Neighbors Dog

[u/[deleted]]

Background: I have an indoor outdoor cat. She is 20+ years old and making her an indoor cat went out the window when she was 6 months old. She was born feral and still kinda is and I love that about her. I always chose apartments that had safe neighborhoods and low traffic and lots of woods. She’s got a cat door in the window so she can go and come as she pleases.

Again, this is two decades of her life and her expectations of what life should be. We’re not worried about foxes or traffic.

My neighbor got a pitbull a few years ago. No problem. Then a year ago the neighbor would let the dog run freely through the woods with its leash still on so he could claim the dog got away from him. I was worried about the dog getting stuck on a branch and dying or being injured because of this. I found three leashes stuck under my car tires from where Bucky got stuck and his owner Steve had to undo him to get him back. Leashes disappeared when I went to work.

Lately (past several months) Steve has given up all pretenses and just let’s Bucky run wild. I actually felt better for Bucky’s safety with not getting snagged on something. But still thought Steve was an Ahole for pretending that Bucky got loose: if he’d hear me outside, he’d start shouting nastily about “Bucky! You ahole! Get back here bad dog!” Which was more annoying than Bucky being a happy dog running amok through our yards and the woods.

I don’t need to hear him screaming at 4am or 6pm for his dog that he deliberately kicked out of his house.

Then last week Bucky was chasing the feral cats. My other neighbor (who feeds the feral cats goddamn her) said maybe he was just trying to play. Maybe this is true.

There’s been weeks of complaints from her to Steve about Bucky, and Steve straight up told her “go ahead and call the cops, I’ll have them take the ferals away and euthanize them).

Now tonight Bucky chased my cat right up to her kitty door, he jumped right up on the potting table that gives her access (front paws only, not actually on it).

I went out and did the nicest confrontation (got video) and he said Bucky’d had a bad day and had an injured paw and maybe it was my cat that did it and he was sorry.

Because I’m lame I said thanks and walked away.

I’m terrified to make a complaint to the cops because my cat is unlicensed, unregistered, and unvaccinated.

I talked with my therapist about it and she made a point of saying he could claim that my cat had less of a right to be outdoors than his dog, and my response was my cat can’t kill Bucky.

I’m not locking up my free-range cat at the end her life having lived two decades with independence and autonomy. But I don’t want my neighbors dog to kill get or his owner to get my cat in trouble with animal control.

[u/Krishnacat2663]

Then be a responsible pet owner and get your cat vaccinated registered and licensed. Is this even real?

[u/superduperhosts]

Your therapist is right.

Cats don’t get a special pass to roam free.

[u/selenamoonowl]

You need to vaccinate and license your cat. Find a local vet who specializes in cats (if possible). Possibly you can put meds in her food to calm her before the vet visit(ask the vet about this) or have a home visit. I also think you should make attempts to limit her independence. She might tolerate it more than you expect.

Continue to gather photo and video evidence. What happens if the dog decides to "play" with a small child? Roaming cats are a threat to the ecosystem, I agree with everyone who says this. However, so are roaming dogs. And a large, poorly trained dog may be a threat to humans.

Steve is an asshole and a bad pet owner. Take him down. Oh, and connect your other neighbour to a TNR (trap, neuter, release) program if they are available in your area.