Someone I know just had a community cat of hers caught and sent to the AVA. Fortunately, she was able to retrieve the cat in time before it was killed, but it turns out that a neighbour trapped the cat while she was away. She was upset and aggrieved, that a neighbour would do so before speaking with her as the neighbour knew the cat was a cat she cared for.
It is extremely upsetting to lose your cat in such an upsetting fashion, and it is true that some neighbours are very trigger happy. They would rather trap your cat (knowing it is under your care), rather than wait to speak with you.
However it is a good idea to try and get on good terms with your neighbours BEFORE there is any friction. You don't want your first contact with your neighbours to be one where there is already some unhappiness over a cat, for example.
If you first move into a neighbourhood, or there is a new neighbour who moves in, do take the initiative to go over and introduce yourself. It can be as simple as just offering to give them your number or telling them to knock on your door if they need anything. I tend to like to bring over something to welcome them - baked goods (if you bake), flowers, etc. It doesn't have to be something expensive. That way your start off your first interaction on a positive note. Your neighbour is then more likely to approach you if they do have an issue in the future.
Especially if the cats are very obvious - ie lounging around and impossible to miss - you may want to also let your neighbours know, that you help to care for them. You should also let them know that if there is any issue, they should not hesitate to contact you.
Of course, it doesn't mean that the relationship will not go sour in future no matter what you do. However, it's always better to have a friendly first interaction then to meet your neighbour only when they have an issue with the cats.
A caregiver I know is so friendly and helpful to the neighbours that one of her neighbours who really doesn't like the cats at all, keeps an eye on the cats when the caregiver is on holiday. The neighbour still doesn't like the cats - but she DOES like the caregiver, and that makes all the difference.
7 comments:
When I was a kid, my family knew all the residents on the same floor. But I notice that most people living in HDB flats today no longer talk to their neighbours. Instead, they prefer to talk through the "authorities". I wonder what has changed.
I do not know my neighbours actually, not even those living on the same floor. But I now know quite a number of neighbours even those on different floors and different blocks after I started taking care of the community cats.
This is the true neighbourliness spirit!!!!!!
Shirley
It could be that there are too many people living in the same community. There are a lot more people living in a block than there used to be.
Shirley - that's a good point. Cats DO bring people together.
AVA should also be asking WHY the trap was trapped instead of BLINDLY offer this FREE cat trap loan!
This is abuse of taxpayers' $$ and AVA is utterly irresponsible, as usual taking the easy way out by culling and more culling!!
The staff in AVA ought to be the ones culled!
AVA should also be asking WHY the cat was trapped in the first place instead of BLINDLY offering this FREE cat trap loan!
This is abuse of taxpayers' $$ and AVA is utterly irresponsible, as usual taking the easy way out by culling and more culling!!
The staff in AVA ought to be the ones culled!
A cat cannot tell the difference between trespassing onto private property and strolling along public spaces.
The neighbour knows that setting up a trap with strong smelling food (which cat would walk into a box if there is no food?) means he/she is enticing the cat intentionally into trespassing and into a trap & certain death. To entice a cat onto your property with food is in effect, "inviting" the cat in. So can say neighbour "kidnap" cat or not?
What does it say about the human and the cat? Evil wins unlike Ulysses and the Sirens.
Yes I do agree - for example, it could be argued the cat would not have walked onto the property but for the fact that the food was placed out.
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