Should this be a model for other communities to** follow to prevent animal hoarding?
and if Mrs. Richard only had ONE cat, ( allowed outdoors) the neighbor could still complain that the cat ruined his yard.
The problem isnt the number of cats…the problem is that one person’s actions (letting cats roam) is encroaching on a neighbor’s property. One dog would be an even bigger problem than several cats, if it roams next door. At least cats bury their poo. 
Aren’t there already enough laws in place that prohibit damaging your neighbor’s property?
So as soon as your cat is pregnant, go apply for a kennel license? Because the litter is most likely going to be 3+ kittens?
That law seems rather useless and reactionary. 5 kids + parent=fine. Fluffy + 3 kittens=the end of civilization.
Agreed. They should have to get a license to breed humans, not cats.
Exactly this. They’re legislating against behavior that isn’t the problem. My neighbor having one free-roaming cat is a larger problem for me than him having fifteen indoor cats, assuming they’re being cared for.
I’m believing this should be the case more and more… I don’t care if you are joking.
As for the above ruling, I believe this will just end up with far more kittens going down the loo.
I am strongly against this if it doesn’t have a grandfather exception, as the article suggests. I am only slightly less strongly against it if it does. Any law that punishes people who were fine before the law doesn’t sit well with me. It also isn’t very enforceable, and encourages neighbors ratting on each other.
Making strict leash laws that are enforced pertaining to cats and dogs alike could also help alleviate the problem and make residents at least keep their cats inside. (or, ahem, on a leash!)
$50? Who cares? If I can afford to feed 15 cats, I should be able to afford 50 whole dollars. Why didn’t she just pay the $50, avoid the per-day fines, and continue to thumb her nose at the neighbors? That doesn’t make any sense.
I have 4 cats. I would gladly pay the $50, then go after getting the leash law passed so I could call the cops and have my neighbors ticketed $50 every time the dog was off-leash! Bite me!
You haven’t had many cats, right?
Why the arbitrary number of 3 though? In the name of “animal hoarding?” 3 cats? Really? I grew up with 6 cats, and the idea of “hoarding” brings to mind the crazy cat lady who has 90 cats treating her house like a litter box. Our cats were all neutered/spayed/shots, etc., and were well cared for and no, the house didn’t smell like cat piss (3 litter boxes in the garage plus a cat door) and I think the idea that we “should have had a license” is absurd.
I have 2 cats now, in a 2 bedroom apartment, and they are indoor-only and that is my limit in my current living situation.
If I were to get a bigger home on bigger property, and I wanted to take in a third stray, I’d be a little peeved if I had to get a license.
I’d be a little less peeved if I knew these fees were going towards the humane care of stray animals in the community, but somehow I doubt that’s where the money would end up.
Laws such as this won’t stop true hoarders - they are compelled to hoard and the law will make no difference. On top of that, a person is both poor and hoarder won’t be able to pay much of a fine anyway.
As for cats ruining a yard - I have a terrible problem with neighborhood cats digging up and destroying my garden while “burying their poo”. It’s NOT a benign activity. Personally, I’m in favor of trapping and depositing at the pound any cat caught roaming. You can be bothered to pick up your cat prior to euthanasia or you don’t deserve the animal in the first place. Cats roaming loose is not good pet care, cats don’t have to roam, and frankly, I’m continually disgusted at how many pet cats (they have collars) I see as road kill nearly every day. This area is too urbanized for it to be safe for kitties to roam, damage to other people’s property aside.
I agree, we should be fining people for having five kids.
Will they enforce this by deploying a Cat Detector Van from the Ministry of Housing?
I used to have 14 cats. It was because I was already irresponsible and too poor to have my cats fixed, so I doubt I’d have considered getting a license. I’d just hide them like I had to do from my landlord and hope nobody caught me.
I really don’t think we need more laws. They probably don’t work, only pad pockets of the city when they impose fines but the cost of checking up on pet owners would probably make it another money pit.
Well the idea behind laws like these are to allow the police to intervene if needed.
If you have a large number of animals there is a greater chance there will be issues, not always but it’s more likely to.
If there’s no law to prevent someone from having 14 cats then there is nothing the cops can do if they cause trouble. With a simple law there is a remedy, license them and comply to the conditions or lose the animals.
Now again this doesn’t stop the single cat that is problematic, but it gives one more option to law enforcement to stop problems. It’s not intended to be a cure all but only as an additional tool
Actually, it’s the Ministry of Housinge.
I’m very observant, you see. 