cats are hard to control. Any chance you can park in your garage?
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aja
Shy Member
Posts: 37
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Post by aja on Nov 10, 2016 16:05:00 GMT
I think you should make a point of catching the ex-dil and speaking to her about it. this, and invite her over to look at the matching prints and scratches. if you can't get her in time, take a pic of them. do you know anyone with a game trail camera you could borrow? set it up, when a cat is near your car it will be triggered by the motion and record it if you need proof. I will talk to some of my hunting friends. They may have 1 I can borrow. I would love to catch her but I can't figure out when she works. I don't see the car there except in the morning and she leaves by the time I get the kids on the bus. I may leave a note like another poster suggested. Thanks for the ideas. |
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aja
Shy Member
Posts: 37
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Post by aja on Nov 10, 2016 16:07:16 GMT
My goodness... how big is the cat? I've had cats most of my life and have never had one scratch the paint on a car. Paw prints, sure, but personally I have never experienced scratches. If a neighbor came to me about that, I'm afraid I would need some kind of proof as I honestly would not be inclined to believe it. I am not saying you aren't being truthful. I'm pointing out that *I* would be incredulous so you might want to keep that in mind in trying to get the lady and her tenant to take your complaints seriously. Hopefully, you can all find some agreeable solution! This cat is HUGE! I would guess over 20 lbs. It climbs up their tree and they literally climb up after it. I'm fairly certain it could get itself down but I guess they don't think so. lol |
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aja
Shy Member
Posts: 37
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Post by aja on Nov 10, 2016 16:13:07 GMT
Welcome, and thanks for posting! Be careful- this place is addicting! When you talk to exDIL, be sure to mention that you've already had to talk to the owner about her cat and don't want to have to go to her again. Are there laws/regulations in your area about letting pets run loose? Are there any loose dogs that could harm her cat while it's running around the neighborhood? Any wild animals? If so, be sure to mention those to her as good reasons to keep a closer eye on her cat. Do you have catmint growing in your yard? Maybe that's why the cat keeps going across the street to your place. LOL It IS addicting I'm not sure what our laws are. We live in city limits so there may be. The neighbor's have a dog that would kill it if it got in their yard or if it got out, which it has. This dog killed chickens, which aren't allowed within the city limits but the enforcement officer didn't enforce that. She keeps the cat inside sometimes. We do have some kind of mint growing in our yard, not sure what kind. I find it laying in my passion flowers mostly. |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Nov 10, 2016 16:21:11 GMT
My goodness... how big is the cat? I've had cats most of my life and have never had one scratch the paint on a car. Paw prints, sure, but personally I have never experienced scratches. If a neighbor came to me about that, I'm afraid I would need some kind of proof as I honestly would not be inclined to believe it. I am not saying you aren't being truthful. I'm pointing out that *I* would be incredulous so you might want to keep that in mind in trying to get the lady and her tenant to take your complaints seriously. Hopefully, you can all find some agreeable solution! I believe it because DH had to file an insurance claim a few years back when my BFF's neighbor's dog jumped up and scratched the paint on his truck right down to the bare metal! I too think if the OP can find someone with a trail camera she can use it would help her cause. I personally wish people would keep their pets indoors or otherwise confined. My MIL would let her cat roam and then grouse about the $500 vet bill when it would come home injured from a cat fight.  Which happened more than once. |
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aja
Shy Member
Posts: 37
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Post by aja on Nov 10, 2016 16:22:58 GMT
Live trap it and take it to a shelter. If she doesn't care enough about it to keep it inside then she needs to pay the fine to retrieve it. That's my train of thought. I have 3 dogs and 2 cats. My cats are indoor cats and my dogs are kept in a kennel to use the bathroom and let back in immediately. I don't let my love of animals and my having them interfere with anyone else and their property. I wouldn't let my cats outside for a variety of reasons, the neighbor's dog who has killed chickens, living on the main strip of town where it could get hit and because I don't want my animals to use my neighbor's yard as a restroom (cat's spraying is horrible) or in the off chance it did do damage in any way. I thought wrongly apparently by saying hey your cat is running under my car as I back out is going to kill your cat at some point, doesn't matter to her. |
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aja
Shy Member
Posts: 37
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Post by aja on Nov 10, 2016 16:40:05 GMT
Can you get a cover for your car? It seems to me that a cat / animal can come from anywhere. I don't see how talking to the tenant will help you with the cat if it is an outside cat. Cats go where they want. Unless the cat is using your car as a litter box everything sounds normal to me. I also don't get the scratches on your car from a walking cat. We've seen paw prints from cats or raccoons but haven't had scratches. Is the cat setting its territory somehow? I'd look into a car cover. Not ideal bit easier for keeping animals off your car if you're regally unhappy / seeing scratches. We may need to look into it but it irritates me I need to adjust my life to accommodate her (or anyone's animals) and the expense of doing it when if she kept her cats in the house 100% of the time, I wouldn't have to. The cat is indoors at times but I haven't figured out the schedule yet. I understand what you're saying though. I have never seen a cat in our yard other than her cats in the 8 years we've been here but that isn't to say it can't happen. Since I can't prove it at this point, I will just have to say something as more of a head's up that I found cat prints and scratches on my car and go from there. Maybe if I mention dead chickens she might want to keep them indoors all the time, not just sometimes. |
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Post by 950nancy on Nov 10, 2016 17:01:19 GMT
My goodness... how big is the cat? I've had cats most of my life and have never had one scratch the paint on a car. Paw prints, sure, but personally I have never experienced scratches. If a neighbor came to me about that, I'm afraid I would need some kind of proof as I honestly would not be inclined to believe it. I am not saying you aren't being truthful. I'm pointing out that *I* would be incredulous so you might want to keep that in mind in trying to get the lady and her tenant to take your complaints seriously. Hopefully, you can all find some agreeable solution! I have also had cat paw prints on my hood, but I didn't have scratches. Either way, the cats are annoying and should be indoor kitties. I would nicely talk to the DIL and if that didn't work, the next time they came into my house, I would take them to the pound. It isn't the nicest thing to do, but she doesn't seem like a responsible pet owner. We don't have too many loose cats in our neighborhood (if you don't count the bob cats and mountain lions). |
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sweetandsour
Full Member
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Jun 30, 2014 17:43:52 GMT
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Post by sweetandsour on Nov 10, 2016 17:17:14 GMT
I would say something, but be prepared that it would be helpful to have evidence. We have an anti-roaming cat/dog bylaw, but my former (thank god) neighbour used to let their cat roam anyway. The cat used to jump onto the roof of my car from the fence, then get on the ground by sliding down my driver's window and driver's door with his claws dug in. I spoke with my neighbours, who didn't believe it was their cat. So I finally caught him on camera and video and my neighbours had to replace my window and get my door repainted, that's how bad it was (and the body shop owner was their friend so the neighbours couldn't even say it was a bunch of BS). Their cat became bylaw-compliant after that as the repairs were not cheap.
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Grom Pea
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Post by Grom Pea on Nov 10, 2016 17:22:57 GMT
Can you get a cover for your car? It seems to me that a cat / animal can come from anywhere. I don't see how talking to the tenant will help you with the cat if it is an outside cat. Cats go where they want. Unless the cat is using your car as a litter box everything sounds normal to me. I also don't get the scratches on your car from a walking cat. We've seen paw prints from cats or raccoons but haven't had scratches. Is the cat setting its territory somehow? I'd look into a car cover. Not ideal bit easier for keeping animals off your car if you're regally unhappy / seeing scratches. We may need to look into it but it irritates me I need to adjust my life to accommodate her (or anyone's animals) and the expense of doing it when if she kept her cats in the house 100% of the time, I wouldn't have to. The cat is indoors at times but I haven't figured out the schedule yet. I understand what you're saying though. I have never seen a cat in our yard other than her cats in the 8 years we've been here but that isn't to say it can't happen. Since I can't prove it at this point, I will just have to say something as more of a head's up that I found cat prints and scratches on my car and go from there. Maybe if I mention dead chickens she might want to keep them indoors all the time, not just sometimes. annoying but it's better to protect your car than have it happen again because another animal could scratch it too. Right now Costco has nice car covers, they're seasonal so you can grab one before your car is fixed and then keep it nice. |
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Post by **Angie** on Nov 10, 2016 21:29:59 GMT
Welcome, and thanks for posting! Be careful- this place is addicting! When you talk to exDIL, be sure to mention that you've already had to talk to the owner about her cat and don't want to have to go to her again. Are there laws/regulations in your area about letting pets run loose? Are there any loose dogs that could harm her cat while it's running around the neighborhood? Any wild animals? If so, be sure to mention those to her as good reasons to keep a closer eye on her cat. Do you have catmint growing in your yard? Maybe that's why the cat keeps going across the street to your place. LOL It IS addicting I'm not sure what our laws are. We live in city limits so there may be. The neighbor's have a dog that would kill it if it got in their yard or if it got out, which it has. This dog killed chickens, which aren't allowed within the city limits but the enforcement officer didn't enforce that. She keeps the cat inside sometimes. We do have some kind of mint growing in our yard, not sure what kind. I find it laying in my passion flowers mostly. If you don't want to be accusatory, you could always point out the dog as a reason to keep the cat inside.... |
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Post by pierkiss on Nov 10, 2016 21:47:14 GMT
I think you should try and talk to the daughter in law about her cat. And for sure show her the damage and talk about how her cat seems to like your property, and that it is unwanted on your property.
I would also start squirting the cat with a hose every time I saw it near my yard or car. Cats don't like to be wet. They really don't like to be cold and wet. If you can catch him more often than not and squirt him EVERY time, he will get the message loud and clear and will stop coming over you.
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JustTricia
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Posts: 2,827
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Post by JustTricia on Nov 11, 2016 0:24:12 GMT
Yeah, no. I would absolutely not be covering my car at all times because some jerk cat is damaging it.
First, yes, try and talk to the neighbor. If you can't get them in person, leave a note.
Then, take the money you're thinking about spending on a car cover and invest in a good hose or motion activated sprinklers. Aluminum foil on top of the car for a week. Sprinkle what ever kind of something that cats don't like on the top of the car and all over the yard.
All else fails, live trap it. First time take it over to the neighbor. Tell them second time it goes to the shelter.
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Post by Basket1lady on Nov 11, 2016 2:15:21 GMT
My next door neighbor feeds 17 feral cats each day. SEVENTEEN. I feel your pain.
I've had no luck whatsoever. She believes that cats need to be outdoors. They are legally her cats because she feeds them daily and provides veterinary care. They use my flower beds as litter boxes, they climb on my window screens, they scratch at the front doors and windows and drive the dog batty. I've tried talking to her, putting red pepper flakes in the flower beds, I have fencing closing off under my deck so they can't get under there... We have chosen to live with it, as they are good neighbor's otherwise. But really, what if our dog pooped in her yard and terrorized her indoor cats? Why is one ok and the other being a bad neighbor?
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My neighbor across the street has 2 homes, the one she lives in and one she rents out to her ex daughter in law. I absolutely adore my neighbor and I hate to possibly cause any friction with her. Ex DIL just moved in a couple months ago. She brought 2 cats with her that are inside/outside cats. The one cat has jumped in my vehicle and has tried to get into my house. I find it sitting in my yard daily. I've nearly ran over it several times. I spoke with the neighbor (since I never see the DIL, only see her car there in the morning & she leaves while I'm at the bus stop) and told her I don't want to be the asshole neighbor who smooshes her cat in the road. She said she'd talk to DIL. We just bought a new car less than a month ago. My not so dear husband hit a parked car last week so the issue I have will be fixed because the hood has to be replaced. But getting to the point, I walked outside yesterday to cat paw prints and scratches all over the hood. No one else in the neighborhood has cats and the scratches were not part of the accident. You could clearly see the prints matching up to the scratches. I did not see her cat do it but based on the earlier encounters with the cat, I can only assume it was the DIL's. (I know what happens when you assume though.) I want to say something to neighbor because after I get my car fixed, I won't be happy if this happens again but I don't want to cause any problems between us and I didn't actually see the cat do it. It's bad enough DH wrecked it but this makes me even less happy because if she kept her cats inside, it could have been prevented. Do you think I should say something? WWYD? 
Which happened more than once.
