Neighbor shoots GF’s cat (cat fine). “Iron Curtain of Mid-GA" work starts tomorrow.

The BBQ Pit
21

Wow, do I feel lucky. After my fiance and I moved to a new neighborhood, our cat got loose without us knowing it. Our neighbor, who we hadn’t met yet, knocked on our door and asked if we had a gray and white cat. We walked over to his house and there was our cat, Art, in his kitchen having a snack.

Not only did he not shoot our cat, but he lured him in with a bowl of kitty food and took the time to find out who the cat belonged to (or who belonged to the cat?).

I hope your neighbor mans up and offers to pay the vet bill. I just wanted to let you know that there are good people out there.

22

[QUOTE=brewha]
Wow, do I feel lucky. After my fiance and I moved to a new neighborhood, our cat got loose without us knowing it. Our neighbor, who we hadn’t met yet, knocked on our door and asked if we had a gray and white cat. We walked over to his house and there was our cat, Art, in his kitchen having a snack.

Not only did he not shoot our cat, but he lured him in with a bowl of kitty food and took the time to find out who the cat belonged to (or who belonged to the cat?).

I hope your neighbor mans up and offers to pay the vet bill. I just wanted to let you know that there are good people out there.
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How sweet! Thanks for the story, Brewha.

I’m having trouble deciding not to be angry at the neighbor anymore, it really is useless at this point. I don’t want to waste the blood pressure and effort anymore. I’ve tried to follow the Mennonite way as best I can and forgiveness is a big deal. But then I see her hobbling and the anger comes back.

23

[QUOTE=Marlitharn]
The cat was in his backyard, presumably stalking birds at the bird feeder. While I would be more likely to chase away an unwanted feline visitor with a loud noise or a squirt from a hose, I have to say that I think the guy was perfectly within his rights to protect his own property.
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I hope nobody’s children ever wander into your back yard, presumably casing the joint to break in some time.

24

God, what a shitty situation. That was a really fucked up thing for him to do, but you have to live next door to the asshole, so you don’t want to get into a big feud with him if you can avoid it. I don’t have any advice, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed that he decides to be a human being about this (and just maybe a small part of me will be hoping somebody shoots HIM in the ass with a pellet gun and see how he likes it). :mad:

And I hope your poor kitty feels better soon. GRR.

25

Municipal Code of Charleston South Carolina-

Wandering cats and shooting BB guns are both violations

26

Never mind, I thought the locale was Charleston SC and re-reading the OP apparently it’s Georgia.

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Does the neighbor know the BB penetrated the cat’s hide? You should let him know (not angrily, if you can help it). He may be thinking that the BB just stung her (in the manner of many reckless BB gun battles of my youth). If you let him know that the cat was seriously injured he might surprise you with some remorse.

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[QUOTE=Geobabe]
God, what a shitty situation. That was a really fucked up thing for him to do, but you have to live next door to the asshole, so you don’t want to get into a big feud with him if you can avoid it. I don’t have any advice, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed that he decides to be a human being about this (and just maybe a small part of me will be hoping somebody shoots HIM in the ass with a pellet gun and see how he likes it). :mad:

And I hope your poor kitty feels better soon. GRR.
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I agree with all of this, particularly the point about not having a feud with your neighbour.
Here in the UK, we have a TV program where a former UN war negotiator tries to sort out bitter neighbour disputes. He only has about 50% success, and the atmosphere he finds is terrible, usually with both sides really stressed.
(Often they can’t even remember how it all began.)

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[QUOTE=spoke-]
Does the neighbor know the BB penetrated the cat’s hide? You should let him know (not angrily, if you can help it). He may be thinking that the BB just stung her (in the manner of many reckless BB gun battles of my youth). If you let him know that the cat was seriously injured he might surprise you with some remorse.
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As of this writing, the neighbor hasn’t shown his face, much less come to see if the cat was badly hurt. I got a report from the vet detailing the injury and I was very tempted to take the cat over to show him what he did. I’ll put the pics on my photobucket album later.

30

Well, I imagine I’ll get slammed here, but I just felt compelled to counter the attitude that “It’s just a frickin bird feeder”.

I am an avid birder. I keep a life list, study birds and habitat and engage in avian conservation efforts. Most enjoyably, I maintain several feeders on my property as well as planting and landscaping my yard to provide great bird habitat and natural food sources.

I have many resident mating pairs of birds here and have watched them as they build nests and raise their young. As you can probably guess, I care about these guys. Especially in winter, when their natural food sources are buried beneath the snow, the feeders I have for them make a big difference in their survival.

A few years ago we had a neighbor who let his cat run loose. One day I was watching my window feeder when suddenly this cat leaped up from the ground under the window, claws raked out, and grabbed a young female cardinal right off the feeder platform. I ran out and chased it away but it kept sneaking back. A few days later I saw a sad pile of bloody feathers under the feeder; the cat had got another one. It was the female bluebird from the nesting pair I’d been observing for months.

I must admit, that if I had had a bb gun I would have felt justified in driving the cat away with it (NOT killing or seriously wounding it, mind you). If the cat had a bruise or the bb broke the skin, well, y’know what? Tough. It was KILLING other creatures. And not for food either, I’m sure the cat had plenty of Fancy Feast or whatever at home.

Anyway, since I didn’t have a bb gun and didn’t want to see any more birds die needlessly at the claws of this cat, I ended up, sadly, removing my feeders. Thankfully, the cat owners moved away shortly afterwards and I was able to replace the feeders and resume enjoying birding activities in my backyard.

So far, no more cats, but if another one starts staking out my feeders, I probably will get a bb gun and use it to drive the cat away. If the cat’s owners don’t like kitty getting stung with bb’s, they’ll simply need to keep the cat off my property.

Nawth, my condolences on your cat’s injury. I would like to think that your neighbor didn’t mean for your cat to be injured, he was just trying to deter it from killing wild songbirds and didn’t realize the bb did more than just sting the kitty.

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[QUOTE=Nawth Chucka]
I got a report from the vet detailing the injury and I was very tempted to take the cat over to show him what he did.
[/QUOTE]

I suggest fighting the urge for angry confrontation, strong though that urge may be. Such a confrontation would only lead to a hardening of positions and perhaps a long-term feud, which would be unpleasant for both sides.

If you can somehow quietly let him know of the extent of the cat’s injuries (maybe through his wife, or through a letter–calm and even in tone), you might get the contrition and compensation you deserve. He might surprise you.

I really suspect he only meant to sting the cat, not seriously injure it.

Just my thoughts for keeping the peace and helping your neighbor see the error of his ways.

32

[QUOTE=Driven Snow]
I must admit, that if I had had a bb gun I would have felt justified in driving the cat away with it (NOT killing or seriously wounding it, mind you). If the cat had a bruise or the bb broke the skin, well, y’know what? Tough. It was KILLING other creatures. And not for food either, I’m sure the cat had plenty of Fancy Feast or whatever at home.

Anyway, since I didn’t have a bb gun and didn’t want to see any more birds die needlessly at the claws of this cat, I ended up, sadly, removing my feeders. Thankfully, the cat owners moved away shortly afterwards and I was able to replace the feeders and resume enjoying birding activities in my backyard.

So far, no more cats, but if another one starts staking out my feeders, I probably will get a bb gun and use it to drive the cat away. If the cat’s owners don’t like kitty getting stung with bb’s, they’ll simply need to keep the cat off my property.

Nawth, my condolences on your cat’s injury. I would like to think that your neighbor didn’t mean for your cat to be injured, he was just trying to deter it from killing wild songbirds and didn’t realize the bb did more than just sting the kitty.
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Driven, please see this photo album for what the ‘sting’ looks like. Warning, may be graphic to some. I don’t have them to post but I have seen the xray of the pellet less than an inch from my cat’s spine. It could have pierced any of her organs or taken out an eye; it could have gone through her eye and killed her, that BB that ‘stings’.
If the cat goes to where you’ve lured those birds, why not try a goddamn Super Soaker?? Hey, how about a fucking fence, if the birds are so precious to you? If you do go buy a bb gun w/ the intent of shooting an animal, I hope you use it on yourself first to see how harmless it is, sicko.

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[QUOTE=spoke-]
I suggest fighting the urge for angry confrontation, strong though that urge may be. Such a confrontation would only lead to a hardening of positions and perhaps a long-term feud, which would be unpleasant for both sides.

If you can somehow quietly let him know of the extent of the cat’s injuries (maybe through his wife, or through a letter–calm and even in tone), you might get the contrition and compensation you deserve. He might surprise you.

I really suspect he only meant to sting the cat, not seriously injure it.

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Your first two points we agree with: neither NC or us want a confrontation, nor do we want a long-term feud to develop or bad blood to linger. To our knowledge, he still does not know how bad he hurt the cat. It may sound a little high-and-mighty and political, but I want to see if they come over and apologize first. Nawth mentioned earlier they hadn’t even stopped by yet to inquire as to the cat’s condition. However, when they do (and I expect the mortified wife to approach first), we will quietly let them know the extent of her injury and ask them to pay the bill. When they responded, the police asked us if we wanted to prosecute, and at the time I didn’t think it was necessary–still don’t. But the polite and responsible thing to do, I think, would be for them to reimburse me for the Vet bill.

I see both sides of the fence on the barrier argument (pun intended). There is a natural, reasonable expectation that one could erect a bird feeder with some degree of safety–but it is not implicitly guaranteed. Nature is nature after all (it ain’t always kind, cuddly Bambi-esque). There is also a reasonable expectation that one could allow a cat or dog outdoors with a reasonable degree of safety (whether restrained or not is dependent on the nature of the animal, in that I would argue cats will always be the ‘social roamers of the neighborhood’, but a dog can be more effectively restrained. . . a side argument for another day)–but again, absolute safety is not guaranteed: cars hit and kill pets, dogs and cats get loose accidentally and injure themselves through other ways. The issue of the fence, I feel, is immaterial. . .

My problem is that my neighbor used disproportionate, overwhelming force on a problem that I feel wasn’t a problem at all. He may not have thought so, but to actually draw a weapon and fire at an animal when there is no threat (especially to him, his wife, or any other person) is completely unacceptable and irresponsible. Had Squeak metamorphasized into a cougar and began attacking small children, different story. But a cat, sitting below a 3-foot feeder is not a direct threat to either the birds or the people in the home. Further, because of his original statement to me, I believe he did shoot because he didn’t realize it was our cat he thought he could get away with it. I’m not defending shooting any animal in a case like this–I think he just got carried away with himself.

By letter of the law, the state of GA defines a ‘firearm’ as a weapon designed to fire projectiles by an explosive force (paraphrased). The city ordinance indicates that:

So, while he didn’t discharge a firearm, he did an air rifle. As I mentioned before, it sucks, but I don’t care to prosecute yet.

My bottom line: the guy irresponsibly fired a weapon when there was no threat. They have not come to apologize or even stand and take responsibility. But, I am not wanting to hang this over all of our heads: I want two things, an unconditional “I’m sorry”, and a reimbursement of the vet costs.

Tripler
We’ve still got each other as neighbors, but they unfortunately, have lost my trust.

34

[QUOTE=Tripler]
…a cat, sitting below a 3-foot feeder is not a direct threat to either the birds or the people in the home.
[/QUOTE]

Um, the cat sitting below MY feeder was most certainly a direct threat to the songbirds visiting it. As evidenced by the fact that said cat went from sitting under it to jumping up and killing the birds.

Again, my condolences for your cat’s injuries. As others have said as well, it’s likely that your neighbor was just trying to sting the cat so it would learn to stay away from the birdfeeder and did not intend to cause the injury that occurred.

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*"Americans keep an estimated 60 million cats as pets. Let’s say each cat kills only one bird a year. That would mean that cats kill over 60 million birds (minimum) each year - more wildlife than any oil spill.

Scientific studies actually show that each year, cats kill hundreds of millions of migratory songbirds. In 1990, researchers estimated that “outdoor” house cats and feral cats were responsible for killing nearly 78 million small mammals and birds annually in the United Kingdom.

University of Wisconsin ornithologist, Dr. Santley Temple estimates that 20-150 million songbirds are killed each year by rural cats in Wisconsin alone.

Feline predation is not “natural.” Cats were domesticated by the ancient Egyptians and taken throughout the world by the Romans. Cats were brought to North America in the 1800’s to control rats. The “tabby” that sits curled up on your couch is not a natural predator and has never been in the natural food chain in the Western Hemisphere.

Cats are a serious threat to fledglings, birds roosting at night and birds on a nest. Research shows that de-clawing cats and bell collars do not prevent them from killing birds and other small animals. For healthy cats and wild birds, cats should not be allowed to roam free. "*

Source: http://library.fws.gov/Bird_Publications/songbrd.html#Cat

36

Driven Snow, would you have shot the cat the FIRST time you saw it, when it had harmed nothing as of yet? Or was the persistence and aggression of the cat a factor? Two factors, you may note, are absent in this case - it was the first time this cat had ever gone over to the neighbor’s yard, and it hadn’t made any aggressive moves towards anything.

37

As an aside here, I would like to compliment Driven Snow for having very thoughtful and well-written posts. Agree with you or not, I hope you’ll stay on the board as a paying member! You’ll find the board is usually a delightful challenge.

That said, there’s no doubt in my mind that house cats needlessly kill birds; my parents’ cat is one of them, but I don’t control their pet. There’s **no good reason ** to shoot anything potentially lethal at an animal you aren’t hunting for food. There are far too many non-lethal options available to resolve this kind of situation. Did you look at the injury? Did she deserve to be shot?
Pipsqueak had only once before left the deck, and that was to walk to me. She’s a big smeller, always wants to know what’s what with her nose. The neighbor even told me she was ‘sniffing around’ the feeder. She’s fat and slow and won’t even chase the laser pointer light. She’s a cushion that purrs and poops.

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[QUOTE=Nawth Chucka]
There’s **no good reason ** to shoot anything potentially lethal at an animal you aren’t hunting for food. There are far too many non-lethal options available to resolve this kind of situation.
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This may be where viewpoints diverge. I don’t really think of a BB gun as a lethal weapon, having been shot by one myself many times with no ill effect other than some painful stings. That is why I suspect your neighbor only meant to sting the cat, and might be surprised (and perhaps contrite) if he learns of the extent of your cat’s injury.

39

Really, the bb gun was a little much; we use the hose on cats in our yard. It scares them away and, after a few times, they get the message. We sometimes see them creeping along the bottom of the hedge on the other side of our property.

My husband wanted to use a paint gun but I think it’s got too much force to use - I would be concerned about breaking ribs, etc.

Anyways, the neighbour should come and apologize. Although the heavy drinker statement got me thinking perhaps he can’t remember?

40

[QUOTE=spoke-]
This may be where viewpoints diverge. I don’t really think of a BB gun as a lethal weapon, having been shot by one myself many times with no ill effect other than some painful stings. That is why I suspect your neighbor only meant to sting the cat, and might be surprised (and perhaps contrite) if he learns of the extent of your cat’s injury.
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He’ll know soon enough; I just emailed the pictures to his wife. They’re in links so if she doesn’t want to open them she doesn’t have to see them. I described the injury in the email using very spartan language and no emotions, and nothing else but my name.

A BB gun isn’t lethal to people, unless the user REALLY wants it to be. But it can be lethal to animals smaller than us. I’ve had the heck shot out of me w/ a paintball gun and the bruises lasted weeks; but I know those same shots would destroy an animal like a dog or cat.