I found this Daddy Long Legs on my back patio

That's the same way I operate, work a few hours, but when I need to sit for even just 5 minutes and breathe, I check DG.

Oh those were the days, are you girls trying to make us feel bad ? [smile] I often look back and wonder 'how did I do it all'....well enjoy and enjoy, your rewards will be many....

Oh, probably not, right about the time I get it just so and everything fills in (after I've moved it twice because first I put it TOO close) and looks lush and delicious, we will probably move. Arrrggghh.

Oh no! All that work and you might move. Poor you!

Well, we are transplants to Frederick Maryland. I grew up in KY and all my people are there. I have made precious friends here, but nothing replaces brothers and parents and college friends. When my husband retires, we probably will move back. I would rather have family than a mature garden ;) Plus, I can start over with the benefit of all my experience!

This is the very first time I have sat down, rereading peoples "thread"/comments with interest. I am imway2dumb's wife. I have read so many stories about cats, ferals and received some interesting ideas. We have been dealing with a very troubling and heartbreaking situation. Last week our neighborman (he's no "man.") shot and killed one of our cats just after dark. He hates cats and has a violent temper. What did our cat do? He layed out by the mailbox all afternoon, we had kept our eye on him. He was beautiful, gentle, loving (and neutured). Loved people and came to us because another neighbor didn't want a cat in the house.

Our cat did nothing except to irritate this mans dog who was behind a fence in their yard. Right after dark, 7:32 to be exact and then he shot him. His wife helped drag the body into the yard. John ran out but we were helpless. The story goes on but where is help? Can people just do this and get away with it. Police don't care, even if shots are fired. Any comments? Betty

I don't know the answer to your question Betty. I know I have large dogs and that I have to walk one of them on a leash because there have been so many ferals and strays that I am afraid my dog will take off after one and either rip it apart or get hit by a car chasing after it.

I realize that cats can be taunts. We had one old battleaxe Tom cat sitting outside our atrium doors on the stoop grooming himself on a regular basis while our dogs went insane on the inside of the house jumping on and lunging at the windows. It gets a little old cleaning dog spit off windows after a while and I am convinced that cat knew what it was doing. It also knew there was a barrier separating it from my dogs.

Do I think your neighbor should have taken the action he took- no. You and your husband do not strike me as unreasonable people. I can't imagine why he chose to take out his frustration on a poor dumb animal as opposed to just walking over to your house and asking you to keep that one particular cat in as it was taunting his dogs and making them bark incessantly or whatever his issue was. This cat obviously had an owner and I have difficulty believing the neighbor was incapable of matching you and John up to the cat. Sounds to me as if the man is in need of some professional help.

Your cat was on your property hanging out by your mailbox. I really think you need to involve the police before more of your pets disappear. If nothing else, there will be an incident report on file which may lend credibility to any incident that may occur in the future.

There are a lot of miserably self serving people out there like your neighbors who want a qucik fix. You were fortunate enough to catch them in the act so at least you know what issues face you and any pets that may stray from your property. Most don't make the "mistake" of getting caught. I have a strange premonition many household pets meet their demise at the hand of neighbors who are fed up and don't have enough respect for the owner to discuss their concerns openly and honestly like mature adults.

I'm really sorry about your cat.

thats a terrible terrible thing to have happened...sounds like your neighbor and their dogs need professional help, I agree...I can understand a neighbor getting upset at a dog continuously barking..we have that all the time from neighbors dogs, but to shoot a cat for laying outside on your property is beyond any reasoning....just pray that they move...[ or pray for a big eagle to come and take them away] that is so bad, I am very sorry for the loss of your cat and I am sorry about your neighbors..what jerks.....

Oh my god, I am in utter shock. And I'm am so very sorry that this happened to your poor cat.

I also have to say that I am a total dog person. I've had cats before, but I definitely like dogs much more. Why am I saying this? Because I want you to know that even as a person sympathetic to dogs, I think what that man did is completely barbaric. I don't care if your cat WAS taunting the dogs or not. If the dogs can't contain their aggression, THEY should be the ones to be kept inside - or better yet, taken to obedience training. A barking dog is something I have never tolerated and never will. I really am sorry, Equilibrium, if this sounds harsh, but there is no excuse for dogs lunging at a window to get at a cat outside. The mere existence of a cat shouldn't be enough to send a dog into a barking lunatic fit. There painless but very effective ways of training a dog not to bark. Because of the use of this type of training, our Golden very nearly never barks or growls....and we know that when she does it's for a good reason. When my neighbors' dogs bark all night, I'm certainly not mad at any stray cat, I'm angry with the neighbors for not making the dogs behave better than that and for not having any consideration for the sleep needs of the rest of the neighborhood.

But back to the issue at hand....John and Betty, I would be sitting on the police to take action against that neighbor. If you ask once and then give up, so will the police. If nagging them doesn't work, I would go so far as contacting the district attorney's office and asking what steps can be taken against the neighbor. They will not take lightly to citizens just shooting firearms off in the city even if the police see it as a low priority issue.

I'm still in shock at the fact that this could happen and the police do nothing. Again, I am so sorry to both of you.

-Julie

Has anyone seen ''the dog whisperer'' on TV [ Ceasar ?] its a new program, what that man can do for dogs is almost miraculous..but it can be done..there was the most vicious rottweiler on their program yesterday, and it did take him 10 days..not the full day it usually takes him to psychologically and physically train a dog...He also had the dog''from hell'' a couple of weeks ago..the most awful tiny Chihuahua [ we have 2 adorable ones, and I mean adorable who never bark..they are the quietest and most gentle dogs we have ever had]..anyhow, again, he had this dog totally submissive and obedient, it was so amazing..the owner was in tears she was so grateful...I never thought it could be done, but it can...

Thank you all for your responses. This "so called man" and his wife will stand or sit and instruct their dogs to "get the cat" from inside their fence even if the animal is just laying out on our front porch. I have seen this man walk outside of his fenced yard onto the road area near culverts (public roadways) knowing a cat or kitten is playing in the culvert and take huge rocks, hunch down, and take aim with a BIG rock and try to smash them as they come out. When I saw this I ran out and to say I was yelling is mild. I also grabbed a camera one time but missed getting the picture. They even tried to stone a starving dog standing by the side of the road near our place. She was so starved and desperate for someone to help her. We did, we took her in. What did they do, throw big rocks yellowing, "get out of here."

I am labeling this man, wife, and his two sons, one is a cop in a city in Texas and, they are self proclaimed skin-heads and believe the law is at their service.

Again, thank you. We will pursue some recourse but I have to compose a letter to the police or district attorney's office. I am going to call Animal Control as the Control Officer has been helpful to us and he knows we try to do the right thing about animal problems. He might have a suggestion if nothing else.
Betty

I too am horrified by this mans actions. I bred Golden Retrievers and Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen (PBGV!) for years back in the UK. We had 19 dogs at the same time for a while and 4 cats.
The PBGV are hounds and have strong hunting instincts, but it was still possible to teach them not to chase cats. Cats can be a pain, I know ours used to tease the dogs when they got the chance but they could all be taught to live together happily with patience. I had one bitch who fed and raised 2 orphaned kittens of her own volition!
I cannot understand how anyone can claim to be a dog lover and be cruel to any other species, and if you aren't a dog lover why would you have them in the first place? This guy is obviously sick.