Dear all,

Are there any ordinances or laws that regulate roaming (freilaufende) cats? My neighbor is upset with me for petting her cat! I get visited every day by at least 5 different cats - and occasionally by a neighbor's dog which I bring back home. I told her if she didn't like that she should keep them inside her own home. She has come by my house twice to complain. She moved in rather recently and has acquired 2 cats - which eventually ended up eating the two of the three fish in my fish pond ... So, can I get in trouble for being nice to someone else's cat that is on my property? I couldn't find anything on the internet for canton AG, nor here on the EF.

Thanks for the help!

Gaebigirl
Known Animal lover

PS. Moderators please feel free to move to the correct section.

must...resist...joke...about...asking...permission ...before...stroking...stranger's...pussy.......

must...resist...

must...resist...

(sorry, couldn't resist)

As far as I know - mostly by perusing the TschV/G and my 'Tier Im Recht' book - there is no law saying that you are forbidden to pet another person's cat.

HOWEVER, there is general etiquette and common sense. If a pet owner asks you to leave his/her pet alone, please do so. I would imagine that the lady does not want you forming a relationship with the cat because that might cause the cat not to want to go home - cats are notorious for 'adopting' other people. Especially if she has moved in recently - she might still be training the cat to come home. So as it's her cat, it would be best to ignore the kitty when he comes visiting. If only for the sake of neighborhood peace.

Cats do have the right to roam - they are considered semi-wild in that respect. Unlike dogs, who must be under control (i.e. supervised) at all times. If the neighbor's dog comes visiting without the neighbor in tow, you do have a right to complain. But you are doing the far wiser and more neighborly thing by simply bringing Fido home. Good on ya.

If the cat has killed your fish, you might want to look into some kind of pond cover or netting. There was a big drama over just such a situation in my neighborhood a while back - Neighbor A's cat was killing Neighbor B's fish. Neighbor B issued a complaint to the powers that be - and was surprised when it was she, not Neighbor A, who was given the slap on the wrist. Apparently she had failed to provide a 'safe habitat' for the fish. Go figure.

(Ah the joys of village life. Never a dull moment. )

FYI, the Tierschutzgesetz is rather sparse wrt to cats; see pages 31 and 32 of this 'Wegweiser' put together to explain the law:
http://www.tierschutz.com/publikatio...er_tschg_d.pdf

And the brochure 'Katzen Richtig Halten:
http://www.bvet.admin.ch/tsp/02242/index.html?lang=de

The TschV discusses cats in article 80:
http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/455_1/a80.html

maybe time to get fish that can defend themselves:

Thanks for the info Melloncollie, our resident animal expert! I will check it out.


Although I can't help it that these cats, that arrived in August, find our family nicer than hers. (Animals are a good judge of people, right?). She should of not let them out until they were fully bonded. I am glad to know I cannot have any legal trouble due to this situation and will try to refrain being nice to her cats, sniff. I do think cat owners should realize the consequences of owning free roaming cats including the danger of being run over by a car - an unfortunate end to another neighbor's cat.


As for the fish, who where here several years before the cats' arrival, there will be no follow-up given that the garden will be completely re-done in the spring. The remaining fishy has since found a new home - a lone fish is a sad fish - and the pond removed. Interesting to learn about your neighbors' experience, though.


Thanks again for the post.

Have a puuuuurrrrrrfect day!
Gaebigirl

Weird. I can understand not feeding other people's cats but petting them, why not? I have all manner of furry friends out on the sidewalk on my way home pimping themselves for free love.

If you don't give it, the cat will go further afield for auxiliary love.

If your neighbour has just acquired these cats then she has probably been reading some useless Manual for First Time Cat Owners but the rest of us know that there is no such thing as cat owners. We are humble servants to our furry overlords, we are in short, personnel.

The cats are training her and slowly crushing her spirit and perseverance. They are doing it slowly, because it's more fun that way. One day it will dawn on her that cats do as cats please and that we are just Thumb Guy to open the next can and administer love.

Entertain her request but do sneak a stroking of the pussy from time to time when she's not looking.

Don't feed her cat though.

..........

I think your neighbour will leave you alone if you start asking her if her cats are spayed/neutered. The cat population is out of control, tell her she needs to be a responsible owner. I guarantee she is going to steer clear of you if you express an opinion.

I don't own cats, am highly allergic, but I do know that if you ignore them, they will see attention and affection elsewhere.

As for your neighbour's dog, does it escape from a fenced garden?

That doesn't apply to my mum - she has absolutely no love for cats on any level, and diligently ignores them whenever visiting a house where they are kept as pets. You can bet your life that she is the one constantly fending off their affections.

Actually I was renting a property where there was a cat, he would not leave me alone, even though I tried to ignore him.

I actually read somewhere that if you ignore a cat by turning your head away, they actually take it as an invitation to be petted, something to do with scent glands behind the ears and that by turning your head you are inviting them to smell your scent so the more you ignore them that way the more they will come to you

Good point, Mrs. Doolittle. I didn't think about mentioning the fact that both are not spayed... which I will comment on the next time she comes over to complain.

This past week the cats did not come by. Seems my neighbor is working on her bonding problem.....although cats that stop by tend to continue to stop by here - even after I am away for a while. I guess I am hard to forget!

The dog is one I have pet sat on several occasions. It is a dog that was adopted by an elderly lady after her two dogs had to be put down due to old age. The dog was placed for adoption by a family who was leaving Switzerland and who couldn't take the dog with them . Although he loves his new home, he comes by to visit after noticing that I have passed by HIS house during the day. (It is almost a given: I go by in the morning and he stops by later on in the day.) When possible, I avoid going past his house. No he does not live in a fenced yard. He just comes by to say hello to all of us and then is walked home. He is also very kind to the cats that stop by.


Gaebigirl