As you may or may not know, we foster several stray cats outside of our house. Along with others in our village, we are trying to curtail the "dating" habits of strays by capturing them, spaying/neutering and releasing them -- all at our own expense. Let's face it, cats are sluts, and as soon as a female has (more or less) weaned her kittens, she's looking for the next tall-dark stranger.
In any case, we are doing our best to get these loose kitties off the streets and tested for diseases. Unfortunately, there is one big gray male tom cat who has made it his mission to impregnate as many loose ladies as he can possibly do in as little time as possible. This has resulted in a few litters that we are in the process of trying to get captured and placed. And, unfortunately again, the cat rescue organizations, the SPCA, and foster organizations are overwhelmed, so we have no place to place these little guys, so we have kittens in the yard...or HAD kittens in the yard until last Thursday.
We have lived in this neighborhood in this house for over 30 years. We have never ever had any issues with any neighbors. I am not a nosy neighbor, and the fact that I've been working full time (until last January...'nother story), has kept me even more out of the loop as to new neighbors and their personalities and such. We are close to our long-time neighbors, but there is a family right across the street from us that we just wave to occasionally. Their son (I never even knew Mom was pregnant with him until we saw her carrying him across to the park) has a habit (he's about 8 or 9...maybe even 24...who the hell knows) of playing ball, riding bikes, sleigh riding, etc. on not only his yard, but others' as well. We don't have any tempting hills on our lot, so he's not tempted to come over here at all. Maybe it's old fashioned of me, but I believe you should teach your kids NOT to go onto other people's property without permission. And, that goes for your dogs -- no matter what temptations are on the other people's property...there lies the rub.
Last Thursday, we were watching kittens tumbling and attacking each other in our back yard. It was adorable, and they were enjoying the weather and just being young and adorable. Then, my son shouted to me that the neighbor's dog was torpedo-ing towards our yard, and we heard the most horrific screaming that will never, ever be erased from our memories. That big dog (lab/boxer mix) had gone after the kittens and had grabbed one in his giant mouth and was not letting go, despite my screaming at him and slapping the piss out of him. That little baby was screaming and fighting for his/her life, and the dog was friggin' relentless. In the meantime, the woman who owns said dog was calling out for him, and he ignored her, and she never ever came up to him to grab him at all. My son whistled, and that caught the dog's attention, and he dropped the kitten who crawled under a pine tree. I didn't go under the tree to check on him because I did not want to further traumatize him; I wish I had checked on him. The dog eventually followed his mistress' commands, and we were left with wondering what happened to that baby. That was the last time we saw any kittens playing, and the adults were spooked for a couple of days.
A few days ago, when I went out to feed the cats, I told my husband that I smelled something really bad, and I wondered if that little one had died and was under the tree. My heart broke thinking about it. Yesterday, we had some landscaping done, and one of the guys said that he found a dead cat in the area where he was going to work. Let me tell you, you can be told what a maggot-infested body looks like, but you cannot fully appreciate it until you've actually seen the sight. That poor baby must have crawled to the back of our house and died sometime after the attack, and we never saw him. There, the maggots very efficiently disposed of most of him, along with these beetle things...there must have been thousands of them...even crawling up the side of our house. Now, you know that maggots eventually become flies, right?
Well, lord love that kid, he assisted me in getting what was left of that baby into three plastic bags. I fastened the bag and was ready to bring it to my neighbors' house, but thought better of it. I hosed down the area -- the smell over overwhelming -- and then poured Lysol all over it, then hosed it again, then soaked it with bug spray (four full cans) including the side of our house. It was one of the saddest and grossest things I have ever done, and I was so overcome with sadness and the feeling that I should have done more to stop that bastard of a dog.
Don't get me wrong, I love dogs, but I wanted that dog dead. More, though, I wanted his owners to take responsibility for his lack of training and response when I was trying to get him to stop.
So today, as I was coming home from the gym, and my son was heading out to work, he told me that the dog had run over to our yard again. My son was able to get him and he ran back home, but still. That dog killed a kitten! I was livid and I went from my car to the neighbors' house. Their oldest daughter was there, but the parents were not. I told her about the kitten (she had no idea), and said that I hoped they would get the dog trained because we cannot have a dog coming over to our yard and killing kittens or cats, and to please tell her parents.
About an hour later, we had her mother at our door who spat out about how much cat shit was in their yard and how the cats were killing the birds that she was feeding (really??? you know there are stray cats around, and you're providing them with an open buffet???) and that she does not particularly like cats and found one dead in her driveway (I wonder which one) and that her dog was an abused rescue dog and he hates cats. So I told her that we are doing all we can to stave off additional litters and spending our own money doing so and that she needs to keep her dog on their yard. Oh, and she informed me that they did indeed have the dog in training, but his abuse issues come into play, and that he hates cats. I was remarkably calm, given that I had this shit-spitting chick with her religious medals in my living room.
My son explained that we all love animals and that he would never ever hurt a dog or any animal, but it was close for her dog. Only when he whistled did that dog stop and pay attention, and that was because, she explained, his hearing was affected by the abuse. I said we will have to work together, but we cannot have him coming over, and she said how they're putting up an electronic fence to keep him there, but what are we going to do about the cats because he hates cats. I said we will continue doing what we're doing -- oh, and she wanted us to stop feeding the cats -- as if!
Listen, I love dogs...grew up with them. However, if I see any animal abusing another, I will protect the attacked one, and that goes for humans abusing an animal or another human, for that matter. I get the distinct feeling that they would think nothing of killing the cats who wander into their yard. I don't understand people like that who think they are so righteous with their friggin' religious medals and have no regard for life.
Auuuugggghhh. The woman did not care that her dog is now a killer. I am on the lookout for that dog coming over. I am so sad about that baby and so angry about this woman. She obviously cannot control her son from trespassing, so I'm guessing the poor dog is even less of a concern.
I don't blame the dog at all; he is a product of the abuse and the lack of control of his current owners. However, I will not stand by while he comes into my yard again. And, that is the name of THAT tune!
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