Yeah, I moved in next to the Crazy Cat Lady

[CannyDan]

@Rubystreak

The whole thing is useless, really, isn’t it? What can we are do for him either way? It’s a thread in the Pit. People are going to opine, not always on the OP’s side. If you don’t want commentary that disagrees with, doubts, ridicules, or is potentially useless to you, then the Pit is not the place for your thread, is it? Several folks have concluded that the OP is a big whiner. That’s not “useful” to the OP, but it’s the nature of the beast, isn’t it? People have also opined that maybe he needs to get a little perspective on things, which he could get from the differing opinions if he were open to them. Or not. It’s not necessarily the job of the SDMB Pitizens to be useful to the OPs of threads.

Ah, shit. I really, truly intended you to have the last word. But not that last word.

Yes this is a message board on the impersonal intar-webs, and yes people post here at their own risk, and yes this is all about opinions anyway, and yes any kind of answer or no answer is perfectly acceptable especially here in the Pit, yadda yadda yadda…

But sometimes there are actual, you know, like real facts involved. And this is after all still called the Straight Dope. So it seems like, even within the bounds of opinion, we have at least a minimum obligation to go short on bullshit and long on reality.

Now I know that authoritative, even vituperative exposition and constant repetition is believed by some to turn nonsense into reality. (I make no political statement here, although I would do so elsewhere; Republican apologists for the last administration, you can thank me later.) But apparently because of that, and a lack of attention to the OP’s actual question, this thread had reached the status of Gigantic Stupid and was itself about to be humanely euthanized.

The introduction of some facts and an attempt to explain their relevance to the OP’s predicament has seemingly dragged the thread back, kicking and screaming, from the brink of the precipice. So I cannot allow you to hand wave it away at this point with an airy “useless” and your imprecations against the OP. Your final sentence in particular bothers me. It may be factually correct in that no rule exists requiring such, since you use the clever words “be useful” rather than others like “be on topic, be other than totally dismissive, be less than insultingly slanderous of” the OP and/or the thread. Still, I believe the OP deserves a bit more than you seem willing to provide.

This is perhaps especially true when some of the “advice” provided by posters, and some of the actions or inactions they insist should govern the OP’s behavior have potentially dangerous consequences. The OP deserves to know those dangers, in factual terms, at least as a counter-point to anecdotal statements of “I do it and I’m safe, so you will be too. Or you’re a wussy and a whiner.”

The OP also deserves to know that he has both ethical and legal backing should he decide that someone elses cats simply are not acceptable ornaments to his own property. He does not need to accept them even if their potential danger is somewhat mitigated by rabies vaccination (ignoring all the other diseases and parasites potentially transmitted). And he does not need to accept them if they are neutered, which may ensure that the intrusion into his life will be of limited number and of limited (life expectancy of outdoor cats is about 4.5 years) duration.

Yes, he is also entitled to know that there are indeed people who would accept these terms of living in this neighborhood, apparently including some posters here. I do not mind this being made clear, as long as the OP also has the counter-point available. His decision will then truly be his decision.

Speaking of his decision, I am pleased to hear that the OP is making progress. Keep up the good work!

[Rubystreak]

@CannyDan

Ah, shit. I really, truly intended you to have the last word. But not that last word.

Oh, I was sure you were going to have it, and I’ve not given up on that yet.

But sometimes there are actual, you know, like real facts involved. And this is after all still called the Straight Dope. So it seems like, even within the bounds of opinion, we have at least a minimum obligation to go short on bullshit and long on reality.

For the love of god, you are not the only person in possession of the facts, as if they were monolithic and supported only your view. You posted yours, I posted mine. I know, you will deny that I have posted any, since you believe that you are in sole possession of the only “facts” around, but I did: my shelter’s POV on ferals and how to handle them is different from yours. Yours is not the only right way. Nor is your way of handling neighborly relations the only right way. Your insistence that it is has dragged this thread out way beyond its natural life.

So I cannot allow you to hand wave it away at this point with an airy “useless” and your imprecations against the OP.

Stop accusing me of “handwaving.” Can you not read? I didn’t bring up the question of “usefulness.” Another poster did. I am not obligated to say what the OP wants to hear. Opining on whether or not he is whining may not be “useful” to him, per se, but it is certainly within the purview of this thread. No one is under any obligation, in the Pit, to be nice to him and tell him he’s right and great and perfect.

Your final sentence in particular bothers me. It may be factually correct in that no rule exists requiring such, since you use the clever words “be useful” rather than others like “be on topic, be other than totally dismissive, be less than insultingly slanderous of” the OP and/or the thread. Still, I believe the OP deserves a bit more than you seem willing to provide.

The OP doesn’t “deserve” anything. I don’t care if that bothers you. Note again, your reading comprehension is lacking: I did not introduce the oh so clever word “useful,” tumbledown used it. I responded to accusations of not being useful with, basically, “So what?” I think my responses where totally on topic, other than totally dismissive, and less than insultingly slanderous. If you think otherwise, you’re just itching to continue this fight by antagonizing me. Go for it. I’m on summer vacation, so I’ve got plenty of time on my hands.

This is perhaps especially true when some of the “advice” provided by posters, and some of the actions or inactions they insist should govern the OP’s behavior have potentially dangerous consequences. The OP deserves to know those dangers, in factual terms, at least as a counter-point to anecdotal statements of “I do it and I’m safe, so you will be too. Or you’re a wussy and a whiner.”

I never said I was safe. I don’t think anyone on my side of the argument said they were safe, and several have scoffed at the very notion of “safe.” You are the one who is saying, if the OP follows YOUR course of action, he will be safe, by getting rid of the cats. Nothing short of getting rid of the cats will make him totally safe. I hope you realize that this is a ludicrous position, because others, including me, live with a non-zero risk of encountering disease-laden animals on a daily basis. Some of us accept this as the price of living in the world. The shelter where I volunteer, which has the animal control contract for our county, tends to agree with my assessment of the OP’s situation. So, yes, I think the OP is kind of a wuss and a whiner, if he insists on the Final Solution as the only way to be “safe,” an illusory term at best, neighborly relations be damned.

The OP also deserves to know that he has both ethical and legal backing should he decide that someone elses cats simply are not acceptable ornaments to his own property.

Ethical backing is not clearcut nor monolithic, and thus is not your to give. Legally, it depends on his judisdiction, and that blessing is not yours to give either. The OP should check with local enforcement agencies before believing that your view is the authoritative one.

He does not need to accept them even if their potential danger is somewhat mitigated by rabies vaccination (ignoring all the other diseases and parasites potentially transmitted). And he does not need to accept them if they are neutered, which may ensure that the intrusion into his life will be of limited number and of limited (life expectancy of outdoor cats is about 4.5 years) duration.

Note that my advice to him was to check with his local animal control, because their stance may well be, as ours would be, “If they’re neutered and vaccinated, we’re not going to come and get them.”

Yes, he is also entitled to know that there are indeed people who would accept these terms of living in this neighborhood, apparently including some posters here. I do not mind this being made clear, as long as the OP also has the counter-point available. His decision will then truly be his decision.

I think he has adequately observed the point-counterpoint, and may well no longer even be reading this. What you fail to realize is, your view is not the Only. Right. One. You’ve come roaring back in, one more time, to be sure that you state it yet again. And you have. And I’m sure you’re not done yet.

[THespos]

@Gfactor

The OP has asked for this thread to be closed. In keeping with my recent practice, I’ll close it in 24 hours (give or take) so that folks have time to object to the closure or get a final post in.

Gfactor
Pit Moderator

This is the longest 24 hours in recent memory. Will the thread be closed down? Or have TPTB decided that the entertainment value of this thing going off the rails is too precious?

[StarvingButStrong]

@THespos

This is the longest 24 hours in recent memory. Will the thread be closed down? Or have TPTB decided that the entertainment value of this thing going off the rails is too precious?

Probably just forgotten. I did a ‘report this post’ on your message.

[Gfactor]

Oops. I screwed up again. Yep. Just plum forgot. Sorry.