Posts: 1,513
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quote:
Originally posted by PunaLover
My last tenant is gone and took a few of her cats with her. Unfortunately there are about 15 to 20 left that want to come in the house and when they can't they hang around outside leaving their waste and smell all over the lanai. Scaring them off doesn't work.
I called Humane Society. They said I can rent a cat trap for $50 deposit and trap them and bring them in one at a time. Holy cow, I only have a few days til I gotta go off island, and 400 miles of driving back and forth for 20 strays is insane. This would take days even if I got five traps as they are pretty skittish.
So how the heck do I get rid of them? They've torn up the house screens when they get in the house and then scramble to get out, they left waste in the house, dug their claws into the window trim on the way out, it's getting ridiculous. And the renter was evicted so no chance of responsibility for any of this fiasco.
Sometimes you just put your big boy panties on and respond in the correct and legal manner. Animal neglect is a crime. As a landlord, inheriting abandoned pets comes with the territory. Instead of complaining and trying to "scare them off" as you have written, do the ethical and expected legal action of being a responsible landlord.
Cats didn't ask to be mutated for centuries for human domestication. Because of this they cannot survive in the wild, they die very painful slow deaths of starvation and disease. Where's the love? All I read was whining.
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Punalover, you should feel free to do what ever works for you. How you deal with the wreckage of somebody else's unhealthy compulsion is entirely up to you. There are of course a few fundamental ethical constraints that we all share. Don't use a flame thrower for example. Nevertheless it was a train wreck before you showed up. Keep in mind that everyone who posts here has their own biases and keep in mind that the irresponsible cat-breeding tenant is somewhere on that scale. I don't really believe that inheriting abandoned pets comes with the territory when you're a landlord. Dealing with them, perhaps. Furthermore these are not pets. As for dealing with them there are many options. It is best to go into this with your eyes open. The absolute last thing that you should do is actively court somebody to live there on the basis of their willingness to accept the cats. You need to remove the cats. You as a landlord need to have at least that high a standard. I can see tolerating a situation the best you can if it develops unexpectedly but now is the time for a re-boot. It sounds like you are already on this page.
So, I consider it a necessity that the cats go, at least as a guiding principle. I don't know how much you can accomplish before you leave. This may be painful and hard and will serve as an excellent lesson in why hoarding cats is a bad idea. Every action needs to be evaluated with this in mind. Trap, neuter, and return (TNR) is a course of action that some will suggest. It is based entirely on wishful thinking and a short sighted desire to avoid the guilt of euthanizing the animals. It doesn't work unless conducted aggressively and competently under ideal conditions which include a concurrent program of removal, usually for adoption although the impact is the same if the cat is removed by an 18-wheeler. In practice all these conditions are never met. Frannie of Hui Pono Holoholona seems to be suggesting it when she offers a win-win solution. She didn't say so in her post but that is what these groups typically offer. I don't see how that would meet your needs unless she can take the cats away to her sanctuary. If she can, I would work with her although it sounds like you would have to do the trapping. It is the returning the cats to your property part that is fundamentally flawed.
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You are wrong MarkP. The landlord is legally responsible for any inherited pets. Neglect as in "scaring them away" which was his first course of action with all the complaints he vented here, is a crime. Just because you see feral cats does not mean it's ok or legal to chase them into other people's property to search for food and shelter. Shame on you both.
He has the legal responsibility to feed, water and capture, then turn over to a sanctuary or the humane society.
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i was involved in a living situation with a person that took to caring for feral cats in a nearby abandoned house. it was a disgusting situation, fueled primarily by, in my opinion, some mental illness on their part. there is so much filth and disease associated with a situation like this, i would think nothing short of a complete extermination would be suitable.
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quote:
Originally posted by Punatic007
You are wrong MarkP. The landlord is legally responsible for any inherited pets. Neglect as in "scaring them away" which was his first course of action with all the complaints he vented here, is a crime. Just because you see feral cats does not mean it's ok or legal to chase them into other people's property to search for food and shelter. Shame on you both.
He has the legal responsibility to feed, water and capture, then turn over to a sanctuary or the humane society.
Not sure they were ever 'pets' they were feral cats that learned someone was willing to feed them so they kept coming around for their free meal. Now that the food is gone they're going back to wherever they came from. I'm taking the kittens in because they're defenseless. The bigger cats are too fast and skittish to catch and can fend for themselves. And I don't have any neighbors close by and the one I do have has big dogs so they won't be going there that's for sure.
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This is a heartbreaking situation for all involved. It breaks my heart that these types of situations continue all over the world. The cats get the worst and hellish end of the deal. Living, if you want to call it living, life as a feral cat is very tragic indeed. They live half or less the life span of loved cats, have no shelter, no love, get life threatening diseases, don't have a regular water or food supply, often get killed violently by humans and dogs, or get "humanely" euthanized. It's a global tragedy.
ASPCA and the Humane Society need to start an aggressive proactive educational campaign. Why they haven't even started is beyond me. People are the cause of this problem and need to be educated. They erroneously justify dumping cats bc they think cats can survive in the wild. Survive???!!! Cat owners need to take responsibility and get their cats fixed and people need to stop dumping cats to fend for themselves.
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quote:
[
Not sure they were ever 'pets' they were feral cats that learned someone was willing to feed them so they kept coming around for their free meal. Now that the food is gone they're going back to wherever they came from. I'm taking the kittens in because they're defenseless. The bigger cats are too fast and skittish to catch and can fend for themselves. And I don't have any neighbors close by and the one I do have has big dogs so they won't be going there that's for sure.
most likely, you're right the extra cats were not tenants but attracted by their "big heart" I have a cat feeder next door and it's costing me boat covers as those they are feeding and attracting with a 24 hour bowl, not many but enough, think my boat covers are for ripping. I'm not a fan of "big heart" cat feeders! In fact they'll claim it my fault for having a danged boat cover to start with.. ERRR!! It ain't my first merry go round with different "big heart" cat feeders too.
As a previous landlord you've got more troubles ahead because there is no solution to remove the spray from the males., nothing. Believe me I tried everything on earth to get it out.. lucky if concrete, you can steam clean then bleach it down and seal it too, it does not dilute or wash off!! pretty sprays like Lysol and the other junk are just temporary hide odor relievers, not a fix. .and no way Jose is it going to come out of wood unless replaced.
I liked my tenants and liked their pets too, but when you get a vacancy that, once the summer heats up the spray,, it's intolerable!! and not what I offered. makes for an extremely difficult moral challenge where I'd insure to disclose and but very few would rent or lease when I did. ..
My best, highest valued apartment with a professional lady who lived there for 5 years, 3 of them with a male cat, I never knew how bad until she moved.. that cost me 1 1/2 year vacancy as I completely redid the wood floors, etc. etc. etc. until I decided to simply disclose. The odor would not come off the external yet enclosed balcony, so disclosure wasn't too bad.
" keep those doors shut in the summer"
You're previous tenant has left you more surprises, and were I you, get them in small claims court ASAP!! .
And In the future, (I learned the hard way) yet this tenant had promised me the moon when she 1st got it. never rent to anybody who did not have their pet, any pet, all pets spayed or neutered before 1 year old. Period, zero exceptions and kick em out ASAP if they do.
although poop stains too, I'll take a spayed or neutered pooper 1 million times more than a sprayer, dog or cat. .
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The kittens you can DEFINITELY find a loving home for... I would place them on CraigsList ASAP and catch them and hand them over as you catch them.  Email me once you do catch a baby with a picture, because my guy and I are in the market for a new kitten to add to our family.
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quote:
Originally posted by Punatic007
You are wrong MarkP. The landlord is legally responsible for any inherited pets. Neglect as in "scaring them away" which was his first course of action with all the complaints he vented here, is a crime. Just because you see feral cats does not mean it's ok or legal to chase them into other people's property to search for food and shelter. Shame on you both.
He has the legal responsibility to feed, water and capture, then turn over to a sanctuary or the humane society.
While its true that pets are property, unless the animal is physically confined to the property (tied up, or fenced / caged) the landlord has no responsibility for the care of the animal. And in those situations, the only responsibility the landlord has is to notify the humane society or police department and expect an impound within a reasonable amount of time (once the humane society or police department have been informed, THEY have legal responsibility for the animal's welfare). Free roaming animals are NOT the landlord's responsibility, even if they are scratching to get in. IF the landlord discovers a free roaming domestic animal damaging their property (damaging a window screen, harassing livestock, digging up gardens, etc) ANY land owner, including a landlord, is within their legal right to take any means necessary to prevent the domestic animal (domestic includes ferals) including killing the animal to prevent further damage to property or loss of life to livestock, pets, or wildlife.
ETA: grammar
Posts: 905
Threads: 87
Joined: Jul 2011
quote:
Originally posted by Punatic007
You are wrong MarkP. The landlord is legally responsible for any inherited pets. Neglect as in "scaring them away" which was his first course of action with all the complaints he vented here, is a crime. Just because you see feral cats does not mean it's ok or legal to chase them into other people's property to search for food and shelter. Shame on you both.
He has the legal responsibility to feed, water and capture, then turn over to a sanctuary or the humane society.
HA! So I have the legal responsibility to feed, water and capture feral pigs? Feral Mongoose? Feral Dogs? Feral pigeons? Feral chickens? Feral goats and sheep?!
Seriously? I think not. If an animal wanders onto and off of your property and is not confined it is NOT your responsibility.
Dayna
www.E-Z-Caps.com
Dayna Robertson
At Home Hawaii
Real Estate Sales and Property Management
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Dayna.JustListedInHawaii.com
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