Help Needed Please

[Jac]

Hi everyone,
I'm in need of help. (no smart comments please)

Last night there were two cats calling next door. Anyway my neighbour who doesn't like cats and has put stuff down before, came and asked me where my cats were. I told her in the livingroom. She said that she was fed up with all the cats going into her garden and was going to put down poison.
Now my two dont go further than my garden but is there not a law about setting out to kill or hurt a cat?
If there is how do I go about doing something about it? I know she will and I'm really worried for all the cats in our area.
Can anyone help me?

Need to go out and do stuff but will be back in a wee while. Your thoughts and perhaps advise really needed.

[dinahsmum]

Think there is a law - I'll do a bit of research and post what I find

It'll be Scottish law though................may be different

Just a thought - do you think the SSPCA would actually do some trapping etc if you told them the situation?

[EmmaG]

Yes I believe there is a law against deliberately harming cats and dogs, have a look on the RSPCA website, if it was my neighbour I would tell them I am going to report them, and if you know who the cats belong to tell the owners as well.

Killing an animal by poisoning them is just terrible. I had a cat (when I was very young) who was killed by poison and it is a horrible way for any animal to die.

[dinahsmum]

Have found this about feral cats

In Britain, deliberate poisoning of feral cats is not normally allowed as it puts wildlife and other domestic animals at risk. There have been cases of deliberate poisoning with rodenticide, but the use of poison is strictly controlled. There is the risk of scavengers ingesting the poison when eating carcasses. Harmless insectivores such as hedgehogs are particularly at risk from cat food laced with poison. Deliberate infection with cat flu or enteritis is also unacceptable. Contraception has sometimes been used as a short term measure prior to trap-neuter-release (TNR) schemes.
Because they are classed as vermin, feral cats ("nuisance cats") may legally be controlled by shooting by the landowner or his agents. They many also be live-trapped (using human box traps) and euthanized. More rarely, a feral cat is shot by a trained pest control operative because it is untrappable and there is no safe alternative.

If it's unlawful for ferals it must be unlawful for cats which belong to somebody - I'm not sure which your post is about.........

[deester]

That is terrible. I would call the rspca and advise them of the conversation with your neighbours - they will advise you.

[dinahsmum]

Originally Posted by EmmaG

Yes I believe there is a law against deliberately harming cats and dogs, have a look on the RSPCA website, if it was my neighbour I would tell them I am going to report them, and if you know who the cats belong to tell the owners as well.

Jac's in Edinburgh so it would be SSPCA - I can't find anything on their site - I'll look again

[dinahsmum]

My very first cat - Poo-ee, I must have been young when I named him - died of poison too. I was only 5, i think, but I can still remember him crying

[EmmaG]

Thanks I didn't realise it was the SSPCA you need to contact, if they are domestic cats surely poisoning them constitutes crulety?

Perhaps an email to the SSPCA could be a good idea.

[dinahsmum]

Jac

Further thoughts. I think you should just inform your local cop and have someone speak to her and feel her bumps. If the cops aren't interested speak to a Councillor on the local Police Committee - politicians are out to get your vote and will give you a hearing.

Tell your neighbour that having told you of her plans she is in a difficult position and things will not be easy for her if any cats fall ill - she will be chief suspect!

Tell her to use a water pistol to discourage the cats from her garden - or tell her about those ultrasonic deterrents. Orange and lemon peel is supposed to put cats off and you can buy spikey plastic mats to stop them scratching up seed beds.

[Mags]

She must be stopped Jac...as others have said if she is insistant on carrying out her threat she must be reported. Be prepared for bad feeling from your neighbour though....