Mabel is in danger: Updated again 19/03/09

[Mark]

I would also report the chav woman - legally a cat is property and she is threatening to damage your property which is an offence. They have no right to pick Mabel up - like Sam, my Kylie only allows me to pick her up - OH wouldn't even dare to  . Cats are classed as "Free Roaming". Do you have a community police officer who could have a word with them? - It's a shame abourt the birds being killed but I would be telling him you are fed up with his birds damaging your property and it is his responsibility to keep them away from you garden!

I think if someone had a word with them and told them that if any harm copmes to Mabel, they will be in trouble, it might do the trick - although I know thesedays, people have no fear of the law etc.

[Bonkers Mad!!!]

after having 3 cats killed (deliberately) by next doors dog i now have a zero tolerance policy towards anybody who threatens to harm my cats.  if somebody threatens to harm them then i threaten to harm them right back.  it doesnt matter whether i would actually follow through, just as long as they think i will.

[Indys Mamma]

The last time we kept Mabel indoors she stopped eating for 5 straight days and was already in poor condition, she also shredded the dogs face when he said hello through the kiddy gate. We can't shut him out of a room without lots of barking and even if a bit harsh, my 13 year old dog comes first in house-rights. Poor girl hates being confined and if I catproof her into the yard I will have to hope she is happy without next doors (the ones with cats) pair as she is quite close to them both, the shameless hussy lol

I am desperately saving up to catproof the garden, need to replace half the fence then buy the netting + brackets.

Thanks for the advice, will def contact the police, but I know the guy has a license for the gun... at least they can warn him about threatening harm I suppose.

Bunglycat - if I could move I would, but due to my health probs I am having no luck finding work and my mum is caring for me on my bad days, though most of the time I can look after myself fine I have the odd day (every couple of weeks on average) where I literally cannot get out of bed or cope with coordination and memory problems... and we can't afford to move the whole family for Mabel, which I feel really bad about.

Will just have to hope she stays safe until I can afford to do the garden, may see if I can get any help off local CP (they are covering any vets bills for Mabel in return for us fostering her) see if they can supply an outdoor pen or help with catproofing and me pay them back over time. Also need to get her FIV tested before mixing with the boys...

[Bazsmum]

Oh this is really scarey! 

How awful for you knowing that the neighbours a considering such harsh paybacks! 

......I like pigeons but they are not the brightest! The child picking the cat up....dosnt their mum warn them not to touch other peoples pets? 

I would be very worried about this situ....but "Titt for tatt, its all about the cat".....what does Mabel do when she is kept indoors? If she goes seriously bonkers then "fair one" but otherwise I myself have gone through some tough times turning some of my cats (the ones that were used to being outside) indoor only! 

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

OMG how awful .... I agree with Gill ... you need to report this threat to the police.  No-one should be allowed to make death threats to animals or humans ... and if he is threatening to shoot her ... they may want to investigate if he has any unlicensed firearms on the premises!

Not sure what to suggest with regards to keeping Mabel safe apart from keeping her indoors but as you say, this isn't really an option   .

As for the Chavs down the street ... why were was the brat trying to pick her up in the first place   ... N wonder he got scratched - totally normal behaviour in my opinion .... I know for a fact if anyone tried to pickany of my lot up they'd get  ripped to shreds .... especially if it was Zephyr ... my big soft cuddle bum does not allow anyone ... except his mummy .... to pick him up!

Take care and keep your babies safe.

[bunglycat]

Thats awful - i would do as Gill suggests and try and watch where she goes and if you can try and always keep her in sight .
That would worry me sick !
I used to have one really horrible old couple who lived a couple of doors away -thankfully they moved last year- but Winston who is the only one that goes round the front of the houses never went in his garden. ( i live on a old RAF camp so no through traffic and not a very busy road.)
I was looking for Winston one day a while back ( i always watch where he goes -as i know he is only going to the loo and then comes back , and after 10 mins i shout him back as i am walking to where he went ) and i saw the old man , it was dusk and he said to me " if that ----- cat is under my car it will be dead " ( he also was always drunk and loved to pick arguments ) .
I said very politely that if he layed one finger on my cat i would personally put him 6 ft under without any hesitastion !
Luckily they went not too long after and i used to follow Winston then every time he went out .
I hate people like you have round you -why dont you move -i would .
Really hope Mabel is okay -but i wouldn''t bet on it with those sort of people around.
Try and find a way of sectioning part of the garden off somehow.

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

So sorry you having all these probs.....I hate neighbours!

I would report the guy who threaten to shoot Mabel to the police and get a report number from them so you know they have recorded it 

Poor Mabel, I do hope she will be Ok.

[Indys Mamma]

Ugh I don't know what to do! have had, over the last 3 months, 3 separate death threats to Mabel by various neighbours...

1) A guy up the road has racing pigeons, if they stop to feed on our seedlings in the veg garden then Mabel will happily have one, despite bird scarers (which they ignore mostly) she has eaten 3... goodness knows how many other cats in the village have had... but this guy claims that Mabel has cost him £7,000-£12,000!!! Now he has said if he sees her again he is gonna shoot her!

2) a Chav-Mum a couple streets over (I went to school with her older sister) has threatened to get her brothers to set fire to Mabel as her 3 year old kid tried to pick Mabel up and got scratched. This scratch is *maybe* a half inch long and not deep, but Chav-Mum decided that Mabel had rabies (what the?  ) and took all 5 kids to hospital!!!  I find it scary she has 5 kids at 22 but hey... Anyway we ended up having a row in middle of the street as she came round threatening Mabel for hurting her 'angel'... note this, the family is banned from owning animals due to cruelty charges.

3) my next door neighbour-but-one has threatened to hurt her for sitting on top of his beloved classic-mercedes to sun herself. It is black so gets warm very easily. This is the same guy who calls the dog warden every week, several times a week too, to complain about Max barking, that poor lady once sat outside our house for 2 hours before coming up to say she had been listening and not heard anything, only to find out Max was on holiday with my mum and me in Scotland, and had been for 3 days!!

Anyway, I am really worried that Mabel is gonna get hurt but there is nothing I can do! she wouldn't be happy inside and she doesn't overly like the dogs beyond the odd truce to share a patch of sunlight in the garden. She is technically only my foster, not *my* cat, but we have had no luck finding a safe home for a feral, and as I am out of work I can't afford to cat-proof the garden yet and confine her to an 800 square foot area that way.

  I hate my village